7.9.17 – 2017 YPP EXAMINATION (for external candidates) – Information Management, Public Information and Multimedia Production (INFONET), P2
United Nations, Duty Stations: NEW YORK; ADDIS ABABA; BANGKOK; BEIRUT; GENEVA; NAIROBI; SANTIAGO; VIENNA
Sarah P’s comments: I discuss UN opportunities in my book and also include these links on my Resources page:
United Nations Libraries
UN Competitive Exam
Marcus’ World: UN Librarian Exam (Blog entry)
• The purpose of the present Job Opening is to invite applications from external candidates who wish to take the 2017 Young Professionals Programme examination in the Public Information and Conference Management Network (INFONET). UN Secretariat staff members who are eligible to apply through the “G to P” or “G to N” track must not apply through this Job Opening.
• The eligibility requirements of the examination are:
1. At least a three-year first level university degree in the Main Courses listed in the Education Section of this Job Opening;
2. Born on or after 1 January 1985;
3. Fluent in either English or French; and
4. A national of a participating member state. The participating member states: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahrain, Belarus, Belize, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Monaco, Mozambique, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam.
Submitting applications for more than one exam area shall result in automatic disqualification in all exam areas, i.e., applying to INFONET and POLNET will result in disqualification in both areas.
Upon selection, all candidates successful in the Young Professionals Programme examinations will be initially appointed at the P-1 or P-2 level depending on their qualifications. Those appointed at the P-1 level shall be promoted to a position at the P-2 level following a minimum of two years of satisfactory performance and depending on the availability of posts. Thereafter, candidates may apply for positions at the P-3 level through the staff selection system so long as they meet the qualification requirements.
Incomplete applications and applications that are received after the above deadline (11:59 pm New York HQ local time) will not be accepted under any circumstances. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications early to avoid problems due to heavy last-minute internet traffic.
These positions are located primarily in the Department of Public Information (DPI) and its worldwide network of information centres, as well as in the UN field offices. In addition, a number of other departments such as the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Department of Political Affairs and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs have need for INFONET expertise.
Associate Officers typically report to a senior officer, i.e., a unit chief or section chief.
The Young Professionals Programme examination in INFONET covers a wide range of topics in the areas of public information and communication (public relations, campaign management, marketing and strategic communications, media monitoring and analysis), information and knowledge management (library, archives and records management), and multimedia production (audio-visual, print, photo, social media).
Some of the key responsibilities of an Associate Officer in INFONET would be (These duties are generic and may not be carried out by all INFONET Associate Officers):
• Track, research and analyze information on assigned topics/issues; gather information from diverse sources and help to assess news value and other potential impact, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of communications campaigns.
• Draft/compile a specific type or types of information products for target audiences, including press releases, media packets and reports, brochures, briefings, video clips, newsletters, websites, social media content, etc.
• Create multimedia products for placement on web-based / social media or other platforms.
• Organize the production, clearance and distribution of information materials.
• Prepare initial drafts and edits of articles or chapters for inclusion in UN newsletters, periodicals, reports and books.
• Identify and propose information and advocacy opportunities, activities and approaches, taking into account the situation/topic and target audience.
• Identify key contacts/constituencies and opportunities for strategic partnerships to facilitate communications efforts and maintain working relationships with the same.
• Organize, or participate in the organization of, conferences, seminars, special events, press briefings, interviews, etc.; prepare briefing materials for senior officials prior to their participation in such events.
• Respond to a variety of inquiries and information requests internally and externally; prepare related correspondence and input to reports.
• Research, write, narrate, produce and broadcast scripts, story synopses, news and feature and taped programmes (Radio, TV…) from UN Headquarters and the field including Peacekeeping Missions.
• Cover meetings of the General Assembly and its Main Committees, as well as the Security Council and other major bodies of the United Nations; summarize them, highlighting the most newsworthy elements.
• Monitor and analyse global media coverage of the United Nations, the Secretary-General and/or relevant international issues and events in order to prepare press reviews and analyses for UN officials
• Organize, classify, catalogue and preserve print and electronic information resources.
