Historique

UNCDF is the UN’s capital investment agency for the world’s 47 Least Developed Countries (LDCs). UNCDF uses its capital mandate to support LDCs pursue inclusive growth. UNCDF promotes financial inclusion, also through digital financial services (DFS), as a key enabler of poverty reduction and inclusive growth; and it demonstrates how localizing finance outside the capital cities can accelerate growth in local economies, promote sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure development, and empower local communities. Using capital grants, loans and credit enhancements, UNCDF tests financial models in inclusive finance and local development finance; ‘de-risks’ the local investment space; and provides proofs of concept, paving the way for larger and more risk-averse investors.

Hosted by UNCDF, the Centre for Financial Health (CFH) is set-up as an umbrella platform towards convening a global coalition and thought leadership. The Centre for Financial Health acts as a convener, providing a platform to bring together global, regional and local actors committed to using financial and digital solutions to improve the financial lives of low-income families—helping them climb - and stay - out of poverty. The Centre creates space for thought leadership where best financial health (FH) practices and models are exchanged and lead to concrete action with governments and the private sector.

Devoirs et responsabilités

Specific Objectives

The key objectives to hire the consultant is to help:

• Assist in shaping an integrated and comprehensive communications action plan that will allow us to take our projects and impact and stories to the world outside of UNCDF
• Assist with shaping a community engagement plan that will allow CFH to be a leading voice on financial health and influence policy agendas for government, civil society and private sector.
• Assist with defining indicators against which we can track our progress and benchmark success

Scope of Work

The Financial Health programme is focused on driving impact, creating insights, and building/increasing influence. It drives impact through experiments in living labs situated in different countries by measuring success against outcomes indicators. Insights are generated from living labs and outside guided by high-level questions or exploration points directed towards outcomes. Specific activities are undertaken for generating insights from engaging with government and private sector partners to explore specific research question, etc. The communication and community engagement is informed by our  impact and insights work and is directed towards building and mainstreaming focus on financial health with various stakeholders. 

The consultant(s) will develop communication and community engagement strategy with detailed action plan to meet the objectives laid above. Identify suitable communication channels to enhance and advance Centre’s advocacy and communications endeavour. The plan also needs to integrate with the Centre’s micro-level communications positioning and plan to improve online community and engagement.

The agency will be expected to:

• Develop an effective three year communication and community engagement strategy in consultation with the UNCDF team, which includes a calendar of activities targeting key audiences.
• The strategy needs to detail out activities and tactics to build a community of practice, outline how insights can be used to influence different stakeholders, and design messages and appropriate channels to engage stakeholders.   
• The strategy will examine an integrated brand building strategy, that will include various stakeholder engagement strategies, with a focus on new age digital communications.
• The strategy will also define efficient media relations activities for establishing the Centre as a thought leader and help carve out opportunities to leverage media related activities for the Centre's visibility.
• Based on the Strategy develop a comprehensive one year implementation plan with clear KPIs to track and monitor communications and community engagement efforts.
• The consultant will help in the finalization of the website content. This will consist of proof reading, editing, and adapting the content for the web audience. This will also include advising on content discovery (SEO / SEM) and traffic amplification strategies.

All activities will require the consultant to organize meeting and discussions with the core team to understand the need and get inputs. The consultant will report to Global Financial Health and Innovation Lead. The consultancy will start from Dec 2021.

Mission travels tentatively anticipated are as follows:

Institutional Arrangement

For 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. UNCDF would cover the cost of stay for the selected individual.

Please note that UNCDF cannot guarantee residence permits or visas for consultants. Consultants are responsible for securing their work documentation. In the case of national consultants, applicants that are not nationals of the duty station requested will have to prove their residence status. 

Provision of Monitoring, Progress Controls & Payments:

• The consultant shall work under the supervision of the Global Lead for Financial Health and Innovations
• Payment will be made against satisfactory acceptance of each deliverable. All payments shall be subject to the clearance and approval of the Global Lead for Financial Health and Innovations.
• Final payment shall require a signed performance evaluation of the consultant.

Compétences

• Knowledge of public relations, communication, media industry and editing standards and techniques.
• Ability to organize, structure, and write content by adapting it to the intended audience.
• Be able to listen and collaborate with a wide range of actors.
• Ability to work independently and pro-actively.
• Knowledge of UNCDF and the UN system and / or the donor community.

