Background
Over the past decade, the Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs, have been critical in mobilizing resources and driving real progress on some of the world’s most pressing problems. With the MDGs’ deadline of 2015 fast approaching, discussion over what should succeed these goals known as the “Post-2015 development agenda” is an important collective undertaking for anyone concerned with international cooperation. As this agenda, also referred to as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is being negotiated, there has been a push to utilize international funding for development more effectively through enabling innovative models of collaboration by a wider group of partners and stakeholders.
The SDG Philanthropy Platform (the Platform) project, focuses on philanthropy’s input into this developmental landscape by helping grantmakers to better understand the opportunities for engaging in the global development goals processes. The project assists governments and the UN system in comprehending the added value of philanthropy’s direct engagement, including amplifying the voice and action of their grantees and partners in determining and achieving international targets and strategies.
The Platform project is piloted in Kenya, Colombia, Ghana, and Indonesia.
UNDP is seeking an international Communication Consultant that will work on supporting communication plan of the Platform activities in pilot countries as well as its global activities.
Recent communication efforts have resulted in building the Platform presence in the social media channels. This is attributed to creating strong and creative content and drawing on stories from the UNDP Country offices, reaching out to the partners of the Platform with social media campaigns such as GlobalGoalsLeaders campaign, real time reporting on UNDP Live Twitter, as well as the sourcing of professional video production, and more.
Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Platform Project Manager, the Communication Consultant will support the SDG Philanthropy Platform’s strategic communications priorities, across advocacy, coordination and knowledge sharing.
For more information about the project, please visit the website: www.sdgfunders.org.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Project Manager, the consultant is expected to:
Social Media Management
- Provide management support in expanding the Platform’s social media presence in pilot countries;
- Design and implement social media plan to accelerate recognition of Platform globally;
- Collect stories and updates from pilot countries and produce it into the short stories to be featured in the social media channels;
- Boost followers and engagement on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other relevant channels;
- Effectively manage and lead social media campaigns to strengthen the Platform brand awareness and key messages among target audiences at key moments, in collaboration with communications teams from partners;
- Coordinate the development of innovative assets, such as infographics, animation videos and other visuals;
- Keep abreast of social media trends and identify new opportunities to increase the visibility of the Platform’s work on online platforms. Advise management on appropriate action/responses;
- Monitor and submit evaluation reports on the impact of the Platform’s communications activities on social media platforms. Report on developments, trends and attitudes regarding philanthropy.
Writing & Editing
Draft and edit a range of materials, including media articles, blog posts, web content, brochures and presentations developed by global team and pilot country coordinators.
Newsletter Management
Collect stories from the county offices, edit and or write stories, identify relevant stories from others resources within UNDP, formatting and sending it out to partners as inputs to the Platform’s newsletter.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
- Commitment to UNDP's mission, vision and values;
- Sensitivity to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age differences;
- Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.
Functional Competencies:
- Excellent writing and editing skills in English required;
- Proactive approach to foresee road-blocks and suggest solutions;
- Ability to manage workload with minimum supervision and collaborate with a wide range of colleagues and partners across organizations, while meeting deadlines;
- Excellent interpersonal skills: being able to listen and collaborate with a wide range of players, being able to work independently being pro-active and taking initiatives but also able to identify threats in social media use.
- Knowledge of other UN languages is an asset.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, International Relations or a related field.
Experience:
- At least one year of experience with social media channels (including Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and blogs), with successful results;
- Proven track record of developing innovative and effective social media strategies and campaigns, including writing and editing content;
- At least one year of professional experience in writing and editing web materials;
- Experience with different UN initiatives in communication roles is a strong asset.
Language:
- Fluency in English is required (written and verbal);
- Working knowledge of other UN official language(s) is desirable.
Evaluation of Applicants:
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal. The award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
- Responsive/compliant/acceptable;
- Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
Technical Criteria - max. 100 points:
- Excellent writing and editing skills in English required – 20 points;
- Proven track record of developing innovative and effective social media strategies and campaigns, including writing and editing content – 20 points;
- Proven track record in working with social media channels (including Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and blogs), with successful results – 20 points;
- Ability to manage workload with minimum supervision and collaborate with a wide range of colleagues and partners across organizations, while meeting deadlines – 20 points;
- Excellent interpersonal skills: being able to listen and collaborate with a wide range of players, being able to work independently, being pro-active and taking initiatives but also able to identify threats in social media use – 20 points.
The above technical criteria will be weighed at 60% based on CV/Application and a writing test will be conducted which will be weighed at 20% and interviews will be conducted in line with the above technical criteria and will be weighed at 20% of total technical evaluation.
Only candidates obtaining a minimum combined score of 70% out of 100 will be considered for the financial evaluation.
Financial Proposal (30%)
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 (30 points);
- µ = price of the lowest priced proposal;
- z = price of the proposal being evaluated.
The award of contract will be made to the individual consultant who receives the highest combined score out of the weighted technical and financial criteria as specified above.
Application Procedures:
Qualified candidates are requested to apply online via this website.
The application should contain:
- Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position and a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work (if applicable). Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application;
- CV or completed P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees (blank form can be downloaded from http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/operations/jobs.html);
- 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 Consultancy for Platform Communication" by the deadline of this vacancy. 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.
If consultant is expected to undertake travel related to this assignment, all the costs related to official travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses will be covered by the programme.
Important Note
UNDP practices 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. 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.
General terms and conditions_ individual consultant (IC)