Background

Currently UNDP Cambodia is facilitating the development of the 2014 Cambodia Human Development Report (CHDR) with Human Capital as its focus. The 2014 CHDR is intended to provide an overview and open up discussions on low skills trap and its implication to human development in Cambodia, as well as opportunities for capturing the benefits of demographic dividend. The analytical foundation for the CHDR will be multidimensional, albeit with a focus on capabilities of individuals and communities including investment in life capabilities of individuals throughout the life cycle and ultimately improving the wellbeing of communities.

A team of primary authors has been advancing the report drafting based on thorough literature review, research on relevant on-going initiatives in the country and within the region, and in consultation with various partners. Currently (September 2014), a rough draft (roughly 150 pages) is in place and is going through internal and external review. The aimed publication of the report is December 2014.

In addition to the main report, there will be a range of associated communication products, including thematic highlights / briefs (estimated 6 x A4 size 4-page).

Duties and Responsibilities

Working closely with the primary authors of the report, the Editor will:

  • Take overall responsibility for editing the draft CHDR on human capital and inclusive growth, ensuring consistency in terms of both style (reader-friendly) and substance, and flow from within and between chapters, as well as ensuring that there are no repetitions or inconsistencies;
  • Ensure a common thread across chapters, with consistency of arguments and data. The central idea is to ensure that the major messages of the report stand out clearly and unambiguously;
  • Ensure that the human development perspective is adequately reflected in the entire report, paying particular attention to the content, language and presentation;
  • Help the authors incorporate feedback from internal and external reviewers into the draft as needed;
  • Incorporate / place special contributions / boxes into the report in consultation with the authors – special attention should be paid to the role of such boxes, graphic and tables, with the objective being to bring the different components of the draft together seamlessly into a single report;
  • The Editor is also expected to suggest catchy and concise titles for those elements;
  • Edit supplementary technical and communication pieces associated with the report, such as the overview or executive summary, policy briefs / thematic highlights, technical notes on statistics, etc., which are being drafted by the authors and the statistics team;
  • Ensure that all sources / references / bibliographic materials are in order and follow the standard format and editorial guidelines (as advised by the UNDP communications unit);
  • Provide relevant inputs for the publishing process, such as layout and design, as required;
  • Proof read the layout files of the report and summary, and working with the communications focal point(s) of UNDP, be responsible for the print-ready version of the CHDR; and
  • Any other relevant work, as per the requirements indicated by the Policy Research Coordinator of UNDP Cambodia.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

  • Demonstrated knowledge of human development and HDRs;
  • Proven ability to work with minimum supervision, take initiatives, work under pressure to meet tight deadlines;
  • Proven ability to work in a team, respecting team spirit, with excellent interpersonal skills;
  • Strong communication, research and analytical skills, and ability to rapidly integrate information from various sources;
  • Sound editorial and journalistic judgment and political sensitivity;
  • General knowledge in the field of communications and advocacy;
  • Technical skills in production, editing, and ability to write quickly, clearly and concisely in English.

Corporate Competencies:

  •  Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
  •  Exerts strict adherence to corporate rules, regulations and procedures;
  •  Familiarity with the internal control framework and results-based management tools is a must;
  •  Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Master’s degree or above in development economics, journalism, English, political science, economics, development studies, or relevant social science / liberal arts discipline.

Experience:

  • At least 10 years of relevant professional experience in editing and researches in areas of human development or academics;
  • Experience working in areas of human capital, human development, demographic dividend, education, and related socio-economic issues would be an advantage;
  • Proven record of publications in peer-reviewed academic journals on related issues;
  • Experience in human development report writing, editing, and other UN agencies publications;
  • Experience in international development work, preferably with UNDP is an asset.

Language:

  • Excellent English written and oral communications skills.

Important note:

Interested offeror is strongly advised to read the Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice, which can be viewed at http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=18370 for more detail about term of references, instructions to offeror, and documents to be included when submitting offer.

Documents to be included when submitting the application:

Interested offeror/individual must submit the following documents/information:

UNDP reserves right to reject any applications that is incomplete.

Please be informed that we don’t accept application submitted via email.

Interested candidate is required to submit application via UNDP jobsite system, because the application screening and evaluation will be done through UNDP jobsite system. Please note that UNDP jobsite system allows only one uploading of application document, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into a single file. Your on-line applications submission will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please resubmit the application, if necessary.

Any request for clarification/additional information on this procurement notice shall be communicated in writing to UNDP office or send to email dalis.heng@undp.org and/or procurement.kh@undp.org. While the Procurement Unit would endeavor to provide information expeditiously, only requests receiving at least 5 working days prior to the submission deadline will be entertained. Any delay in providing such information will not be considered as a reason for extending the submission deadline. The UNDP's response (including an explanation of the query but without identifying the source of inquiry) will be posted in Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice page as provided above. Therefore, all prospective Offerors are advised to visit the page regularly to make obtain update related to this Individual Consultant (IC) Procurement Notice.