Background

Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) provide work for more than 4 million people in Ukraine and generate about 20% of the country’s GDP. The Government of Ukraine has been increasing its efforts to undertake economic reforms and create business enabling environment for enterprises, strengthen the position of MSMEs in the economy. Business membership organizations (BMOs) – an essential component of the business support infrastructure faces several challenges which are due weaknesses of the BMO sector and low capacity, sustainability and maturity of BMOs in terms of service provision strategy alignment and low level of awareness and understanding of existing and/or potential benefits of BMOs among current and potential member businesses.

During the period 2015 – 2018, in cooperation with Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and with the financial support from Switzerland (the Donor), UNDP supported BMOs through the “Strengthening SME Business Membership Organizations” project.

Building on the experience and lessons learned, a key focus of the Project Phase II is to ensure the sustainability and scaling-up of the positive results achieved during the First Phase, in particular enhance growth and competitiveness and strengthen the voice of MSMEs in Ukraine through more professional, demand-driven and client-oriented Business Membership Organizations. The Project aims to expand BMO coverage throughout Ukraine and is expected to positively impact on their ability to attract members, promote constructive cooperation with governmental structures and to contribute to policy development leading to MSMEs sector growth.

The Partner BMOs have been selected as a result of a competitive process based on clear and transparent criteria and will be delivered tailored support to improve their institutional, organizational, financial, as well as communication capacities to represent the interests of the private sector.

To address the above, the project is seeking to hire a Communications and Outreach Consultant to provide technical expertise and advisory services for development and implementation of a comprehensive communication strategy, as well as building communication capacities if the main Project’s beneficiaries and recipients - the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture (MDETA) of Ukraine and 27 partner MSME Business Membership Organizations.

The incumbent will promote UNDP’s mandate as a gender-responsive organization with zero tolerance to any kind of discriminatory and abusive behaviour, including sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse.

Duties and Responsibilities

MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The overall objective of the assignment is to i) conceptualize, design, develop and contribute to implementation of the Communication and Outreach Strategy; ii) strengthen communication capacity of the Project’s beneficiaries and recipients; iii) enhance stakeholders’ engagement and increase awareness on their work on MSME BMOs issues.

DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES / SCOPE OF WORK

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, and in close collaboration with UNDP Project team and the responsible persons from the main beneficiaries, the Consultant will perform the below activities focusing on the achievement of the following communication objectives:

1. Review the background documents provided by UNDP to obtain a better understanding of the goals and context, and develop a comprehensive Project Communications and Outreach Strategy, as well as monthly, quarterly and annual communications workplans including the following components: communications objectives and target audiences; key messages; hashtags and key stakeholders to be tagged; planned distribution channels, including social media; indicators for monitoring and evaluation of visibility and outreach results; a matrix for quantitative and qualitative evaluation to measure the success of the strategy. Prepare monthly and quarterly reports on the results achieved.
2. Prepare drafts of communication materials for UNDP clearance (press releases, newsletters, success stories, photo essays, social media posts, etc) which will be disseminated through UNDP and beneficiaries’ websites/social media (at least 5 pieces of draft communication materials per month in English and Ukrainian).   
3. In close cooperation with a designer (provided by UNDP) contribute to designing and support development of layouts for project materials (e.g. reports, posters, infographics, illustrations, presentations, etc). The consultant is expected to provide the ideas for design and content in electronic format, while professional design for publications to be covered by UNDP.
4. Conduct media analysis, monitor social media and related publications, prepare media and press-clipping reports.
5. Provide support to the organization and facilitation of the Project events, including: development of concept notes and agendas, event materials (press releases, invitations, logistic notes, talking points, evaluation forms and/or similar), coordination with relevant stakeholders, follow-up invitations, responding participants’ queries, supporting live tweeting, YouTube/Facebook broadcasting as well as monitoring media coverage (if any) from relevant events, and preparing respective reports. Envisaged project events:
   1. Signing of bilateral Memoranda of Understanding with 27 partner BMOs (February 2021);
   2. AntiConference on MSME BMOs development (February - March 2021);
   3. Webinar on integration of SDGs in BMOs activity (February - March 2021);
   4. Presentation of the BMOs Leadership Programme for 2021 (February – March  2021);
   5. Seminars, trainings and workshops of the BMOs Leadership Programme (February-July 2021);
   6. Series of consultations with the BMOs on the SME Development Strategy, conducted by the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture (MDETA) and SME Development Office (SMEDO) in partnership with the Project (February 2021 – July 2021)
   7. Activities of the partner BMOs supported by the Project (February 2021 – July 2021)
6. Contribute to communication capacity building of the main beneficiaries and recipients, i.e. representatives of the MDETA, SMEDO and 27 partner MSME BMOs in line with the Communication and Outreach Strategy, in particular:
   1. Develop and deliver at least 2 webinars/trainings (1. SMM and PR tips for Business membership organizations as non-profit organizations – March 2021; 2. Working with the media – April 2021). Prepare presentations for webinars/trainings (at least 20 slides) in Ukrainian and English. Prepare follow-up reports in the format agreed with UNDP.
   2. Provide communications advisory support to MDETA and SMEDO ensuring monthly communication materials on cooperation with the Project are prepared and published on the MDETA’s website and SMEDO’s social accounts.
   3. Provide communications advisory support to the partner BMOs ensuring monthly communication materials (social media posts) on cooperation with the Project are prepared by all partner BMOs, review them and endorse for publication on BMOs social accounts (at least 1 post per month per each partner BMO).

