Consultancy - Human-Centered Design Training, Design Research & Strategy and Design Production Services

To meet the rising need for services around innovations requiring design research, strategy, human-centered design methodologies and creative direction and implementation of scalable innovative technology-based platforms and programme activities, UNICEF Office of Innovation wishes to enter into one or more Long Term Agreement (LTA) and/or Individual Contract with service providers (Corporate Contractors and/or Individual Consultants) who can provide varying design-based services to support: 1) New and developing technology products and platforms which are gaining traction or already at scale, 2) UNICEF globally in learning and improving applicable, sustainable and strategic design-based thinking and research techniques in its work, and 3) Advocacy and visual communications materials, both static and dynamic, that can maintain, uplift and support the scale-up of UNICEF and UNICEF’s innovation work.

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

INTRODUCTION

UNICEF has been innovating for children for 70 years. Innovations support the organization’s 135+ country offices in finding solutions for the world’s most vulnerable children. The UNICEF innovation work includes both policy and practice of innovation in UNICEF, and the larger UN. Innovation in UNICEF is defined as “doing something new or different that adds value.” Innovation is a cross-sectoral function that enhances programme and development effectiveness as well as management and is guided in all contexts by UNICEF’s Innovation Principles (http://www.unicefstories.org/principles). UNICEF is engaged in testing and scaling up new partnerships, technologies, and collaborations in some of the world’s most difficult operating environments.

UNICEF’s Office of Innovation exists in order to strengthen its innovation functions and leverage the increasing opportunities across the organization. The Office of Innovation unites:

The Global Innovation Centre (GIC): established in 2014, and focusing on Scale Up which looks at expanding the application of proven solutions from one to several countries and regions by UNICEF and partners

• Ventures: looks at investing in new solutions with a 0-2 year horizon
• Futures: focusing on what is coming in the 2-5 year horizon and works with big tech partners

There is need for both short-term and long-term services for various design-related tasks of wide-ranging scopes, for unique new initiatives, as well as modification work to functioning platforms, applications and products.

UNICEF Innovation therefore seeks the services of design and interaction-based companies and individuals who can produce a large spectrum of service design support, creative strategy, design research and human-centered design capacity building. We also seek the services of design and interaction companies and individuals who can provide traditional services in graphic design, visual communications, product design and video and motion graphics animation geared towards building narratives, and increasing the marketability and value of our mainly technology-based innovation platforms and services. We seek those who are agile and experienced in working under pressure with the ability to produce outstanding outcomes under tight deadlines.  Proposals from qualified institutions and individuals across the globe are sought in various categories of service, and proposers may apply to any number of them. There is no restriction on geographical area, however the location in Eastern Standard Time zone is preferable for communication with the New York-based Interaction & Design Team.

Some of the innovations currently developed and deployed by UNICEF’s Office of Innovation include a number of open-source applications that are intended to have positive social impact. Below is a list of potential design services needed to further scale these products:

• Human-Centered Design Workshops

  • Conduct design thinking and human centred design trainings and capacity building programmes for UNICEF Country Offices
  • Advise UNICEF Country Offices on the integration of design thinking and human centred design into core UNICEF programming and strategy development
  • Design-based curriculum development support
  • Development of Human-Centered Design facilitation tools
  • Design and delivery of field-based Human-Centred Design Research

• U-Report (http://ureport.in/)
  U-Report is a social messaging tool allowing anyone from any community, anywhere in the world to respond to polls, report issues, support child rights and work as positive agents of change on behalf of people in their country. Design support for U-Report will include:

  • Re-design of a globally scalable U-Report website
  • Design and software development updates to the U-Report App
  • Updates to the U-Report brand identity for print and digital spaces,
  • Video production or editing of Public Service Announcements (PSA’s)
  • Design of reports, case studies, one-pagers
  • Design of presentation decks and other presentation materials
  • Motion graphics (ex. Overview explainer of U-Report)
  • Design of digital and print-based maps
  • Communications materials and promotional collateral.

• RapidPro (https://community.rapidpro.io/)
  RapidPro is an Open Source software platform that allows anyone to build interactive messaging systems using an intuitive visual interface for building mobile-based applications. Design support for RapidPro will include:

  • Updates to the RapidPro brand identity for print and digital spaces,
  • Branding and identity for related pieces of software under the RapidPro suite
  • Updates to deployment toolkits and deployment packages for print and digital
  • community.rapidpro.io website updates (currently Wagtail)

• Internet of Good Things (IoGT)

  • Updates to the IoGT brand identity for print and digital spaces,
  • Video production and/or editing of Public Service Announcements (PSA’s)
  • Design of reports, case studies, one-pagers
  • Design of presentation decks and other presentation materials
  • Infographics
  • Communications materials and promotional collateral
  • Design of digital and print-based maps
  • Icons/banners and other digital assets
  • Illustrations
  • Mock ups and interface design
  • Template for newsletters

• Innovation Reports & Overview Materials

  • Design and print layouts of key reports on innovation such as, but not limited to:

