Communication Specialist for Sustainable Urban Transformation

Background

NOTE: Signed Offeror’s Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and availability - https://www.ba.undp.org/content/dam/bosnia_and_herzegovina/docs/Operations/Jobs/Offerors%20Letter%20to%20UNDP%20Confirming%20Interest%20and%20Availability.docx - Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability.docx - to be sent to e-mail ba.shared.hr@undp.org with Subject: Job ID 100412.

In 2020, UNDP initiated pilot efforts in the area of future cities, with pilot work in Sarajevo and in Banja Luka aiming to leverage technology for more resilient and people-centered public services. Capitalising on the UNDP pilot work in the area of future cities, as well as on low-carbon and sustainable urban development, UNDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina is supporting a pilot place-based sustainable urban transformation inspired by the theory of the “Urban Rooms of Sarajevo” research conducted by the University of Sarajevo, as well as by new urban approaches like the “1-minute city”or the “3 – 30 – 300 urban forestry rule” and implemented through a participatory innovative experimentation within selected 5 city zones.

The intervention will, among other, support a digital platform for online, interactive crowdsourcing of citizens’ ideas on renewal and sustainable transformation of a number of urban “voids” in the Municipality of Centar – Sarajevo. This online platform will serve as a simple, yet interactive digital tool to enable place-based sourcing of residents’ ideas on the functionality, outlook and purpose of urban spaces. In addition, it will become be a real-time repository of residents’ ideas and views on the urban spaces in the city. The suggestions from residents and businesses made for a particular city zone will be the basis for people-led planning of interventions for urban regeneration and development in the partner municipality. The intervention will also seek to facilitate on-spot consultations and creative interactions with citizens and businesses in the 5 target locations, to solicit their ideas and visions for the transformation of the public spaces. All inputs gathered from residents and businesses through the digital platform and the face-to-face events in the target locations will be the basis for people-led planning of interventions for urban green transformation. The initiative will test use of technology to simulate new ways of inclusive urban planning based on residents’ ideas. Subsequently, the collected ideas and inputs by citizens at the digital platform will be reviewed by architects and urbanists, validated from viewpoint of their feasibility to be realised and ultimately, translated into detailed design concepts with 3D visualisation of the re-imagined urban spaces. Finally, at least one of the selected localities will be renewed based on the citizens’ ideas and serve as a demonstration of community-led sustainable urban transformation.

Therefore, UNDP is looking to recruit a communication specialist, who will collaborate with the core team of the initiative - architects, digital platform developers, inclusive urban innovation experts, communication specialists and the UNDP innovation team – and provide expert communication guidance, creative approaches in nudging citizen’s participation, and content creation, as well as concrete public relations inputs along the process of the demo sustainable transformation in the selected locality in the Municipality of Centar - Sarajevo.

Duties and Responsibilities

As part of this assignment, the Consultant is expected to perform the following tasks:

1) Conceptualisation of a creative campaign for citizen engagement in the online public consultations, and implementation of the campaign

2) Support the effective external communications of the initiative

In performing the assignment, the Consultant should respect all UNDP communication, visibility and publicity frameworks and corporate standards. In designing and implementing the strategic communication and engagement actions, the Consultant will work in close coordination and consultation with the UNDP Communications Unit.

The expected timeframe for the assignment delivery is mid - July to 15 December 2021, with the estimated level of effort of 30 expert days. The entire service will be delivered in the languages of peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

TASK 1: Conceptualisation of a creative campaign for citizen engagement in the online public consultations and implementation of the campaign

Persons living in the Municipality of Centar – Sarajevo and those commuting to this municipality are targeted audience under the TASK 1.

The digital platform is meant to enable on-line and interactive crowdsourcing of residents’ ideas on renewal and transformation of urban spaces in the Municipality of Centar – Sarajevo. The digital platform will be owned and hosted by the Municipality of Centar and as such will become a modern tool for public consultations in the area of urban development. UNDP will recruit an ICT company to develop the digital platform before September 2021. In terms of the visual style of the digital platform – the following presents an example for inspiration, depicting the simplicity, artistic style for an easy-to-use digital platform: http://www.futurebristol.co.uk/.

Firstly, UNDP will familiarise the Consultant with the pilot intervention and the selected 5 locations in the Municipality of Centar – Sarajevo. UNDP will also share with the Consultant all relevant materials and information relevant for this assignment. While the digital platform is developed and set in function, the selected Consultant will interact with UNDP and the implementation team to conceptualise, research and advise on creative campaign for presenting the digital platform, inspiring citizen interest and boosting their engagement in the process of collective ideation at the digital platform.

