Background

UNDP’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan emphasizes the critical links between environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and broader efforts to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP’s Nature, Climate, and Energy (NCE) Team promotes and scales up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

The NCE Team works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital, environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies; support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and implement the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on environment, climate change, and energy.

This multi-billion-dollar portfolio encompasses: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests, Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food and commodity systems, Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Renewable and Modern Energy; Extractive Industries, Chemicals and Waste Management, and Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy and SCP approaches. This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning.

In addition to UNDP’s bilateral partnerships on natural capital, environment and climate, UNDP is an accredited multilateral implementing agency of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Multilateral Fund (MLF), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) which  includes the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund (GEF Trust Fund), the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund (NPIF), the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF). As part of UNDP’s partnership with these vertical funds, UNDP provides countries with specialized integrated technical services for eligibility assessment, programme formulation, capacity development, policy advice, technical assistance, training and technology transfer, mobilization of co-financing, implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments and knowledge management services.

The NCE Team is looking to engage a communications consultant to:

1. help build a coordinated, purpose-driven communications approach across the nature, climate and energy group,
2. help position UNDP as a leading voice in the nature, climate, and energy space,
3. and contribute to UNDP’s global plastics strategy. 

Duties and Responsibilities

The scope of work will vary depending on the specific assignment and region. It will involve close coordination with UNDP’s Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), as well as, technical teams and communication specialists at regional and country office levels. It will include one or more of the various tasks below:

Coordination:

• Set up, maintain, and continuously improve coordination mechanisms across nature, climate, and energy communicators;
• Set up, maintain, and continuously improve coordination mechanisms with BPPS and BERA;
• Establish knowledge management, learning, and resource sharing structures across teams;
• Develop a system to track and analyse the teams' communications outputs and performance;
• Support NCE teams in moving towards a coordinated, purpose-driven communications approach.

Communications:

• Help to provide a communications and brand positioning framework to guide nature, climate and energy communications;
• Support the development and implementation of targeted, purpose-driven global communications and advocacy campaigns;
• Help to provide guiding materials to NCE communicators such as key messages, guidelines, and best practices;
• Ensure regular contribution of nature, climate, and energy teams to UNDP’s global campaigns and platforms;
• Manage the NCE content strategy and editorial calendar;
• Identify, develop, and create compelling content, such as blogs, multimedia stories, videos, graphics, and social media updates to showcase impact on the ground;
• Draft press releases, talking points, Op-Eds and video messages as needed;
• Measure and analyse web and social media performance;
• Work with BERA, Regional Hubs, and Country Offices to identify communication opportunities;
• Support UNDP’s presence and participation at key events.

Plastics Strategy:

• Contribute to the research and conceptualization of UNDP’s global plastics strategy and offer;
• Work with Regional Hubs and Country Offices to gather best practices and compile case studies;
• Research and write fact sheets and positioning papers about plastic-related subjects;
• Create a system to categorize UNDP’s plastics interventions according to country context;
• Provide support to technical specialists;
• Help to build and engage a global Community of Practice for plastics;
• Support the team’s fundraising efforts;
• Develop an advocacy strategy for UNDP’s global work on plastics;
• Develop and implement a global launch campaign for the global offer;
• Ensure communication efforts are integrated in wider NCE, BPPS, BERA system.

