Antecedentes

UNDP is the world’s leading development organization, with a proud history of more than a half-century working in every corner of the world to fight poverty, create jobs, administer elections, prevent disaster and recover after crisis while protecting the planet. On the ground in about 170 countries and territories, we help countries develop strong policies, skills, partnerships and institutions so they can sustain their progress. The universal commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UN reform together present UNDP with the opportunity to focus our resources and expertise, and make a real impact on poverty, governance, energy, gender, resilience, and the environment.

To better help the countries and people we serve, UNDP provides expertise and a global network that generate a rich base of collective knowledge, captured in specific thematic areas and shared as publications and knowledge products, available in different languages. In line with multilingualism, a core value of the UN, UNDP is a multicultural organization having three working languages: English, French and Spanish. Moreover, as part of UNDP’s efforts to enhance its communications and public outreach, the organization also commissions translations of its products in Arabic, Chinese and Russian. UNDP individual contractors are expected to a) provide high quality translations in accordance with UN?terminology guidelines b) provide high quality edited documents ensuring language fluency, accuracy, clarity and precision.

Under the supervision of the Translation Manager, the Individual Consultant will be responsible for translating/editing/revision/proofreading documents for the Communications Group, the Executive Office or other UNDP units/bureaux into the required language. Any UNDP unit can assign translation/editing requests to vendors under contract and expect high quality of work, as they have been duly vetted and evaluated. The Translations Manager supervises translation/editing projects, as needed, and is responsible for the contract management at a UNDP level. As UNDP’s Language Services Specialist, the Translation Manager also provides translation and terminology guidance.

Objective:

The purpose of this procurement exercise is to contract individual consultants who will enhance the communications, advocacy, marketing, outreach and multilingual efforts undertaken by UNDP to transform for a new era of sustainable development. Specifically, the consultants will be responsible for translating/editing/revisioning/proofreading a broad range of publications such as media, editorial and web content, statements, annual reports and other major detailed research reports commissioned by UNDP at a HQ, country and regional level. Work will be assigned to individual consultants with on-call contracts; UNDP grants other UN sister agencies permission to piggyback on these contracts. The agreement will be awarded for 3 years based on satisfactory performance based on satisfactory performance. Payments will be made upon certification by UNDP that the services related to the Terms of Reference (ToR) have been satisfactorily performed and deliverables have been achieved (UNDP will not be responsible for the payment of work commissioned by other UN sister agencies).

Deberes y responsabilidades

Written Translation

Translation of UNDP content:

• internal documents: messages, statements and letters from the Administrator and other members of UNDP’s senior management team, UNDP staff messages, intranet advisories; UNDP rules, regulations and guidelines, presentations and any other internal texts as required.
• external documents: materials for the media and web content, including press releases, media advisories, photo stories, articles, video captions, blogs, brochures, publications, annual reports, and other editorial products; Regional Reports; Human Development Reports; Policy Briefs and Country Program Documents. These texts could be for print publications, or broadcast or the web.

• Terminology research (i.e. on UNTERM and other relevant terminology portals) to find the closest equivalents for words use and consult UN style guides to ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of all translations. The translator must master the use of reference materials.
• Localization: adapt the content, address cultural differences and convert elements to local needs, such as units of measure, currencies, local formats for phone numbers, addresses, dates, hours, etc.
• Revision & Proofreading: the translator must correct the translation against the source document, and provide a final check of text for typos, spelling, grammar, punctuation and spacing of the translation.
• Engage in open communication with the Translation Manager and liaise with clients/project managers to discuss any unclear points.
• Retain and develop knowledge on specialist areas, including but not limited to sustainable development, poverty, governance, resilience, environment, energy and gender.
• Use appropriate software for presentation and delivery; use translation memory software to ensure consistency of translation within documents and help efficiency.

Expected translation outputs and deliverables:

The consultant will be responsible for producing the following deliverables:

• Localization/translation of bibliographical entries and country specific institutions.
• Translate all text, including text contained in figures, boxes, tables, photo captions, sources and covers requires translation and proofreading.
• The translated text has to be delivered in MS Word, PowerPoint, or Excel files, as required, following the formatting of the original document as needed.
• Translators are also responsible for ensuring quality and accuracy of the entire document before submitting it back to UNDP through the Translation Manager.

?Translation Editing

• Ensure consistency of tone, syntax and style, and that the content no longer reads like a translation but reads as if it was originally crafted in the target language.
• Look critically at the translation and refine the translated text by incorporating preferred glossary terminology and the style specifications.
• Terminology research and consistency along the document to ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of all translations. The editor must master the use of reference materials.
• Engage in open communication with the Translation Manager and liaise with clients/project managers to discuss any terminology, cultural and/or style preferences.
• Localization: adapt a translation specifically for a target audience, if needed.
• Revision & Proofreading: the translator may or may not correct the translation against the source document, and provide a final check of text for typos, spelling, grammar, punctuation and spacing of the translation.
• Retain and develop knowledge on specialist areas, including but not limited to sustainable development, poverty, governance, resilience, environment, energy and gender.
• Use appropriate software for translation consistency, presentation and delivery.