To ensure the delivery of the above tasks, the Consultant will:

• Liaise and ensure constant communication/coordination with UNDP project team regarding all aspects of the assignment.
• Submit all the deliverables for review, comments and approval to UNDP project team as requested.
• Hold consultations with UNDP project team as requested.
• Strictly observe UNDP and Donor editorial and visual guidelines, as well as reporting requirements and instructions. Ensure compliance with all corporate rules and regulations of UNDP and Donor in the field of communication and visibility promotion and reporting.
• Ensure the mainstreaming of gender equality and women’s empowerment considerations in activities, promote a safe and enabling environment free of any kind of discrimination and abusive behaviour, and use the principles of gender-responsive communications in line with the UNDP corporate standards.

DELIVERABLES AND TIMEFRAME

The expected duration of the assignment is 6 months with a possibility of extension. The contract can be extended based on performance and funds availability. The target date for the start of work is February 2021.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

UNDP will pay the negotiated amount in three tranches according to the following payment schedule:

• the first payment (15% of the contract amount) upon successful completion of the Deliverable 1 and approval of the Interim Report #1;
• the second payment (20% of the contract amount) upon successful completion of the Deliverable 2 and approval of the Interim Report #2;
• the third payment (20% of the contract amount) upon successful completion of the Deliverable 3 and approval of the Interim Report #3.
• the fourth payment (15% of the contract amount) upon successful completion of the Deliverable 4 and approval of the Interim Report #4.
• the fifth payment (15% of the contract amount) upon successful completion of the Deliverable 5 and approval of the Interim Report #5.
• the sixth payment (15% of the contract amount) upon successful completion of the Deliverable 6 and approval of the Progress Report #6 (Final).

The payments will be processed upon the full completion and acceptance of contractual obligations whereupon the Project Manager (Supervisor) signs the certification of acceptance.

MONITORING/REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

The Consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Project Manager and in close cooperation with the Project staff and Designer provided by UNDP.

Work-progress reporting/monitoring meetings will be held with the Consultant on a regular basis.

The consultant will interact with UNDP to receive any clarifications and guidance that may be needed. He/she will also receive all necessary informational and logistical support from the Project. The Consultant will duly inform UNDP of any problems, issues or delays arising in the course of implementation of assignment and take necessary steps to address them.

UNDP will be the final authority to control the quality and evaluate the work. The satisfactory completion of each of the deliverables shall be subject to the endorsement of the Project Manager. Each deliverable will be delivered in a draft for comments and feedback before finalization. No reports or documents should be published or distributed to third parties without the approval of UNDP.

All reports and results are to be submitted to the UNDP in electronic form (*.docx, *.xlsx, *.pptx, and *.pdf or other formats accepted by UNDP). The intermediate and Final reports should be submitted in English.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

•     Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision, and values

•     Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

•     Knowledge of gender equality and women’s empowerment issues and ability to apply it to strategic and/or practical situations, e.g. integrating into the project/programme cycle, including design, planning, and implementation.

Competencies:

•     Demonstrates high level of professionalism and ethics

•     Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback

•     Demonstrates well proven capacity and experience in the field of private sector development, non-profit organizations development

•     Demonstrates excellent planning and organizational skills and able to produce high-quality products on tight deadlines

•     Able to work on location without any other supervision except for liaison with UNDP

•     Demonstrates excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to present information logically, clearly, and concisely

•     Able to think creatively, to develop and implement innovative solutions in a challenging environment

•     Knowledge of gender equality issues and ability to incorporate them in capacity building activities

Required Skills and Experience

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS

The Consultant should possess the following qualifications, experience and skills:

Criteria A:

Educational background:

• At least Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, Communications, Economics, Social Sciences, Political Science, International Relations, Linguistics or other relevant studies.

Criteria B:

Professional Experience:

1. At least five (5) years of experience in public relations, media, journalism, communications and/or advocacy.
2. At least three (3) years of experience in developing, executing and reporting multi-channel communications strategies and plans, conducting media monitoring (must provide at least one sample of multi-channel communication strategy/communication plan, one sample of communications  results report (with indicators and achieved results), one sample of media monitoring report).
3. At least three (3) years of experience in developing visual presentational, outreach or branding materials/guidelines tailored to different channels and target audiences (proven by at least three (3) samples of different kinds of VISUAL materials: infographics, presentations, leaflets, photo-reports or other visual products); 
4. At least one (1) year of prior experience working with governmental authorities.
5. At least one (1) year of experience in coordination/facilitating of public events and/or organizing/conducting workshops or training sessions.
6. Excellent writing skills with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize inputs and relevant findings (proven with samples of at least three (3) previously prepared WRITTEN communication materials: articles, newsletters, success or human stories, media advisories, press-releases, reports, informational notes and/or other media-related documents. Samples to be provided in English and Ukrainian with proved authorship).
7. Previous experience of working with business membership organizations, knowledge of their services and communications needs would be a strong asset.
8. Previous experience of working with UN agencies or donor-funded programmes would be an asset.

