Procurement Notices

Terms of Reference

Communications Specialist for UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa-

Implementation Plan for The UNDP Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa

Duty Station of the Assignment:                                Home-Based

Project Title:                                                                       Implementation Plan for the UNDP Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa-Regional Bureau for Africa

Type of Contract:                                                              Independent Contract

Title of Consultancy:                                                       Communications Specialist

Post Level:                                                                     International Consultant

Languages Required:                                                       English

Duration:                                                                        3 weeks

Expected Start Date:                                                       9th November 2020

The strategic Offer aims to contribute to Africa’s transformation through supporting the scaling-up, innovation and financing of programmes in Six Strategic Impact areas namely, Natural Resource Governance; Structural Transformation; Youth and Women’s Employment and Empowerment; Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation; Affordable and Sustainable Energy; and Peace and Security.  The Strategic Impact Areas will be enabled by Six crosscutting Enablers namely, Governance of Things; Digital Transformation; Sustainable and Innovative Financing; Strategic Communications and partnerships; South-South Cooperation and Development Intelligence.

UNDP has mobilized teams across RBA COs and GPN to design an implementation plan for the Offer. For each of the impact areas, the Plan covers the following; transformational focus, criteria for selection of countries, flagship initiative, programme initiatives, opportunities, financial resources, relevant polities and tools, partners, and risks and assumptions.  

RBA wishes to deploy a communications specialist to facilitate the finalization of the Implementation Plan for the UNDP Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa.

Objectives of Assignment

Under the supervision of the Chief of the Country Office and Oversight, the consultant is expected to develop an updated draft of the Implementation Plan for The UNDP Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa with strengthened communications components and features.

Scope of Assignment

UNDP is hiring the services of a Communications Specialist in order to:

• Create a more professional layout to ensure that the very nuanced messages in the text are not lost due to lack of emphasis. Thus, entailing the inclusion of more text boxes and a few more infographics to expand on new terms like, for example, the Governance of Things and Development Intelligence and Digital Transformation.
• Include an introductory page written by the Regional Director in order to encourage readers to believe in the passion and commitment behind the document and to expand on the co-creation process.
• Create an overarching visual concept that holds the document together.
• Incorporate, and replace as required, visuals that reinforce the overall visual story of the Plan tying in the key message that Africa is a rich and diverse continent and that the Strategic Offer and consequent Plan recognises the magnitude, complexities and overall transformative potential of the varying Strategic Impact Areas on the continent.
• Enhance the layout to include more images and infographics.

The consultant is expected to produce the following outputs over the course of their consultancy:

• Deliverable 1: Submit a revised draft of the Implementation Plan for The UNDP Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa with support and feedback from the participating core and technical teams. The consultant shall deliver the definitive version to be submitted to the Chief of Country Office and Oversight or any other person directed thereby, who will then submit to the Regional Director.
• Deliverable 2: Final revised Implementation Plan for The UNDP Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa with support and feedback from the participating core and technical teams, the consultant shall deliver the definitive version to be submitted to the core team lead or any other person directed thereby, who will then submit to the Regional Director. The final project document shall take the previously received feedback into account and fully respect the guidelines provided by the Chief of Country Office and Oversight and be ready for submittal to the latter.

This exercise is home-based.

Deliverables tabulated[MMM1] 

Working Arrangements

• The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, software, specific design programmes, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection.

Administrative Arrangements and Payment Modality

• The UNDP Programme Analyst will review products and outputs delivered by the consultant and validate related payment.
• Payments will be made upon submission of a detailed time sheet and certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the Supervisor on days or hours worked and outputs delivered (with a “day” calculated as 8 hours of work).

Experience[MMM2] 

• Understanding of UN, including UNDP, development issues and UN reform;
• Excellent understanding of the RBA UNDP Renewed Strategic Offer and the Implementation Plan
• Knowledge of UNDP terms, language and editorial style;
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure.
• Excellent organizational skills; strong analytical, research, data gathering skills;
• Ability to work rapidly with multiple teams in various locations, and as required, as well as work remotely;
• Strong interpersonal, communication and writing skills; commitment to teamwork and to working across disciplines;
• Participate effectively in team-based, information-sharing environment, collaborating and cooperating with others;
• Focus on impact and results for the client;

Language Requirements

Fluency in written and spoken English.

Competencies

• Ethics and Values: Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity by modelling the UN values and ethical standards;
• Organizational awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgement;
• Development and Innovation: Take charge of self-development and take initiative;
• Work in teams: Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi age and multi-ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds;
• Communicating and Information Sharing: Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication;
• Conflict management: Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution.

Evaluation Criteria.

• Individual consultants will be evaluated based on cumulative analysis of technical and financial criteria using the following methodology:
• * Technical Criteria weight: 70%
• * Financial Criteria weight: 30%
•  
• Criteria for evaluation of candidates
•  
• At least 7-year professional experience in communication and/or partnerships (minimum qualification requirement: seven years – 10%, experience in international communication and partnerships - additional 20 %);
• At least 5-year experience on Africa (Minimum qualification requirement – 25%);
• Demonstrated experience with the UN - Understanding of the UN and UNDP’s mandates and demonstrated familiarity with its Programme areas of work and the human development approach. (25%)
• Experience in consultancy assignments related communication and partnerships in fragile contexts is an asset (20%)
•  
• General Terms and Conditions for Individual Contracts
• Please click Here

Please send all applcation to (otis.wilson@undp.org and rba.purchase@undp.org)

Please see if sufficient for this type of contract.