Background

Launched in 2008, the Business Call to Action (BCtA) is a global membership platform that encourages private sector companies to develop innovative business models that combine profitability with development impact, in support of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

BCtA members are market leaders and innovators, committed to developing commercially viable business ventures that engage people living at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) as consumers, producers, suppliers, and distributors of goods and services. In more than 50 countries, business leaders are spearheading efforts to provide the poor with the tools and resources they need to succeed by promoting economic opportunity.

BCtA provides a leadership platform for companies to demonstrate their commitment to development and to access global expertise on innovation at the BoP.

Members benefit from:

• Recognition as part of a high-visibility leadership platform, including association with the UN brand and possible international speaking engagements;
• Access to a global knowledge network on inclusive business models and communities of practice;
• Partnerships with development agencies, international organizations, and other companies;
• Validation and dissemination of results, including within the UN Network, from specific BoP business models.

The Business Call to Action (BCtA) is a global corporate leadership platform, with over 100 member companies that are incorporating inclusive business approaches in their operations to help advance the MDGs. As innovators in this space, BCtA member companies are advancing the inclusive business agenda by creating novel business models, sharing lessons learned, and forging partnerships to improve scale and increase development impact. The initiative is the result of a partnership between the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), UK Department for International Development (DFID), US Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Global Compact to meet the anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

The Strategic Communication, Advocacy and Marketing Consultant will work under the supervision of the Programme Manager of the Business Call to Action.

Duties and Responsibilities

As part of BCtA’s mission, a Strategic Communication, Advocacy and Marketing Consultant is required to provide strategic communications support services, marketing and outreach. The Consultant will deliver the following services to the BCtA Secretariat under the supervision of the Programme Manager of the Business Call to Action.

Strategic outreach, branding and marketing:

• Conceptualize and implement a comprehensive strategy for outreach and positioning of BCtA, including developing, coordinating, and generating external partnerships and support for branding and marketing campaigns around key events and with multiple target audiences;
• Strengthen outreach to business, partners and key stakeholders through strategic products and services
• Manage BCtA’s Guardian Sustainable Business partnership through liaising with the Guardian newspaper and conceptualizing editorial agenda.

Advocacy and communications:

• Raise awareness of BCtA company initiatives through strategic partnerships with key media and development media organizations;
• Prepare press releases or other information required to support BCtA company announcements, BCtA events and speaking opportunities;
• Liaise with UNDP and other press office representatives on dissemination of press releases;
• Identify and support opportunities to create visibility for BCtA through its partner network, identification of high-level Champions, relevant events and relationships with like-minded organizations, and academic institutions;
• Maintain BCtA’s social media accounts; engage BCtA audience on a daily basis.

Event coordination and management:

• Liaise with strategic partners on high-level event planning;
• Created and manage the strategic events calendar on a rolling basis;
• Identify and create speaking opportunities for BCtA Secretariat and member companies at high-profile and sector-specific events at local and international fora;
• Prepare concept note, talking points / briefings, and other updates when needed, as well as regular update contributions to the BCtA online content.

The consultant shall support the BCtA Secretariat in other tasks that may arise during the assignment period. The consultant shall be ready to undertake international travel on behalf of the Secretariat if required.

Deliverables

• Conceptualize and implement a comprehensive strategy for advocacy, outreach and positioning of BCtA globally;
• Strengthen outreach to partners and key stakeholders through strategic products and services in advocacy;
• Prepare press releases or other information required to support BCtA company announcements, BCtA events and speaking opportunities;
• Provide daily media monitoring by scanning online media for relevant news, interviews and articles mentioning BCtA member companies and relevant topics;
• Manage the conceptualization, execution and management of high profile events;
• Timely and high quality production of BCtA marketing collateral;
• Support to marketing and successful outcomes of BCtA events;
• Update BCtA social media networks daily, including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.