Information on Working Arrangements

• The consultant will be home-based with limited mission travel;
• The overall objective of this Framework Agreement is to facilitate and expedite the process by which NCE cluster can engage the services of a Communications Consultant once there are specific assignments over the next 3 years;
• Estimated level of effort including travel: approximately 174 working days over 12 months. Maximum working days over the 3-year period would be 521 days;
• UNDP does not guarantee that any quantity of services will be purchased during the term of the Framework Agreement as this will depend on forthcoming needs, good performance, and availability of resources;
• IC as a Framework Agreement is non-exclusive (i.e. it does not prohibit UNDP from entering into another such framework agreement with other individuals or entities);
• The Framework Agreements will be for a fixed all-inclusive daily fee;
• Once the Framework Agreement is signed, if there is a specific assignment, the focal person at UNDP would contact the Consultant by email informing of the specific deliverables required, and timeline for delivery;
• The consultant must advise within 48 hours whether s/he is available to deliver the requested service;
• Thereafter a Purchase Order will be raised. Financial commitments will only be established each time the services are requested within the scope of the Framework Agreement through the transmitted email and purchase order;
• Given the 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;
• 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, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
• The consultant will engage regularly with the supervisor by email and Skype on a weekly and/or as needed daily basis;
• The consultant shall submit to the Supervisor a monthly progress report on the status of the implementation of tasks;
• 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

• Mission travel to New York, Europe, and Africa with an estimated duration of 3-10 days per mission may be required;
• Any necessary missions must be approved in advance and in writing by the Supervisor;
• The BSAFE course must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
• Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
• Consultants are responsible for obtaining any visas and security clearances needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP;
• The Consultant is 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 supported by UNDP funds and will be reimbursed as per UNDP rules and regulations for consultants.  Costs for mission airfares, terminal expenses, insurance, and living allowances should not be included in financial proposal.  

Competencies

Corporate

• Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s vision, mission and values;
• 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;
• Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Technical

• Ability to provide guidance on communications strategies;
• Knowledge of methodologies, tools, and platforms to plan, monitor, and evaluate communications products;
• Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge;
• Ability to plan, organize, motivate, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals;
• Knowledge of environment, energy, and climate change issues.

Functional

Client Orientation, Professionalism, and Communications

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work;
• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction;
• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade, and transform;
• Ability to productively share UNDP knowledge and activities (at UN and other venues);
• Capable of working in a high-pressure environment with sharp deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously;
• Exercise the highest level of responsibility and be able to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing, or other relevant field. Master’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism or other relevant field is an advantage (max 15 points).

Experience

• At least 4 years of hands-on experience working on different aspects of communications such as digital marketing, media relations, campaign strategy and management, social media management, video production, and content strategy. Please attach or provide links to 2 samples of your previous work relevant to this assignment in your application (max 15 points);
• Experience in digital communications in the private sector is an advantage (max 15 points);
• Demonstrated success in managing digital communications campaigns (max 10 points);
• Demonstrated experience working on marine plastics research and communications (max 10 points);
• Previous experience coordinating a communications team (max 10 points);
• Previous experience working on nature, climate, and energy issues is an advantage (max 5 points);
• Previous work experience with UNDP or a related organization is an advantage (max. 10 points);

Languages

• Fluency in oral and written communications and presentations skills in English (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. 90 points] and interview [max. 30 points]) will be based on a maximum 120 points. Only the top 3 candidates that have achieved a minimum of 63 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 daily 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;
• Please attach or provide links to 2 samples of your previous work relevant to this assignment in your application;
• 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.

UNDP Personal History form (P11) required of all applicants; P11.

General Conditions of Contract for the ICs: GTC.

YOUR APPLICATION MUST BE SUBMITED THROUGH UNDP eTENDERING SYSTEM  

LINK -https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=66397

APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED HERE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Please note that this procurement process is being conducted through the online tendering system of UNDP. Bidders who wish to submit an offer must be registered in the system. Visit this page for system user guides and videos in different languages: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/operations/procurement/business/procurement-notices/resources/

If already registered, go to https://etendering.partneragencies.org and sign in using your username and password. Use "Forgotten password" link if you do not remember your password. Do not create a new profile.

If you have never registered in the system before, you can register by visiting the above link, sign in with username below, and follow the instructions in the user guide:

• Username: event.guest
• Password: why2change

If you are interested to participate in this Tender, it is strongly recommended that you log in and subscribe to the Tender using "Accept Invitation" feature so you can keep updated with Tender amendments including deadline. Note that in case of inconsistencies between information in eTendering system and other premises, information in eTendering system prevails.