Background

The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) is responsible for promoting, coordinating and supporting South-South and triangular cooperation globally and within the United Nations system.

UNOSSC supports intergovernmental political processes in South-South and triangular cooperation and the mainstreaming of South-South and triangular cooperation globally and across the United Nations system. The Office is responsible for monitoring progress in the implementation of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action, the New Directions Strategy, the Nairobi outcome document and the outcome document of the second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA+40).

Guided by its strategic framework for 2018–2021 (DP/CF/SSC/6), UNOSSC also assists developing countries in strengthening their capacities to manage, design and implement South-South and triangular cooperation policies and initiatives through the identification, sharing, and transfer of successful Southern-generated development solutions. It supports Member States and other stakeholders in cultivating, building and consolidating strategic partnerships that are critical for advancing South-South and triangular cooperation for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals.

UNOSSC promotes strengthened global partnerships among different stakeholders of the South, development partners from the North, the private sector, civil society organizations and other relevant actors. In this regard, it facilitates multi-stakeholder knowledge platforms as tools to strengthen cutting-edge research to inform evidence-based South-South policymaking processes, partnership-building, resource mobilization and programming, among many other interventions. UNOSSC manages and supports the implementation of trust funds (the United Nations Fund for South-South Cooperation; the India, Brazil and South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation; the Pérez-Guerrero Trust Fund for South-South Cooperation; and the India-UN Development Partnership Fund) that support collaboration and piloting of South-South initiatives across the globe.

UNOSSC supports the United Nations development system and its partners at the global, regional and national levels to raise awareness and enhance South-South and triangular cooperation through monitoring progress in South-South cooperation globally; supporting dialogue among Southern countries, coordinating focal point networks, coordinating an inter-agency mechanism on South-South cooperation, providing advisory services to Member States and supporting training programmes.

UNOSSC engages in outreach, advocacy and strategic communication on issues of critical importance to the South to strengthen multilateral South-South and triangular interaction and to advance Southern perspectives and approaches within major intergovernmental and inter-agency processes towards enhancing the coherence and coordination of the support of the United Nations system to South-South and triangular cooperation. It works to underscore the positive impact of South-South collaboration towards harnessing fully the power of South-South initiatives in implementing the 2030 Agenda.

In light of the growth of South-South and triangular cooperation, it is essential that UNOSSC strengthen its efforts to communicate the importance and successes of its own services in support of South-South and triangular cooperation among its constituents, the development community and the world at large. Such communication, both with the internal United Nations community and its external constituencies, is a key component of its strategy to fulfil its global mandate.

UNOSSC aims to bolster its outreach, advocacy and strategic communication to underscore the positive impact of South-South and triangular cooperation through the dissemination of information and interaction on advocacy initiatives and projects relating to South-South and triangular cooperation both inside the United Nations system and among partners in governments, civil society and academia.

Specifically, UNOSSC has among its top priorities the engagement of all partners using the latest traditional and new media information and communications technologies and targeted events as well as the publication of electronic bulletins and facilitation of social media engagement to increase the understanding and visibility of practical expressions of Southern solidarity.

This consultancy will focus on the extensive use of e-tools and social media interaction in line with the overall communications strategy of UNOSSC and respecting UNOSSC standard operating procedures for communications. The consultant will have strong design sensibilities; a knack for finding creative and effective ways of translating complex concepts into visually appealing communication tools; a passion for designing for social impact; the ability to work with substantive teams individually and collectively; and the ability to manage and follow through on projects independently. UNOSSC would like to enter into a IC consultancy - Communications and Social Media Engagement consultant who will provide high-quality professional expertise including, but not limited to, the following services: user-interaction and -interface design; research and consultation for Web-based product designs; information architecture; data visualization; and user research. The consultant will be able to work with various devices and platforms in an integrated manner.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Director for Policy and Strategic Partnership and the guidance of the Communication Specialist, the qualified individual will carry out the following specific activities:

  • Conceptualize, implement and manage a multilingual social media strategy, guided by the overall UNOSSC communications strategy and in line with UNDP Guidelines for Social Media;
  • Web promotion of UNOSSC activities, managed funds and Web spaces, utilizing substantive information provided by UNOSSC staff;
  • General advocacy of South-South and triangular cooperation among constituents, partners and practitioners to increase awareness, visibility and Web traffic;
  • Contribute to the re-branding of the UNOSSC website, including through the design and implementation of interactive components;
  • Provide social media support (including the integration of e-tools of the various communications channels, and the engagement of partners through chatting and tagging), towards achieving the goals defined in the social media strategy;
  • Strategically apply tools such as email messaging, electronic bulletins, creation of online discussion forums, among others;
  • Electronically showcase UNOSSC staff, substantive experts and partners;
  • Support the engagement of partner organizations in the UNOSSC portal, including the creation of pages for new partners under the UN System Portal of the UNOSSC website (https://www.unsouthsouth.org/un-system-portal/);
  • Support United Nations entities in the distribution of news via the UNOSSC UN System Portal;
  • Disseminate, in real time, pictures, videos, white papers, publications, articles and general materials through UNOSSC web pages and social media channels;
  • Record videos and interviews for use on the UNOSSC website and social media channels;
  • Process and upload general materials and multimedia recorded during UNOSSC and partner events;
  • Support the development of training programmes to coach and mentor staff in the use of interactive communications tools to advance the UNOSSC mission and activities;
  • Assess the overall effectiveness of social media initiatives across the Office and advise on strategic next steps;
  • Undertake social-media-related discussions with representatives of other institutions and key partners, including Member States; and
  • Undertake other communications-related tasks as may be required.

The scope of work will vary depending on the individual assignments but will include one or more of the above.

Deliverables/ Expected Outputs:

Key Deliverables include:

  • Interactivity advice provided;
  • Promotion of UNOSSC materials through social media and mailing lists;
  • Production and distribution of a South-South Cooperation Social Media Guide;
  • Creation of open discussion forums for partners to interact and exchange information and materials with regard to South-South and triangular cooperation;
  • Internet coverage of UNOSSC activities;
  • Real-time dissemination of pictures, videos, white papers, publications, articles and general materials through social media;
  • Recording of videos and interviews for use on the UNOSSC websites and social media channels;
  • Distribution of newsletters.

For each assignment, UNOSSC shall agree with the contractor on specific deliverables and timelines that will be binding for the contractor.

Key performance indicators:

Efficient social media outreach:

>90% Completed: Excellent (1); 80-90% completed: Satisfactory (2): less than 80% completed – Poor (3)

Proven client interactivity, continuous dissemination of news and materials:

>90% Completed: Excellent (1); 80-90% completed: Satisfactory (2): less than 80% completed – Poor (3)

Timely and cost-effective knowledge management:

>90% Completed: Excellent (1); 80-90% completed: Satisfactory (2): less than 80% completed – Poor (3)

 

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

  • Demonstrates integrity by modelling the United Nations values and ethical standards;
  • Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Treats all people fairly without favouritism; and
  • Fulfils all obligations regarding gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional Competencies:

Communication:

  • Interpersonal skills;
  • Exceptional analytical skills and solution-oriented programme design skills;
  • Excellent spoken and written communication skills, including the ability to liaise with technical staff and present information clearly and concisely;
  • Research and evaluation skills, including the ability to synthesize information; and
  • Ability to work in multidisciplinary and multicultural settings.

Technical:

  • Expert knowledge in the field of Web design/development and user experience;
  • Solid understanding of the concepts of user experience, user interface design principles and conceptual design;
  • Strong design skills, particularly in visualization of complex information;
  • Strong skills in design layout, colour and typography;
  • Ability to design effectively using constrained mediums such as PowerPoint;
  • Ability to translate complex concepts into visually appealing knowledge products;
  • At least a basic understanding of common programming languages in order to communicate effectively when working with Website-developers;
  • Ability to research potential solutions to internal and external client needs; and
  • Creativity and innovation abilities to deliver quality results based on the agreed deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education:

  • At least advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in international development, computer science, information systems, communication, journalism; and
  • Technical and practical knowledge of emerging Internet technologies, building interactive social networks and strategic audience engagement, required.

Experience:

  • At least 5 years of experience in implementing communications strategies and tools in the international development arena, preferably using multimedia materials and open-source technologies; required
  • Experience in managing global, multilingual social-media operations is required;
  • Technological expertise regarding social media platforms, analytics and effectively engaging audiences on social media is required;
  • Experience in Google analytics; desired.
  • Experience leading global social-media campaigns in an international organization is required;
  • Experience in and advanced knowledge of open-source WordPress CMS [Content Management System] management; required.
  • Demonstrated experience in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Web security and other relevant technologies; desired.
  • Experience in handling integration and management of Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and YouTube; desired
  • Proficiency in creative design of websites and web pages, and creating online user interfaces; desired.
  • Work experience in, and knowledge of, the United Nations system, and the management of United Nations communications systems, desired;
  • Experience in and understanding of South-South and triangular cooperation and networking with different partner profiles, desired; and
  • Experience in project monitoring and impact evaluation an asset.

 

Language Requirements

  • Fluency in English (oral and written) required.
  • Working knowledge of other official UN languages would be an asset.

