Background

The Chapter 12 Commissions are designed as drivers of change for Zimbabwe’s implementation of democratic values and constitutionalism as per the Zimbabwe Constitution. Collectively, the Chapter 12 Institutions serve the common purpose of contributing towards a democratic Zimbabwean society by steering the country towards constitutionalism as a shared value. Through their respective mandates, the Chapter 12 Commissions are critical to improving the quality of governance, encouraging transparency and accountability, fostering inclusion, advancing gender equality, promoting the rights of marginalized groups, strengthening justice and rule of law, and ultimately leading to national unity, peace and reconciliation.

It is against this backdrop and as part of the broader support to the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDCF) priorities  to the entrenchment of human rights and democracy as outlined in section 233 of the Constitution,  that United Nations participating agencies (PUNOs), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), under the coordination of the United Nations Resident Coordinators Office (UNRCO), have co-developed the Support to Chapter 12 Commissions Project with Chapter 12 Commissions.

The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) is one of the Chapter 12 Independent Constitutional Commissions whose collective objective is to promote and nurture a culture of accountability and transparency thereby promoting democratic values.  The Commission is the regulator of the media industry in Zimbabwe whose functions include the duty to uphold, promote and develop freedom of the media, to promote and enforce good practices and ethics in the media and to promote fair competition and diversity in the media. The respective mandates are critical to promote and nurture a culture of accountability and transparency and strengthen the quality of governance, justice and rule of law, foster inclusion, advance human rights and gender equality, ultimately leading to national unity, peace and democratic values.

In line with the ideals of the National Development Strategy One (NDS1), the work of the media cuts across various sectors and key result areas.  The ZMC presides over all media in Zimbabwe and is required to ensure that the people of Zimbabwe have fair and wider access to information and to monitor broadcasting in the public interest and, in particular, to ensure fairness and diversity of views broadly representing Zimbabwean society. ZMC registers community media while the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) registers broadcasters including community radios.

Zimbabwe, through BAZ, has recently registered community broadcasters that are expected to play a critical role is propagating various views at community level.  Community media is expected to unpack various national issues in the interest of communities they serve.  Community media can be advocacy partners on various issues as they speak to the issues and aspirations of the people at community level.  Their role is to empower those communities through the provision of information on various developmental issues including human rights.

Empowering rural broadcasters with the necessary skills and capacity becomes one aspect in ensuring that broadcasters, particularly community broadcasters, can meet their constitutional obligations in ensuring diversity and representation of diverse views. The Community Radios have a potential to work with rural publishing entities in disseminating vital development information through terrestrial broadcasting as well as print media.

It is against this background that the Commission is proposing to put in place a deliberate training programme aimed at empowering community media and broadcasters with the necessary skills in propagating some of the constitutional provisions that are part of the Bill of Rights pertaining to aspect of human rights in close consultation and meaningful engagement with Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe, and the Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (ZACRAS).

Overall objective of the project

The Zimbabwe Media Commission seeks to equip community broadcasters and publishers with knowledge skills on reporting various aspects of human rights as provided for in the Bill of Rights. The training programme will assist and empower community broadcasters and publishers in understanding how to unpack and report on various issues that include, reporting on peace, conflict management and resolution at community level, gender issues, youths interests and various aspects of human rights.

Duties and Responsibilities

Expected Output

Scope of Work

The support will involve conducting a needs assessment of training needs, developing the training curricula and thereafter using the developed training curricula to train a minimum of 25 community radios from registered and operational stations, broadcasters and selected rural Press practitioners.

In particular, the project will assist and empower community broadcasters and rural print Press practitioners in understanding how to unpack and report on various issues that include access to information, knowledge of the constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe, which will strengthen their capacity in reporting on peace, embark on deliberate conflict sensitive reporting and resolution at community level.

The training will also strengthen their capacity in promoting gender equality issues, engaging youth to participate in dialogue on addressing their challenges.