Expected translation editing outputs and deliverables:

The consultant will be responsible for producing the following deliverables:

• Ensure consistency of localized/translated bibliographical entries and country specific institutions.
• Review all text contained in figures, boxes, tables, photo captions, sources and covers.
• Review that content elements (units of measure, currencies, local formats for phone numbers, addresses, dates, hours, etc.) have been correctly converted to local needs.
• Proofreading of final page layouts, if needed.
• The edited translation has to be delivered in MS Word, PowerPoint, or Excel files, as required, with track changes and following the formatting of the original document as needed.
• Editors are responsible for ensuring top quality and accuracy of the entire document before submitting it back to UNDP through the Translation Manager.

Note: It is not mandatory to offer translation editing services.

Competencias

Competencies

Languages

• Fluency in one of the 6 UN official languages (English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian or Chinese), which must be the candidate's main language.

Special note: Candidates should only translate to and edit in their native tongue;

• Outstanding reading, writing, translation, editing, revision and proofreading skills in any of the 6 UN official languages.

Computer skills

• Knowledge of MS Office, Excel, Power Point, Adobe Reader and terminology portals;
• Knowledge of standard computer-assisted-translation (CAT) tools is an asset.

Corporate

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;

?Functional

• Excellent reading, writing, editing, research, and proofreading skills;
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to multi-task;
• Attention to detail is crucial;
• Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines;
• Ability to produce a high volume of quality content;
• Responsible, responsive, and enthusiastic;
• Must be able to work in a multi-cultural environment and be aware of political sensitivities.
• Interest in global issues and the United Nations;
• ability to work under?minimum supervision.

Client Orientation and Communication

• Good interpersonal and networking skills, demonstrated willingness to work as part of a team, ability to establish and maintain effective working relations, supports and encourages open remote communication, and facilitates team work.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Academic Qualifications

• BA in translation, writing, communications, journalism, international relations or related fields and/or a minimum of 15 years of progressive translation/editing experience.
• Master’s degree in translation & interpreting or related fields is considered an asset.
• Language Certification from the UN (Language Competitive Examination (LCE)) and/or member of the American Translators Association (ATA), the Société française des traducteurs (SFT), or of other accredited professional language institutions is considered an asset.

Experience

• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in translation, writing, précis-writing, editing, self-revision, proofreading and/or production editing is required. Out of the aforementioned five (5) years, three (3) years of experience working within a multilingual setting is desirable.
• Three (3) years of translation/editing/writing experience for the UN system or other international organization is preferred.
• At least two (2) publications in two (2) of the following areas of specialized subject matter, including but not limited to: 1) sustainable development and SDGs; 2) democratic governance and peacebuilding; 3) crisis response; 4) climate and disaster resilience; and/or 5) gender equality.

How to apply

Technical proposal

• Online application with brief description explaining why the applicant considers her/himself the most suitable candidate for the assignment;
• A detailed CV with professional qualifications, indicating all experience from similar projects and specifying the relevant assignment period (from/to), as well as the e-mail and telephone contacts of at least three (3) professional references.
• List of demonstrated clients from a) UN (international organizations, NGOs) and/or b) non-UN (private sector), including the titles of the major publications produced for each client; it would be helpful if links are provide to access the referenced publications online.

NB.: the translation candidates must specify their working language combination(s) and their specialist areas.

• Provision of at least two (2) work samples (provide only URL links of published documents) in at least two (2) the following areas of specialized subject matter including but not limited to: sustainable development and SDGs, democratic governance and peacebuilding, crisis prevention, climate and disaster resilience and/or gender equality;
• At least two (2) letters of professional references.

NB.: The above documents need to be scanned in one file and uploaded to the online application as one document.

Only those candidates that meet the minimum experience and qualification requirements will be invited to undertake a written translation examination (further detailed below).

Pre-Evaluation – minimum requirements to qualify (0 obtainable points)

After the vacancy announcement deadline, UNDP will only consider applicantions?that meet the above basic application requirements.

Financial proposal

• Shortlisted candidates ONLY will be requested to submit a financial proposal by e-mail, if the candidate passed the minimum required score of the technical evaluation.
• The financial proposal shall list all major cost components associated with the services provided besides translation (i.e. translation editing, proofreading, transcription) and the detailed breakdown of such costs per working language combination (if applicable).
• Consultants will be home-based. No travel is envisaged.

Evaluation Process

Applicants are reviewed based on required qualifications, experience and competencies 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 a high score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation, where technical criteria weighs 80% and financial criteria weighs 20%, as explained below:

Technical evaluation consist of two parts: 1) written examination and 2) credentials - Total 80% of total evaluation score.

Part 1.

