Mekong Institute
Vacancy – Communication Specialist - Lower Mekong Initiative Food Security Donor Mapping, USAID Project, Mekong Institute, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Mekong Institute
The Mekong Institute (MI) is an inter-governmental organization owned by the six countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). MI’s focus is building capacity and human resource development in GMS, for regional development and cooperation. The GMS is experiencing change at a rapid rate, and we at MI prioritize the preparation of the workforces of these countries to further enable regional integration, and bring about more equitable, inclusive economic growth.
MI is in a period of growth. MI is increasingly focusing on engaging in multi-year, multi-sector programs in collaboration with a host of regional development partners and local public and private sector organizations. We are currently expanding our portfolio to position as a GMS-based knowledge-center of excellence so we are to increase institutional capacities by developing a result based M&E system at the organization-wide to measure our activities’ impacts.
Background Information:
The project entitled “Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) Food Security Donor Mapping” funded by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is implemented by Mekong Institute (MI). The Communication Specialist will assist the implementation of the project and is the focal point for documentation, communication, public relations and visibility activities. She/he will be in-charge of developing dissemination and marketing strategy including the bi-weekly social networking tweets, the monthly newsfeeds and the food security snapshots on the Agriculture and Food Security (A&FS) projects/activities in the Lower Mekong Region under the supervision of the Program Manager of Rural Development (RD) of MI. The Communication Specialist will likewise be responsible for monitoring the public’s access and usage, evaluation of database system performance, and regular assessments of the usability and usefulness of the project outputs.
The donor mapping project aims to improve donor coordination on food security projects in the Lower Mekong sub-region by making available and proactively disseminating important information about donor priorities and programming in the food security sector. A database with a geographical map of agriculture and food security activities/projects in Lower Mekong countries will be publicly available on MI website to inform donors, the LMI governments, the private sector, research centers and other potential users about donor priorities and programming in the food security sector in the region.
Communication Specialist - Lower Mekong Initiative Food Security Donor Mapping, USAID Project
We are seeking a Communication Specialist for USAID Project under the general direction of Program Manager (Rural Development Program Department) and the Director. The position is based at the Mekong Institute, located on the Khon Kaen University campus, Northeast Thailand. Khon Kaen, a growing city, is the commerce and political center of Northeastern Thailand and an important gateway to other GMS countries.
The responsibilities include:
Main Duties / Expected ResultsCollect multimedia information on A&FS activities and work closely with focal points in Lower Mekong region to update the database / Regular updates on the geo-database
Manage the geographical donor map website / Ensure public’s accessibility to an interesting, dynamic geo-database
Design and produce A&FS snapshots / Written snapshots on project achievements, milestones, and donor coordination in A&FS sector
Prepare monthly newsfeeds and bi-weekly networking tweets on relevant food security developments in the Lower Mekong region / Increase people’s awareness on food security activities and issues in the region to enhance donor coordination and minimize overlapping efforts
Develop and implement a communication, dissemination and marketing strategy for the project in cooperation with USAID and LMI Coordination Hub / Strategy developed and implemented
Document and disseminate good practices and innovative methodologies implemented within A&FS project / Proven innovative practices generated within the sector are disseminated to relevant stakeholders and shared with local and national counterparts
Perform additional work as assigned by the RDD Manager
Qualifications
The qualifications required for this role are:
1. Candidate must have a post-graduate degree in journalism, development communication or related social sciences.
2. Excellent English writing and communication skills are required.
3. Preferably with database management and website administration training or experience.
4. At least 5 years of working experience in the field of rural development, agriculture and food security, preferably in Lower Mekong countries
5. Proven capacity to work in a complex institutional environment which involves dealing with government, international agencies, private sectors and research centers.
If you have the skills and experience to exceed in this position, and are passionate about equitable and inclusive economic growth in GMS, please send your CV and cover letter, to and cc. to by 15 December 2014, titled ‘Communication Specialist, Food Security Donor Mapping’.
1. Updated CV (max 3 pages) and cover letter (max 2 pages)
2. Scanned copy of passport
3. Scanned copy of latest academic certification (in English language)
Please note that only applications successful in progressing to the next stage will be responded to.