Criteria C:

Language Skills:

• Fluency in Ukrainian, Russian and English is a must.

Required            

• Personal CV or P11, including information about past experience in similar projects / assignments and contact details for referees.
• At least one sample of multi-channel communication strategy/communication plan, one sample of communications results report (with indicators and achieved results), one sample of media monitoring report.
• At least three (3) samples of different kinds of VISUAL materials: infographics, presentations, leaflets, photo-reports or other visual products
• At least three (3) previously prepared WRITTEN communication materials: articles, newsletters, success or human stories, media advisories, press-releases, reports, informational notes and/or other media-related documents. Samples to be provided in English and Ukrainian with proved authorship
• Financial proposal
• Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP

UNDP documents templates can be downloaded from the following link:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/297e72t7i3v2969/AADDRyUo2uoNrYjuD8NLmdl0a?dl=0  

Please combine your CV, financial proposal and other necessary information in one PDF file and upload the document when submitting the application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Financial proposal

Lump-sum contract

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in instalments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, a number of anticipated working days per each deliverable, as well as a reference professional daily fee).  

Travel costs

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel.  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.

In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Logistics arrangements for the events, where participation of the Consultant is requested by UNDP as per this TOR, to be provided by UNDP and shall not be included in the financial proposal. 

Evaluation criteria

Criteria A:

Educational background – 4 points max

{4 pts – Specialist/Master’s degree in the relevant field; 3 pts – Bachelor’s degree in the relevant field};

Criteria B:

Relevant professional experience

At least five (5) years of experience in public relations, media, journalism, communications and/or advocacy -10 points max

{10 points – 10 years and more; 9 points- 6-9 years; 8 points – 5 years};

At least three (3) years of experience in developing, executing and reporting multi-channel communications strategies and plans, conducting media monitoring (must provide at least one sample of multi-channel communication strategy/communication plan, one sample of communications  results report (with indicators and achieved results), one sample of media monitoring report) - 10 points max

{10 points – 10 years and more; 9 points- 5-9 years; 8 points – 3-4 years; years of experience should be supplemented with relevant samples};

At least three (3) years of experience in developing visual presentational, outreach or branding materials/guidelines tailored to different channels and target audiences (proven by at least three (3) samples of different kinds of VISUAL materials: infographics, presentations, leaflets, photo-reports or other visual products) - 10 points max

{10 points – 10 years and more; 8 points- 5-9 years; 6 points – 3-4 years; years of experience should be supplemented with relevant samples};

At least one (1) year of prior experience working with governmental authorities - 5 points max

{5 points – 2 years and more; 4 points - 1 year};

At least one (1) year of experience in coordination/facilitating of public events and/or organizing/conducting workshops or training sessions- 5 points max

{5 points – 2 years and more; 4 points - 1 year};

Excellent writing skills with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize inputs and relevant findings (proven with samples of at least three (3) previously prepared WRITTEN communication materials: articles, newsletters, success or human stories, media advisories, press-releases, reports, informational notes and/or other media-related documents. Samples to be provided in English and Ukrainian with proved authorship) - 10 points max

{10 points – 4 samples and more; 7 points- 3 samples};

Previous experience of working with business membership organizations, knowledge of their services and communications needs would be a strong asset – 1 point max

{1 point – Yes; 0 point – no experience}

Previous experience of working with UN agencies or donor-funded programmes would be an asset - 1 points max

{1 point – Yes; 0 point – no experience}

Criteria C:

Language Skills – 4 points max:

Fluency in Ukrainian, Russian and English

{4 pts – Fluency in Ukrainian, Russian and English};

Interview – 10 points max

Only those candidates obtaining minimum 44 points for Criteria A-C will be invited to the interview. During the interview the applicant will be requested to provide the relevant practical and well-elaborated examples proving their experience and knowledge.

Maximum available technical score - 70 points.

Evaluation method

Cumulative analysis

Contract award shall be made to the incumbent whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

b) having received the cumulative highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria weight: 70%

* Financial Criteria weight: 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum 70% from the maximum available technical score (49 points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal and will equal to 30. All other price proposals will be evaluated and assigned points, as per below formula:

30 points [max points available for financial part] x [lowest of all evaluated offered prices among responsive offers] / [evaluated price].

The proposal obtaining the overall cumulatively highest score after adding the score of the technical proposal and the financial proposal will be considered as the most compliant offer and will be awarded a contract.

Additional requirements for recommended contractor:

Recommended contractors aged 62 and older shall undergo a full medical examination including x-ray, and obtain medical clearance from the UN-approved doctor prior to taking up their assignment. The medical examination shall be paid by the consultant.

The BSAFE online security training course must be successfully completed prior to commencement of contract.