Background
The Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network (BES-Net) is a capacity sharing “network of networks” that promotes dialogue between science, policy and practice for more effective management of biodiversity and ecosystems, contributing to long-term human well-being and sustainable development. BES-Net complements and contributes to the capacity building work of the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) by aligning its activities with the IPBES global assessment themes and applying the related IPBES guidance documents.
Communication and capacity-building is promoted by BES-Net through its innovative Trialogues. The Trialogue is a face-to-face multi-stakeholder dialogue that brings together scientists, policymakers and practitioners with indigenous and local knowledge into a welcoming and constructive space to focus on specific policy questions at the national and regional levels. The Trialogue carefully convenes participants who have influence over the status of BES at different levels across the environmental and productive sectors of society. The methodology helps overcome traditional barriers to the exchange of knowledge and capacities, empowering the voice of all three communities of practice, science, and policy. Three-way interactions help the participants to foster mutual learning, improve inter-cultural understanding and jointly develop common agendas for action.
At the regional level, Trialogues aim at strengthening the interface between science/traditional knowledge, policy and practice, and enhancing national capacity to integrate findings and recommendations of the IPBES thematic assessments into policy, planning, and on-the-ground programmes and projects. Regional Trialogues were held with a geographic focus on Eastern Europe in October 2017 and the Caribbean in September 2018 in order to promote the uptake of the key messages of the IPBES’s Thematic Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production within the participating countries. After the release of the IPBES Thematic Assessment Report on Land Degradation and Restoration in late 2018, two additional Regional Trialogues were held with the expanded focus on the interlinked issues of pollinators/pollination and broader land-based ecosystems for Anglophone Africa in May 2019 and Central Asia in October 2019.
At the national level, the Trialogue approach is used to open up and enrich the dialogue between the three communities of scientists, policymakers and practitioners (e.g. local and indigenous communities, farmers, businesses, civil society, and NGOs, etc.) in support of the ongoing national ecosystem assessments (NEAs) process. Trialogues help strengthen the participation of key stakeholders in the assessment process, bringing in multiple voices including those of indigenous and local communities, whilst ensuring that the findings are policy-relevant and increase policy uptake of the assessment report recommendations across the environment and productive sectors. Thus far, three National Trialogues were held for Cameroon in February 2019, Colombia in June 2019 and Vietnam in November 2019.
Application Procedures
All applications must be submitted through the UNDP eTendering portal.
• If already registered, please go to https://etendering.partneragencies.org and sign in using your username and password, and search for the event:
Business Unit: UNDP1
Event ID: 0000005808
• If you do not remember your password, please use the “Forgotten password” link. Do not create a new profile.• If you have never registered in the system before, please complete a one-time registration process first by visiting https://etendering.partneragencies.org and using the below generic credentials:
Username: event.guest
Password: why2change
Detailed user guide on how to register in the system and submit the proposal can be found at:
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/operations/procurement/business/procurementnotices/resources/
Email submission of applications will not be accepted. Queries about the position can be directed to
bids.gpcnairobi@undp.org.
Duties and Responsibilities
The objective of this consultancy is to generate and document the stories of change, lessons learned and the impacts of the Regional and National Trialogues to date and showcase the results to a wide spectrum of audience by developing a range of knowledge products for diverse channels and means. The assignment and a series of deliverables will contribute to improve the Regional and National Trialogue methodological frameworks, raise awareness of the roles and potentials of the Trialogues and inform the future Trialogue processes. To this end, the contractor will perform the duties with a detailed scope of work as follow:
- Desk review: Conduct review of the existing documentation on the Regional and national Trialogues, including the post-Trialogue progress updates and the Trialogue outcome monitoring survey results, etc., as well as a study of relevant literature on multi-stakeholder dialogue methodologies and approaches
- Interviews: Obtain further details on lessons learnt, testimonials, stories of change and capacity-building impacts of the Regional and National Trialogue by conducting the key informant interviews with selected partners to/participants of the past Trialogues
- Compilation of results: Synthesize the results of the desk review and the interviews into a report and present them in a virtual meeting. The report is expected to:
- Highlight “bright spots”, or good practice examples of stories of change, where the Trialogue support contributed to the improvement in awareness, capacity and/or network of policy, science and practice communities in respective thematic fields;
- Recommend areas of improvements in the existing Regional and National Trialogue methodological framework; and
- Create a concise and innovative way to communicate the methodological framework for Regional and National Trialogues
- Communication products: Identify innovative channels and knowledge products to circulate the results to the targeted BES-Net audience (e.g. policy brief; video clip; infographics, etc.) and work with the BES-Net-contracted graphic designers/videographers to translate the communication/messaging points in respective formats.
Competencies
Corporate competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN values and ethical standards;
- Respects the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability; and
- Treats all people fairly without favoritism.
Functional Competencies:
- Knowledge Management: Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge;
- Multimedia writing/editing: Ability to originate or edit written content for media and the general public to be disseminated through the press or other online outlets;
- Creativity: Offers new and different solutions to solve problems or meet clients’ needs; Takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas, thinks outside the box; Takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things;
- 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:
- An advanced degree (Masters degree or equivalent) in environment, development or other relevant fields.
Experience:
- Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in the field of communication, journalism, reporting, coaching, or related field preferably at an international level;
- Practical experience in conceptualization, organization and facilitation of multi-stakeholder dialogue events in various regions of the world;
- Excellent skills and strong experiences in writing, editing, designing communicational products, blogs and training materials
- Experience with digital platforms and graphic design;
- Familiarity with biodiversity and topics related to themes of the BES-Net initiative;
- Previous work experience with UN or renowned international organizations is desired
Language skills:
- Fluency in English with excellent written and oral communication skills is required; and
- Proficiency in other UN languages is desirable
EVALUATION
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicant's qualifications and financial proposal. The contract will be awarded 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.
Only those candidates who obtained at least 70% of points, or a minimum of 49 points, in the technical evaluation would be considered for financial evaluation.
Technical Evaluation (70% of total evaluation; maximum 70 points):
- Minimum educational requirement (Mandatory)
- Fluency in English with excellent written and oral communication skills (Mandatory)
- Demonstrated practical work experience in relevant fields (Max. 20)
- Practical experience in multi-stakeholder dialogue process (Max. 10)
- Excellent skills and strong experiences in writing, editing, designing communicational products, blogs and training materials (Max. 15)
- Experience with digital platforms and graphic design (Max. 10)
- Familiarity with biodiversity and topics related to themes of the BES-Net initiative (Max. 5)
- Previous UN experience/familiarity with UNDP’s programmatic work (Max. 5)
- Proficiency in other UN languages (Max. 5)
Financial Evaluation (30% of total evaluation; maximum 30 points)