Background

UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s least developed countries. It creates new opportunities for poor people and their communities by increasing access to microfinance and investment capital, focusing on Africa and the poorest countries of Asia and the Pacific, with a special commitment to countries emerging from conflict or crisis. Our focus customer segments include women, gig or informal workers, the elderly, youth, migrants and micro and small enterprises (MSEs)

An integral part of UNCDF’s initiative is research and gathering of high-quality evidence associated with these customer segments. As part of its data and insights work, UNCDF is fielding surveys, conducting interviews and liaising with industry experts to delve deeper into the characteristics, needs and preferences, financial health status, financial and digital barriers and financial behaviors of each of these segments. At the moment, studies are ongoing in different markets that seek to examine the financial health and profiles of gig workers, the elderly, migrants, MSMEs and women

The core value of our research work is customer-centricity and we ensure we take into account the voices and concerns of our various users/customers. Our research work therefore, embodies this approach both in data collection and the presentation of insights.

As we plan to consolidate and present our insights to the wider community, we are keen on exploring customer stories that are told by customers themselves, in their own voice and in their own setting. We would like to build a repository therefore, of photos associated with the aforesaid customer segments that tell compelling stories of their financial lives, their needs and aspirations and the barriers they face.

Duties and Responsibilities

The main objective of this assignment is set up UNCDF photo repository and use its contents in UNCDF research publications in order to make them more customer-centric, and consequently more relatable to our primary audience: the financial sector.

We define the objectives of creating this repository as three-fold:

• Supplement UNCDF research publications with “real life” human stories.
• Provide opportunities to storytellers to tell the stories of historically marginalized customer segments.
• Provide opportunities to customers to tell their stories through photos

The consultant will provide a selection of high-quality photos that can accompany UNCDF publications including but not limited to research reports, presentations, customer videos, social media posts, email newsletters, and other multimedia outputs, both digital and print.

The photos must portray the key segments (see Annex A) and reflect one or more of the following themes:

• Financial goals and aspirations
• Financial challenges
• Use of financial products and services including digital servuces that are most relevant to these segments

Geography: The photos must represent a variety of contexts (such as customers at their workplace or using financial services) for China

Technical requirements for the photos include:

• High resolution with at least 300 dpi
• Be in standalone JPG format
• Not including any time or date stamps
• Be accompanied by a caption and description of no more than 150 words, together with type of segment, country/region, gender and age
• Be original and taken personally by the participant.

UNCDF will reserve the right to disqualify images that are offensive or violate any laws. Photography includes following the appropriate protocol concerning consent of the photographed persons. A photo release form maybe required to be signed by each photographed person, digitally or physically, and submitted to UNCDF along with final deliverables. Please refer to Model/Subject Release form in the attached Annex 2.

Duration of Assignment, Duty Station and Expected Places of Travel

Duration:  November 2020 – January 2021 (up to 30 working days)

Duty Station and expected places of travel: Home-based in three locations (China, India and Malaysia (one consultant in each location), with no travel (local consultants preferred).

Deliverables

The consultant has 4 weeks to capture, edit and submit a selection of photos, after which the UNCDF Communications Team will deliberate and choose the best ten (10) for approval. The photographer will need to also submit raw files. The evaluation will take two (2) weeks. The duration for the total assignment shall not exceed a total of 30 working days.

The consultant will deliver the following within the framework of the TOR:

Important Note: UNCDF WILL NOT PROVIDE EQUIPMENT for this assignment. The photographer is responsible for arranging his/her own high-resolution state of the art digital camera and other relevant equipment that can produce outputs in line with the stated technical requirements.

Provision of Monitoring and Progress Control

The photographer will work under the direct supervision of the UNCDF Communications Team. Final deliverables will be approved by the Regional Technical Specialist – Asia, UNCDF.

The photographer will be interacting with individuals from key segments in local communities.

UNCDF will provide assistance in connecting the photographer with potential individuals.

Terms of Payment

The following terms of payment based upon the above-mentioned deliverables will be applicable for this Terms of Reference. Payments will be based upon a percentile of the contracted lump sum for each area as tabulated. The payment will only be made up on satisfactory completion and submission of the assignment and deliverables along with a signed certificate of payment (COP).

Competencies

• Ability to produce high quality outputs in a timely manner while understanding and anticipating the evolving client needs.  
• Ability to focus on impact and results for the client, promoting and demonstrating an ethic of client service.   
• Ability to work independently, produce high quality outputs
• Sound judgement  
• Fluency in English is required.

