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TV Editor Advisor UNV/UNDP

Brief Project Description:

The Strengthening Democracy Programme (SDP) 2011-2015 is geared to strengthen formal and informal mechanisms for dialogue, representation and participation in Cambodia.

The Programme consists of two components that are mutually reinforcing:

1 - Improving interaction and accountability of elected bodies and authorities with citizens through: increasing parliament’s engagement with constituency, CSOs and media; strengthening capacity of association of local government to enhance civic engagement and advocate demands and accountability; improving institutional mechanisms (at commune and district level) for public dialogue and representation at sub-national level; and enhancing accountability instrument at sub-national level.

2 - Establishing effective conduits for citizen participation through providing an enabling environment for the media and civil society to facilitate the participation and voice of people: supporting media development, balanced journalism, access to information law; implementing youth oriented non-formal civic education; improving political parties’ knowledge and capacities to engage with and address development issues including increasing women’s political; enfranchising and empowering indigenous peoples; improving mechanisms for women’s participation in decision making; and strengthening electoral systems and processes to ensure enfranchisement of citizens.

Media plays a central role in the Strengthening Democracy Programme (SDP) as an effective conduit for participation. Since 2003 UNDP has partnered with the government television channel, TVK, to produce fair and balanced coverage of the elections of 2003, 2007, and 2008. In addition since 2008 UNDP supports TVK in the production of the ‘’Equity Weekly current affairs program’’ which provides a weekly look at the key challenges facing the development of the country’s democracy through the broadcast of the. This ‘’Equity Weekly’’ programme is a unique national platform for building a national dialogue on issues of poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, gender equality and other key governance and development issues facing Cambodians. Shows include interviews with ordinary Cambodians as well as experts, public officials, members of National Assembly and the Senate.

In addition to the regular Equity Weekly programme, during the 30-day campaign periods in 2012 (Commune Council Elections) and 2013 (National Assembly Elections), this programme will produce a 5-night per week 20-minute wrap-up of election campaign activities, using a formula for equitable coverage to be agreed upon with the National Election Committee which will provide access to national TV media for all political parties. Equity Weekly also employs “social” media tools now widely available in Cambodia, including the use of interactive Short Message Texting (SMS), YouTube and Facebook.

Description of tasks:
Under the direct supervision of the UNDP Programme Manager, the UNV TV Editor Adviser will undertake the following tasks:

1. Plan, direct and control the development of the existing “Equity Weekly” into a creative, successful, innovative weekly current affair programme in Cambodia:
• Provide ongoing analysis and research of the political, economic and social situation in the country in preparation of substantive inputs into the content of the programme, in cooperation with the programme’s producer
• Develop a creative approach to content definition through a consultative process with a variety of stakeholders including government officials, Civil Society Organisations, community groups, NGOs, INGOs and UN agencies

2. To continuously improve programme quality:

• Define the programme’s target audience
• Set up structured viewing groups to provide feed-back and advice on content
• Develop criteria, indicators and methods for the monitoring and evaluation of the programme’s success, popularity and effectiveness
• Based on the criteria and indicators, provide the framework for regular reviews to suggest, negotiate and implement ways of improving the programme

3. To manage and develop the Cambodian team’s skills and resources and provide mentoring and guidance to the editor and journalists:

• Review and if necessary redesign individual job descriptions
• Identify training needs, develop and implement a schedule of on-the-job mentoring and training through regular in-house seminars and workshops, as well as personalized staff performance reviews
• Design specific mentoring modalities to achieve maximum skills transfer to the Cambodian Chief Editor counterpart
4. To widen Equity Weekly’s reach and expand the viewer base:

• Seek outlets for edited versions, including marketing them as a packaged themed series
• Study, develop and negotiate better exposure for the programme on TVK, as well as on other Cambodian channels
• Upgrade the programme’s website
• Define strategies for achieving greater autonomy by identifying revenue streams, cop-production options and partnerships


Qualifications/Requirements:

• Master’s degree in journalism or media studies.
• Experienced and mature journalist (minimum 7 to 10 years experience) with a proven track record in TV programme making and editing on politically sensitive issues
• Experience working in developing countries, preferably in countries with emerging democracies
• Experience working in multicultural settings.
• Khmer language an advantage.

How to apply:

If you are not yet registered in the UNV database, please apply by completing the UNV web application at the following link: http://one.unv.org/main/?Lang=en . Important: Once you finish the registration, the system will generate a six-digit UNV ID number (otherwise referred to as “UNV Roster number). Please save this number you would need it for all future correspondences with UNV.

If you are registered in the UNV database, please send your UNV ID number by email, and with “Cambodia TV Editor” in the subject field of your message, to: volvacancy@unvolunteers.org

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Deadline for applications is November 15, 2011.