Written Examination (60 obtainable points)

Applicants meeting the basic application requirements are asked to take a timed written examination to demonstrate their qualifications per language combination (if applicable). UNDP will contact them to determine their availability to take the examination. Written examinations will be administered remotely. Candidates will be required to choose one or two of the following options:

• Translate three (3) documents into their respective target language, which may include a statement or speech by a senior UN official, press release, blog, internal message, excerpt from a UNDP technical report, etc.

NB.: If the candidate works with more than one language combination, he/she should request to undertake the exams in the specified pair of languages.

• Edit three (3) translations in their respective target language, which may include a statement or speech by a senior UN official, press release, blog, internal message, excerpt from a UNDP technical report, etc.
• Candidates will have up to three (3) hours to complete the translation/editing of each document. Up to three (3) tests can be taken per day, depending on the candidate’s choice. Each test has a total of 20 points.
• Only those candidates who have passed the written examination with a 70% and above score (42/60 points and above) will be considered for

Part 2.

Credentials (40 obtainable points)

The credentials of those candidates who have passed the written examination portion will be further evaluated based on the technical criteria detailed below.

Only those candidates who passed the credentials portion with a 70% and above (28/40) points will qualify for the financial evaluation.

The Cumulative Analysis method will be used in evaluating the proposals, with evaluation of the technical proposal being completed before any financial proposal is requested and compared based on the weighted technical criteria outlined above.

Technical criteria

• Overall response: completeness of application, accord between requirements and the proposal. 5 points.
• Relevance of education: BA, Master's degree or a minimum of 15 years of progressive translation/editing experience in lieu of degree. 5 points
• Relevant experience: five (5) years translation, précis-writing, editing, self-revision, proofreading and/or production editing experience = 5 pts; at least three (3) years translation experience for the UN, UNDP or major international organization or NGO = + 5 additional pts. 10 points
• Demonstrated UN client list (international organizations, NGOs, etc.) over the last three (3) years – minimum of three (3). Total 5 points.
• Demonstrated non-UN client list over the last three (5) years – minimum of three (3) Total 5 points
• Translate edited publications in at least two (2) specialized subject matter listed above, in the candidate's native tongue - 2 pts, 1 pt. shall be added for each additional area up to 5 points.
• Language certification from the UN (LCE), ATA or any other accredited professional language institution. 5 points.

Financial evaluation - Total 20% of total evaluation score.

Financial Proposals (see attached Annex II) will be requested only for those submissions that passed the minimum technical score of 70% of the obtainable 100 points (Written examination and credentials) in the evaluation of the technical proposals.

Contract Award

Candidates 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.

Framework Agreement

UNDP plans to enter into the Long-Term Agreement (LTA) with the ?top ranked successful Individual Contractors to assure resources availability at the required time frame and/or increased demand for services requested. The service of who will be used on an intermittent and repetitive basis when needed and based on the fixed unit price.? Other prospective applicants that are not contracted, at the UNDP’s?discretion, may be placed on the roster of consultants to be used based on an on-call basis for similar services.

Please note that the LTA does not form a financial obligation or commitment from UNDP at the time the LTA contract is signed and that such an agreement is non-exclusive. When a specific need arises, the successful Individual Contractor(s) will be approached and be provided with a specific TOR and deliverables (and time frame) but still within the scope of the responsibilities stated in the LTA. The successful Individual Contractor is expected to provide Confirmation of Interest on the specific services required at the agreed LTA financial proposal rates. Financial commitments will only be established each time a voucher/Purchase Order for the specific services/TOR for Individual Contractor is committed and countersigned by the Contractor.

This LTA has a cumulative ceiling amount that may accrue to the individual contractor during the life of the LTA, but said amount shall remain as an upper limit, and must not and cannot be interpreted nor understood as neither a financial commitment nor guarantee of business volume.

Contractual Arrangements:

• Successful respondents will be awarded an On-Call Individual Contract? LTA for 3 years; UNDP will award the LTAs for three years on? "an initial one (1) year period with possibility of a two (2) year extension” basis.
• The business volume will be based on satisfactory performance;
• Individual translators will be engaged on an ‘on call’ basis. In other words, when UNDP requires their services, a selection will be made based on availability at the needed time, best possible delivery and subject matter expertise.
• For every on-call engagement, a Purchase Order (prepared by the requesting unit) shall be issued referring to the On-Call Individual Contract with clear TOR/Milestones for each engagement for specific deliverables attached;
• The timeline for deliverables (including deadlines) will be agreed upon with the Translation Manager.
• The consultancy is a home-based assignment, therefore, there is no envisaged travel cost to join duty station/repatriation travel. 

Institutional arrangement

The consultant will work under the guidance and direct supervision of UNDP Translation Manager and will be responsible for the fulfilment of the deliverables as specified above.

Payment modality

• Corresponding payments shall be made following certification by UNDP Translation Manager that the translation services requested have been satisfactorily performed and deliverables have been achieved by or before the due date.The Individual Contractor will then issue an invoice for payment process.

Any request for clarification must be sent by email to cpu.bids@undp.org