PR and Outreach Associate

Uzbekistan is committed to building climate resilience and fostering sustainable, low-carbon lifestyles, especially among its youth in rural areas. The country faces severe environmental challenges, including rising temperatures, frequent droughts, and the ongoing desertification linked to the drying Aral Sea, which particularly impacts rural communities. This project aims to equip young people with critical skills and knowledge to adapt to and mitigate these climate impacts, empowering them to lead their communities toward a more sustainable future.

The project has three main components. First, it will mainstream climate change education across all upper secondary schools in Uzbekistan, providing a developed curriculum and teacher training to reach over 1.3 million students. Second, it will engage and empower over 800 youth through the Young Green Ambassadors program, enabling them to lead practical climate resilience and sustainability projects in their communities. Third, it will focus on upskilling 4,000 youth in rural areas with essential green skills, such as climate-smart agriculture and renewable energy, through vocational training programs and support for job placement.

The project emphasizes strong partnerships with national institutions, including the Ministry of Education and the Agency for Youth Affairs, to ensure climate education and green skills development are integrated into both school curricula and vocational training. By investing in climate-conscious youth, the project supports Uzbekistan’s broader climate goals and commitments, helping to shape a generation ready to lead climate action and foster sustainable growth across the country. The Project will be implemented in Karakalpakstan, Bukhara, Navoi, Khorezm, Samarkand, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya regions.

The Public Relations (PR) and Outreach Associate will support the project by developing and executing a robust communication and outreach strategy, engaging key audiences, and driving media and public engagement around climate education and youth-driven climate action.
 

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, and in close collaboration with relevant project staff and partners, the PR and Outreach Associate will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

• Support Communication and Outreach Strategy Development:
  • Support the development and implementation of a comprehensive PR and outreach strategy to enhance the project’s visibility and public understanding of climate education and youth empowerment initiatives;
  • Identify key messages, target audiences, and appropriate communication channels to reach diverse stakeholders, including students, teachers, policymakers, and the general public;
  • Establish and maintain a clear brand identity for the project, aligning communication efforts with UNDP and national priorities on climate education and youth empowerment;
  • Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of outreach and communication activities, adjusting strategies as needed.

• Ensure Content Development and Media Relations:
  • Prepare high-quality content for various channels, including press releases, newsletters, articles, social media posts, case studies, and success stories, highlighting project milestones, achievements, and stories from the field;
  • Manage relationships with local and international media outlets, pitching stories, coordinating interviews, and ensuring accurate and impactful coverage of project activities;
  • Create multimedia content (videos, infographics, photo stories) to showcase project activities, such as climate curriculum development, youth training sessions, and community-led climate actions;
  • Coordinate the production of promotional materials, including brochures, posters, and educational materials, to support climate education outreach efforts in schools and communities.

• Ensure Social Media and Digital Engagement:
  • Oversee the project’s social media presence, developing engaging content that drives awareness and encourages public participation in climate education and youth-led initiatives.
  • Manage and update project websites or digital platforms to provide up-to-date information, resources, and success stories, ensuring alignment with UNDP’s communication standards.
  • Utilize digital tools and platforms to expand the project’s reach, incorporating interactive elements (such as webinars, live-streamed events, and online Q&A sessions) to engage a wider audience.
  • Track engagement metrics and analyze social media performance to inform and refine content strategies.

• Support Event Organization and Stakeholder Engagement:
  • The project’s spokesperson and represent the project at key events and forums, presenting updates, showcasing achievements, and facilitating networking opportunities.
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• Facilitate Knowledge Management and Capacity Building:
  • Develop knowledge products, such as case studies, policy briefs, and success stories, that document project lessons learned, best practices, and impact on climate education and youth engagement.
  • Provide training and support to project staff and partners on communication skills, social media management, and public engagement strategies, building capacity for sustained outreach.
  • Ensure all communications adhere to UNDP’s branding and ethical guidelines, maintaining high standards in project representation.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization. 

Institutional Arrangement

The PR and Outreach Associate will work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager. 

• Achieve Results:          
  • LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline. 
• Think Innovatively:      
  • LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
• Learn Continuously:   
  • LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility:       
  • LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible. 
• Act with Determination:         
  • LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident. 
• Engage and Partner:    
  • LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships. 
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion:           
  • LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination. 

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

• Communication:
  • Communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. 
  • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.
• Media relations:
  • Ability to develop media relations across all aspects of media work including relationships with media and preparing media materials such as messages.
• Social Media management:
  • Ability to represent and promote the UNDP brand in virtual communities and networks.
• Writing and Editing:
  • Ability to create and/or edit written content in different UN languages.
• Gender:
  • Gender and Institutional Development.
• Governance:
  • Public Sector Strengthening and Innovation.