Consultant – Communication expert

Background

The Regional Program on Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 2 (ReLOaD2) is a continuation of the EU-UNDP partnership and previously supported initiative – ReLOaD1, implemented in the four-year period 2017 - 2020.

ReLOaD2 continues to strengthen participatory democracies and the EU integration process in the Western Balkans by empowering civil society and youth to actively take part in the decision making and by stimulating an enabling legal and financial environment for civil society. The programme will be implemented in the following IPA beneficiaries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo* Montenegro, and Serbia.

Working across the region, ReLOaD2 will enhance capacities of local governments (LGs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) to engage in productive partnerships and contribute to improved service delivery and realization of local priorities in line with development strategies.

ReLOaD2 in Albania will select 10 partner LGs through a competitive process and will focus on institutionalization of interaction between the LGs and civil society. It will incite partner LGs to mainstream public funding for CSOs in a transparent and development-oriented manner, recognizing local needs and embracing a project-based approach. Also, the Action will promote youth engagement and support implementation of youth initiatives and will work on improvement of their economic perspectives in the partner localities.

 

* For the European Union, this designation is without prejudice to position on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence. For UNDP all references to Kosovo shall be understood in the context of the UN Resolution 1244/1999

 

Objective

The expert will support the implementation of visibility and communication activities, ensuring effective and successful communication and promotion of activities including networking and knowledge sharing. The expert will also provide support to partner LGs and CSOs for increasing their awareness about the communication and visibility importance in presenting projects results and also in raising their capacities to secure smooth implementation of communication tools. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of work

Under the overall supervision of the ReLOaD2 Project Manager for Albania and in cooperation with UNDP-Albania Communications Specialist, the qualified consultant will be responsible for supporting the team in implementation of visibility activities and preparation of public information. He/she will be engaged in the preparation of the Visibility and Communication Plan for Albania as well as its implementation. Considering the Action’s engagement with 10 partner LGs, CSOs and youth, the consultant will also provide advice to partner LGs and CSOs on the production of visibility and communication materials.

More specifically the consultant will be responsible to:

1. Provide support to ReLOaD2 Project Team in preparation of the Visibility and Communication Plan for Albania in line with the visibility guidelines of the Action as well as on the communication strategy of ReLOaD2. The following documents may be reviewed for preparation of the plan: Description of Action ReLOaD2, Communication and Visibility Strategy for ReLOaD2. (3 days)
2. Prepare seven visibility materials (three short stories, press releases and other similar materials). The materials will be prepared based on the models and formats of ReLOaD2 at the regional level and adjusted with inputs from the implementation project in Albania. (8 days)
3. Conduct two training sessions dedicated to visibility (two hours each session) for representatives of partner LGs. These sessions will be part of a PCM Training that ReLOaD2 will organize for representatives of the partner LGs. The expert will be responsible only for the preparation of materials and delivery of two specific sessions on visibility.  (2 days)
4. Update the Visibility and Communication Guidelines for CSOs that will implement projects under ReLOaD2 in Albania. The expert will be responsible for update of the existing guideline with all necessary elements as per the updated versions of visibility guide of EU and UNDP. (2 days)
5. Conduct two training sessions dedicated to visibility (two hours each session) for representatives of partner CSOs. These sessions will be part of full training that ReLOaD2 will organize for selected partner CSOs on project implementation. The expert will be responsible only for the preparation of materials and delivery of two sessions on visibility.  (2 days)
6. Provide assistance to partner CSOs of ReLOaD2 project on implementation of Visibility and Communication Guidelines. The expert is expected to check and approve proposed visibility materials including advices for improvement to partner CSOs that will implement projects under ReLOaD2. (10 days)
7. Produce two videos of 1minute each, featuring project beneficiaries and highlighting project results. The beneficiaries and concrete interventions will be selected in close collaboration with ReLOaD2 staff. The expert will be responsible for all aspects of the creation and production of videos. The videos will be mostly utilised through social media platforms. (8 days)
8. Preparation of 40 social media posts for ReLOaD2. The project will use UNDP social media platforms (national and regional) to share information and raise awareness on the Action. The content will be used for various platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. (4 days)
9. Preparation of a final report (1 day)

Deliverables and timelines

The consultant will be responsible for the following deliverables:

Deliverables (outputs)	Deadline and level of effort
Visibility and Communication Plan for Albania developed	June – 30 July 2021 (3 days)
seven visibility materials (three short stories, press releases, and other similar materials) produced	June 2021 – May 2022 (8 days)
two training sessions (two hours each) on visibility and communication for representatives of partner LGs conducted	July 2021 - December 2021 (2 days)
Updated Visibility and Communication Guidelines for CSOs implementing projects under partnership with ReLOaD2	September-October 2021 (2 days)
two training sessions (two hours each) on visibility and communication for representatives of partner CSOs conducted	November - December 2021 (2 days)
Assistance to partner CSOs of ReLOaD2 for implementation of the Visibility and Communication Guidelines provided	December 2021 – May 2022 (10 days)
two videos (one minutes each) featuring project beneficiaries and highlighting project results produced	November 2021 – May 2021 (8 days)
40 social media posts related to ReLOaD2 produced and published	June 2021 – May 2022 (4 days)
Final report prepared and submitted	By 30 May 2022 (1 day)

Competencies

a. Corporate Responsibility and Teamwork:

• Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Plans, prioritizes and delivers tasks on time;
• Strives for and promotes excellence in performance continually;
• Participates effectively in a team-based, information-sharing environment, collaborating and cooperating with others;
• Generates ideas and seizes opportunities to support corporate strategic objectives.

b. People Skills:

• Demonstrated ability to work harmoniously with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds;
• Recognizes and responds appropriately to the ideas, interests, and concerns of others;
• Builds trust and engenders morale by displaying open, transparent and credible behavior;
• Respects individual/cultural differences; utilizes diversity to foster teamwork;
• Ensures others’ understanding of, involvement in, and adaptation to a change process.

c. Partnering and Networking:

• Communicates sensitively and effectively across different constituencies;
• Ability to work as a member of a team as well as work autonomously.

 d. Results-Orientation:

• Plans and ensures quality results to meet established goals.

e. Communication:

• Formulates written information clearly and persuasively;
• Shares information openly with co-workers and partners while using discretion to protect confidences;
• Presents information in a clear and articulate manner.

f. Job Knowledge and Expertise:

• Strong analytical skills;
• Advanced writing skills,
• Proven skills in conducting researches, interviews, and reporting,
• Conceptual and practical knowledge of policy development, with specific focus on public budgets,
• Ability to review data, identify and adjust discrepancies,
• Good knowledge of administrative rules and regulations regarding civil society sector,
• Executes day-to-day tasks systematically and efficiently,
• Initiative and sound judgment.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• Education degree in media and/or communications or related fields.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in similar assignments.
• At least 5 years of experience in developing communication materials, targeting variety of audiences.
• Experience of producing videos, stories and documentaries of social nature.
• Experience in graphic design of visibility materials
• Ability to work in a pressured environment with strict deadlines.
• Previous experience/familiarity with UNDP and / or other UN agencies particularly in EU-Funded projects is an asset. 

Language Requirements

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Albanian.

Evaluation Procedure

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 / 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 points: 70

Criteria A: Minimum of 5 years of professional experience. At least 5 years of experience in developing communication materials. Experience in graphic design and designing videos, diaries, social documentaries– max points: 50

Criteria B: Educational background– max points: 20

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

 

Application Procedure 

Interested applicants are advised to carefully study all sections of this ToRs and ensure that they meet the general requirements as well as specific qualifications described. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials. 

The application should contain: 

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position. Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application. 
• Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability - please fill in the attached form. Download Here
• Breakdown of Costs in ALL (Albanian Lek) - please fill in the attached form Download here
• Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees, please upload the P11 instead of your CV. Download Here

• Financial Proposal in ALL*- specifying a total lump sum in Albanian Lek for the tasks specified in this announcement. The attached template may be used - Download Here Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant during the contract period (e.g. fee and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services). 

• Copy of Diplomas and copy of Passport. 
• Technical proposal – specifying the methodology which the consultant will employ to conduct this assignment.

*Kindly note that Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and Financial Proposal are two separate documents and should be both part of your application. 

How to Submit the Application: 

To submit your application online, please follow the steps below: 

• Download and complete the UN Personal History Form (P11) for Service Contracts (SCs) and Individual Contracts (ICs); 
• Merge your UN Personal History Form (P11) for Service Contracts (SCs) and Individual Contracts (ICs), Financial Proposal Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and cover letter into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded; 
• Click on the Job Title (job vacancy announcement); 
• Click “Apply Now” button, fill in necessary information on the first page, and then click “Submit Application;” 
• Upload your application/single file as indicated above with the merged documents (underlined above); 

• You will receive an automatic response to your email confirming receipt of your application by the system. 

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

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.