Competencies

Corporate competencies:

• Commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
• Sensitivity to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age differences.
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

• Strong analytical and advocacy skills in private sector and development issues;
• Understanding of inclusive business models, inclusive market development, and business sustainability issues to engage private sector companies in job creation and income generation projects that contribute to the MDGs;
• Proven track record of publications and knowledge products in inclusive business;
• Ability to produce high-quality outputs and in a timely manner while understanding and anticipating the evolving client needs;
• Ability to focus on impact and results for the client, promoting and demonstrating an ethic of client service;
• Strong organizational skills;
• Strong verbal and written communication skills required;
• Ability to work independently, flexibly and under pressure utilizing initiative;
• Sound judgment, strategic thinking and the ability to manage competing priorities;
• Flexibility in responding to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Behavioral Competencies:

• Productive and efficient worker, highly motivated;
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize tasks;
• Strong analytical, research and writing skills and demonstrated ability to think strategically;
• Performance-oriented and focused on results;
• Persistence and willingness to follow through;
• Strong advocacy and outreach skills and ability to communicate clearly and quickly;
• Ability to take instructions and to learn on the job;
• Ability to write clearly and convincingly, adapting style and content to different audiences and speak clearly and convincingly, demonstrating strong presentation skills in meetings, and adapting style and content to different audiences. 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• An advanced degree in a communications, international affairs, public policy, journalism, or other relevant field.

Experience:  

• Minimum of 7 years of relevant national/international working experience in Marketing and Business and Development;
• Demonstrated experience with inclusive business and private sector;
• Demonstrated experience in producing high quality writing for a business and development/donor audience (at least 3 written samples required with application);
• Knowledge of social media tools;
• Demonstrated experience in project management experience.

The consultant shall support the BCtA Secretariat in other communications/knowledge management tasks that may arise during the assignment period. The consultant shall be ready to undertake international travel on behalf of the Secretariat if required. The consultant will work closely with the communications office of the UNDP as well as the other partners of the BCtA in implementing this assignment.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required (written and verbal);
• Working knowledge of other UN official language(s) is desirable.

Application Submission Process:

The application submission is a two-step process. Failing to comply with the submission process may result in disqualifying the applications:

Step 1: Interested individual consultants must include the following documents when submitting the applications in UNDP job shop (Please note that only 1 (one) file can be uploaded therefore please include all docs in one file):

• Personal History Form (P11), indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references (the template can be downloaded from this link: http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc).
• Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology on how they will approach and complete the assignment.
• At least 3 samples of articles and communication pieces you have written and published.

Step 2: Submission of Financial Proposal

Applicants are instructed to submit their financial proposals in US Dollars for this consultancy to bpps.procurement@undp.org using the financial proposal template available here: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=45780. The proposals should be sent via email with the following subject heading: “Financial Proposal for Strategic Communication, Advocacy and Marketing Consultant – Istanbul, Turkey" by the deadline for this vacancy. Proposals to be received after the deadline will be rejected. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal should be all-inclusive and include a breakdown. The term ‘all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, travel related expenses, communications, utilities, consumables, insurance, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the financial proposal. 

Application Evaluation Process

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis methodology (weighted scoring method), where the award of the contract will be 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 technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical Criteria weight: [70%].

Financial Criteria weight:  [30%]

Only Individual Consultants obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70%) on the Technical evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max. 100 points:

• Relevant experience in private sector and development communications – 40 points;
• Demonstrated experience in project management – 30 points;
• Demonstrated understanding of advocacy – 30 points.

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max. 30 points.

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:

p = y (µ/z), where

• p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated;
• y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal;
• µ = price of the lowest priced proposal;
• z = price of the proposal being evaluated.

UNDP will provide office space, laptop and access to internet and a printer during the assignment (the cost of this facilities should not be included in the financial proposals).

UNDP is applying fair and transparent selection process that would take into account both the technical qualification of Individual Consultants as well as their price proposals. The contract will be awarded to the candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores.

UNDP retains the right to contact references directly.

Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org

Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.