• Participate in the development and maintenance of digital libraries, repositories and archives for UN content, including use of current and emerging metadata standards, tools and systems for the capture, maintenance and access to digital files and records, digitization of historical records and indexing functions.
• Supervise and undertake archival processing activities, records accession and disposition functions, including records appraisal, by liaising with records-creating offices on the transfer and/or disposal of records and analysing and evaluating records for evidential and informational value in support of records appraisal.
• Review a variety of professional sources to evaluate and identify appropriate materials to be added to the library collections and electronic resources subscriptions that meet the information needs of the Organization and its primary clientele (delegates and staff at UN Permanent Missions, UN Secretariat staff); organize, classify and catalogue/create metadata for print and electronic information resources.
• Provide targeted knowledge services to internal clients and partner organizations; provide reference assistance and research support to internal and external clients; search and compile information from a variety of online and traditional reference tools, including catalogues, discovery systems, databases, print indexes, etc.; develop and conduct training and instructional programmes in the use of a variety of research tools and online databases.
• Develop and maintain online research tools and websites to allow easy access to United Nations information and data sources including document repositories, news feeds, newsletters, audio-visual files, e-conferences and other media; design, develop and populate supporting databases; document standard operating procedures; integrate with existing information systems.
• Participate in outreach activities and marketing efforts, in particular via social media, to increase exposure and to highlight products, information resources and knowledge services to clients.
• Participate in the training of internal and external end users about information resources as well as products and services of the Unit.
• Assist in the preparation of the calendar of conferences, meetings or trainings for the current and future years.
• Prepare charts, statistics and reports on the evolution of the activity of his/her unit.
• Monitor the performance of vendors and exchange partners and recommend changes where necessary.
• Supervise General Service staff relating to functions cited above.
• Perform other related duties, as required.
Professionalism:
•Shows pride in work and in achievements
•Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter
•Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results
•Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns
•Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges
•Remains calm in stressful situations
•Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work
Teamwork:
•Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals
•Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise
•Is willing to learn from others
•Places team agenda before personal agenda
•Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position
•Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings
Planning & Organizing:
•Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies
•Identifies priority activities and assignments
•Adjusts priorities as required
•Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work
•Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning
•Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary
•Uses time efficiently
At least a first-level university degree (i.e., Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree of at least three years) in one of the following areas (to be selected from the “Main Course of Study” dropdown menu):
•Arts
•Business & Administration
•Computing
•Journalism & Information
•Humanities
•Social & Behavioral Science
Please choose also (from the “Field of Study” dropdown menu), the field of study that is closest to your degree and write the exact title in original language as well as its translation in English or French.
No work experience is required.
Fluency in one of the working languages of the UN Secretariat, English or French, (speaking, reading, listening, and writing) is required; knowledge of the other is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
The assessment process is divided into 3 stages:
1)Screening of applications
2)Written examination
3)Oral examination.
Knowledge of UN languages may be tested at any of these stages.
1)Applications will be screened on the basis of the eligibility criteria in this Job Opening.
2)The written examination will be conducted in exam centres, hand written and paper-based. It consists of:
-Part I: General Paper, which assesses reading comprehension and drafting skills in an international affairs context
-Part II: Specialized Paper, which assesses knowledge related to responsibilities listed in the job opening (INFONET areas).
The written examination will take place on 14 December 2017.
3)Only examinees who are successful overall in the written examination will be invited to the oral examination (interview) which will be conducted via online video conference. The oral examination will assess the key competencies for INFONET, as described in the Job Opening. Part of the final assessment stage, either before, during or after the oral examination may include an element to verify the candidate’s answers given in the Specialized Paper as well as the information in the Personal History Profile submitted. The anticipated timeframe for the oral examination is May 2018.
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity, including but not limited to, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to, whether they have committed or are alleged to have committed criminal offences or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on “The Application Process” and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
The screening and evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications, including but not limited to, their education, work experience, and language skills, according to the instructions provided on inspira. Applicants will be disqualified from consideration if they do not demonstrate in their application that they meet the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations. Applicants are solely responsible for providing complete and accurate information at the time of application: no amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.
Like this:
Like Loading...
The Traveling Librarian 