Background

When the United Nations Millennium Campaign was established by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2002, its specific purpose and mandate was to work with a wide range of partners to foster a self-sustaining movement - extending beyond the UN system - for the realisation of the MDGs. It was designed to disseminate data and analysis emerging from UN reports, promote partnership among key actors, especially from civil society, link with other UN campaigns and coordinate campaign strategies and messages.

Over the past 10 years the Millennium Campaign has built an impressive array of partnerships with civil society on MDG advocacy and supported the creation of strong coalitions to create accountability for commitments at global, regional and country levels. Our work sits squarely within the framework of our recommendations for follow up to the 2010 High Level Plenary Meeting of the MDGs particularly in the areas of increasing national ownership and commitment to the Outcome Document and broadening partnerships for development.

The 2010 MDG Summit renewed the focus on the global MDG challenge. Within the United Nations efforts are underway to synergise advocacy and communications efforts across the UN system by working more closely with the UN Development Group, and enhancing advocacy and communication at the country level by supporting UN Country Teams in their Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAF) and other plans towards 2015.

Efforts are underway to maintain visibility of the MDGs though developing and disseminating positive stories from the “citizen feedback initiative,” from country level results and from other credible sources. The Campaign aims to spearhead a UN process to synthesize key areas of MDG focus and events and develop common messaging from various UN agencies and make them available for use to the UN leadership, and civil society partners. Furthermore, the Campaign is scaling up its social media strategy, including outreach to bloggers and social networking websites to ensure greater coverage and traction for its initiatives.
 

Duties and Responsibilities

The UN Millennium Campaign is seeking to recruit an international communications consultant to coordinate and implement a wide range of communications outputs designed to facilitate and deliver stronger and more coordinated MDG advocacy and communications outputs across UNDG agencies, the wider UN system and civil society partners.  Working with a broad range of engaged partners the objective of these efforts will be to deliver strategic, impactful and effective communications and media initiatives and communications partnerships to keep the MDGs on the political and public agenda and contribute to  shaping the discourse around the MDGs to reflect progress and identify challenges in the lead up to the 2015 deadline for MDG delivery. The consultant will report to the Director of the UN Millennium Campaign.
 
The specific tasks of the consultant will be as follows:
  • In coordination with DPI/UNCGMDG Group, to  develop a  strategic communication plan for UNDG leadership to build political will and momentum for the MDGs.
  • In coordination with DPI/UNCG MDG Group, to develop a comprehensive communication strategy on equity including messaging , leadership strategy media strategy and key leadership moments.
  • To broker and manage three  cross platform content partnerships with media outlets in support of the strategic communication plan for UNDG leadership on MDGs.
  • To design and launch of an online campaign to gather stories from Facebook and other social networking environments.
  • Ensure a comprehensive  mapping of existing MDG Success story initiatives e.g. One Campaign/Gates funded “Living Proof Project”; and work with UNDG Agencies and the wider UN system as well as relevant external organisations in order to access existing content and explore generation of new content.
  • Identify appropriate number of  individual ‘reports” from the citizen feedback process which can then be turned into “narratives” about the people behind the reports, their communities, the specific issues they are facing in terms of service gaps and the resolution once it is achieved. The exact number of reports t be developed will be agreed jointly by the Director and the Communications Consultant based on the status and activity level of citizen feedback initiative.
  • Support student journalists in  Kenya and India to gather these stories.
  • To provide strategic advice and input on the web component of the civil society input to the Integrated Implementation Framework.
 

Competencies

Summary of Competencies:

  • Good understanding of effective media and communication practices including writing and issuing press releases, arranging press conferences and contacting media to sell story ideas.
  • Creative and energetic approach to communications and media outreach
  • Self starter with initiative.
  • Strong interpersonal and good communications skills.
  • Ability to work independently, against tight deadlines.
  • The ideal candidate will be an excellent communicator with a strong understanding of strategic communications approaches for effective advocacy and campaigning.
  • Outstanding track record of building effective communications partnerships within the broad communications environment including the media at national and international levels, global advertising agencies, public relations and the private sector.
  • The position requires a flexible, creative thinker with the passion and drive to get things done. 

