Background

The Lion’s Share initiative is an innovative wildlife conservation and animal welfare fund initiated by the private sector and UNDP. The Initiative is to be capitalized by funds collected from advertisers when images or footage of animals are used in advertisements. In joining the Lion’s Share, an advertiser commits to donate 0.5% of the media spend on their advertisements that feature animals. The funds will be collected by The Lion’s Share Fund and then disbursed globally to have the maximum impact on animal conservation, biodiversity and animal welfare, and help advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Lion’s Share initiative was announced at the Cannes Lion’s International Festival of Creativity in June 2018. The Lion’s Share was launched at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City during the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2018.  UNDP is seeking a consultant to support the activities of the Engagement and Partnerships Team in the Communications Group, Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy, including identifying and carrying out targeted outreach to private sector companies for engagement as partners to The Lion’s Share initiative, and communication and advocacy activities to various stakeholders and audiences. The consultant will work under the supervision of the Engagement and Partnerships Manager.

Duties and Responsibilities

SCOPE OF WORK, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ANALYTICAL WORK

The Marketing and Communication consultant will help with all outreach, advocacy and marketing activities of the Lion’s Share fund.The main responsibilities are: 

•         Conduct research on private sector companies in general and their environment and sustainability initiatives in particular;
•         Follow leads to sign up private sector companies; 
•         Oversee Lion's Share social media and website; 
•         Help facilitate and manage weekly TLS WIP call; 
•         Create and maintain prospect client list; 
•         In collaboration with BERA design team and The Lion’s Share creative team, create marketing decks, presentations, booklets, and other marketing materials;
•         Draft briefing notes, talking points, speeches, advocacy correspondence, program documents and other communications materials;
•         Coordinate outreach planning and programming within UNDP and partners;
•         Draft press releases, Q&As, messaging and other communications products;
•         Organize and coordinate high-level advocacy events;
•         Undertake other related duties at the request of the team leader. 

Expected outputs and deliverables:

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

• Technical: The consultant must demonstrate strong expertise on five technical aspects:
  • marketing and lead generation
  • Social media and digital communications
  • Partnership
  • Public Relations
  • Project Management
• Communication: The consultant should be able to communicate effectively in writing, digital design and multimedia to a varied and broad audience in a simple, concise and compelling manner.
• Teamwork: The consultant should work well in a team; project a positive image; be ready to take on a wide range of tasks; focuses on results; takes initiative and welcomes constructive feedback.
• Proven networking skills and ability to interact with staff at all levels, including senior management.
• Design for presentation capabilities is an asset
• Familiarity with UNDP and UN system is an asset.
• Familiarity with and strong interest in development issues is desirable.

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by upholding the United Nations' values and ethical standards; treats all people fairly;
• Appreciates differences in values and learning from cultural diversity;
• Promotes UNDP vision, mission and strategic goals;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age-based sensitivity and adaptability;
• Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UNDP in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic qualifications:

Education:

• Masters (Advanced level) University Degree in one or more of the following disciplines: international relations, international development, economics, social studies, business studies or other equivalent fields.
•  A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

•         Minimum 5 years of relevant experience at the national and international level in international development and environment issues, both in the field and HQ.; 
•         Proven experience in working with private sector to create partnership; 
•         Proven experience in managing events; 
•         Proven experience with press releases, communication and media engagement;
•         Proven experience in coordination and partnership building, preferably within a UN context is a major asset;
•         Experience in private sector engagement for development results is an asset;
•         Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment. Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel.

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Working knowledge of Spanish or French desirable.

Management Arrangements:

The consultant will report to, seek approval/acceptance of outputs from the Manager, Fundraising & Engagement. The consultant will be required to liaise with other external vendors and partners.

Duration:

The consultancy will commence in January 2020 until June 2020,with possibility of extension for six months.

Duty Station:

The consultant is expected to work in UNDP Headquarters located in New York, USA.  Office space and a laptop computer will be provided.

Payment:

A daily rate based on an all-inclusive daily fee. All-inclusive implies that all costs incurred by the Consultant are factored into the final amount submitted in the proposal. Payments will be made following certification by UNDP of the satisfactory delivery of the products and the appropriate management of associated processes needed to achieve the above-mentioned tasks and objectives; supervisor will confirm arrangements.

UNDP reserves the right to rescind this agreement due to unsatisfactory performance by the contractor.

General Terms and Conditions: under Individual Consultant (IC) type of assignments: http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf 

Application Procedure

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

• A cover letter with a brief description of why the Offer considers her/himself the most suitable for the assignment;
• 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
• Technical proposal (mandatory): A two/three-pages methodology on how the Offeror will conduct the work including a Work Plan and approach in delivering the required outputs within the assignment period.

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

Evaluation process

Applicants are reviewed based on required Skills and Experience stated above (eliminatory phase) 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% (70 points):

• Proven digital marketing skills. Weight = 30%; Maximum Points: 21;
• Proven individual fundraising and engagement experience. Weight = 20%; Maximum Points: 14;
• Proven knowledge and experience with online social media platforms, donations gateway technology and online technology. Weight = 20 %; Maximum Points: 14; and
• Interview: Weight = 30%; Maximum Points: 21.

Having reviewed the applications received, UNDP will invite the top three to five longlisted candidates for interview. Please note that only a maximum of 5 candidates will be contacted for the interview.

The top 3 candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (70 points) shall be considered as shortlisted and therefore invited for the financial evaluation.

Financial evaluation - Total 30% (30 points):

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 21.75 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; (excluding mission travel); 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.
• 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.

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 guidance and direct supervision of the Director of Communications and the Manager, Fundraising & Engagement, and will be responsible for the fulfilment of the deliverables as specified above. The consultant through the direct supervisor will be required to provide updates to the Senior Advisor, Business Model and Process, Executive Office.

Payment modality

• Payment to the Individual Contractor will be made based on the actual 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.

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 bera.procurement@undp.org