Communication and Media Consultant

Background

UNDP Geneva Bureau of External Relations seeks to hire a short-term consultant to support the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) Secretariat to enhance the visibility and organize media coverage ahead of the UN Climate Summit to be held in New York on 23 September 2019, and to support partnership development for the 2020 edition of UNDP Growth Stage Impact Ventures programme.

The Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), launched at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015, aims to support governments in the region as they implement reforms and enhance investments to address such challenges as poverty, food insecurity and climate change through reducing the rates of deforestation and forest degradation in 6 partner countries. More information available on CAFI’s website: http://www.cafi.org/

UNDP, through its annual SDG Finance Geneva Summit (SGS Geneva), strives to identify – through a highly competitive process – 15 to 20 innovative entrepreneurs from emerging markets who have developed at scale products and services that contribute to solving some of the main economic, social and environmental challenges of our time while achieving commercial success. UNDP believes these entrepreneurs will bring evidence that doing good and doing well is already happening in developing countries.

The purpose of the Growth Stage Impact Ventures for SDGs selection is to identify the enterprises that focus not only on emerging customers, but provide them with products and services that will help them reach their full human development potential.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under direct supervision of the Communications Specialist and CAFI manager, the consultant will carry out the following tasks:

1.  Support the organization of a field visit with journalists and photographer(s) ahead of the NY Climate Summit to promote CAFI and CAFI members (governments of Gabon and the Democratic Republic of Congo); messaging around the preservation of Central African forests. The tasks include:

• Identify site or sites for visit
• Draft technical notes to capture existing programmes and results to be featured during field visit
• Support pitch drafting with compelling elements resulting from research and technical notes preparation
• Establish a list of target media and journalists in Europe and in Africa to pitch CAFI stories
• Support outreach to journalists to identify specific interests and needs; work along different work streams: TV, radio, audiovisual (pictures, movies)
• Liaise with journalists, UNDP and governments counterparts to set up and implement the visit (programme, logistics, identification of interviewees onsite such as high-level government officials, etc.)
• Prepare briefing pack for field visit participants
• Ad hoc support on field visit organization
• Liaise with journalists post visit and track publication
• Prepare social media collaterals to promote articles on UNDP accounts
• Prepare list of published articles for internal dissemination

2.  Support Media outreach during the UN Climate Summit

• Identify CAFI stories and key messaging to pitch to top tiered and specialized media during the UN Climate Summit
• Support the organization of interviews ahead, during and immediately after the UN Climate Summit
• Draft key messaging and talking points
• Liaise with UNDP CAFI team and governments members of the Alliance to pitch high level officials

3.  Review existing CAFI Website strategic changes to improve traffic and analytics and populate with new contents

4.  Support UNDP Geneva to reach out to potential partners and sponsors for the 2020 edition of the Growth Stage Impact Venture programme. The tasks include:

• Identifying potential partners for thematic or geographic windows
• Support the drafting of specific concept notes and budget proposals
• Liaise with potential partners, organize conference call, record minutes and update project documents

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

Institutional Arrangement

The Communication specialist and CAFI manager will supervise the consultant.

The Consultant will provide a certificate of payment based on completed activities and time spent at the end of each month (or as most convenient in relation to completed deliverables).

If travel is requested on adhoc basis, UNDP will purchase air tickets for the Consultant based on the most direct route and cost-effective route as per UNDP Travel Guideline. UNDP will also provide Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) to the Consultant for the duration of his/her stay at the respective duty station at UN approved DSA rates.

Competencies

Core Values

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modeling UN values and ethical standards
• Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

Competencies

• Analytical Skills: Excellent ability to articulate, conceptualize or solve complex problems by making decisions that are sensible given the available information
• Written communication: Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to write in a clear, simple, concise way for non-technical external audiences
• Knowledge Management: Ability to efficiently research, analyze and share information and knowledge
• Organizational skills: Ability for problem-solving, multi-tasking, meeting deadlines and working under pressure
• Teamwork: Ability to engage with other units/teams and forge productive working relationships Ability to work as part of a team in a constantly evolving work environment

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications

• Master’s Degree or equivalent Advanced Degree in communications, international affairs or a related area

Required Skills and Experience

• At least five years of relevant experience in communication, media relations and external engagement with private sector
• Solid experience in coordination with a set of diverse players and in project management
• Experience in developing high quality collaterals and turning quantitative and qualitative information into marketing and press material
• Academic and work related experience in development, environment and SDGs financing is an advantage
• Professional experience within the United Nations System is desirable

Language Requirements

• Excellent command of written and spoken English and French

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

UNDP applies a fair and transparent selection process that would take into account both the technical qualification of Individual Consultants as well as their financial proposals. The contract will be awarded to the candidate whose offer:

• is deemed technically responsive / compliant / acceptable (only technically responsive applications with a minimum score of 49 points/ candidates will be considered for the financial evaluation); and
• has obtained the highest combined technical and financial scores

Technical Criteria – 70% of total evaluation – max. 70 points

• Criteria A: Theoretical and practical familiarity with fundraising, event organization in its various components (marketing, registration, content development, liaison with speakers, caterers and team management), coordination across a diverse set of players (including a remote team) and with development issues, the SDGs and sustainable finance - max. points: 50
• Criteria B: Educational background - max. points: 10
• Criteria C: Adequacy of brief proposed methodology for the consultancy - max. points: 10

Financial Criteria: 30% of total evaluation – max. 30 points

Application Procedure

Qualified and interested candidates are requested to apply by midnight of 13 August 2019. The application should contain:

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position. A Brief Methodology on proposed methodology for the consultancy
• Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability - please fill in the attached form
• Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of references, please upload the P11 instead of your CV. Download form here