Background

The UNDP Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has corporate responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the delivery of UNDP’s Strategic Plan.  BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management with more effective and new ways of working.  Within BPPS, the UNDP Global Environmental Finance Unit works with UNDP country offices and other UNDP bureaux to develop country capacity to put in place the right mix of regulatory and financial incentives, remove institutional and policy barriers, and create enabling environments that attract and drive public and private sector investment into sustainable development. 

In September 2019 UNDP launched its ‘climate promise’ - a commitment to support at least 100 countries enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement by 2020, to support new ways governments can step up their climate actions, and to finance bold new goals.  UNDP has also initiated a strategic partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to work together to accelerate and scale-up efforts to drive transformative action to achieve the goals set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  A central pillar of this partnership is to help deliver the UNDP climate promise in 2020 and beyond, including coordinated advocacy and communications initiatives to shift attitudes and behaviors on climate change.

Within this context, a Strategic Climate Change Communications Consultant is required to help design and start delivering a package of actions to shift attitudes and behaviors on climate change for targeted audiences in target countries.  While the specific scope and activities of the work package will be defined during the consultancy and in consultation and coordination with UNEP, it is anticipated to include a micro-targeted digital messaging initiative.  Micro-targeted digital messaging would ensure that key UNDP and UNEP messages on climate are tailored to and reaching the right audiences and would change behavior where it needs to be changed. It would overcome current approaches to climate advocacy which operate almost exclusively in echo chambers, thereby missing key target audiences.  This new and more sophisticated approach to climate communications is needed help deliver the UNDP climate promise.  

Duties and Responsibilities

Expected Tasks

Under the supervision of the UNDP Director and Executive Coordinator for Environmental Finance, and in consultation and coordination with the UNDP Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) and UNEP, the consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Develop a costed strategic climate communications strategy in coordination with UNEP. The strategy should outline a package of costed concrete actions in 2020 to help shift attitudes and behaviours on climate change for target audiences in target countries, including micro-targeted digital messaging. The actions should be results-based and be measurable and verifiable.   
2. Consultations and partnerships with UNEP and external stakeholders. Coordinate time-bound consultations and partnership discussions on the strategy with key internal and external stakeholders, including media platforms and firms with expertise in micro-targeted digital campaigns.
3. Deliver actions under the approved strategy. Support UNDP, UNEP, and approved partners to deliver the climate change communications actions identified under the strategy, including micro-targeted digital messaging in target countries.  Given the urgency of the climate emergency, actions should start as early as possible in 2020. 
4. Build capacity of UNDP and UNEP in strategic communications. Develop training and guidance materials and deliver a workshop for UNDP staff on strategic climate change communications.

Deliverables:

1. Develop a Strategic climate change communications strategy
2. Partnership instruments, as appropriate
3. Submit evidence of actions delivered under the strategy and results
4. Develop training and guidance materials on strategic communications

Deliverables, estimated duration, fee percentage

Information on Working Arrangements

• Estimated level of effort including travel: approximately 132 working days over 12 months;
• The consultant will report to daily, and be directly supervised by, the UNDP-GEF Executive Coordinator;
• 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 own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, relevant software, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
• The consultant shall submit to the Supervisor a monthly progress report on the status of the implementation of tasks;
• Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the consultant is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones;
• Payments will be made monthly upon submission of a detailed time sheet (including deliverables and their timely execution) and certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the supervisor on days worked (with “a day” calculated as 8 hours of work) and outputs delivered.

Travel

• International travel will be required. An estimated two missions to New York, USA and one mission to Nairobi, Kenya are anticipated;
• Any necessary mission travel must be approved in writing and advance by the UNDP-GEF Executive Coordinator;
• BSAFE course must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
• Consultants are responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP;
• Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
• Consultants are required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb/;
• The consultant will be responsible for making his/her own mission travel arrangements in line with UNDP travel policies;
• All related travel expenses will be reimbursed as per UNDP rules and regulations upon submission of an F-10 claim form and supporting documents. Costs for mission travel (including air tickets, living allowances) should not be included in the financial proposal

Competencies

Corporate

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

Functional

Planning and Organizing

• Allocates the appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work;
• Uses time efficiently;
• Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary.

Client orientation

• Identifies clients’ needs and match them with appropriate solutions;
• Keeps a client informed on progress and setbacks in projects;
• Meets timeline for delivery of product or service to the client.

Communication

• Ability to write clear reports;
• Ability to engage with diplomacy with various stakeholders;
• Proven networking and outreach skills in multi-stakeholder environments.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• Master’s degree or higher in strategic communications, behaviour change, behavioural economics, or closely related field. (Max 10 points)

Experience

• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience working in strategic communications and behavior change for global organizations, including the private sector and UN entities or other intergovernmental organizations (Max 20 points);
• Professional experience in climate change communications (15 points);
• Demonstrated experience in writing articles in English (please attach or provide a link for 2 samples of previous communication products and 2 writing samples, e.g. website articles, news articles, case studies or press release) (Max: 20 points);
• Experience working in UNDP/UN or an international organization and knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices is an advantage (Max 5 points).;

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English, both written and oral, is required (Pass/Fail).

Evaluation Method:

• Only those applications, which are responsive and compliant, will be evaluated.  Incomplete applications will not be considered;
• Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method – where the technical criteria will be weighted at 70% and the financial offer will be weighted at 30%;
• The technical criteria (education, experience, language [max. 70 points] and interview [max. 30 points]) will be based on a maximum 100 points;
• Only the top 3 candidates that have achieved a minimum of 49 points from the review of education, experience and language will be considered for the interview;
• Candidates obtaining 21 points or higher in the interview will be deemed technically compliant and considered for financial evaluation;
• Financial score (max 100 points) shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal of those technically qualified;
• The financial proposal shall specify an all-inclusive lump sum fee. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal must additionally include a breakdown of this daily fee (including all foreseeable expenses to carry out the assignment);
• Applicant receiving the Highest Combined Score and has accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract.

Documentation to be submitted:

• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed UNDP Personal History form (P11) and/or CV including Education/Qualification, Professional Certification, Employment Records /Experience;
• Applicants must attach or provide a link for 2 samples of previous communication products and 2 writing samples, e.g. website articles, news articles, case studies or press release;
• Applicants must reply to the mandatory questions asked by the system when submitting the application.
• Applicants must submit a duly completed and signed Annex II Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment to be downloaded from the UNDP procurement site.

Kindly note you can upload only ONE document to this application (scan all documents in one single PDF or Word file to attach).  File size cannot exceed the maximum limit of 10MB.

UNDP Personal History form (P11) required of all applicants:

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/P11_Personal_history_form.doc.

General Conditions of Contract for the ICs:

https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=201762

Annex II Offeror´s letter to UNDP confirming interest and availability for the Individual Contractor (IC) assignment:

https://procurement-notices.undp.org/search.cfm (reference 63832)