 

RECOMMENDED PRESENTATION OFFER:

 

Application is a two-step process:

 

STEP 1

Qualified candidates are requested to apply online via this website. The application should contain the TWO following documents, ALL IN ONE FILE:

  • DOCUMENT 1: Personal CV, 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.
  • DOCUMENT 2: Brief description of why the individual considers her/himself suitable for the assignment. Please submit this information in the same file as Document 1.
  • Candidates who fail to submit all the information requested above will be disqualified.
  • Do not include your financial proposal at this stage. Only shortlisted (technically qualified) candidates will be invited to submit a financial proposal.

 

STEP 2

Financial Proposal

After review of applications, shortlisted (technically qualified) candidates will be contacted by UNDP and requested to submit a Financial Proposal.

  • The financial proposal should specify an all-inclusive daily fee and hourly fee. Depending on the workload, the consultant may be required to work part time.
  • The financial proposal must be all-inclusive and take into account various expenses that will be incurred during the contract.
  • In the case of unforeseeable travel requested by UNDP, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between UNDP and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. 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.
  • Shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit a financial proposal. UNDP will provide candidates with the financial proposal template.
  • If the Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.
  • The Financial Proposal is to be emailed as per the instruction in the separate email that will be sent to responsive and qualified candidates.

Schedule of Payments:

  • Payment will be made upon submission of a certificate of payment request, and a progress report, at a schedule agreed based on deliverables, indicating outputs achieved and days worked to be verified and cleared for payment by the supervisor.
  • Depending on the workload, the consultant may be required to work part time and payments will be processed based on the number of hours worked, not exceeding a total of 10 working days per month (each working day accounts for 7 working hours).
  • Any official mission travel expenses will be duly paid for directly by UNDP and should not be included in the price proposal.
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials

Institutional Arrangement:

  • The consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop.
  • When the deliverables are carried out from NYC offices, UNOSSC will provide the following office facilities: a) office space/access to UNDP premise; b) office telephone and internet connection;
  • The consultant will engage with the Supervisor on daily basis;

Qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Due to the large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.

 

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF THE BEST OFFER:

The selection of the best offer from the shortlisted candidates will be based on a Combined Scoring method – where the qualifications and experience will be weighted a maximum of 700 points and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 300 points out of 1000 points.

Method: Cumulative analysis method will be used to evaluate proposals.

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

Technical Evaluation (700 points, Weight 70%)

All applicants will be initially screened against the minimum qualification requirements as specified above.

Responsive candidates will then be further evaluated against the following criteria:

Criteria for technical (desk) review

  • Relevance of a demonstrated track record of leveraging emerging internet technologies, building robust interactive social networks, and strategic audience engagement around Southern development issues (especially with regard to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development). (Maximum of 200 points)
  • Relevance of proven technical knowledge of results-based strategic planning and management of digital campaigns based on previous work experience with special focus on a multilateral institution. (Maximum of 100 points. Candidates without relevant experience in a multilateral institutions will obtain a maximum of 70 points)
  • Experience and understanding of South-South and triangular cooperation and networking among different partner profiles (including experience in providing technical support for non-technical users). (Maximum of 50 points)
  • Experience in online project monitoring, SEO and impact evaluation. (Maximum of 100 points). Up to 3 years of relevant experience = Maximum of 60 points; 4 – 5 years = up to 80 points; 5 years or more = up to 100 points)
  • Fluency in spoken and written Spanish and/or French. (Maximum of 50 points. Fluency in one language = 25 points, fluency in two languages = 50 points)

The maximum points that can be achieved in the desk review is 500 points.

Only the top three technically qualified applicants (obtaining a minimum of 350 points (70% of points obtainable in the desk review) will be considered for an interview.

The total obtainable score on the interview is 200 points bringing the total points for the technical evaluation to a maximum of 700 points. Candidates obtaining less than 140 points during the interview (70% of points obtainable during the interview) will be disqualified.
Only those candidates who obtain a total technical score of 490 points and above on the technical evaluation will be considered for financial evaluation and will be asked to submit a financial proposal.

 

Financial evaluation (300 points, Weight 30%)

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:

p = y (µ/z), where

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated

y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal

µ = price of the lowest priced proposal

z = price of the proposal being evaluated

For the General Conditions of contracts for the Services of Individual Contractors, see http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf.

Note:

  • Please visit http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=22291 to view the Individual Contract (IC) General Terms and Conditions (for Individuals/Free Lancers who will sign the UNDP contract on behalf of themselves).
  • For Individuals who will be represented on behalf of a company, a Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA) will be signed between UNDP and the company. To view the RLA's terms & conditions, please see http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=22292 Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA): A legal instrument between UNDP and a Company/institution, according to which, the latter makes available the services of an individual delivering time-bound and quantifiable outputs that are directly linked to payments
  • UNDP Personal History form (P11) required of all applicants

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/P11_Personal_history_form.doc