Background
Raising climate action ambition is critical to the success of the Paris Agreement on climate change. UN Secretary-General António Guterres calls it “the defining threat of our time”, and calls countries to raise their “ambition’ in regard to their commitments to address climate change. For UNDP, UN partners and the wider international community, the mission is clear: to mobilize countries, communities and the private sector to scale up ambition by 2020. In this context, the Secretary General will hold a UN Climate Summit in September 2019, to mobilize the policy makers and the international community for urgent and ambitious action on climate. A number of critical events will underscore the goal of the summit, and the official ‘start year’ of the Paris climate commitments in 2020.
As a major supporter of climate action in more than 140 countries, UNDP is currently engaged in over 700 climate change mitigation and adaptation projects globally, with a total portfolio of over US$3 billion in grant finance. Under the one-UN approach, UNDP has been tasked to lead implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement at the country level, helping to facilitate coordination among UN Agencies and other partners. (UNDP also assists countries with the successful realization of the 2030 Agenda and the Sendai Framework for Action).
UNDP is an important voice in the global climate agenda, while simultaneously working with countries to implement their climate plans. A dedicated flagship programme - the NDC Support Programme – assists countries with the delivery on their climate commitments or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in a number of key areas including leadership, climate finance, gender-responsive planning and implementation of climate plans, whole-of-society approach for governance and climate data tracking.
Objective:
The purpose of this procurement exercise is to contract an advocacy and design consultant who will support UNDP with preparations of communication and advocacy campaigns for a series of high-visibility climate change events, including the Regional Climate Weeks, Global NDC Conference, SG Climate Summit and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25).
Duties and Responsibilities
SCOPE OF WORK, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED WORK
UNDP seeks to recruit a dynamic advocacy design consultant, who will support campaigns for a series of climate events at the regional and global level, most notably the regional climate weeks in Africa, Asia and Latin America, a global gender workshop, the Global NDC Conference, the launch of an impact report around High-level Political Forum, as well as the SG’s Climate Summit and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25).
He/she will contribute to the production and design of climate communication campaigns and materials support overall strategic and creative development of campaign. As such, the consultant’s work will contribute to the Global Policy Network (GPN) overall climate change communication efforts, working in close collaboration with the GPN Directorate, UNDP’s Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), and the UN Department for Global Communications (DGC). The consultant will report to the climate change specialist at UNDP’s NDC Support Programme and will hold the following responsibilities:
- Communication and Advocacy Campaigns
(a) Activities
- Contribute to implementation of climate communication strategy;
- Identify new partner and media or influencer platforms for campaigns to increase visibility;
- Support large, complex communications campaigns with partner agencies;
- Compile communication assets for campaigns;
- Evaluate results and impact of campaign communications activities
(b) Deliverables for each event (2 days)
Trello board and google spreadsheet comprising all campaign communication assets created;
- 1 new media OR platform identified, and communications product successfully pitched;
- 1. report of key performance indicators (KPIs) completed
2 Photography and Design
a)Activities
- Design social media cards with infographics, simple animations;
- Format and design final report, presentations, fact sheets and event materials as needed;
- Support and track preparation of event materials, and liaise with designers as needed;
- Search for high-quality photos and images, edit photos for event campaigns as needed;
b. Deliverables for each event (12 days)
- 10 social media cards an/or animated GIFs designed;
- 2 presentations, 2 cover pages, 1 report, 1-2 fact sheets formatted and designed;
- Agenda, participant list, name tags and backdrop designed;
- 25-30 high-quality photos collected, tagged and edited;
3. Content Production
a)Activities
- Create visual elements (infographics, charts & graphs etc.) for technical blogs, briefs etc.
- Contribute to preparation of other visual storytelling and communications products; liaise with service providers such as photographers and videographers as needed;
- Support preparation of social media packs from concept to design for events;
b. Deliverables for each event (2 days)
- Trello board and google spreadsheet comprising all campaign communication assets created;
- 1 new media platform identified, and communications product successfully pitched;
- 1 report of key performance indicators (KPIs) completed
4. Event Planning and Production
a) Activities
- Support the planning and coordination of events hosted or co-organized by UNDP as needed;
- Collect and upload event presentations and materials and maintain events webpage;
- Support event evaluations;
b)Deliverables for each event (1 day)
- Event presentations, report, and other materials tracked and collected in Dropbox folder and uploaded to events page;
- Short report of event evaluations collected and analyzed delivered.
5. Assist with any other duties, as necessary.
Key Events (2019 TBD)
- Africa Climate Week (March 2019)
- Global Gender Workshop (April 2019)
- Global NDC Conference (June 2019)
- High-level Political Forum – Impact Report Launch (July 2019)
- Latin America Climate Week (August 2019)
- Asia and Pacific Climate Week (September 2019)
- Secretary General’s Climate Summit (September 2019)
- COP25 ( December 2019)
As this a home-based assignment to enable effective management of this contract and accountability it is important that your unit provide us with a work plan for this consultancy.
