UNDP Jobs - 73817- International Consultant (Communications Expert)

International Consultant (Communications Expert)

Location :

UNDP/SPM, Kabul, AFGHANISTAN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

15-Aug-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

4 months (with maximum 65 working days)

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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

UNDP Global Mission Statement:

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with national counterparts on their own solutions to global and national development challenges.

UNDP Afghanistan Mission Statement:

UNDP supports stabilization, state-building, governance and development priorities in Afghanistan. UNDP support, in partnership with the Government, the United Nations system, the donor community and other development stakeholders, has contributed to institutional development efforts leading to positive impact on the lives of Afghan citizens. Over the years UNDP support has spanned such milestone efforts as the adoption of the Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections; institutional development through capacity-building to the legislative, the judicial and executive arms of the state, and key ministries, Government agencies and commissions at the national and subnational levels. UNDP has played a key role in the management of the Law and Order Trust Fund, which supports the Government in developing and maintaining the national police force and in efforts to stabilize the internal security environment. Major demobilization, disarmament and rehabilitation and area-based livelihoods and reconstruction programmes have taken place nationwide. UNDP Programmes in Afghanistan have benefited from the very active support of donors. UNDP Afghanistan is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the UN system as a whole to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground.

Organizational context:

UNDP Afghanistan's Rule of Law and Human Security Unit (ROLHS) Programme Unit supports the Afghan Government in its justice, security and peacebuilding sector reform endeavours. It has a vibrant project portfolio consisting of: Afghan Access to Justice (AA2J) projects, the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA) - under which the Support to Payroll Management (SPM) and Ministry of Interior Affairs and Police Development (MPD) projects are funded - as well as several pipeline projects. The ROLHS unit portfolio is in transition and is repositioning its substantive direction.

Under direct supervision of the Chief of ROLHS Unit and in daily coordination with Project Managers and colleagues within the ROLHS programme portfolio, the Communications Specialist will develop and implement ROLHS communications strategy, support content development in digital and print media, and advise the Chief of ROLHS on opportunities to expand the effectiveness of ROLHS’s communications, visibility, as well as outreach efforts.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work and Deliverables:

Objective of the Assignment

The objective of this consultancy is to develop and implement ROLHS communications strategy, support content development in digital and print media, and advise the Chief of ROLHS on opportunities to expand the effectiveness of ROLHS’s communications, visibility, as well as outreach efforts.

The specific scope is as follows:

Review the current communication setup, arrangements, plans, and activities within the ROLHS portfolio and in relation to the UNDP Afghanistan Country Office’s Communications Unit;
Review relevant project documents and implementation plans as well as discuss with the Programme, Project, and Communications Unit colleagues to understand the contexts of the work;
Identify opportunities to expand the effectiveness of ROLHS’s communications, visibility, as well as outreach efforts;
Develop 2017-2018 communications strategies for the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA), the projects funded by LOTFA, and AA2J project;
Lead the initial implementation of the communications strategies, which will include:
- setting up communication structure for external donor/public oriented; communications to raise awareness and visibility;
- Organising and strengthening international/national media contacts and relations;
- Setting up social media and digital media platforms to target different audiences;
- Setting up internal communication platforms, such as newsletters and project briefs;
- Draft contents and materials for all communication channels, and;
- Planning and preparing for targeted communication opportunities during the year (e,g. possible publications or video commissions).
Undertake activities to promote the programme’s media coverage, liaising with both internal and external platforms;
Build up and maintain content distribution channels through UNDP, UN channels, donor channels and international media outlets, aiming at one photo essay and one video story for each of the projects under the ROLHS;
Support the system and content development for the LOTFA Information Gateway where appropriate and/or required;
Coach and build capacity of local staff on effective communications.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables; Estimated duration to complete and Payment percentage:

The expected outputs for this consultancy include: i) advisory services and technical support to increase ROLHS visibility and effective communications, ii) communication strategies for ROLHS portfolio, iii) communication contents, products, and materials, and iv) capacity building sessions for local staff.

First Deliverable: 21 working days; 20%

Communications strategies for the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA), the projects funded by LOTFA, and AA2J project.

Second Deliverable: 22 working days; 40%

A summary progress report on the implementation of the communication strategies, including advisory services and support provided as well as communication contents, materials and products produced by the consultant.

Third Deliverable: 22 Working Days; 40%

Draft final report summarising key outputs of the consultancy and recommendations to further expand communication effectiveness of the ROLHS portfolio and acceptance by Chief, Rule of Law Unit.

