UNDP Jobs - 93929- Consultancy on PVE Survey Report Professional Edit

Consultancy on PVE Survey Report Professional Editing and Layout Design

Location :

Home-Based

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

05-Oct-2020

Application Deadline :

26-Sep-20 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

21 Days (with possibility of extension)

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

21 Days (with possibility of extension)

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

Violent Extremism (VE) manifests when a group of persons express their ideology through violence or advocate for violence to achieve their objectives. The growth of VE in Nigeria and the devastating impact of groups espousing violent ideologies is not only setting in motion a dramatic reversal of development gains already made, but threatening to stunt prospects of development for decades to come.
Asides the ‘epicentre’ states of VE in the north-eastern Nigeria, there are ‘emergent’ states in the other parts of the north which require urgent but robust preventative measures. There are credible research and mappings that indicate the existence of groups professing extremist values and thoughts in Kano, Kogi, Kaduna, Plateau and Niger States. These groups, driven by young persons implicated in local terrorist activities and/or religious uprisings, are believed to be driven by various factors including but not limited to lack of access to socio-economic opportunities, marginalization and victimization, breakdown in family values and social cohesion, violations of human rights and rule of law, distrust in the state system and democratic norms, and youth unemployment.
Traditional institutions and local associations have demonstrated resilience and managed to uphold and promote social solidarity within local communities, while providing local-level conflict resolution and other services. These institutions are, however, affected directly by the hostilities, as well as, being subjected to less inclusive cultural norms (notably the low levels of women’s representation), and the long-term erosion of their legitimacy through the politicization of traditional authority.
Following an extensive two-year consultative process, involving over 200 different participants from a range of backgrounds in preparatory meetings held in Istanbul, Nairobi and Addis Ababa, UNDP launched an innovative and comprehensive programme, Preventing and Responding to Violent Extremism in Africa: A Development Approach in November 2015. In addition to supporting the AU at continental level, the programme is working with ECOWAS on the prevention of VE across West Africa and has initiated discussion with the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) specifically regarding a sub-regional response to Boko Haram. UNDP built on this with a 2017 Study entitled Journey to Extremism in Africa: Drivers, Incentives, and the Tipping Point for Recruitment.
UNDP Nigeria formulated the ‘Preventing and Responding to Violent Extremism Project’. The project seeks to support the vision of the National Strategy in curtailing the spread of VE in key ‘emergent states’ where terrorist groups are struggling to have a foothold through support to youth empowerment, strengthening local counter/alternative narratives, contributing to community violence prevention, and building trust between the community and security agencies. The project also contributes to enhancing ONSA’s capacity in research and evidence-based approach to PVE programming.
To this end, the ‘Preventing and Responding to Violent Extremism Project’, engaged the services of a competent national, with expertise and track records in research and analysis to undertake the conduct of research into the root causes of VE in Nigeria in five states and the Federal capital Territory. The research also covered needs assessment of at-risk youth in the target states/communities to assist in designing programmes targeted at them and reduce prevalence of VE in the target communities. The survey was conducted between 2018 and 2019 and was technically reviewed in March 2020.
This consultancy services seeks the services of professional editor to among other things support the outcome of this research and improve the quality of the body of knowledge on counter terrorism and VE in Nigeria. This will help relevant government agencies including security agencies to formulate evidence-based policies and programmes for prevention and countering of VE in Nigeria. The consultant will work to improve the overall clarity and organization of the survey report, such as, re-arrange sentences and paragraphs including checking out for redundancies, if any, fix problem sentences, sharpen the vocabulary, replace inappropriate words, eliminate any spelling errors and produce a concise survey report.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective of the Consultancy:
The overall objective of the consultancy is to provide English language editorial support that supports clear articulation and presentation of the content to enhance readers’ engagement with the body of knowledge and data on VE and the needs of at-risk youth in the emergent states of Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Plateau and FCT.

Scope of the Consultancy:
This consultancy will perform variety of editorial duties, such as laying out, indexing, and revising content of written materials, in preparation for final publication. The consultant will work collaboratively with UNDP PVE team and UNDP Communication team to deliver the specific tasks enumerated below:

A full grammar, spelling, and punctuation check
Fix all inconsistencies and typos
Check syntax and word choice
Ensure the written tone is consistent
Ensure the document follows author’s style
Revise sentences for clarity, precision and concision
Restructure passages to ensure text flows smoothly
Edit text to change or adapt its tone
Revise and improve the overall quality of writing
Format and produce a publishable report
Make helpful feedback and suggestions in comments

Consultancy Deliverables:
The consultant shall produce the following deliverables at the end of the assignment:

Inception Report/Plan detailing understanding of the terms of the consultancy and methodology/workflow and timeline to achieve the specific tasks outlined in this TOR;
Editing and proofreading the contents of the survey report
Graphic Design and layout of the content, ready for final publication with inputs and guidance from UNDP team

Condition of Service and Terms of Payment:
The consultancy shall be for a period of 21 days.
Payment Modality: Contractor must submit a financial proposal based on daily rates in Nigeria Naira for elements related to the outlined duties and responsibility. Charges for graphics if any shall be factored in as per actuals at the prevailing market rate.
Payment terms: Payment schedule for this assignment will be remitted in accordance with the following schedule:

100%? : Upon satisfactory production of the specified deliverables

Reporting:
The consultant shall work in consultation with UNDP Communications Team, under the direct supervision of the Team Lead, GPS. The consultant shall engage regularly with the Team Lead and the National Expert, PVE for delivering on the terms and conditions of this consultancy while the National Expert, PVE shall oversee the day-to-day work of the consultant. The National Expert, PVE shall ensure that the consultant is able to access all required support and assistance from UNDP that will help in timely delivery of the consultancy terms of refence.

Assignment Duration and Duty Station:
The consultancy is home-based, that is, the consultant shall work from his/her duty station for a period of 21 days.

Competencies

Competences/Skills

Thorough knowledge of the English language
Methodical working style
concentration, accuracy and great attention to detail
the ability to multitask
tact and diplomacy for negotiating changes with authors
the ability to work to tight deadlines
self-motivation
IT skills.

Required Skills and Experience

The desired candidate(s) for this assignment shall:

An advanced a degree in Mass Communication and Graphic design, or Publishing Studies, Social Science, Development Studies, Arts, Sociology, Law and humanities or other relevant fields.
At least 10 years’ experience in editing design and publishing of policy, research and technical papers.
Must have demonstrated evidence of performance of similar tasks for national and international institutions.
The candidate must have sound technical and analytic report writing skill and proven ability in editorial guidance.
Must be fluent in written and spoken English.
Previous assignment with UN agencies and/or government is an asset.

Evaluation Criteria:

Advanced degree in Media or Electronic Media, Publishing or Publishing Studies, Communications, Social Science, Arts, Sociology, Law and humanities, or other relevant fields for, at least, 10 years – 15 points
10 years’ cognate experience in editing and publication of technical papers and research work – 25 points
Evidence of performance of similar tasks for national and international institutions – 20 points
10 years’ work experience preferably within a publishing institution/organization – 15 points
Sound technical and analytic report writing skill and proven ability in editorial guidance 15 points
Previous working experience with UN agencies or national government is an asset – 10 points