Background

A – BACKGROUND

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in about 170 countries and territories, working with national counterparts on solutions to global and national development challenges. In the programme countries, UNDP supports stabilization, state-building, governance, and development priorities in in partnership with the host governments, the United Nations system, the development partners and other partners to help the country to achieve sustainable development by eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, accelerating structural transformations for sustainable development and building resilience to crises and shock.

UNDP has been a trusted development partner of the Maldives for more than 40 years, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, reduction of inequalities and exclusion in areas such governance, environment protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation. In each of its thematic areas of work, UNDP at the request of its national partners provides relevant policy advisory support, technical assistance, advocacy, and knowledge to help Maldives achieve its global commitment on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). With Maldives’s transition to Middle Income Country Status, Official Development Assistance from traditional donor sources has been on the continuous decline. UNDP is therefore working with its national partners to identify and tap into alternative and innovative financing mechanisms for development. This process involves broadening outreach and forging wide-ranging partnerships with stakeholders - including other UN agencies, the government, the private sector, philanthropic Foundations, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and International Finance Institutions to advance the country’s development strategies and objectives.

UNDP Maldives, together with its partners develop knowledge products and training manuals which support the development and implementation of specific interventions. As such, UNDP Maldives has developed training manuals and a knowledge product which support interventions relating to the Maldivian civil society, youth and social cohesion.  

UNDP is currently seeking the support of a local consultant to design the layout of four products. 

Duties and Responsibilities

B - DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Scope of Work

Under the guidance of UNDP, the consultant is to deliver the following services.

• Design layout of the four products in print and website version
  • Social Cohesion Toolkit 47 pages (Dhivehi version).
  • Social Cohesion Toolkit 36 pages (English version).
  • Civic Education Training Manual 103 pages (English version)
  • Second iteration of the Comprehensive Study on Maldivian Civil Society Space 214 pages (English version)
    • Design the executive summary with infographics reflecting key findings of the study on Maldivian Civil Society Space

Accordingly, the consultant is expected to complete the following tasks during the contract period:

• Meet with key personnel from UNDP to establish scope of work and expectations for the design work
• Submit first draft of layout of 4 products for approval which includes illustrations, iconography and infographics as needed
• Submit the final draft work of 4 products for print layout and web layout incorporating the feedback of the first draft
• Submit print and web ready versions of 4 products to UNDP, with all supporting files including the proposed printing specification.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

Duration of the Assignment

The duration of this assignment is 65 working days, between August – October 2022.

Institutional Arrangement

The consultant will work under the guidance of UNDP and will be accountable to the assigned Programme Officer, IGP, for each deliverable as stipulated in the proposal. A briefing and debriefing meeting will be organized with UNDP at the beginning and end of assignment.

Duty Station and Expected Places of Travel

This consultancy is a home-based exercise.

C - PAYMENT TERMS

The method of payment is output-based lump-sum scheme. The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive lump sum and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR. The contract price will be fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration.

The payments shall be released upon submitting the required deliverables/outputs with satisfactory by the Programme Manger as per agreement for each report in accordance with a set time schedule to be agreed in the contract.

Note: Payments will be based on invoices on achievement of agreed milestones i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR and certification of acceptance by the UNDP. The applicant must factor in all possible costs in his/her “All Inclusive Lump Sum Fee”. No costs other than what has been indicated in the financial proposal will be paid or reimbursed to the consultant.

Competencies

D – COMPETENCIES

• Familiar with gender mainstreaming in designing
• Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to request and take input from others, be flexible, receptive, and adaptable to the different needs or changes in the process.
• Ability to take lead and responsibility for planning and delivering key actions to complete the process
• Demonstrates ability to manage complexities and deliver in a timely manner

Required Skills and Experience

E - REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Education:

• Minimum qualification of Diploma in digital arts, interactive media design, layout design, graphics design or related field.

Experience:

• Minimum 4-year experience in graphic design, illustration, editorial design, digital art, iconography, typography and branding
• Minimum 2-year experience providing graphics (including iconography) and layout designs for training manuals
• Minimum 2-year experience in providing graphics (including iconography) and layout designs for studies or research products

Language Requirements:

• Fluent in Dhivehi and English

Evaluation Method and Criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as a) responsive/compliant/acceptable; and b) having received the highest score out of set of weighted technical criteria (70%). and financial criteria (30%). Financial score shall be computed as a ratio of the proposal being evaluated and the lowest priced proposal received by UNDP for the assignment.

Technical Criteria for Evaluation (maximum 70 points)

• Criteria 1: Minimum qualification of Diploma in digital arts, interactive media design, layout design, graphics design or related field. (17 points)
• Criteria 2: Minimum 4-year experience in graphic design, illustration, editorial design, digital art, iconography, typography, and branding. (25 points)
• Criteria 3: Minimum 2-year experience providing graphics (including iconography) and layout designs for training manuals (14 points)
• Criteria 4: Minimum 2-year experience in providing graphics (including iconography) and layout designs for studies or research products (14 points)

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) during the desk review/interview are acceptable would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Documentation required

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided in the UNDP Maldives website.
2. Portfolio – previously developed layouts and designs of similar scope.
3. 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;
4. Financial proposal that indicates the lump sum rate/fee of the candidate in Maldivian Rufiyya.  In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal must include a breakdown of this daily fee (including number of anticipated working days and all foreseeable expenses to carry out the assignment); 

Incomplete proposals may not be considered.  The short-listed candidates may be contacted for interview and the successful candidate will be notified.