Payment Modality:

Payments under the contract shall be delivery based and be made on receipt of the specific milestones indicated above, and including a timesheet according to UNDP procurement formats for individual contractors. These shall be as indicated in the table above, and shall be made upon approval by the Chief of UNDP Rule of Law and Human Security (ROLHS) Unit.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning;
In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues;
Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UNDP.

Management and Leadership:

Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Ability to lead effectively, mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills;
Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
Remains calm, in control and good humoured even under pressure;
Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

Master’s degree in international journalism, communications or any other relevant field.

Years of experience:

At least 4 years’ of work experience in communications and international development or related field;
Demonstrable experience in i) strategic communications, ii) content generation (photography, video shooting and editing, infographics and data visualisation), iii) online engagement (website design, development and management, social media engagement, and media relations), and iv) media and communications training;
Experience in leading development and implementation of communications strategies for UNDP is an advantage.

Language:

Excellent written and oral English skills a necessary requirement.

Working Arrangements

Institutional Arrangements:

The International consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Chief of Rule of Law and Human Security (ROLHS) unit and under direct supervision of the Programme Management Specialist in ROLHS. The consultant shall work in close collaboration with Programme, Project, and Communications Unit colleagues;
UNDP will provide office space and internet facility, logistical and other support service including transport and security applicable to UNDP international personnel. The consultant however is expected to bring his/her own laptop and mobile phone and meet local communications costs (UNDP will provide a local pre-paid SIM card). Costs to arrange meetings, workshops, travel costs to and DSA during field visits (if any), etc. shall be covered by UNDP ROLHS.

Duration of the Work

The performance under the contract shall take place over total contract duration of 4 months (65 working days), excluding joining and repatriation travel days. The target date for the start of work will be on 1 September 2017, depending on the availability of the appropriate international consultant.

Duty Station

The duty station for the contractor is Kabul, Afghanistan for the entire duration of the contract. Some field visits outside Kabul is envisaged under the contract. The Contractor will be required to report regularly and be present at UNDP office during the working hours, security conditions permitting. The contractor will follow the working hours and weekends as applicable to UNDP staff. Contractor’s movement for meetings and consultations shall be coordinated by UNDP office. The contractor is at all times required to observe UNDP security rules and regulations.

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

The contractor shall submit a price proposal as below:

Daily Fee – The contractor shall propose a daily fee, which should be inclusive of his professional fee, local communication cost and insurance (inclusive of medical health insurance and evacuation). The number of working days for which the daily fee shall be payable under the contract is 65 working days;
Living Allowance (LA) - The contractor shall propose a Living allowance at the Kabul applicable rate of USD 162 per night for his/her stay at the duty station. The number of nights for which the Living allowance shall be payable under the contract will be 90 nights. The contractor is NOT allowed to stay in a place of his choice other than the UNDSS approved places. UNDP will provide MORSS compliant accommodation in UNOCA complex to the contractor. The payment of accommodation shall be made directly by the contractor;
Travel & Visa – The contractor shall propose an estimated lump-sum for home-Kabul-home travel (economy most direct route) and Afghanistan visa expenses;
R&R - The contractor shall be entitled for R&R - 7 calendar days (USD 2,170) for every six weeks during the course of the assignment. After the last R&R, the contractor should mandatorily stay in country for minimum of 30 calendar days.

The total professional fee, shall be converted into a lump-sum contract and payments under the contract shall be made on submission and acceptance of deliverables under the contract in accordance with the schedule of payment linked with deliverables.

Evaluation Method and Criteria:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall 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 weight 70%

* Financial Criteria weight 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria 70 points

Technical Proposal (30 marks)

Technical Approach & Methodology (20 marks) – This explain the understanding of the objectives of the assignment, approach to the services, methodology for carrying out the activities and obtaining the expected output, and the degree of detail of such output. The Applicant should also explain the methodologies proposed to adopt and highlight the compatibility of those methodologies with the proposed approach;
Work Plan (10 marks) – The Applicant should propose the main activities of the assignment, their content and duration, phasing and interrelations, milestones (including interim approvals by the Client), and delivery dates. The proposed work plan should be consistent with the technical approach and methodology, showing understanding of the TOR and ability to translate them into a feasible working plan;

Qualification and Experience (40 marks) [evaluation of CV]

Relevant education (10 marks);
Experience in i) strategic communications, ii) content generation (photography, video shooting and editing, infographics and data visualisation), iii) online engagement (website design, development and management, social media engagement, and media relations), and iv) media and communications training (25 marks);
Experience of working for projects funded by UNDP (5 marks).

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document:

Duly accomplished confirmation of Interest and Submission of Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (Annex II);
Personal CV or 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.
Technical Proposal:
Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;
A methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment and work plan as indicated above.