Communications Assistant – SSA 5 Job Vacancy at WFP

JOB TITLE:	Communication Assistant
TYPE OF CONTRACT:	Special Service Agreement – (SSA – Level 5)
UNIT/DIVISION:	Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA)
DUTY STATION (City, Country):	Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
DURATION:	8 Months

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WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

BACKGROUND OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.  Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA) is a consortium of six agri-focused organization amongst them WFP, with a mission of making markets work better for smallholder farmers since 2016. Through a demand-led approach, FtMA works with local agricultural ecosystem players to sustainably improve farmer livelihoods whilst fostering commercial viability of value chain stakeholders. FtMA promotes the growth of viable smallholder facing business models through strategic and hands-on partnerships. FtMA is a convener and an open platform for agricultural private sector players. It coordinates the ecosystem, co-innovates products and services, and provides information management covering market access, access to finance, access to inputs and technology, and post-harvest handling and storage to overcome critical value chain bottlenecks in smallholder crop markets.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The strategic aim of FtMA is to increase incomes and resilience of smallholders through providing them access to commercially sustainable value chains.

FtMA’s vision is to enable sustainable food systems through strengthened markets that empower smallholders to increase their yields, incomes, and resilience, and to improve global food security. This will be achieved by creating an inclusive commercial environment throughout the food value chains, supported by appropriate policies and investments in hard and soft infrastructures.  There is developed a FtMA Business Plan for Tanzania that aims to provide quality technical assistance that aligns with FtMA’s objectives and compliments both public and private sector’s investments in developing viable, sustainable and robust agricultural value chains. WFP hosts the coordination of this comprehensive value chain intervention and is looking for an individual to push forward these efforts.

FtMA seeks to build a network of commercially viable farmer service centers that provide last mile delivery of critical demand driven services by Smallholder farmers with the objective of directly linking smallholders into agricultural retail input networks that increases their access to reliable, cost-effective productivity-enhancing services, inputs, and technologies, such as improved seeds, fertilizers, Post-harvest Handling and Storage (PHHS) technologies, mechanization services, finance, while at the same time opening direct access to markets and long term off-takers. FtMA will establish strong linkages to reliable and open markets and create a new market pull – driving future small-scale farmers’ development in addition to digitizing both the farmer and farmer service centers that can be either cooperatives, farmer organizations, private entrepreneurs, or agro dealers to increase transparency, efficiencies, and decision making in responding to the demand driven services required by smallholder farmers through access to reliable data to enhance farmer productivity. By creating new possibilities for innovation and modernization throughout the value chain, all stakeholders’ prospects of successfully investing in the future will be improved.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:	Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in one or more of the following disciplines: Mass Communications, Business administration, social sciences or a field relevant to agricultural value chain management.
Experience:	At least five years of experience in media and communication Fields, either in private sector enterprises or in non-profit value chain related projects, with a strong exposure to the private sector. Experience in drafting media documents and liaising with stakeholders from the private and public sector. Experience with relevant and/or other humanitarian/development organizations or in the commercial agriculture or media fraternity.
Languages:	Fluency (oral and written) in English and Swahili a must.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The incumbent will report to the FtMA Country Coordinator throughout the tenure, the staff will work in close coordination with global and country teams, and global alliance members.

JOB PURPOSE

To perform general administrative and some specialised communications processes that support the creation of communications content and the delivery of communications services aimed at maintaining and enhancing WFP’s visibility and reputation and supporting fundraising activities.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Within delegated authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

1. Assist in the development of communication strategies and content for FtMA Tanzania.
2. Collect visual content and narratives through field visits (photos, videos, farmer stories) and assist in creating creative, high-quality content (posts, videos, images), visibility materials for all social media platforms to engage target audiences, build brand awareness and increase number of followers, write and edit copy/scripts incorporating the FtMA voice and style and make translations as required.
3. Conduct weekly media monitoring and prepare reports as requested including documentation of best practices, testimonials, successes, and field experiences in line with the project key objectives.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES CONTINUED:

4. Assist in providing timely information and content to be used in the production of FtMA Tanzania country briefs and presentations to promote and inform stakeholders including private sector partners about FtMA’s activities as well as coordinate the collection of relevant data from partners that is required to produce timely and accurate reports to donors and other relevant stakeholders
5. Support the implementation and operationalization of the Farm to Market’s Alliance communication package, including social media messaging, articles, proposals, press releases, & media messages.
6. Work in close collaboration with counterparts to align activities and ensure a coherent approach to communications within FtMA Tanzania.

