Individual Consultancy: Long Term Arrangements (LTA) for Translation and Interpretation Services, UNICEF SOP Office

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places, to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a Champion,

UNICEF in the State of Palestine works to uphold the rights of children to access services and protection, from early childhood to adolescence. Our objective is to ensure that every child in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, irrespective of background or circumstance, has an equal chance to fulfil their potential.

Each year, UNICEF in the State of Palestine produces several publications, information reports and multimedia materials. The materials range from research reports, evaluations, and advocacy products to training manuals etc. In addition, UNICEF in the State of Palestine also conducts conferences, meetings and workshops with government and other partners at both the national and sub-national level on a regular basis.

UNICEF in the State of Palestine is always seeking new and updated communications, advocacy and visibility materials that document key children's issues and UNICEF's ongoing responses in the field through high quality content packages. These materials are indispensable for a range of products, including fundraising proposals, reports, assessments, donor reports, human interest stories, and content for social media. These items will support UNICEF to better communicate with policy and decision makers, media, donors, partners and the public at large.

How can you make a difference?

The UNICEF State of Palestine produce many products (reports, studies, digital content, training manuals, and stories) on a regular basis. Additionally, UNICEF State of Palestine organizes workshops and meetings with the government, partners and beneficiaries on a regular basis. To support this work, the Communications Section is requesting the provision of highly qualified individual translators to cover the many competing deadlines and needs of the programmes for translation services in English, Arabic, and Hebrew or vice-versa. Interpreters will provide simultaneous interpretation services from Arabic to English or vice-versa during workshops/meetings/conferences.

Main tasks to be accomplished:

Translator:

• Under the guidance of the Communications Section or Programme teams and the direct supervision of subject matter specialists, the translator/interpreter provides high quality translations of press releases, booklets, human interest stories, reports, papers, subtitles/scripts, and other materials as needed.
• Ensure that the translated text is technically, linguistically and grammatically correct, error free, and meets high quality standards, without requiring further editing after completion of the translation.
• Provide accurate and timely translation to the satisfaction of UNICEF standards.
• Observe confidentially and refrain from divulging any information about the content of the text.
• Maximum percentage margin of errors per page should not be more than 3%.

Interpreters:

• Provide interpretation on an occasional basis during workshops/meetings/conferences
• Provide interpretation for international staff during meeting with counterparts and field trip to project sites.
• Provide whispering tools for workshops/meetings with 30PAX participants.

The translators should use their own equipment. Interpreters should include the possibility of providing whispering tools.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have:

This LTA requires professionals in their respective fields whose experience and quality of work demonstrably meet the highest international standards. They must have an excellent track record along with experience of working in the social development sector. The proposed professional/s is/are expected to have have high quality industry standard equipment in the fields of translation/interpretation as well as the following:

• Minimum five years of professional experience in translation and editing, including interpretation services;
• Demonstrated experience in translating professional documents;
• Outstanding translation and editing skills in Arabic and English;
• Knowledge of UNICEF terminology will be considered an advantage
• Proven experience of translation/interpretation services;
• Experience working with international development organizations is desirable;
• Demonstrate effective organizational skills and ability to handle work in an efficient and timely manner.
• Previous experience with UNICEF would be an asset.
• Experience in working on children issues and families is an asset.
• Have a sworn certificate for translator

NOTE:

• Individual consultants can apply to one or more of the desired languages
• Individual consultants are encouraged to specify their specialized field of translation/ interpretation that is relevant to UNICEF work (Health and Nutrition, Education, WASH, MHPSS, Child Protection etc.)

Structure and Evaluation Process of the Proposal:

Each proposal will be assessed first on its technical merits (including by reference to legal requirements) and subsequently on its financial offer. In making the final decision, UNICEF considers both technical and financial aspects. The Evaluation Team first reviews the technical aspect of the offer followed by the review of the financial offer of the technically compliant vendors. The proposal obtaining the overall highest score after adding the scores for the technical and financial proposals is the proposal that offers best value for money and will be recommended for award of the LTA.

To be considered for evaluation, translators are requested to provide three high quality pieces of translated material. It is highly recommended to provide materials that are most relevant to UNICEF's work in the field.

For interpreters, please provide information on minimum of three assignments completed including number of participants, languages of interpretation and details of equipment provided.

Financial Proposal:

Bidders are expected to submit their rate including rate for written translation, word/page, rate for simultaneous/consecutive translation, translation equipment (whispering tools), and in country travel expenses if needed. Please make sure all expenses are factored in the daily rate as UNICEF expects to see one lumpsum daily rate figure in the financial proposal.

For every Child, you demonstrate:

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles 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.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered as staff members under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF's policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.