Background

The formal justice system in Bangladesh is under tremendous pressure with much workload and inadequate number of officials and staff to dispose the cases. Dispute resolution at the local levels may reduce the backlogs of cases in the formal justice sectors. The Village Courts Act 2006, later amended on September 2013, entrusts Union Parishad (UP) to offer justice services for both petty civil and criminal disputes in nature within the pecuniary jurisdiction of BDT 75,000. This justice delivery service aims to enable local peoples resolving their petty disputes and conflicts amicably at their door steps for establishing local peace and harmony for broader development and human rights establishment.
After successful implementation of the pilot phase of Activating Village Courts in Bangladesh project (2009-2015), Local Government Division (LGD) of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (MoLGRD&C) is on the way of AVCB II, a four year (2016-2019) long project, with financial and technical support of European Union (EU)and UNDP Bangladesh covering 1080 UPs of eight divisions. The overall objective of the project is to improve access to justice for disadvantaged and marginalized groups in Bangladesh. The expected output of the project is the village Courts in selected UPs are activated, functioning and responsive to the needs of the local justice seekers. Programmes are targeted to build capacity and create awareness of the community members, service providers and other relevant stakeholders about village courts and its functions through a number of capacity building, awareness-raising and community mobilization initiatives. Besides, the project will develop an outreach strategy which intends to develop coherence among the awareness raising interventions, facilitate synergy among similar/social development actors/NGOs in the project areas, responds to the differing needs and information sources for different segments of the population.
There are 5 technical components such as Programme Coordination, Capacity Development, Advocacy-Communications and Outreach, Legal Reform and Monitoring and Evaluation component has been working to reach the objectives. Involving national institutions like NILG, PATC, JATI, BPA the project has a plan to build up the capacity of the stakeholders on village courts. Besides, as a part of implementation strategy it will includes hiring NGOs to help LGD for grassroots level capacity building, social mobilization and eventually assisting in activating village courts under the technical support and supervision of project management team. In addition, two committees encompass with inter-ministerial officials, Project Steering Committee (PSC) and Project Implementation Committee (PIC), oversee the project.
 The project’s overall communications, advocacy and outreach objectives are designed in line with the project’s objectives, which are as follows:
 1. Aware community people and other related stakeholders regarding village courts functions, raise relevant complaints, and seek services from village courts in line with the relevant legal provisions;
2. Build awareness of all relevant stakeholders, including Union Parishad, Upazilla Parishad and Government of Bangladesh (GoB) officials on their roles and responsibilities to deliver village courts services to people;
3. Keep all stakeholders informed of programme targets, programme activities, achievements and lessons learned and get involved with the efforts of advancing village courts;
4. Ensure participation of all stakeholders in preparation of all specialized products/ outputs listed in the project document;
5. Coordinate with UNOs, DDLGs and UPs for making sure the social mobilization and awareness raising interventions are well coordinated with other similar/social development NGOs working in the project areas;
6. Facilitate thorough visibility of EU, UNDP and GOB, widen the access to the project info for stakeholders at local, national and international levels, and systematically disseminate project results to relevant stakeholders with a view to a possible scaling-up of project activities involving new partners.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

• Ensure support to draft content, quality designing and printing of project’s branded note pad, folder, sticker, leaflet, newsletter etc. by communicating and coordinating with team members/vendors/consultants. Visit to vendor’s press to check quality production, produce reports on quality of these IEC/BCC materials as a quality assurance team member. In addition, develop draft guideline to use these materials and delivery plans as well as facilitate/track  courier service for proper delivery of these IEC/BCC materials.
• Provide support to guide vendors in developing scripts, shooting at fields and editing for one TVC/PSA production, in addition to support in shooting at field, editing and production of one  enter-education drama (awareness video for community drama show) for quality deliverables. 
• Support in organizing meetings with journalists in Dhaka by drafting media kits, invitation letter, participant list, banner and coordinating necessary logistic arrangements. 
• Support in organizing meetings with NGOs in Dhaka by drafting key materials, invitation letter, participant list, banner and coordinating necessary logistic arrangements.
• Assist to roll out 128 upazila level outreach events by coordinating plans, advance requests and other necessary logistic arrangements.
• Develop and print a map of the project by communicating with the vendor.

