English/Dutch Translation and Interpretation

Contract

This is a International Consultant contract. More about International Consultant contracts.

Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

The Caribbean Regional Spotlight Initiative is focused on the reduction in prevalence and incidence of Family Violence (FV). Overall, the Regional Programme aims to: i) Increase policy coordination and functional cooperation across the region to address family violence ii) Set regional standards for essential services delivery, for monitoring the implementation of regional and national family violence laws and policies; iii) Advance best practice models for prevention; and iv) Ensure the engagement women’s organisations in regional accountability frameworks.

The Spotlight Initiative is being implemented in Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. This regional programme will benefit both Spotlight, and non-Spotlight Caribbean countries through the production of and access to regional public goods.

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the UN Women MCO-Caribbean Representative, with direct reporting to the Regional Spotlight Coordinator and Technical Coherence.

Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose of the Consultancy

As part of implementation of the Regional Spotlight Initiative Programme, UN Women Barbados Multi-Country Office will i) Host various events including workshops, conferences and meetings and ii) Support development of technical documents, tools and communication material including a regional newsletter – In the Spotlight: Caribbean that require Simultaneous Interpretation and Translation respectively from English/Dutch and Dutch/English.

To meet these needs, UN Women Barbados Multi-Country Office is seeking to contract a professional translation individual to provide UN Women with English to Dutch and vice versa translation and interpretation services; when needed and requested by UN Women.

Scope of work (Description of activities or outputs):

Translation

• Produce high-quality translation of documents from English/Dutch and Dutch/English.
• Translate, edit, and proofread full content, footnotes and / or endnotes, captions under photographs, tables and any other sections of documents provided.
• Ensure content accuracy and detailed comparison of content, facts and figures, making sure there are no discrepancies in the meaning of the source manuscript.
• Ensure that translations are written with style, correct grammar, and spelling, including technical vocabulary, syntax, as well as use of formal gender sensitive terminology.
• Ensure confidentiality of the original texts and translated materials. The translation submitted to UN Women Barbados MCO under each assignment is the property of UN Women Barbados MCO and cannot be submitted, distributed, or used by any other party, unless authorized.
• Work in close collaboration with UN Women Barbados MCO Requesting Manager, consult her or him when necessary and ensure the translation services are up to and the expected professional standards.
• Ensure high quality and accuracy of translations; ensuring that no errors are left in the final text.
• Ensure final drafts are submitted ahead of time and revised as needed to incorporate suggested changes to meet UN Women expectations.
• Complete the work within the agreed timelines, submit the final translations in both soft and hard copy (if appropriate) and be available to UN Women Barbados MCO for comments and corrections.
• At least 3 Caribbean Regional Spotlight E-newsletters, 6 media articles, 4 videos, and 10 knowledge products will require translation.

Simultaneous Interpretation

• A high-level online and in person simultaneous interpretation for UN Women workshops.
• The interpreters must be available every workshop/meeting day to cover all sessions of the workshop/meeting.
• For onsite simultaneous interpretation, the interpreter must be available on site at least 2 hours before the beginning of the workshop/meeting for technical setup and testing.
• For online simultaneous interpretation, the interpreters must be available online 30 min before the beginning of the webinar every meeting day for technical setup and testing.
• The interpreters may be required to be available for a rehearsal session one day before the training day.
• A total of 3 stakeholder meetings and 3 quarterly knowledge webinars will be conducted during this period.

Delivery dates

• Should be available on request between 1 June – 31 December 2022. A monthly workplan will be agreed upon

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity;
• Integrity;
• Professionalism.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:

http://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-employment-values-and-competencies-definitions-en.pdf.

Functional Competencies:

• Integrity and Fairness: Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work. Conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines, and achieving results.
• Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• Degree or certification or equivalent in communications, translation, journalism, writing, international affairs or similar.
• Advanced Degree in languages is preferred.

Experience

• 5+ years of work experience in document translation of web content in Dutch and English, digital journalism and editing for international development organizations (preferably UN system).
• 5+ years of simultaneous interpretation.
• Proven professional experience in, and mastery of gender-sensitive use of Dutch and English languages.
• Outstanding writing skills and Proficiency in English is required.
• Familiarity of gender and women’s rights issues acquired working with the United Nations system, other international development organizations.
• Ability to effectively organize, prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.
• Attention to details and familiarity with the latest trends in journalism and writing for international organizations.
• Excellent communication skills with people in diverse, multi-cultural and international environments.

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Dutch is required.

Location of activities and expected travels:

• The consultant(s) are expected to work remotely, utilizing their own office space, computer, internet, telephone, and other equipment, as needed, to undertake the assignment.
• The consultant(s) will be engaged on request depending on events and documents requiring translation during the period I June – 31 December 2022. A monthly workplan will be agreed upon to facilitate planning.
• Should there be travel required, this will be covered by UN Women MCO and communicated in advance.

Other relevant information or special conditions:

• The consultancy fee will be negotiated before contracting. Each payment will be based on a predefined and formal agreement between UN Women and the consultant and will be disbursed based on satisfactory completion of agreed deliverables.
• The consultant should submit, along with his/her application, the curriculum vitae of team members (if any).
• The consultant contracted will be required to sign a statement of confidentiality and freedom from any conflict of interest with potential future contractors with respect to the TORs and work that they will be delivering.

Remuneration

• The remuneration for this contract type is an all-inclusive fee, the organization will not be liable for additional cost or benefits. Hence, it is the responsibility of the consultant to secure adequate medical insurance for the duration of the contract and it is recommended that the policy includes coverage for COVID-19 related illness. The medical coverage should be international when the contract requires missions or international assignment.
• If selected for this vacant post, proof of medical coverage should be presented within the first two months of the contract

Hardware, Software and Communication

• The consultant must be equipped with a fully functional laptop, which must run Windows 10. The consultant must be reasonably accessible by email and telephone (preferably mobile). The use of reliable, internet-based (Skype or equivalent) is required.

References

• Minimum of three client references that include the name of the contact person, title and contact information.

OTHER:

Submissions to UNDP Jobs are limited to a maximum of 10 MB, virus-free or corrupted contents to avoid rejection, and no more than 1 email transmission. All applications must be submitted through UNDP jobs. Please do not send applications to UN Women staff as they will not be accepted.

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks (background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check).