Background

UNDP has been supporting the Lebanon mine action authority LMAC since February 2010. It has been working with the LMAC as National Mine Action Authority (NMAA) and other stakeholders to counter the threats of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Lebanon. UNDP Lebanon aims to support the LMAC to be a national institution that effectively leads and manages mine action functions and responsibilities.

Based on the variety of projects Lebanon Mine Action Center is leading, and since LMAC is continuously evolving into a proficient, fully national owned and managed program, LMAC was chosen as a role model for mine action. Once of the recent greatest achievement, and outstanding milestone is the declaration of the north governorate as the first governorate to be mine-free. Therefore, in order to showcase achievements and enhance the level of professionalism of LMAC’s communication, a need was determined to enhance the in-house skills and experience of posting news on social media channels as well as other communication channels accordingly. Hence, the project desires to engage with a National Communications Consultant to develop a communication strategy for LMAC, conduct a workshop training for LMAC Officers and other relevant stakeholders on how to create dynamic content and publish news on social media, draft press releases and newsletters, and how to choose the appropriate communication channel. This will be followed by a maintenance and support period to ensure proper implementation of the strategy and lessons learnt from the workshop.

This consultancy will provide communications support to the LMAC to strengthen the communication efforts of the institution related to Mine Action’s core areas of work to potential partners and various stakeholders.

LMAC’s communication team should benefit from this consultancy to become more effective, build the confidence and skills to manage all communication channels appropriately, select effective communication methods, reach a bigger audience, and develop a systematic approach to communication addressing victims, partners, stakeholders, NNGOs, INGOs, donors, and international organizations.

As a result, the LMAC’s team should be able to develop creative content for digital platforms to build awareness and engagement and achieve strategic priorities; produce regular analytic reports for web and social media, specific campaigns (4th of April, 3rd of December, Mine Action Forum etc..), monthly and yearly reporting, preparations of International meetings (CCM, APMBC, NDM etc..), using different tools and provide analysis of data to draw insights and recommendations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance of the Director of LMAC and working with the LMAC Officers and UNDP’s project manager, the National Communication Consultant will develop a communication strategy and plan and train and provide support to LMAC to be able to develop LMAC’s communications products and content, in order to promote LMAC’s work and increase its visibility and deliver a range of communication and information products and services.

The consultant will engage in all LMAC activities (EORE, MVA, clearance, advocacy, IMSMA Core, Publications…)

 In order to achieve that, she/he will undertake the following tasks and activities:

• Discussions with LMAC officers and collection of information

The consultant should collect information from LMAC’s director and officers concerning their most important concerns and objectives in order to be aligned with the LMAC strategy and needs.

It is very important to understand the rules and regulations of the LMAC and make sure to abide by them while considering the communications channel options to be valid since there are some restrictions on this issue.

• Provide a guide / workplan

Prepare a guide in English language to embed and describe all relevant information to be used as a reference for the LMAC users during the workshop and in the future.

An updated version of the guide is needed after the workshop that will include any relevant amendment identified during discussions.

• Workshop/Training aiming to create a cohesive Strategic Communication plan and Content Writing skills

The consultant should conduct a 3-days training based on the information collected from LMAC’s meetings.

The workshop TOPICS are:

1. Understanding the beneficiaries

• Identify the key target audiences and develop key messages and determine how success will be measured by tackling the following:
• Identify the Audience: To WHOM do we need to communicate? ...
• Determine Goals and Objectives: WHY communicate? ...
• Develop Key Messages: WHAT do we need to communicate? ...
• Develop Tactical Plan: HOW will we communicate, to whom, and when?

1. Training in Selecting communication methods

Understand the four main types of communication: Verbal, non-verbal, written, and visual. The consultant should present, discuss recommendations, and accentuate the differences between them in order to identify which type to choose to improve LMAC’s own communication and make sure that they are promoting effective communication skills.

1. Training on Social Media channels

The consultant should recommend how to:

• Manage the strategic growth of local and global audiences through social media and other digital channels
  • Continually optimize LMAC visibility on social media channels
  • Contribute to the digital editorial and creative process
  • Measure web and social media performance
  • Ensure the healthy functioning of LMAC’s digital communications ecosystem

1. Developing a communication strategy that includes an implementation plan

The action plan should encompass recommendations on how to:

• Write web content for the LMAC’s online presence including website and regular updating.
• Write human stories, impact stories, and photo stories to highlight the impact and good practices generated under the LMAC-supported projects and initiatives both for projects and for regular work.
• Write articles, blog posts, press releases, and social media packs as and when required. 
• Support to 2 or 3 social media campaigns for the Development Cooperation projects (will be identified in collaboration with the director of LMAC).
• Follow up on the activities and maintenance/support

The consultant should maintain the job-shadowing and mentorship to the LMAC’s team to ensure the proper implementation of the communication strategy and to guide them in the following activities when and if needed:

• Research, edit, write and develop high-impact social media content including copy, graphics, videos, and other multimedia formats that effectively inform and engage external audiences and donors and support campaigns
• Maintain, monitor, and engage with selected social media and website platforms
• Develop, implement, and evaluate social media plans for major communication projects and campaigns as set forth by the LMAC’s senior management team
• Ensure the proper and selective use of social media for audience development
• Research and identify new platforms, best practices, and trends in social media
• Research, produce (in coordination with the LMAC team), and prepare a monthly newsletter promoting LMAC’s work
• Seek opportunities and partnerships to promote LMAC and its priorities through social media
• Recommend and deploy social media tools for strategic and efficient planning and management
• Use social media listening tools to drive insights and suggestions for LMAC’s social media and digital platforms

For additional information, please refer to ANNEX I – Terms of Reference

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Innovation: Ability to make new and useful ideas work
• Communication: Ability to listen, adapt, persuade, and transform
• Delivery: Ability to get things done, ability to multi-task, and ability to prioritize
• Previous experience with donors

Technical/Functional:

• Digital Communications: Knowledge of popular digital platforms (e.g.: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), modalities and techniques in web, social media, and mobile communications
• Strategic Planning: Ability to make decisions that align with strategy, vision, and mission
• Excellent written communication skills
• Excellent analytical skills
• Good command in English and Arabic languages
• Good report writing skills
• Demonstrate strong creative idea/concept and reporting skills.

Required Skills and Experience

The Individual Consultant should possess the following minimum qualifications:

Academic Qualifications:

• At least Master’s degree in, marketing and communications, digital communications, branding, or any related field.

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years’ experience required in the field of communications, digital communications, media, marketing, or another relevant field.
• A minimum of 2 years’ experience as demonstrated track record of results-based strategic planning, digital analytics, and implementation of digital campaigns for efficient management of digital communication is required.
• Experience in working with public institutions or sub-national institutions is a plus

How to apply:

The consultancy is open for all national consultants who meet the selection criteria and propose a competitive fee. Interested consultants are requested to apply only through this UNDP jobs portal https://jobs.undp.org/.

Submissions through any other media will not be considered.

The application must include all of the following documents:

1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;
2. Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology to complete the assignment.
3. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs.

All files shall be submitted in one single document and uploaded as word or PDF file to the UNDP job site https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_jobs.cfm.

It has been observed that bidders don’t submit all requested documents and thus reducing their chance to be selected for a contract with UNDP. Before you submit your offer please revise that the application is complete and comprises all Three documents.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

ANNEXES

ANNEX I - TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

ANNEX II - INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT CONTRACT AND GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

ANNEX III - OFFEROR’S LETTER TO UNDP CONFIRMING INTEREST AND AVAILABILITY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTOR (IC) ASSIGNMENT