Communications Specialist

1.Background

Vietnam Forests and Deltas (VFD) is a five-year Program funded by USAID, implemented by Winrock International in partnership with MARD, provincial governments and other partners including the Netherlands Development Organization, American Red Cross, Viet Nam Red Cross and Center for Sustainable Rural Development. Began in late 2012 the VFD program will help putting into practice the national policies and strategies on response to climate change and low emissions development with a focus on reducing emissions from forestry and agriculture sectors and strengthening climate-smart livelihoods and settlements, particularly in rural areas. Addressing long-term climate change risks and gender vulnerabilities in both forest and delta landscapes are key program objectives.

A project team (VFD Team) included staff of Winrock International and other implementing partners was established to work closely with national and local partners for the implementation of activities in two main areas:

1.Support adoption of land-use practices that slow, stop, and reverse emissions from deforestation and degradation of forests and other landscapes, and
2.Increase resilience of people, places, and livelihoods in delta areas through assistance on adaptation and disaster risk management

2.Position description

Communication is a critical focus of the VFD program’s operations. A Communication Strategy will be developed that helps identify the diverse communications activities, mediums, and resources to be used and integrated into work plan of all program components, those to ensure that essential information reaches the target audiences and contributes to positive changes.

Communications about the program will use targeted press releases and public events to highlight the objectives of the program and communicate success stories. Communications serving program objectives will include a creative array of public outreach tools and diverse visual and oral mediums.

Communication products should be appropriate for the target audience (whether it is USAID, GVN agencies, or community members) and should follow the Branding Strategy and Marking Plan approved by USAID.

The Communications Specialist will work in close collaboration with the project staff of VFD Team, partner organizations and USAID Vietnam’s communications team. S/he will be based in Hanoi city and travelling as required to project’s target sites such as Nam Dinh, Long An, Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces.

3.Key responsibilities:

1-Lead development and implementation of a strategy to integrate communication into program components:

• Develop VFD communication strategy related to each component;
• Clarifies communication objectives and develops strategies for their achievement;
• Leads the design and implementation of communication activities integrated across the program components;
• Work with the project team to design appropriate audiovisual material for communication and training purposes; 
• Support project team in organizing events and design event-related communications products. These events include conferences, official project launch, and environmental/public events such as World Environment Day.

2-Ensure consistent and coherent formatting and editorial accuracy and style across program communication products including media and audiovisual materials, publications, and documentation.

• Design communications guidelines and templates (letter head, envelop, success stories, fact sheets, brochures, banners, training material, etc.) for the whole program;
• Lead the development and edit of communications pieces to introduce VFD program and its results, including but not limited to success stories, newsletter, welcome kits, brochures, vision documents, project briefs, etc.
• Write and update fact sheet, press releases, success stories, and other promotional materials for submission to USAID and for public;
• Take notes of weekly meeting and write weekly update to USAID

3-Ensure compliance to branding strategy and marking plan of the program:

• Work with the communication teams from partner organizations to ensure that their publications and communications products follow USAID Branding and Marking rules, as well as to support them with communication materials and networking tools;
• Monitor and advice for USAID branding and marking compliance of sub-grantees and local partners.

4-Provide necessary support in communication basis to the project staff, implementing partners and counterparts.

5-Maintain relationships with media and Climate Change networks.

• Monitor daily newspapers and communicate climate change in the news to VFD personnel and partners;
• Assists in monthly CC-NGO network meetings;
• Develop relations with media representatives that report on climate change.

4.Supervisor: The Communications Specialist will report directly to the Deputy Chief of Party with advice by COP and Winrock HQ. 

5. How to apply

Interest Vietnamese candidates should send her/his recent CV with a cover letter (in English) to [email protected] (mark “Application for Communications Specialist” in the subject) by latest 5.00pm, October 22, 2014.

Acknowledgements will be sent to short-listed applicants only.