 Leadership and Autonomy

• Focuses on the outcome for the client and reacts positively to the criticism received.
• Always adopts a dynamic, positive and constructive attitude at work.
• Remains calm, self-possessed and in a good mood, even under pressure.
• Demonstrates openness to change and the ability to handle complex situations.
• Interacts with others in a professional, respectful and friendly manner.
• Communicates clearly and convincingly.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Education

• A Master’s degree in Public Relations, international development, communication, journalism, marketing, social sciences, or a related discipline.

Experience

• A minimum of ten (10) years dedicated experience in with progressive responsibilities, in communication or public relation or another relevant area.
• At-least five (5) years of experience in developing comprehensive communications and outreach strategies for companies.
• Experience working with international organizations, donor agencies and / or NGOs and other civil society groups involved in various sectors of international development.
• Experience with a UN organization/agency would be a plus.

Language:

Excellent written and oral English is mandatory.

Evaluation Method

Applicants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

• Preliminary Evaluation - Step I: Screening;
• Technical Evaluation Weight - 70% x (Step II: Desk review 100 points);
• Financial Evaluation Weight - 30% (Step III).

Step I: Screening

Applications will be screened and only applicants meeting the following mandatory criteria will progress to the pool for shortlisting:

• A Master’s degree in Public Relations, international development, communication, journalism, marketing, social sciences, or a related discipline.
• A minimum of ten (10) years dedicated experience in with progressive responsibilities, in communication or public relation or another relevant area.

Step II: Desk Review

A desk review will be conducted to produce a shortlist of applicants according to the criteria listed below.

• A minimum of ten (10) years dedicated experience in with progressive responsibilities, in communication or public relation or another relevant area. – 40 points
• At-least five (5) years of experience in developing comprehensive communications and outreach strategies for companies. – 40 points
• Experience working with international organizations, donor agencies and / or NGOs and other civil society groups involved in various sectors of international development. – 10 points
• Experience with a UN organization/agency would be a plus. – 10 points

Only applicants who obtain a minimum of 70% on  the  total  of  Steps  II  will be considered as technically-qualified and will be reviewed further for financial evaluation.

Step III: Financial Evaluation

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation. Technically qualified consultants will be requested to submit their daily fee rate and or lumpsum i.e. consultants who score more than or equivalent 70% marks with respect to the above-mentioned evaluation criteria. Consultant should not specify their consultancy fee on their CV or with the submission. The CV will not be evaluated further in case the consultant submits the same. 

The following formula will be used for evaluation of financial proposals:

Lowest priced proposal / Price of the proposal being evaluated x 30

All applicants must submit a financial proposal based on an all-inclusive lump-sum for the contract period. The term “all-inclusive” implies that all costs (professional fees, communications, consumables, etc.) that could be incurred by the individual consultant (IC) in completing the assignment are already factored into the lump sum amount submitted in the proposal. If applicable, travel or living allowance cost (if any work is to be done outside the IC’s duty station) should be identified separately. Refer to the list of potential travel destinations above. Do note that mission travels will be paid on a reimbursable basis and every travel must be approved by UNCDF’s Programme Manager. The maximum reimbursable amount for each travel shall not exceed the travel per-diem prescribed for each location (see https://icsc.un.org/).

Award Criteria

Application Process

Interested individuals must submit the following documents as proposals in order to demonstrate their qualifications. (NOTE: The system does not allow multiple uploads of document. Applicants must make sure to upload all documents in one PDF file.)

All applications must contain the following information:

• Cover letter with a summary statement of competencies in relation to this Terms of Reference (TOR);
• Curriculum Vitae and/or Completed and Signed P11-Personal History Form with names and current contacts of three referees.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested documents.

The contact shall be awarded to the applicant whose offer have been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
• Having received the highest combined score: Technical (desk review and interview) 70% + Financial 30% = 100%.

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 individual consultant must do so in their individual capacity by providing a CV so that their qualifications may be judged accordingly. Women candidates or women-owned businesses are strongly encouraged to apply.

UNCDF is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

(Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA): A legal instrument between UNCDF and a Company/Institution, according to which, the latter makes available the services of an individual delivering time-bound and quantifiable outputs that are directly linked to payments. An RLA is governed by the provisions of this policy.)

Notes: Any kind of miscellaneous charges i.e. internet, phone etc. would not be reimbursed; Tickets will be issued considering the most direct and economical option and Consultants are not eligible for DSA; Individuals working with institutions may also apply, contract would be issued in the name of institution for the specific services of individual; The application receiving the Highest Combined Score will be awarded the contract.