Background
UNDP’s Communications Group is the lead for communications. It provides policy guidance and develops and implements global communications strategies to reach the media and other key constituencies with UNDP’s core messages.
The News and Media Team is responsible for expanding and enhancing UNDP’s global multi-lingual presence through engagement with international media.
Reporting to the Chief Media and Advocacy, the Communications Consultant will be responsible for supporting communications products and activities, including donor communications requests, reputational issues and other key events involving the Media and Advocacy Team.
Duties and Responsibilities
The consultant will specifically be called upon to support UNDP’s communications efforts in the following areas:
- Positioning of UNDP and its experts on leading media platforms;
- Initiate, maintain and enhance the UNDP newsroom page on the corporate website;
- Operational and communications support to UNDP-led special events including UN international days;
- Identify and develop creative opportunities to increase awareness of UNDP and its priority areas;
- Provide guidance to colleagues on the drafting of press releases and other communications products
- Monitor trends in using international media including social media for outreach purposes and appropriately apply that knowledge to increase UNDP’s visibility and impact;
- Work collaboratively with UNDP’s partners to leverage international media and social networks to enhance UNDP’s mission;
- Undertake other related duties at the request of the Supervisor.
Expected deliverables:
Raise awareness of UNDP and its priority areas, in particular:
- Produce news content and multimedia packages for dissemination to media and other audiences;
- Successfully provide communications support for UNDP-led communications and other special events including UN international days;
- Provide monitoring and analysis of impact of UNDP communications activities during the period of the consultancy;
- Provide support in crafting key messages, communications strategies and other written materials as required by the Team Leader;
- Identify effective ways to engage with UNDP’s key target audiences (media, government partners, development organisations, academia);
- Identify new and innovative ways of engagement with audiences applied to UNDP’s media and advocacy activities.
Reputational Risk Management:
- Monitor media for potential reputational risk issues;
- Contribute to drafting risk management responses;
- Reading and summarizing audit and evaluation reports, identifying potential reputational risk issues.
Competencies
- Demonstrated understanding of effective outreach and monitoring;
- Excellent knowledge of international media, social media tools and applications.
- Excellent English writing and editing skills;
- Proven networking skills and ability to interact with staff at all levels, including senior management;
- Graphic design capabilities are a strong asset;
- Familiarity with UNDP and UN system is an asset;
- Familiarity with and strong interest in development issues is desirable.
- Very effective at multi-tasking;
- Strong initiative-taker;
- Focuses on impact and results for the client;
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
- Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s degree in Design, Media, Communication, Journalism, Public Relations or related field;
- First degree acceptable if an additional three years of experience in relevant field of communications and/or journalism.
Experience:
- Minimum three years of relevant experience at the national or international level in digital media, journalism, communications or related field;
- Demonstrated experience in speedy quality writing and creating compelling online content;
- Demonstrated experience in building and maintaining online communities;
- Experience in using web content management systems.
Languages:
- Fluency in spoken and written English;
- Working knowledge of Spanish or French desirable.
Application requirements:
All interested applicants should submit the following documents. Incomplete submissions can be a ground for disqualification.
- Updated P11 or Resume / CV and at least 3 references;
- Statement of Interest (cover letter) with a brief narrative addressing the competencies mentioned above;
- Financial Proposal for the assignment stating your all inclusive daily fee for the assignment included in the Statement of Interest;
- Any envisaged travel costs to duty station must be included in the financial proposal as a separate line.
Evaluation criteria
- 35% - Previous experience based on cv/resume and examples of successful campaigns and outreach;
- 35% - Demonstrated understanding of effective international media outreach, strategies and monitoring;
- 15% - Demonstrated professional experience in events management;
- 15% - Demonstrated professional experience in designing and implementing global communication campaigns.
NB:
Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% in the Technical Evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.
Cumulative Analysis will be used in determining the best candidate for this assignment. When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract is made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as responsive/compliant/acceptable, and having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria:
* Technical Criteria weight: 70%.
* Financial Criteria weight: 30%.
Others:
No travel is envisaged for this assignment.
Annex 1- General Terms and Conditions_Individual Consultant (IC)