Deliverables/ Outputs
1. A) Support to ensure quality design of project’s branded note pad and folder by coordinating with design consultant/vendor
B) Need basis coordination of planning, advance requests and other logistic supports to organize upazila level outreach events (note: number of events of this period would depend on local administration)
C) Drafting key materials, invitation letter, participant list, banner and coordinating necessary logistic arrangements for organizing an outreach meeting with GO-NGOs at central level
D) Support to ensure design and print of Project’s map through coordination with vendor
E) Follow-ups and support in ensuring draft scripts, shooting plan, shooting, editing of one TVC and production of one enter-education drama (community video drama)
(Note: Tasks of TVC and video drama is aligned with approval of LGD)

2.A) Develop draft media kits, invitation letter, participant list, banner and coordinate other necessary logistic arrangements for organizing a consultation meeting with high profile media personnel in Dhaka. 
B) Need basis coordination of planning, advance requests and other logistic supports to organize upazila level outreach events (note: number of events of this period would depend on local administration)
C) Ensure support to update photo gallery of project’s website including proper captions 
D) Drafting contents of stickers (2), brochure (update, reprint) and ensure support to produce quality design by coordinating with design consultant/vendor.
E) Produce draft reports (20) of upazila level outreach events

3.A) Support to ensure quality printing of  brochure (re-print), and note pad & folder; produce quality check reports,  coordinate field level delivery
B) Drafting contents (both Bangla and English) for project’s Newsletter (12+12=24 pages) -issue 4
C) Produce draft reports (15) of upazila level outreach events

4.A) A) Ensure assistance in billing process of brochure (reprint) and folder & notepad
B) Produce draft reports (25) of upazila level outreach events  
C) Ensure support quality designs (both Bangla and English-same design) of project newsletter by coordinating with design consultant and ensure support to print (Bangla) and on-line (English) version-issue 4
D) Support to ensure quality designs of leaflets (2) and stickers (2) coordination with design consultant/vendor 
5.A) Ensure support to prepare quality check reports, field and central level distribution and billing processes of the newsletter (project)-issue 4
B) Produce draft reports (20) of upazila level outreach events 
C) Ensure support to produce quality printing of leaflets (2) and stickers (2), quality check reports, and field level distribution
6. A) Ensure support to produce quality design of a poster on VC by coordinating with design consultant/vendor
B) Produce draft reports (25) of upazila level outreach events
C) Assist in billing process of leaflets and stickers
D) Ensure support to update photo gallery of project’s website including proper captions 
E) Ensure support to re-print of CYM flipchart (400 pcs)

7. Other tasks:
A) Monthly delivery schedule might be re-scheduled 10%-15% following need of the project and 10%-15% additional tasks might be included in the monthly delivery schedules following consultation

Institutional Arrangement
• Individual Consultant(IC) will be will directly supervised and reportable to the project’s Communications and Outreach Specialist aligned with approval from the National Project Coordinator.
• This is a full-time responsibility that requires daily presence of the IC at the project office and sharing time to time (weekly) progress of the listed deliverables.
• IC will regularly follow-up, coordinate and communicate with vendors, design consultants/firms, media (central and districts), NGOs (central and districts), local government units, etc. following guidelines by the project.
• Need to complete entire deliverables independently through desk works and field visits following instruction and guidance from the project. 
• Must submit a completion report for each deliverables for processing payment on regular basis.

Inputs (UNDP and Consultant)

• Specify if the project will be able to provide (or not) any facilities, support personnel, support service, or logistical support, what they will be, and at what stage of the work. Costs to arrange local transport, workshop venues, etc. to be stated if covered by UNDP/implementing partner or should be included in the price proposal.
• Specify what the consultant is expected to provide. E.g. Laptop

Duration of the Work
• Total 9 (nine) months
• For smooth payment delivery completion of the deliverables within deadlines is must unless any specific or meaning reasons (e.g. political unrest, disaster) hinder the deadline for a shortest period.

Duty Station
• Dhaka and extensive (25%) field visit required for completion the task.
• Expense for field visit will be addressed by the project following UNDP’s policy and procedures.

Competencies

Competencies

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities skills;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
• Ability to plan, organize, implement and report on work;
• Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines;
• Comprehensiveness knowledge of communications, publications and media relations.
• Proficiency in the use of office IT applications
• Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;
• Positive, constructive attitude to work;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Details of expected outputs over the period of contract duration given below:

Required Skills and Experience

Educational Qualifications:
• Master’s degree preferable in communications/media relations/publications or relevant disciplines
 Experience
• Minimum 5 (five) years of work experience on communications/ media relations/ publications/ advocacy in development agencies or media houses.
• Experience on working and organizing events with GO-NGOs, media at district and national level
• Experience in audio visual productions and publications  
 Language requirements
• Fluency of English and Bangla language is required
• Expertise in translating documents (English and Bangla) and computer literacy on Bangla writing  is significantly essential.

Evaluation Method and Criteria

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology…

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract should 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 a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

* Technical Criteria weight; [70%]

* Financial Criteria weight; [30%]

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 point or 70% would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

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)

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

DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS

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

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. 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; P11 can be downloaded from the link below: http://www.bd.undp.org/content/bangladesh/en/home/operations/jobs/ 
3. Financial Proposal: Financial Proposal has to be submitted through a standard interest and availability template which can be downloaded from the link below:

 http://www.bd.undp.org/content/dam/bangladesh/docs/Jobs/Interest%20and%20Submission%20of%20Financial%20Proposal-Template%20for%20Confirmation.docx

Please combine all your documents into one (1) single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.

Travel:

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel.  In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources.

In the case of 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.