occupied Palestinian territory: Consultancy - External Relations Assistant Department of External Relations and Communications, Jerusalem

CONSULTANCY - TERMS OF REFERENCE

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff. UNRWA is seeking to employ a qualified:

Consultancy - External Relations Assistant

Department of External Relations and Communications, Jerusalem

BACKGROUND

UNRWA is funded almost entirely from voluntary contributions and funding has generally not kept pace with increased refugee needs. This has resulted in a recurrent financial deficit which threatens the ability of the Agency to provide critical services to Palestine refugees. The Department of External Relations and Communications (ERCD) is seeking a qualified junior expert to join the team in mobilizing additional resources for the Agency in light of substantial financial challenges.

The candidate will work in the Department of External Relations and contribute to its overall objectives through conducting/facilitating a range of activities as a team member and as an individual. Particularly, the candidate is expected to take provide support to a number of donor portfolios, based on skills and experience, as well as participate in developing new resource mobilization activities. Moreover, the candidate will be expected to contribute to departmental and inter-departmental coordination and communication activities.

Description of Duties and Responsibilities

1. Assist in the collection and systemisation of information on, and for specific Donors

a. Support donor portfolio holders with gathering key and strategic information for the development of their country plans;

b. Research on aid cycle in donor countries, and advice to Senior External Relations Projects Officers (S/ERPOs) on ways to integrate this knowledge into their strategies;

1. Work closely with Chief, Donor Relations Department (C/DRD) and Director External Relations and Communications Department (DERCD) to establish a calendar of event for the Commissioner General (CG).

a. Liaise with S/ERPOs to identify bilateral visits for the CG;

b. Liaise with other departments and fields to identify and compile a comprehensive list of events for the CG’s attendance;

c. Update and alter the calendar as information becomes available.

1. Help C/DRD in tailoring messages in conjunction with other units

a. Use internal resources to help tailor DRD’s messages to the donor community;

b. Assemble, and periodically help S/ERPOs update messaging for donors in their portfolio;

c. Ensure that the CG’s positions are communicated to S/ERPOs and that they serve as central pillars of the overall donor relations strategy.

1. Assist Commissioner General’s Office and ERCD in putting into place a strong and reliable system for correspondence

a. Systemisation of the whole process.

1. Support DRD with editing of official letters and reports

a. Assist all S/ERPOs with official letters and report for external stakeholders;

b. Particular attention to be put on letters to be signed by the CG.

1. Agreement Checklist and Template

a. Liaise with the Legal Department, Arab Partners Unit (APU), Planning, Finance, and the Projects Unit in Gaza to produce a checklist of issues to be included in all donor agreements;

b. Together with Department of Legal Affairs (DLA), come up with already approved clauses on such issues for inclusions in agreement. This will be used at the negotiation stage;

c. Work with S/ERPOs and legal to produce an agreement template.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

· A Bachelor degree from an accredited educational institution in communications, international relations, social sciences, economics, humanities or related fields.

· A minimum of one year of professional experience supporting resource mobilisation with the Government of the People’s Republic of China for a UN agency in an international setting.

· Fluency in spoken and written Chinese and English.

desirable Qualifications

· Experience working in the Middle East is highly desirable.

· Spoken and written Arabic is desirable.

COMPETENCIES

· Ability to analyze, organize and present large amounts of information in a concise and understandable manner.

· Strong English drafting skills and knowledge of UN stylistic writing.

· Ability to analyze numerical data and strong handle of excel.

· Ability to multitask and work independently.

· Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work within a multicultural team.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

· The duration of the consultancy is 11 months with a possibility of extension, with the expected start date of 1 October 2018 or if possible earlier.

· Remuneration for this consultancy will be US$1,500 per month.

· The incumbent will be based in Jerusalem.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants should submit a cover letter and CV or UN Personal History Form that clearly indicate how their experience and qualifications meet the requirements above, including providing the names of at least two recent references. Send these documents to consultancy@unrwa.org, clearly indicating the title of this consultancy (External Relations Assistant) in the subject line of the message. The deadline for the submission of applications is 8 September 2018. Late applications will not be considered.

UNRWA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from both women and men. UNRWA encourages applications from qualified women. Only those applicants shortlisted for interview will be contacted. UNRWA is a non-smoking environment.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants should submit a cover letter and CV or UN Personal History Form that clearly indicate how their experience and qualifications meet the requirements above, including providing the names of at least two recent references. Send these documents to consultancy@unrwa.org, clearly indicating the title of this consultancy (External Relations Assistant) in the subject line of the message. The deadline for the submission of applications is 8 September 2018. Late applications will not be considered.