Core Competencies:

Ethics & Values:

  • Promoting Ethics and Integrity / Creating Organizational Precedents Demonstrates and promotes the highest standard of integrity, impartiality, fairness and incorruptibility in all matters affecting his/her work and status

Organizational Awareness:

  • Building support and political acumen.
  • Builds and maintains alliances and networks of partners, colleagues and interest groups inside and outside of the organization to achieve results

Developing & Empowering People/Coaching and Mentoring:

  • Building staff competence, Creating an environment of creativity and innovation.
  • Takes appropriate risk in developing new or adapting existing methods and approaches to more effectively perform tasks or to solve problems in new and unique ways

Working in Teams:

  • Building and promoting effective teams.
  • Recognizes opportunities to meet organizational priorities through team work, inspires and motivates staff to achieve them collectively encouraging them to think and act co-operatively, openly and honestly.

Communicating Information and Ideas:

  • Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication and encourages others to be diplomatic and use tact and sensitivity in dealing with colleagues and partners. 
  • Provides a sense of direction and purpose, and maintains operational effectiveness of the organization, even during times of organizational crisis or change

Conflict Negotiation/Negotiating & Resolving Disagreements:

  • Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards. 
  • Accountable for respecting organizational standards of civility in all circumstances

Knowledge Sharing & Continuous Learning:

  • Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. 
  • Creates, supports, and promotes an enabling environment for organizational knowledge sharing and learning including the use of technology

Appropriate and Transparent Decision-making:

  • Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking. Makes difficult and sensitive decisions clearly and appropriately, even when information is limited and solutions produce unpleasant consequences
Functional Competencies:
 
Building Strategic Partnerships:
  • Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners .
  • Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments.
Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:
  • Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches 
  • Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms.
  • Develops and/or participates in the development of tools and mechanisms, including identifying new approaches to promote individual and organizational learning and knowledge sharing using formal and informal methodologies
Creating Visibility and Supporting UNDP's Advocacy:
  • Develops promotional activities based on monitoring/evaluation information, identifying areas requiring higher visibility.
  • Creates and cultivates networks of partners to promote UNDP’s image.

Client Orientation:

  • Anticipates client needs
  • Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • Advanced university degree in communications or a related field.

Experience:

  • Minimumn 10-12 years experience in communications, with at least 5 years of progressive management  responsibilities.
  • Proven results in designing and implementing strategic communications plans.
  • Extensive international-level experience including experiencing working in the field as communications professional.
  • Solid background and experience working in advocacy communications
  • Active experience and proven success communicating for advancement of Millennium Development Goals and related development issues.
  • Extensive network of national and international contacts in print, broadcast and new media.
  • Proven success in building strong cause-driven online and social networking campaigns .
  • Knowledge of current theories and best practices in communications.
  • Knowledge of United Nations system, particularly the communications system and understanding of international development issues.
    • Flexible and used to working independently and delivering quality results against tight deadlines.
    • Proficient in Word, Powerpoint and Excel
    • Excellent verbal and written communications skills in English
Language:
  • Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills in English

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.  Only the highest ranked candidates who would be found qualified for the job will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

The award of the contract should 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 weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max. 35 points:
  • Working experience in an international agency, bilateral donor, civil society organization or research think tank  – max points: 10
  • Knowledge and experience in designing global comprehensive development communication programs– max points: 10
  • Knowledge and experience of delivering  within complex multi-client environments - max points: 5
  • Previous working experience of brokering media partnerships – max points: 10
  • Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max. 15 points
Qualified candidates are requested to apply online via this website. The application should contain:
  1. A 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.
  2. Filled UNDP Personal History form (P11) including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees
    (blank form can be downloaded from http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc ); please upload the P11 instead of your CV.
  3. Financial Proposal - specifying a total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this announcement. Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor during the contract period (e.g. fee, health insurance, vaccination and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services).

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials  Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

Important Note:
  • 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
Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply.  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.