Activity 1 Conduct needs assessment 

• Conduct a rapid needs assessment of the existing capacities of Community radio stations in the Bill of Rights and other national and international instruments related to Human rights;
• Embark on desk research on the Zimbabwe Rural Press Project supported by UNESCO in early 90s to identify gaps in its implementation and recommend on potential synergies with community radio stations, especially through joint news gathering and use of new technologies such as digital rural newspapers which can be circulated through social media, WhatsApp etc;
• Develop criteria for selection and compile a database of Community Radios and Rural Press initiatives, for the identification of appropriate staff who will be trained based on their roles and responsibilities whilst ensuring gender parity and geographical representation;
• Engage the Zimbabwe Human Right Commission and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) in contributing to the rapid needs assessment (Desk Research or rapid survey).

Activity 2 Design a training manual on Right based Approach to Community

• In close consultation with the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe, Engage an expert to develop training manual and or guidelines for “The right based Approach to Community Radio Programming”;
• Conduct a half day validation meeting of the Guidelines/manual on “Right based Approach to Community radio Programming”, involving experts from Zimbabwe media Commission and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe;
• Engage the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission and the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe for forewords and other contributions to the manual/guidelines.
• Consult UNDP/Chapter 12 Project Secretariat for appropriate branding of the manual;
• Print a few copies of the Guidelines/manual on “Right based Approach to Community radio Programming”.

Activity 3 Deliver training manual on “Right based Approach to Community radio Programming’.

• Identify training venue, preferably at a community radio station, or close to a community radio station;
• Organise training logistics (venue, transport, meals, incidentals etc);
• Send invitations to identified participants and dignitaries and officials from the Government of Zimbabwe and the United Nations who will oversee the launch of the training;
• Deliver a face-to-face workshop for community radios on “Right Based Approach to Community radio Programming”. Utilising the manual designed through this project.

Deliverables

It is anticipated that the selected consultant will deliver: -

• Experts identified from Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Authority, and Zimbabwe Media Commission or from Tertiary Institutions, who will conduct Desk Researches and support in facilitating training workshops;
• A needs assessment report highlighting capacities of Community radios and Rural Press in Human Rights based Approach to programming. The needs assessment report will also recommend on potential synergies on Human Rights based approaches to content production and delivery between Community radios and rural Press in Zimbabwe;
• List of a minimum of 25 identified workshop participants as per the criteria developed and agreed for their selection;
• Half-a-day validation meeting in Harare, of the Guidelines/manual on “Right based Approach to Community radio Programming”;
• A Training Manual and/or Guidelines on “The right based Approach to Community Radio Programming”;
• A progress Report by 16 January 2023 highlighting progress of the activities and expected deliverables;
• A face-to-face workshop for community radios and select Rural Print Press practitioners on “Right based Approach to Community radio Programming”. Utilising the manual designed through this project;
• A final report with recommendations to address identified gaps, copies of knowledge products (manuals, reports, high resolution photographs - complete with consent forms for use by the UN).

Timeline and duration

It is anticipated that the project will be undertaken from 01 December 2022 to 24 February 2023 First draft report to be submitted to UNESCO and UNDP by 31 January 2023.

The final report together with all the associated raw data and relevant files, including photographs etc., should be delivered to UNDP by 24 February 2023 at the latest.

Payment

• 30% upon satisfactory completion and certification of Inception Report
  • An inception report with a detailed plan of action (of 5 pages maximum) with clear timelines on project delivery (3 working days after signing of the contract);
• 50% upon satisfactory completion and certification of Identification of experts, training needs and validation meeting
  • Progress Report consisting of the following:
    •  List of experts with supporting CVs;
    • Needs assessment report;
    • List of proposed participants (25 minimum) for the proposed workshop.
  • Concept note and programme for the manual/guidelines validation meeting(20 working days after signing of the contract) ;
• 20% upon satisfactory completion and certification of Final report consisting of:
  • Report on validation meeting for the manual/guidelines
    • A Training Manual and/or Guidelines on “The right based Approach to Community Radio Programming”
    • Report and recommendations from the workshop for community radios and select Rural Print Press practitioners on “Right based Approach to Community radio Programming”. Utilising the manual designed through this project.
    • Submission of knowledge products (manuals, reports, high resolution photographs - complete with consent forms for use by the UN), receipts, invoices, ticket stubs, signed participation sheets etc (30 working days after signing of the contract).

