UNDP Jobs - 55891- Consultancy to Develop a Communication and Knowled

Consultancy to Develop a Communication and Knowledge Dissemination Strategy for Amerindian Land Titling Project (ALT)

Location :

Georgetown, GUYANA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

25-May-2015

Application Deadline :

01-May-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Ten (10) weeks

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

One (1) month

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) emphasizes the importance of protecting Indigenous land rights and opening windows of opportunities for Amerindians, especially those who depend on the forest resources as a means of livelihood. The Amerindian Land Titling (ALT) project’s objective is to facilitate the Amerindian land titling process. Amerindians comprise 9.1 percent of Guyana’s population and currently own approximately 13.9 percent of the land, up from 6 percent in the early 1990’s. The Government of Guyana has set the policy objective of addressing all land titling issues by 2015, for Amerindian villages where two thirds of the adult population request this to be done based on the principles of free, prior and informed consent. Historically, high cost has been a barrier to achieving this policy objective. The Government has allocated substantial funding from the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) via this project to remove this barrier. Through engagement and consultation and based on requests from villages or communities, the project which has a three (3) year duration ( 21 October, 2013- 21 October, 2016) seeks to enable Amerindians to secure their lands and natural resources with a view towards sustainable, social and economic development. It is expected that titling of communities will strengthen land tenure security and the expansion of the asset base of Amerindians, enabling improved long term planning for their future development. It is also expected to enhance the opportunities for villages to ‘opt-in’ to the REDD+ and the LCDS, should they wish to do so. Thus far the project has been involved in the demarcation process to address land tenure of several communities, and has also implemented several stakeholder workshops and sessions on Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and Dispute Resolution (DR).

The Government of Guyana, represented by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs (MoAA) is seeking assistance through the UNDP to prepare a communication strategy to support the implementation of the ALT project with a view to ensuring that all stakeholders are better informed about the land titling mechanism. The Communication Strategy aims to provide a structured guide/ approach which allows for the easy and appropriate means of communicating with all stakeholders on the land titling mechanism.
The UNDP Country Office (CO) in Guyana is therefore seeking the services of a qualified National Consultancy Firm to serve as a Communications Consultant to prepare a Communications Strategy including a handbook for the land titling mechanism under the project “Amerindian Land Titling (ALT)”.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives Of the Assignment

The overall purpose of the Consultancy is to develop an effective communication strategy, package and plan which provides easily accessible, relevant and comprehensive information in the context of the Amerindian land titling process.

Specifically, the Communications Consultant will work in close coordination with UNDP and MOAA to:

Review the existing communications materials and strategy on Amerindian land titling and demarcation;
Review the existing stakeholder engagement strategy on Amerindian land titling and demarcation in view of the need for effective, relevant, comprehensive and accessible dissemination of information;
Develop a communications strategy inclusive of an easy-to-read handbook that provides detailed information on the land titling and demarcation process including the steps involved in the land titling and demarcation process; the impacts and implications; dispute resolution mechanisms; available safeguards and recourse in keeping with assuring the rights of Amerindians;
Develop a cost-assessed action plan for the implementation of this strategy.

Scope of Work

Under the overall guidance of the Programme Specialist, the consultants will be required to:

Assess existing public awareness documentation, the communication plans and activities for the ALT project and the land titling mechanism;
Examine and determine the communication and knowledge dissemination requirements that must be met to support MoAA’s core functions in ensuring that stakeholders are adequately and appropriately informed about the land titling process and demarcation;
Hold consultations with MoAA staff and PMUs of ADF & ALT, UNDP and various other stakeholders;
Propose approaches for fulfilling MoAA’s communication and knowledge dissemination requirements in relation to the Land titling and demarcation process, a comprehensive and coordinated strategy;
Propose the use of various types of information products and technologies that can be used by MoAA in this effort;
Prepare draft communication and knowledge strategy and submit to UNDP;
Prepare a complete implementation plan for the strategy;
Prepare a resource list and estimated implementation budget;
Organize a workshop for input from MoAA staff and partners;
Incorporate comments and inputs from the workshop and prepare final strategy document for approval.