The Consultant will develop a detailed, creative and actionable engagement plan for this particular stage of the pilot initiative, that will ensure effective communication and engagement of targeted audience, and outline online and offline campaign elements - e.g. messages, visual identity for the campaign, engagement methods and incentives, communication tools and tactics as well as promotion of the results. The Consultant, in direct coordination with the UNDP Communications Unit and with the PR team of the Municipality of Centar, will implement agreed aspects of the campaign (including production of appropriate communication materials), monitor the results, recommend change in the alternative approaches, as needed, towards innovative, people-centred communication campaign that can catalyse citizen engagement in urban transformation.

It is envisaged that this Task will be delivered by the end of October 2021, with the level of effort not exceeding 20 expert days.

TASK 2: Support the effective external communications of the initiative

Under this Task, the Consultant will assist the implementation team through the production of multimedia content in order to raise awareness of general population and media on inclusive and sustainable urban transformation and results of this pilot intervention. Timewise, this task partly overlaps with Task 1. Namely, the Consultant will:

• Develop a proposal on the communication channels, tools (conventional and new), content and tactics to increase awareness on the concept of green and inclusive urban transformation,;
• Support pilot partners in production of communication and engagement content, as required;
• In cooperation with relevant partners’ PR and Communication Offices, produce and maintain media content to ensure promotion and capturing of initiative’s progress and results. The content includes, but is not limited to: media advisories, press releases, messages, infographics, photos, short articles/stories focusing on beneficiaries, facts and figures, etc.;
• Advise implementation team on communication and engagement matters;
• Create compelling social media content for UNDP and the partners to use and systematically grow and deepen engagement across all digital platforms.
• In collaboration with UNDP Communications Unit, support the implementation team in creating and editing blogs, human interest stories, success stories, lessons learned and other content that will be shared on social media and UNDP and partners’ websites;
• Suggest and facilitate concrete interactions with local electronic media (radios, television programmes) to ensure collaborative awareness raising on the inclusive and sustainable urban transformation and covering the success and achievements of the initiative;
• Engage with online and offline audiences through social media channels and during events;
• Develop and regularly update social media and content plans for all content themes and all upcoming coverage schedules in line with a defined plan/calendar.

It is envisaged that this task will be delivered not later than 15 December 2021, with the level of effort not exceeding 10 expert days.

Deliverables/outputs

#	Deliverables / Outputs	# of Days per Task	Due Date	Percentage
1.	Conceptualised creative campaign for citizen engagement in the online public consultations and implementation of the campaign	20	31 October 2021	66%
2.	Effective external communications of the initiative supported	10	10 December 2021	34%

Competencies

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.

 People Skills:

• Recognizes and responds appropriately to the ideas, interests, and concerns of others;
• Ensures others’ understanding of, involvement in, and adaptation to a change process.

Results-Orientation:

• Plans and procedures quality results to meet established goals;

Communication:

• Technical writing skills, formulates written information clearly and persuasively;
• Strong communication skills;
• Shares information openly with co-workers and partners while using discretion to protect confidences;
• Presents information in a clear and articulate manner.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications/Education:

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in journalism, marketing, social science, communication or a related field.

Experience:

• 3+ years’ experience working on social media, digital marketing or editorial.
• Proven professional experience in design and implementation of social media/ digital marketing campaigns and use of social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn (evidenced by references and links in the candidate’s application/CV).
• Experience of blogging (evidenced by references and links to blogs in the candidate’s application/CV).
• Direct experience in design and implementation in communication campaigns for citizen engagement is an asset.

Languages Requirements:

• Fluency in the official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina is required.
• Knowledge of English is an asset.

 

Evaluation

Individual  will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the candidate whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, andb) Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

• * Technical Criteria weight-70%
• * Financial Criteria weight- 30%

Interested candidated must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:?

• Proposed “mock-up” media campaign (short methodology, main messages, communication channels, visual identity, etc.) for the promotion campaign to engage citizens in the digital public consultants.

Please scan all above mentioned documents and upload as one attachment only online through this website.

Note:

• For an assignment requiring travel, consultants of 65 years or more require full medical examination and statement of fitness to work to engage in the consultancy.
• Due to large number of potential applicants, only competitively selected candidates will be contacted for remaining steps of the service procurement process.