Background

The role of media in supporting governance and development has changed enormously in recent years, as media landscapes and technologies have transformed. International actors who support media often do so with a variety of intertwined aims: to support democratic governance and human rights, to enhance accountability, to prevent conflict, and to shift social norms or to “counter” violent narratives. They use a variety of programmatic approaches from supporting state broadcasters, working on the legislative environment, to funding specific programming (including social media content) or supporting community radio.

However, while there is increasing recognition given to the importance of media and both its positive and negative potential for development and peace, there is relatively little consolidated information on what UNDP has done in this area. The role of the media is surprisingly rarely integrated into discussions and programming on social cohesion, conflict prevention, the social contract and other related themes.

Nonetheless, a recent mapping has identified a number of instances in which UNDP Country Offices have been engaging in systematic work with the media sector. Among other things, this work has been aimed at promoting an enabling environment for freedom of expression- and facilitating access to media for historically marginalized groups.

A better understanding of the nature of UNDP Country Offices’ engagement with the media sector – including results, challenges and opportunities – will be essential to identifying ways in which work in this area could be strengthened and scaled up. A knowledge product is therefore being commissioned to document relevant examples and related lessons learnt.

Duties and Responsibilities

 A detailed timeline for each deliverable will be prepared after the recruitment by the consultant in consultation with the hiring unit.

Competencies

Core Values and Guiding Principles:

Integrity

• Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UNDP in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct;

Cultural Sensitivity/Valuing diversity

• Demonstrating an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff;
• Demonstrating an international outlook, appreciating differences in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP and the UN;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

Writing skills:

• Experience producing case studies publications;
• Ability to write in a precise and yet accessible and compelling style;

Policy:

• Strong understanding of work with the media sector in the context of international development cooperation;
• Strong understanding of governance and peacebuilding issues;

Strong understanding of the mandate and operations of UNDP Country Offices

Required Skills and Experience

Academic qualifications:

• Master’s or higher Degree in Social Sciences, Human Rights, Development Studies, Political Science, Communications, International Relations or related field is required;

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in the context of media engagement for governance and development, including experience in the development of knowledge products is required;
• Working experience in a developing country, with experience from multiple regions would be an asset;
• Experience working with UNDP or within the UN system would be an asset.

Language:

• Excellent written and spoken English;
• Working knowledge of French or Spanish would be a strong asset.

Application Procedure

The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):

• Online application with brief description of why the Offer considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment; and
• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the email and telephone contacts of at least three (3) professional references.
• Please provide a short (maximum 1000 words) writing sample. Applications without sample will not be considered.

Note: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.

Shortlisted candidates (ONLY) will be requested to submit a Financial Proposal.

• The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around the specific and measurable deliverables of the TOR. Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR, and deliverables accepted and certified by the technical manager.

• The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract, including: the daily professional fee; cost of travel from the home base to the duty station and vice versa, where required; living allowances at the duty station; communications, utilities and consumables; life, health and any other insurance; risks and inconveniences related to work under hardship and hazardous conditions (e.g., personal security needs, etc.), when applicable; and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract.

• This consultancy is a home-based assignment, therefore, there is no envisaged travel cost to join duty station/repatriation travel.  

  In the case of unforeseeable travel requested by UNDP, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

If the Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.

The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instruction in the separate email that will be sent to shortlisted candidates.

Evaluation process

Applicants are reviewed based on Required Skills and Experience stated above and based on the technical evaluation criteria outlined below.  Applicants will be evaluated based on cumulative scoring.  When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Being 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 where technical criteria weighs 70% and Financial criteria/ Proposal weighs 30%.

Technical evaluation - Total 70% (700 points):

• Criteria 1. Strong understanding of work with the media sector in the context of international development cooperation; ; Weight = 20%; Maximum Points: 200;

• Criteria 2. Strong understanding of governance and peacebuilding issues; Weight = 20 %; Maximum Points: 200;

• Criteria 3. Strong understanding of the mandate and operations of UNDP Country Offices Weight = 10 %; Maximum Points: 100;

• Criteria 4: Experience preparing case study publications and strong writing skills Weight = 10 %; Maximum Points: 100

Interview: Weight = 10%; Maximum Points: 100.

Having reviewed applications received, UNDP may invite the top three/four shortlisted candidates for interview. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (490 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (70 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.

Financial evaluation - Total 30% (300 points)

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
• µ = price of the lowest priced proposal
• z = price of the proposal being evaluated

Contract Award

Candidate obtaining the highest combined scores in the combined score of Technical and Financial evaluation will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into contract with UNDP.

Institutional arrangement

The consultant will work Under the supervision of the Policy Specialist, Civic Engagement in the Inclusive Political Processes Team and the overall guidance of the Director, Oslo Governance Centre and will be responsible for the fulfilment of the deliverables as specified above.

The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop.

Payment modality

• Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified above and deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager.
• The work week will be based on 35 hours, i.e. on a 7 hour working day, with core hours being between 9h00 and 18h00 daily.