TERMS OF REFERENCE
Communications Officer, Climate Change Adaptation
(Full-time contractor to be embedded in the Ministry of Climate Resilience, The Environment and Renewable Energy, Grenada)
Background
The Ministry of Climate Resilience, The Environment & Renewable Energy, Grenada, wishes to hire a Communications Officer, Climate Change Adaptation, who will help lead the Ministry’s communications plan on climate change adaptation and the related development of communications materials under this plan.
Grenada’s 2017 National Climate Change Policy aims to “manage the risk from climate change with emphasis on pursuing a low carbon development pathway”, which paved the way as the overall response to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Following this update, a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) was developed and approved in the same year, with the main focus to centralize and coordinate all adaptation mechanisms for the country. The National Adaptation Plan includes 12 programmes of action, including priority areas such as food security, ecosystem resilience, and infrastructure.
The NAP Global Network Secretariat, hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), will provide an in-country NAP support program with a focus on supporting the Government of Grenada on the ongoing transition from planning to implementation of the NAP, with lessons informing the country’s broader NAP process. Effective communications has been identified as a key enabling factor to shift from planning to implementation.
Purpose and Objectives of the Position
The Communications Officer, Climate Change Adaptation, will join the team at the Environment Division, Ministry of Climate Resilience, the Environment and Renewable Energy to develop and implement a communication plan on climate change adaptation. The officer will work closely with a National Climate Change Adaptation Officer, who will be required to participate in local and regional training opportunities and workshops and also help build capacity within the Environment Division.
The Communications Officer position will focus, inter alia, on communications activities related to policy development and implementation of the National Climate Change Policy and National Adaptation Plan.
Specifically, the position’s objectives are to:
- Increase awareness of the work and achievements of the Ministry of Climate Resilience, The Environment and Renewable Energy and promote greater knowledge among key stakeholders and the general public, with a focus on climate change adaptation.
- To inform the general public and specific target groups (as identified) on climate matters of relevance to Grenada as a small island nation, with a view to supporting “informed and participatory decision making” and behaviour change, with a focus on priority actions articulated in the National Adaptation Plan.
- Promote the Vision and Mission of the Ministry under its 5 portfolios.
- Foster greater information and knowledge exchange with key stakeholders, development partners, NGOs and Civil Society.
The Communication Officer will conduct the following activities:
- Assist the development of a climate change communication plan and implementation strategy for the Ministry of Climate Resilience, The Environment and Renewable Energy.
- Database consolidation for local stakeholders and priority audiences considering the following groups of interest: public sector, private sector, NGOs, and media.
- Lead the production of the necessary communication materials prioritized in the communications plan (e.g., including preparation of “master” templates for school newsletters, fact sheets, standard PowerPoint presentations on climate change impacts and resilience action, etc.)
- Organize and host online events, including webinars and Sustainable Development Council meetings including update of stakeholder lists and recruitment of new listeners in line with a “whole of society” approach.
- Support preparation, production and dissemination of educational material, including print and electronic media, on issues related to the Ministry’s 5 portfolio areas (with emphasis on climate change adaptation, including ecosystem-based adaptation [EbA] action).
- Establish linkages with other entities within the environmental sectors locally and regionally to promote the dissemination of information.
- Produce and disseminate quarterly newsletters highlighting areas of technical cooperation.
- Help maintain the Grenada Climate Finance Portal (climatefinance.gov.gd) and provide advice on the use of other social media platforms in collaboration with the Information Systems Technician.
- On-going support on stakeholder management and coordination.
- Participation in planning meetings of the Ministry.
- Train staff for interviews (live, pre-recorded) and use of communications equipment owned by the Ministry for use in effective communication with various target groups.
- Maintain the Ministry’s social media channels (e.g., Facebook page, Twitter/X page, Instagram accounts) with updates on environment-related activities (with emphasis on climate change adaptation actions) involving the Minister and staff.
- Identify and implement actions to increase traffic to the Ministry’s website and other relevant government media pages and provide regular user statistics to track responses.
- Prepare online survey instruments for use in Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) surveys to assess knowledge of climate impacts and resilience action.
Deliverables
The Communications Officer, Climate Change Adaptation, will submit a monthly report on activities. Further deliverables will be determined on a quarterly basis in line with the expected results of the program, based on agreement between the Government of Grenada and the NAP Global Network Secretariat (IISD).
Qualifications
A master’s degree in communications, journalism or equivalent is preferred for this position. However, candidates with a bachelor’s degree and relevant experience will also be considered.
Professional Experience
- At least 5 years of professional working experience in communication and journalism, print media and social media.
- A strong background in research methods and report writing would be an asset.
- Experience in stakeholder management and relationship building, including collaborating with government agencies, international donors, and civil society, would be an asset.
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
Duty Station: St George’s, Grenada
Duration of Assignment: 12 months with the possibility of extension.
Remuneration: Dependent on experience and qualification.
Expected Start Date: 12 February 2024, or as soon as possible.
Application Process:
Suitably qualified individuals are invited to submit their application to [email protected] with subject: NAPGN-GoG Application_Communications Officer_<Your Name> including:
- A one-page letter of motivation
- A Curriculum Vitae including 2 professional references.
The deadline for submission of application is 31 January 2024, at or before 4 pm AST.
Interested candidates should visit the job listing at: Work with us (napglobalnetwork.org)