    • Various partnership reports (ex. ARM)
    • Office of Innovation Annual Report
    • Innovation catalogue
    • Doing Good is Good Business
  • Design of interactive online versions of reports which are downloadable
  • Design of narrative documents, overview packages and presentations for the Global Innovation Centre Steering Committee

• Motion Graphic Animation, Filming and Virtual Reality for various innovations, such as:

  • Magic Box, a platform combining data sources from our private sector partners showing where people were moving with UNICEF’s epidemiological (case) data.
  • Motion graphic animation to explain blockchain for development
  • Calls for challenges and application callouts like Wearables for Good and Innovation Fund

• Other

  • Advisory, scripting and production of virtual-reality/360º- based interactive reports, imagery, infographics and short documentaries of stories on the ground
  • Interactive online mapping tool to showcase, upload and manage UNICEF innovations from around the globe

PURPOSE and OBJECTIVES of the RFPS

To meet the rising need for services around innovations requiring design research, strategy, human-centered design methodologies and creative direction and implementation of scalable innovative technology-based platforms and programme activities, UNICEF Office of Innovation wishes to enter into one or more Long Term Agreement (LTA) and/or Individual Contract with service providers (Corporate Contractors and/or Individual Consultants) who can provide varying design-based services to support:

1) New and developing technology products and platforms which are gaining traction or already at scale,
2) UNICEF globally in learning and improving applicable, sustainable and strategic design-based thinking and research techniques in its work, and
3) Advocacy and visual communications materials, both static and dynamic, that can maintain, uplift and support the scale-up of UNICEF and UNICEF’s innovation work.

Note: An LTA in UNICEF is a non-binding agreement and is not an obligation to commit funds or procure services, but rather serves as a guiding framework that facilitates the contracting of services across the organization, globally. Legally binding contracts are created through institutional contracts that will be raised between the selected service provider(s) and the UNICEF office requiring services.

Following the evaluation process, if the recommendation is to award a Corporate Contractor (CC), the duration of the Long Term Arrangement (LTA) is normally 2 years with an optional extension for an additional 12 months upon completion of satisfactory services, favourable review by contracting offices, and demonstrated continued need for services within UNICEF. If the recommendation is to award to an Individual Consultant (IC), as per UNICEF’s policy, the initial maximum duration of the as-when-required contract is 11.5 months and can be extended to another 11.5 months subject to satisfactory performance.

The rates are fixed for the duration of the contract.

SCOPE OF WORK

The innovations mentioned above are under constant development by the UNICEF Office of Innovation, and some have been or are in the process of being adopted and deployed directly by UNICEF Country Offices. Furthermore, there is increasing demand from UNICEF and partners globally for new innovations to accommodate the growing need for improved service delivery, access to information, communication and data management.

Required design services around Innovations to be procured through the LTA and/or Individual Contract are outlined below. In order to bid for a specific category of service, proposers must ensure that they have the access to personnel with the skills required for the specific services described here.

Service providers are expected to work on a variety of outputs ranging from, but not limited to, human-centered design workshops, design thinking strategy, implementation and advisory, design research methodology implementation or trainings, service design strategy and implementation, systems architecture and design, scalable designs of websites and apps especially for low-bandwidth settings, branding development, printed publications, presentation materials, signage and designs for exhibitions and events, user interface and user experience designs, media communications materials, motion graphics, photography, film, virtual reality, and potentially 3-D printing.

Services:  Please refer to Annex B - RFPS-NYHQ-502537 LTAS Human-Centered Design for more details (https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/60063)

Below are some examples of the scope of work we anticipate:

• Design Research & Strategy
• Design Thinking workshop facilitation
• Information design and systems architecture
• Virtual Reality (VR) Filming
• Wayfinding design for events and exhibitions
• Digital marketing collateral
• Mapping tools and interactive maps
• Data visualization - digital and print both interactive and static
• Motion graphics/Animation
• Document templates which are built in accessible platforms like Powerpoint and Google Docs
• Presentation decks
• Branding and Identity
• Print design and layout
• Digital interface design (apps, websites, new platforms)
• 3-D printing

KEY SKILLS, TECHNICAL BACKGROUND, AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED^[1]

The IC or the CC should have the following qualifications:

• Portfolio-proven experience in print and digital media design
• Portfolio-proven experience in creating infographics and visualizing complex information
• Excellent skills in Adobe Creative Suite
• Strong experience in rendering, exporting and preparing designs for production and use in various context.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills
• Professional approach to time, costs and deadlines
• Demonstrates initiative, sound judgment and ability to work in harmony with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks under tight deadlines
• Knowledge of basic principles of Accessible Design
• Respect and adherence to UNICEF Brand Guidelines
• An understanding of new and emerging technologies such as wearable technologies, virtual reality, UAV’s, AI and blockchain is a plus. 
• Strong understanding of creating digital platforms in low-bandwidth settings is a plus.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization.