UNDP Jobs - 63576- National Consultant (Communications and Advocacy)

National Consultant (Communications and Advocacy) - For Indian Nationals Only.

Location :

Home Based., INDIA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Mar-2016

Application Deadline :

17-Feb-16 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Forty working days spread over Eight months.

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP 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. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

UNDP would like to engage an experienced consultant, who has a strong background in developing communication and advocacy strategies and can effectively contribute to the development of a Full Sized Project by preparing a detailed communication, advocacy and outreach strategy.

The proposed project aims to support the Government of India to effectively promote sustainable land and forest management in the alpine pastures and forests in high range Indian Himalayan ecosystems that secures sustainable livelihoods and community resilience and ensures conservation of globally significant biodiversity and threatened species.

The project will engineer a paradigm shift from the current approach of relying solely on small, isolated Protected Areas and other conservation actions to deliver biodiversity conservation including conservation of threatened species to one that takes an integrated approach – that considers PAs as corner stone of biodiversity conservation but whose integrity and effectiveness can only be attained by working at multi-sector and landscape scales, focusing on important areas outside PAs, and also working with sectors and partners outside the conservation sector to effectively reduce threats to globally significant biodiversity. This approach recognizes that the major and emerging threats to biodiversity in the region, including to the survival of threatened species such as the snow leopard, stem from beyond protected areas and also in several cases beyond the conservation sector (and in some cases beyond the region) – these consists of land use change demands for development especially infrastructure development; harmful practices by production sectors and heavy reliance on natural resources by local communities; and emerging threats of illegal wildlife trade and wildlife crime etc. It further recognizes the importance of a landscape approach to the conservation and management of important areas in the Indian Himalayan region, by ensuring that key biodiversity areas, buffer zones, corridors are sustainably managed in tandem with the sustainable use and management of areas that are contingent to these conservation areas or outside of it in the wider landscape. Further, the project recognizes that these landscapes and ecosystems underpin the lives of a large number of local communities and that implementation of a coherent strategy to secure livelihoods and promote alternative livelihood options is an integral part of the solution. It will be implemented over a six year period.

The project will be led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) together with the State Governments of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. In addition the project will engage several relevant government agencies, autonomous agencies and NGOs.

This Project falls under GEF-6 Programme 3 Global Partnership on Wildlife Conservation and Crime Prevention for Sustainable Development, comprising one global coordination project and a series of national child projects. The development of the FSP will thus entail working closely with the global coordination project to ensure synergies in project planning and implementation, as well as to eliminate duplication of efforts.

During the initiation plan period, a number of studies and stakeholder consultations will be undertaken with a view to further developing the approved project concept (see GEF PIF) into a fully formulated project document. The final output will be a UNDP-GEF project document and GEF CEO endorsement template, with GEF Tracking Tools ready for submission to UNDP and GEF.

40 days between March 2016 and October 2016;
Missions to the project states;
Preparation of a detailed communication, advocacy and outreach strategy identifying the target groups, messages, mediums, tools, monitoring and evaluation mechanism and timeframe for implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Consultant will be responsible for developing a communication, advocacy and outreach strategy for the programme through:

Sensitizing stakeholder groups on appreciating the natural and cultural values of the region;
Raising awareness and fostering a better understanding of issues related to conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in the high-range Himalayas;
Providing platforms for dialogue and discussion between and among policy-makers, sectors and stakeholders, for better integrated approaches;
Building capacity, specifically with regard to communication.

The strategy developed under the programme should target all key stakeholders, such as relevant Ministries and State Departments, District administration, people’s representatives, Armed Forces, NGOs, local communities, research institutions and private sectors, including media.

The Communication, advocacy and outreach strategy should look into the following:

Existing plans, tools and mediums of communication (local TV channels, print, newspaper, radio etc.) available with the target states for outreach;
Key actors who would implement/ facilitate the implementation of the Communication Strategy and Action Plan (for instance local media, teachers, NGOs, children and youth, medical practitioners, government public awareness departments, local cultural groups, artists, singers etc.);
Networks and regional/ international institutions that could be included in the implementation of the communication, advocacy and outreach strategy (e.g. ICIMOD, SAWEN, Mountain network).

The consultant will carry out the following:

Develop effective tools for each of the states, taking into account specific state-level and local circumstances (such as key threats, media and communication base; cultural practices; local theatre and art forms, etc.);
Develop a brand for products emanating from the region and a strategy to popularize the brand;
Identify suitable products that may be registered as Geographic Indications of the trans-Himalayan landscape;
Develop a communication action plan to be implemented in the short, mid and long term during the project period, along with estimated budgets and timelines;
Develop a draft evaluation instrument for measuring the achievement of the goals and targets of the strategy;
Organize stakeholder-wise consultation workshops in each of the target states, to seek comments on the Communication strategy;
Participate in stakeholder consultations to be organized by UNDP and Govt. of India to collate inputs from the strategy;
Establish an effective process for selection of communication agencies;
Document good practices on conservation and sustainable livelihoods from the Himalayan states which could be replicated and up-scaled during the project period and included in the project document; additionally compile all the good practices documented by the other National Consultants in the form of a report;
Work closely with the other consultants, especially the National Consultant - Community-based Natural Resource Management, and ensure the soundness and appropriateness of the strategy based on the real issues on the ground;
Adopt an inclusive, participatory and gender sensitive approach in developing the strategy.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Must have experience in conducting communication needs analysis and strategic design as well as managing communication campaigns;
Familiarity in drafting of terms of reference for communication agencies;
Excellent technical writing skills;
Strong coordination and relationship management skills.

Corporate Competencies:

Promote the highest standards of ethics and integrity;
Demonstrate political acumen;
Support creativity and innovation;
Help create an enabling environment for open communication;
Share knowledge and support a culture of learning;
Demonstrate fairness and transparency.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Post Graduate Degree in mass communication/ public relations/ advertising/ communication analysis and planning/ social development communication;
Relevant courses pursued in natural sciences, environmental studies or other related fields will be an advantage.

Experience:

Minimum 10 years of demonstrable experience in developing communication and advocacy strategies and related tools for biodiversity conservation, natural resource management and alternate livelihoods promotion.

Language:

Written and oral proficiency in English is required;
Knowledge of Hindi along with regional languages of the project states will be desirable.

Payment Terms:

20% upon approval of the technical approach and work plan for the assignment;
40% upon submission of reports and minutes of the recommendations from the state-specific workshops and the brainstorming meeting;
20% upon submission of Progress update report;
20% upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of the deliverables by UNDP RTA, UNDP India CO, and International Consultant and submission of Final Report.

Documents to be submitted:

Financial Proposal specifying all-inclusive per day consultancy fee. All travel expenses will be reimbursed as per actuals in line with UNDP rules or arrangements would be done by UNDP;
Detailed CV with contact details of three references;
A brief (not more than 3 pages) technical proposal that includes a write up on the way forward for preparing this Project Document focusing on sustainable livelihoods, community resilience and conservation of globally significant biodiversity in the high range Indian Himalayas. The documents should be referenced appropriately and a select bibliography provided with the proposal.

Cumulative analysis:

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive;
Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria weight - 70%;
Financial Criteria weight - 30%.

Evaluation Criteria:

Technical Proposal: 35 Marks;
Relevant Experience:25 Marks;
Qualification:10 Marks.

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;
Please note proposals without financial proposal will not be considered;
CV, Technical Proposal and Financial proposal have to be be clubbed in one file for uploading. Complete Proposal has to be sent online only;
The consultants must bring his/her own computing equipment.

For any clarification please write to sandeep.sharma@undp.org