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Helps teammates articulate WFP’s Strategic Objectives.
•  Be a force for positive change: Suggests potential improvements to team’s work processes to supervisor.
•  Make the mission inspiring to our team: Explains the impact of WFP activities in beneficiary communities to teammates.
•  Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Articulates how own unit’s responsibilities will serve WFP’s mission.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people’s skills: Trains junior teammates on new skills and capabilities.
•  Create an inclusive culture: Seeks opportunities to work with people from different backgrounds.
•  Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Serves as a peer coach for colleagues in same area of work.
•  Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Tracks progress toward goals and shares this information on a regular basis with supervisor.

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Explores ways to consistently be more efficient and accurate in own areas of work and shares new methods of work with colleagues.
•  Focus on getting results: Focuses on getting results and tracks trends in completion rates for own tasks to identify opportunities for efficiency.
•  Make commitments and make good on commitments: Takes responsibility for own tasks and notifies supervisor as soon as possible of potential delays in meeting deadlines or commitments.
•  Be Decisive: Independently decides what action to take when faced with critical choices in the workplace or in dangerous situations in the field.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units: Suggests opportunities for partnering with other units to supervisor.
•  Build strong external partnerships: Identifies opportunities to work with colleagues and partners in the field towards common goals.
•  Be politically agile & adaptable: Develops an understanding of the value of WFP’s teams and external partners in fulfilling team’s goals and objectives.
•  Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Aligns own activities with supervisor’s priorities to fulfill internal and external partner needs.

FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES

Capability Name	Description of the behaviour expected for the proficiency level
Media and Influencer Relationship Management	Demonstrates ability to respond to and/or escalate needs of media and influencers within own scope of responsibility to raise the profile of WFP, build relationships and further organisational aims.
Media and Communication Expertise	Collates accurate and timely information presented in required format (i.e. written or visual materials) as well as verbally, to enable information flows and informed decision making on communications issues.
Specialised Knowledge in Communications	Exhibits specalised technical knowledge of communications channels processes, tools and techniques. In immediate area of responsibility, provides support in developing written, visual, audio and multi-media content for communications materials and suggestions for improved communications processes.
Sociopolitical Contextual Understanding	Shows awareness of the multilateral/interagency environment and the dynamics in which WFP operates which informs approach to daily tasks.
Communication Strategy and Planning	Demonstrates sound understanding of WFP communications strategy and effectively implements tailored media and communications plans which support the delivery of the strategy.

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

KNOWLEDGE

Resourcefulness, analytical, initiative, maturity of judgment and problem-solving skills. The ideal candidate for this position must be able to work independently, with minimal supervision as well as in a team-oriented environment. Strong relationship-management skills, with experience in coordinating between various stakeholders. Exceptional organizational and time management skills, ability to follow up on pending tasks to ensure their completion in a timely manner.

Communications Assistant – SSA 5 Job Vacancy at WFP

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

SKILLS:

Excellent drafting, communication and presentations skills in English. Experience in compiling high quality documents; and/or liaising with legal counterparts in developing working documents. Editing experience in English desirable. Excellent analysis and computer skills, particularly in MS Office. Ability to work independently, establish priorities and monitor own work plan with minimum supervision in close coordination with the geographically diversified FtMA team. Solid operational skills including problem solving and project management skills, including ability to work and deliver projects proactively and under pressure.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

1. Assisting the FtMA Coordinator in developing a communication strategy for FtMA Tanzania.
2. Improved communication tools and products (video, audio, visual, written) for FtMA Tanzania.
3. Proposed and tested new channels for farmer service centres, implementing partners and other stakeholder engagement including social media pages, websites.
4. Film and disseminate documentaries about FtMA Tanzania Farmer Service Centre model incorporating the FtMA voice and style.
5. Assisting in developing the FtMA Tanzania country briefs, newsletters, and media content.
6. Reviewed and updated project reports (monthly and quarterly).

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Only  qualified Tanzanian candidates should apply for this position.

All the applications should be submitted through e-recruitment portal. Hand delivered applications will not be considered.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

The deadline for submitting the applications is 27 September 2022.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.

The deadline for submitting the application is 27 September 2022.

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