Individual Contractor: LONG TERM AGREEMENT FOR WRITER with UNICEF Lao PDR

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF is a UN organization mandated by the UN General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. In Lao PDR, UNICEF is working with its partners to support the Government to realize children’s rights on survival, development, protection and participation.

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, support

Advertising Summary:

The overall objective to set up this Long-Term Arrangement is to facilitate and expedite the process by which UNICEF Lao PDR will hire the services of writers to document UNICEF’s activities to share with stakeholders at national and global level and to use as an advocacy tool.

Advertisement Text:

UNICEF in Vientiane, Lao PDR is looking for an Individual Contractor: LONG TERM AGREEMENT FOR WRITER. The assignment, under this Long-Term Arrangement, is expected to have a duration of 4 years. The initial LTA would be for 11.5 months (2021 – 2022) with an option for renewal for subsequent years subject to satisfactory performance evaluation and continuing need for the service. The service fee shall remain unchanged for the whole period of this assignment. The Individual Contractor is based in Vientiane with travel to the field based on advocacy and programme priorities.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

This LTA is being established to serve the needs of all sections in UNICEF Lao PDR country programme related particularly to story writing and editing services to meet the office’s media, advocacy, fundraising and other programme objectives. Note that writing assignments most importantly include field assignments to collect and write feature stories, preparation of media materials and writing/editing of related work.

• Write, edit and finalize human interest stories, texts for photo essays and other documentation as specified by UNICEF;
• Provide direct editing/writing support to programme sections in the compilation of donor reports and other materials for advocacy and fundraising (including donor proposals);
• Travel within the country to collect information, perform interviews and related tasks for the purposes of producing human interest or other stories and/or documenting UNICEF supported activities, donor visits and other events related to UNICEF work;
• Research issues and characters being documented. Conduct in-depth interviews of community, service providers, government counterparts and beneficiaries to support the story writing while being mindful of sensitivities of specific situations;
• Edit/ re-write PowerPoint presentations or other written materials according to guidelines provided by the office. Revisions to be carried out as necessary;
• Work in close coordination (where required and when a photographer is engaged) with photographers/videographers to capture relevant powerful images for their stories and photo-essays;
• Review, organize, edit and consolidate materials for knowledge products, ensuring clarity and continuity of the argument as well as clarity of structure and core themes;
• Proofread layout files, including checking spelling, country and city names as well as acronyms and other abbreviations (making sure that they follow official UNICEF terminology and conventions), style consistency, callouts, layout problems, references, etc.;
• Ensure implementation of the UNICEF style guide (UNICEF style guide will be provided by the UNICEF Lao PDR Country Office);
• Write digital content media as required including project factsheets, web pages, stories of change and for knowledge products such as forewords, prefaces etc.;
• Draft blurbs, stories, and content as may be required for the website;
• Be available for feedback and inputs as per the requirement of the office;
• Be available for several rounds of editing with regards to stories;

Note that the audience for the communication materials and services is both international and local, so the writer needs to have a proven ability to produce products which will appeal to and reach both audiences.

The writers on this LTA may be required to work on Saturdays and Sundays, based on the requirements of the assignment.

Deliverables

• Well-written and edited human interest stories, articles, reports and documents;
• Support given to programme sections as required by chief of section concerned;
• Information gathered for the purposes of documenting UNICEF-related events in the Lao PDR;
• PowerPoints or other written materials edited/rewritten to UNICEF standards.

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

• Degree in communication, journalism, creative writing or similar discipline;
• Demonstrated ability to produce high quality and creative communication collaterals;
• Proven experience in public relations, communications and/or advocacy;
• Experience of writing for the Government and/or UN Organizations is desirable;
• Experience and quality of work demonstrably meet the highest international standards;
• Excellent track record along with experience writing about the social development sector;
• Excellent ability to conduct interviews;
• Excellent ability to translate material gathered in interviews in Lao language into English and weave them into a story;
• Ability to analyse, plan and communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, to draft reports;
• Possess excellent research, analytical and writing skills;
• Fluency in English is required (oral and written). Lao is an asset.

Evaluation Method and Criteria

The selection for the LTA will be on the basis of technical evaluation & financial offer in the ratio of 70:30. The cumulative analysis method (weight combined score method) shall be used for this recruitment:

Technical Qualification (Max. 100 Points; Weight: 70 %)

1. Cover Letter – Explaining the motivation for applying and explaining how the qualifications and skill-set of the candidate are suitable for this position (10 Min Marks/ 15 Max Marks).
2. Relevant educational qualifications of the candidate (15 Min/ 25 Max).
3. Relevant work experience (25 Min/30 Max).
4. Work Samples– This includes three previously edited documents and unedited versions of these documents. (20 Min/ 30 Max).

Financial Proposal (Max. 100 Points; Weight: 30 %)

Lump-sum offer with the cost breakdown: Consultancy fee, travel costs (economy class), per-diem to cover lodging, meals, and any other cost related to the consultant's stay in Vientiane, including transportation inside the city and other costs. The travel (if involved) shall be based on the most direct and economy fare.

No financial information should be contained in the technical proposal.

The maximum number of points shall be allotted to the lowest Financial Proposal that is opened/evaluated and compared among those technically qualified candidates who have attained a minimum 70 points score in the technical evaluation. Other Financial Proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price.

The applicants should provide medical insurance covering medical evacuation for the whole duration of the assignment -as part of the financial proposal submission.

The Contract shall be awarded to candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores, subject to the satisfactory result of the verification interview.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are kindly requested to apply and upload the following documents to: http://www.unicef.org/careers opportunity/employ/

• Letter of Interest (cover letter);
• CV or Resume;
• Performance evaluation reports or references of similar consultancy assignments (if available);
• Financial proposal: All-inclusive lump-sum cost including travel and accommodation cost for this assignment as per work assignment.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 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.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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.