Competencies
Highly organized, with strong time management skills and the ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Ability to react quickly to messaging and strategy changes and ability to make independent decisions.
Good sense for aesthetics and design, up-to-date on latest communication trends.
Ability to brainstorm and conceptualize new forms of content and communication campaigns for products and services.
Excellent listener. Ability to absorb large amounts of information and create compelling narrative.
Has highest-level communication skills, including excellent writing, proof reading skills.
Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups; maintains an effective network of individuals across organizational departments.
Translates strategic direction into plans and objectives.
- Seeks and proposes opportunities for advancing UNDP's mission.
Required Skills and Experience
Academic qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Digital communication, graphic design, marketing, or related field is required
Diploma/Certificate with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience may be accepted in lieu of the bachelor’s degree (required)”
Mandatory experience and skills:
One to three years of relevant work experience in design required; experience in planning, designing and coordination of communication & advocacy campaigns and special events (required);
Experience in digital and graphic design required, preferably with Adobe Creative Suite applications such as Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere etc.( Required)
Extra skills a plus:
Experience in social movements is desired;
Ability to create and edit fresh, high-quality content, with a consistent voice appropriate to the UNDP brand. Exceptional copywriting experience across multiple channels of communication;
Experience with social listening tools, such as Crimson Hexagon, Nuvi, and Spredfast Intelligence to generate insights desired;
- Knowledge or experience in climate change field, particularly on Paris Climate Agreement, and contacts to media partners in this field desired;
- Experience at one of the cutting-edge digital communication firms an asset;
Language:
- Fluency in written and spoken English is required;
- Working knowledge of another UN language would be an asset
Application and Evaluation Procedure
The application package containing the following (to be uploaded as one file):
Link to your portfolio;
Online application with brief description of why the Offeror considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment; and
Personal CV 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.
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 should specify an all-inclusive daily fee (based on a 7-hour working day - lunch time is not included - and estimated 16 days per month).
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; communications, utilities and consumables; life, health and any other insurance; and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services under the contract.
Any unforeseeable travel agreed between UNDP and Individual Consultant, will be supported by the project travel fund and will be arranged according to UNDP entitlements and travel policy.Costs for airfares, terminal expenses, and living allowances should not be included in financial proposal.
The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instruction in the separate email that will be sent to shortlisted candidates.
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 (desk review plus interview) - Total 70% (700 points):
Criteria 1. Demonstrated experience in production and performance tracking of 21st century communication & advocacy campaigns and special events. Experience in social movements desired. Maximum Points: 200;
Criteria 2. Demonstrated experience in digital and graphic design and data visualization from concept to execution. Maximum Points: 200;
Criteria 3. Ability to create and edit fresh, high-quality content. Exceptional copywriting experience and visual story telling skills across multiple channels of communication. Maximum Points: 100;
Criteria 4. Knowledge or experience in climate change field, particularly on Paris Climate Agreement, desired and familiarity with green business media platforms in this field desired.Maximum Points: 50
Criteria 5. Interview. Maximum Points: 150.
Candidates obtaining a minimum of at least 385 points out of 550 points in the desk review will be considered for interview.
The candidate with a minimum of 70% (490 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (70 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.
Only the top three shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit a financial proposal.
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
The candidate obtaining the highest combined scores of Technical and Financial evaluations will be considered technically qualified and will be offered to enter into a contract with UNDP.
Institutional arrangements
- The consultant will be home-based;
- The consultant will be supervised by and report directly to the climate change specialist;
- Payments will be made upon submission of a detailed time sheet and certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the Supervisor on days worked and outputs delivered;
- The consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
- The consultant will be responsible for providing her/his laptop;
- Any necessary missions must be approved in advance and in writing by the NDC Support Programme Manager;
- Consultants are required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb/;
- The Advanced and Basic Security in the Field II courses must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
- The selected candidate is responsible for ensuring that s/he has the necessary vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
- The selected candidate is responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP;
- All related travel expenses will be supported by the project travel fund and will be arranged according to UNDP entitlements and travel policy.
Payment modality
Payment to the Individual Contractor will be made based on the actual number of days worked and deliverables accepted, and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager.
The workweek will be based on 35 hours, i.e. on a 7-hour working day, with core hours being between 9h00 and 18h00 daily.
Annexes (click on the hyperlink to access the documents):
Annex 1 - UNDP P-11 Form for ICs
Annex 2 - IC Contract Template
Annex 3 – IC General Terms and Conditions
Annex 4 – RLA Template
Any request for clarification must be sent by email to cpu.bids@undp.org