Reporting

Zimbabwe Media Commission will coordinate the reporting and submit draft reports for review to UNESCO as a technical agent with mandate in Media Development and to UNDP as the Coordinating Agency for Chapter 12 commission project.

General Conditions: Procedures and Logistics

The consultant is expected to work from their own premises.

All costs pertaining to presentation of the study methodology and other elements of the Technical Proposal to the Technical Evaluation Panel, travel or field visits related to preparation of the Proposal, travel related to Negotiations/Technical discussion and other pre-award activities are to be borne by the Contractor and should not be included in the Financial Proposal submitted.

For the entire period of this contract all travel (international and within Zimbabwe) related to any contract emerging from this RFP, including all travel for consultations and discussions, meetings for planning and execution of potential works, travel to target towns etc. will have to be borne by the Institution and must be included in the Financial Proposal submitted. The Institution is responsible to make all relevant travel arrangements, including Visa, hotel, transportation and other relevant costs.

Policy both parties should be aware of:

• UN has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and abuse;
• Members of the contracting company are not entitled to payment of overtime.  All remuneration must be within the contract agreement;
• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UN and the Contractor;
• The data and information collected during this data is sole and full ownership of the UNDP;
• No member of the contracting company may travel prior to contract signature;
• Members of the contracting company will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority on UN budget;
• Contracting company will be required to sign the Health statement for consultants/Individual contractor prior to taking up the assignment, and to document that they have appropriate health insurance, including Medical Evacuation.

Competencies

• Community engagement;
• Organisational awareness;
• Working in Teams;
• Communicating Information and Ideas;
• Self-management and Emotional Intelligence;
• Conflict Management / Negotiating and Resolving Disagreements;
• Knowledge Sharing / Continuous Learning;
• Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Training

• Master’s Degree in Communication and Media Studies, Human Rights, Development Studies, Political Science, public relations, social sciences, international relations, Law, Gender, Social Sciences, Public Policy or related field;
• A higher post graduate qualification will be a distinct advantage.

Experience and Knowledge

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in the Human Rights, Gender, Inclusion, communication and media 
• Demonstrable experience in research and analysis;
• Demonstrable knowledge of Sector Wide Approaches (SWAPs) in general;
• Demonstrates practical knowledge in community publishing and broadcasting;
• Displays knowledge of human rights-based approaches;
• Experience working in a multi-cultural and/or international work environment;
• Experience in capacity building initiatives;
• Demonstrable experience in monitoring and evaluation.

Where a candidate intends to collaborate with other individuals to accomplish the task, the CVs of the proposed collaborators should be included together with the role the collaborators will play. It however remains the lead consultant's role to contract with the collaborators and to ensure that the task is completed to satisfaction. 

How to apply

Latest CV highlighting the relevant experience. Prospective candidates could apply either as a team or as individuals. When applying as a team, the CVs of all experts in the team should be provided, along with the application;
    Updated P11 Form template of which can be downloaded from this website - 

https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=308402;

    A detailed technical proposal on undertaking the tasks and evidence of previous work;

Please group all your documents (CV, P11, Technical Proposal and certificates) into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document. Incomplete applications will not be given consideration.

Applicants must reply to the mandatory questions asked by the system when submitting the application

Please note that only applicants who are short-listed will be contacted.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING THE BEST OFFER

Interested candidates are expected to submit both the Technical and Financial Proposals. Complete applications will be evaluated based on Cumulative Analysis as per the following scenario:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable;
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation. In this regard, the respective weight of the proposals is:
  • Technical Criteria weight is 70%
  • Financial Criteria weight is 30%

The technical proposal should include:

• Curriculum vitae of the IC;
• Brief presentation of the individual consultants’ experience on similar assignments;
• Proposed Approach and methodology for carrying out the assignment.

The award of the contract shall be made to the 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 Terms of Reference.