Communications for Energy in Displacement Settings

The Global Platform for Action for Sustainable Energy Solutions in Situations of Displacement (GPA) was established to enable increased access to sustainable energy solutions in displacement settings. Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal 7, the GPA is guided by the vision that: “every person affected by conflict or natural disaster has access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy services by 2030.” Its mission is to equip all stakeholders with the capacity to mainstream sustainable energy solutions into programming and implementation, with the goal of delivering improved protection, dignity, and energy related social, environmental, and economic benefits to displaced people. The supporting members are facilitating a community of practice of over 300 members in five thematic working areas that address current challenges and barriers to achieving access to sustainable energy for displaced people, namely: coordination and planning, policy and advocacy, innovative financing, technical expertise and capacity building, and data. The process is guided by a steering group consisting of members from the UNITAR, UNHCR, IOM, GIZ, WFP, FAO, Chatham House, Practical Action, UNDP, the Clean Cooking Alliance, Mercy Corps, SNV, MECS, ILF and Sustainable Energy for All. The Coordination Unit of the GPA is housed at UNITAR, within the Peacekeeping Training Programme Unit (PTPU).

Under the supervision of the Specialist, within the Peacekeeping Training Programme Unit, the trainee will support administrative processes and communication activities of the GPA team.

1. Support the GPA team members in general administrative functions on budgeting, procurement, travel, documents preparation for MoUs, bi-lateral or multi-lateral agreement between parties, contractual procedures for human resources, etc.

• Arrange appointments/meetings for both internal and external entities
• Attend meetings/events as a rapporteur, take notes and prepare meeting minutes
• Facilitate implementation of personnel administrative formalities and processing of documents in relation to official travels, leaves and movements of staff. Support staff members with processing personnel-related documentation
• Assist in conducting procurement formalities to obtain required services according UNITAR rules and guidelines
• Draft routine correspondence, memoranda, press release, reports, factsheets, articles, blogs, newsletters, etc.
• Support organizing trainings, workshops, webinars, high-level meetings, and other events with logistical, technical and administrative functions
• Coordinate between the administrative support staff of the PTP unit and project management teams within the GPA coordination unit
• Provide support with translation in English to French or vice-versa for reports, if necessary, briefing papers, policy documents, and others for wider understanding of the progress in the sector and energy activities.

2. Support implementation of communication, reporting activities and strategies including strengthening internal communications, broadening public outreach, establishing GPA brand through promoting its Steering Group members and other partners.

• Assist the Social Media Management with social media outreach and engagement on Twitter and LinkedIn.
• Support with organizing events, drafting and editing materials such as guides, factsheets, and reports.
• Assist in the preparation of high-level events such as UNGA, COP28, Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks (HNPW), etc.
• Design and develop visual content for public outreach for social media and offline promotion, such as posters, banners, flyers, quote cards, GIFs, etc
• Update information on the GPA website, including events page, career pages, news stories, etc.
• Develop monthly newsletters by gathering latest information on humanitarian energy
• Update the GPA website with latest content and manage the regular functioning of it

3. Undertake any other tasks assigned.

• Assigned tasks on preparing reports, briefing papers, and other documents are completed.
• Administrative functions are prepared and supported on time.
• Regular contents for the social media channels are produced, logged and published.
• Social media channels are active and producing quality performance.

• Quality submission of deliverables.
• Activities implemented with a high degree of effectiveness and efficiency, demonstrating a high degree of professionalism of the trainee, and contributing to an increase in the professional image of the Institute.

After the assignment the trainee should be able to:

• Perform administrative duties including preparing documents for procurement, travel, etc.
• Manage, monitor, and analyse social media accounts on several platforms
• Edit and curate organizational website pages
• Draft reports and correspondence for global level audience
• Work independently and take initiative

Educational background

• Master's degree or equivalent in Communications, Journalism, Political Sciences, Public Information, International Relations, Humanitarian Action, Natural Resource Management, Sustainable Energy or other related fields; or an undergraduate degree in a similar relevant field, from an accredited and recognised academic institution is required.
• Applicants must be enrolled in an undergraduate/graduate/postgraduate degree or be a recent graduate with the qualifications listed above (if selected, they must commence the traineeship within two years of graduation).
• Be able to commit to full-time work, for a period of 6 months.

Technical competence

• Confident in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Comfortable with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere Pro)
• Understanding of website backend management (CMS, WordPress, etc.)
• Experience in social media management tools (Trello, Hootsuite, Buffer, etc.)
• Knowledge of video/animation editing software (Powtoon, VideoScribe, or similar)
• Skills in graphic design – high awareness of social trend and capacity to design (canva, venngage, etc.)

Languages: A high standard in both oral and written English are required. Knowledge of French or another United Nations official language is an asset.

• Have demonstrated experience with administrative functions and social media management.
• Expertise with social media trends, graphic design tools, creative works, political and cultural awareness.
• Have demonstrated interest in the core work of the GPA (energy access in displacement settings).