The strategy will include:

A communication framework that links all the actions required to engage the land titling process and associated mechanisms and ensures communications and knowledge dissemination;
A description of the approach/method to measure effectiveness of the strategy;
A description of the communication roles and responsibilities in the land titling process;
Critical input and suggestions on the existing guidelines for MoAA communications plans on the land titling mechanism.

Final Products/Deliverables:

The following products are to be delivered

Inception Report detailing approach to activities and timelines of the assignment

A report consolidating communication materials on Amerindian land titling & demarcation and that determines the knowledge dissemination requirements, as well as/ including a review of the engagement strategy for the Land titling and demarcation process.

Completed Communication Strategy and handbook for the land titling and demarcation mechanism.

Interim draft strategy -The Consultant will be required to make a presentation of an interim draft strategy that will be subject to review by UNDP.

A final strategy and report, subject to approval of UNDP as per dates approved in the inception report, setting out:

Detailed communication and knowledge dissemination strategy with recommended outlets and media for reaching the publics identified;
A Gantt chart timetabling the roll-out of the strategy;
Proposals which outline the types of informational materials suggested for use as part of the communication knowledge dissemination strategy;
A cost- assessed implementation/ action plan, including a detailed resource list and estimated budget, and roles and responsibilities;
A draft evaluation instrument for measuring the effectiveness of the strategy.

Monitoring and Progress Control

The Consultant team shall meet and discuss issues, challenges and progress with the UNDP to agree on the inputs to the final products.

The Programme Specialist- ESD will provide quality assurance for the deliverables.

Project Support and Reference Documents

Key documents to be made available to the consultancy team upon commencement

ALT Project document and related documentation;
Amerindian Act, 2006;
Other relevant documents.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Excellent written communication skills;
Analytic capacity and ability to synthesize relevant findings from meetings for the preparation of quality reports;
Highly developed communication skills, including ability to draft/edit texts and to articulate ideas in a clear, concise style to a variety of audiences, as well as facilitation skills; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges. Ability to identify strategic issues, opportunities and risks, and communicate broad and compelling organizational direction;
Intermediate to advanced MS Office skills, particularly Microsoft Publisher;
Demonstrated experience in working with social media tools, such as Facebook and Twitter;
Demonstrated experience in writing communication strategies with a monitoring and evaluation framework.

Core Competencies:

Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
Ability to plan, organize, implement and report on work;
Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines;
Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;
Positive, constructive attitude to work.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent), preferably in communications, journalism, public relations or other related field;
A first level university degree with a relevant combination of professional training, certification and experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree;
Computer/software training would be an asset.

Experience

Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in communication or a related field of progressively responsible experience in journalism, communications, public or international relations, including minimum two years working experience at the international level;
Work experience in Guyana in the related subjects.

Language:

Fluency in written and spoken English;
Ability to communicate complex technical information to both technical and general audiences with a high degree of accuracy and technical quality, both orally and in writing.

Documentation to be submitted

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document.

Personal CV in P11 template, 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;
Technical proposal, including a) a brief description of why you are the most suitable for the assignment; and b) a methodology on how you will approach and complete the assignment;
Financial proposal, Consultant must send a financial proposal based on the breakdown of the all-inclusive amount.

Incomplete proposals may not be considered.
UNDP P11 Form can be downloaded from: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/P11_Personal_history_form.doc.

Financial proposal:

The Contract will be based on lump sum payment;
Consultant must send a financial proposal based on the breakdown of the all-inclusive amount.

The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TORs, including professional fee, travel costs, DSA and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. The contract price will be a fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration.

Deliverables and Payment Terms:

Deliverables-Due Date-Payment

Inception Report & Review of communication materials and engagement process-2 weeks commencement-10%;
Communication Strategy-6 weeks after commencement-25%;
Communication handbook-6 weeks after commencement-40%;
Implementation and Action Plan for Communication Strategy-8 weeks after commencement-25%.