Background
UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s Global Policy Network (GPN) is the engine for thought leadership, UNDP’s programmatic work and a vital delivery mechanism of our integration function. The SDG integration team (SDGi team) of the GPN’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) facilitates the delivery of an effective integration offer to countries and the UN Development System, leveraging substantive connections across teams and approaches to complex challenges, leading a new way of working across UNDP’s flagship initiatives, workstreams and capacities.
The Team leads communications and advocacy for integrated solutions, targeting internal and external audiences with the objectives to mobilize stakeholders to adopt an integrated approach, build partnerships for the SDGi work, and position and promote UNDP as SDG integrator. The SDG Integration Team requires the services of a communications consultant to support the team’s communications strategy and Integrated SDG Solutions campaign, focusing on digital marketing, storytelling and content management.
Duties and Responsibilities
SCOPE OF WORK, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED WORK
Under the supervision of the SDG Integration Knowledge and Advocacy Analyst, the consultant will support the SDG Integration communications strategy by focusing on social media and website management, targeting development practitioners with purpose driven communications and engagement opportunities around the 2030 Agenda. S/he will support the Integrated SDG solutions campaign, showcase UNDP’s unique value add as ‘integrator’ and engage partners across communications channels.
Expected outputs and deliverables:
SCOPE OF WORK, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ANALYTICAL WORK
Under the guidance and supervision of the Knowledge and Advocacy Analyst, the consultant will support the following tasks:
- Develop a social media plan for the first 6 months of 2021 based on the team’s communications strategy; create social media content; and provide social media support on SDG Integration to UNDP corporate channels.
- Conduct analyses of social media and website KPIs.
- Create communications materials such as infographics, one-pagers and video clips for internal and external dissemination.
- Draft inputs to newsletters, mailing lists and other channels for internal and external dissemination. Compile and curate a list of contacts for external emailing marketing purposes.
- Manage and edit web content.
- Support drafting and production of show case stories.
Expected outputs and deliverables:
The consultant will be employed for 142 working days starting on 1 December 2020 with all tasks delivered by 30 June 2021:
- Develop a social media plan, create and schedule social media content, feed content to the corporate channels;
- Conduct analyses of social media and website KPIs;
- Compile and curate a list of contacts for external emailing marketing purposes.
- Draft inputs to newsletters, mailing lists and other networks for internal and external dissemination.
- Manage and edit web content, including drafting of news pieces.
- Create communications materials such as infographics, video clips and gifs.
- Support production of multimedia stories in cooperation with UNDP Country Offices.
Competencies
Corporate
- Innovation: Ability to make new and useful ideas work
- Leadership: Ability to persuade others to follow
- People Management: Ability to improve performance and satisfaction
- Communication: Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform
- Delivery: Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement
Technical/functional
- Knowledge of sustainable development concepts, principles and issues, including the SDGs, and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations;
- Knowledge of methodologies, tools, and platforms to create, plan, monitor, and evaluate communications and social media products and initiatives;
- Ability to capture, (re)frame and communicate technical development work, methods and solutions to a global practitioners’ audiences in an appealing and engaging way;
- Ability to originate and edit written content for a practitioner’s audience to be disseminated through online outlets;
- Ability to represent and promote the UNDP brand in social media.
Required Skills and Experience
Academic qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, journalism, media, sustainable development, public policy, business or other relevant field is required .
Experience:
- Experience in working on communications initiatives for social good is required, experience in SDG specific communications is an asset.
- Experience in social media management and social media content creation is required (ideally in an international development setting).
- Experience in web management, as well as drafting content for web is required (ideally in an international development setting).
- Expertise in the Adobe Creative Cloud is required. Experience in multimedia and animated content development is an asset.
- Experience working with the United Nations, and particularly UNDP, will be considered a strong asset.
Language:
Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
Please note: this is an entry-level position intended for a junior professional with a desire to start a career in international development.
Application Procedure
The application package containing the following (to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document):
- 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;
- A brief written sample, preferably on a topic related to sustainable development.
- A financial proposal.
Please note:
- 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.
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 - Total 70% (70 points):
- Criteria 1: Demonstrated work experience in digital communications projects related to sustainable development in and international setting. Maximum Points: 15
- Criteria 2: Demonstrated work experience in managing social media account(s) and web site(s). Maximum Points: 10
- Criteria 3: Experience working in graphic design software, including the Adobe Creative Suite. Maximum Points: 5
UNDP will invite the top five candidates with at least 21 points out of 30 points in the desk review for a written test.
Written Test: 20
UNDP will invite the candidates with a combined score of at least 35 points for interview. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
- Interview. Maximum Points: 20
Shortlisted candidates obtaining a minimum of 70% (49 points) of the maximum obtainable points for the technical criteria (70 points) shall be considered for the financial evaluation.
Financial evaluation - Total 30% (30 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
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 report to Catharina Klingspor, Knowledge and Advocacy Analyst, SDG Integration Team, BPPS, UNDP.
The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop.
Payment modality
- Payment to the Individual Contractor will be made based on the actual number of days worked, deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager.
- Payment to the Individual Contractor will be made based on the actual number of days worked, deliverables accepted and upon certification of satisfactory completion by the manager on a monthly basis.
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 cpu.bids@undp.org
The UNDP Central Procurement Unit will respond by email and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all applicants.