Required Skills and Experience

Education 

• Minimum Secondary education/High school diploma is required, with 8 years of professional experience in photography or;
• University degree in Photography, Design, Fine Arts, visual arts, media, computer technologies or other related disciplines, with 4 years of professional experience in photography

Experience 

• At least 8 years of professional experience in photography production/packaging for candidates with high school diploma minimum; or minimum of 4 years of relevant experience for candidates with university bachelor’s degree (20%)
• Submission of a portfolio as a proof of professional experience, demonstrating originality of photos, creativity and clarity of expression and versatility in range of samples (30%)
• Experience in photo editing using professional software e.g. Adobe Lightroom is an asset (20%)
• Working experience with the United Nations is an advantage. (10%)

Application

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Proposers who shall not submit below mentioned documents mayl not be considered for further evaluation.

• When applying for this consultancy position, please apply with your official name as shown in the government issued identification document (e.g. passport and/or driver license). Contract award is subject to this verification;
• Summary statement of competencies in relation to the TOR
• Curriculum Vitae or Completed P11 Personal History Form with names and current contacts of 3 referees (available from http://sas.undp.org/documents/p11_personal_history_form.doc)
• Confirmation of interest and Financial proposal: 

Under section E of the Offerer’s letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability for the Individual Contract (IC) Assignment, please choose to indicate “An all-inclusive daily fee”. The form can be accessed through the link below:

https://popp.undp.org/_layouts/15/WopiFrame.aspx?sourcedoc=/UNDP_POPP_DOCUMENT_LIBRARY/Public/PSU_%20Individual%20Contract_Offerors%20Letter%20to%20UNDP%20Confirming%20Interest%20and%20Availability.docx&action=default

• Earliest Availability

Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when traveling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org  If the consultant is over 65 years old, UNCDF reserves the right to require full medical certification and clearance from the consultant’s physician prior to commencing the travel.

Both individual consultants and individuals employed by a company or institution are welcome to apply. Any individual employed by a company or institution who would like to submit an offer in response to a Procurement Notice for IC must do so in their individual capacity (providing a CV so that their qualifications may be judged accordingly).  If the company or institution that employs them will charge a management fee, the said amount must be incorporated in the financial proposal that the individual will submit.  No further changes to reflect additional costs shall be accommodated by UNCDF at the point of awarding the LTA.

Please include all documents into one file while submitting your application.

Evaluation method

Applications will be rated on both technical and financial submissions.  The following selection method will be used:  Highest rated proposal using the combined scoring method, which assigns the weight distribution between the technical and financial proposals.  The weight distribution shall be 70% technical and 30% financial. 

Step I: Longlisting/Shortlisting

Applications will be screened and only applicants meeting the following minimum criteria will be shortlisted:

Education and experience:

• Minimum Secondary education/High school diploma is required, with 8 years of professional experience in photography or;
• University degree in Photography, Design, Fine Arts, visual arts, media, computer technologies or other related disciplines, with 4 years of professional experience in photography
• At least 8 years of professional experience in photography production/packaging for candidates with high school diploma minimum; or minimum of 4 years of relevant experience for candidates with university bachelor’s degree
• Submission of a portfolio as a proof of professional experience, demonstrating originality of photos, creativity and clarity of expression and versatility in range of samples

Step II: Technical Review of CVs by Desk Review

UNCDF will conduct a desk review to produce a shortlist of candidates by evaluating the following criteria with the corresponding points (100 points)

Education (20%)

• Minimum Secondary education/High school diploma is required, with 8 years of professional experience in photography or;
• University degree in Photography, Design, Fine Arts, visual arts, media, computer technologies or other related disciplines, with 4 years of professional experience in photography

Experience (80%)

• At least 8 years of professional experience in photography production/packaging for candidates with high school diploma minimum; or minimum of 4 years of relevant experience for candidates with university bachelor’s degree (20%)
• Submission of a portfolio as a proof of professional experience, demonstrating originality of photos, creativity and clarity of expression and versatility in range of samples (30%)
• Experience in photo editing using professional software e.g. Adobe Lightroom is an asset (20%)
• Working experience with the United Nations is an advantage. (10%)

Only the applicants achieving 70% of the points will be considered as technically qualified and will be reviewed further for financial evaluation.

Step III: Financial Evaluation

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal: Lowest priced proposal/price of the proposal being evaluated x 30%.

Copyright

All products and reports related to the mission will be provided to UNCDF and be subject to associated copyrights. The contractor will not use, without prior permission of UNCDF, any the materials or data produced during the mission for any other purpose than furnishing UNCDF with a project delivery. Any use or reference to the information contained within the presented mission documents must be prior clarified and approved by UNCDF and clearly reference UNCDF as the source.