National Communications Consultant

Result of Service The main output of this consultancy is the design and finalization of a national communications campaign plan against forest crimes aimed at a) raising awareness on the legal sanctions of illegal logging and trade, and b) promoting behavior that will help keep illegally harvested or traded timber out of the supply chain. The consultant will be leading this work, which includes drafting the plan, managing and overseeing stakeholder engagement processes, mapping key actors and influencers, gathering and analysing data, identifying approaches, messages and interventions and keeping track of the progress of the plan. Upon finalization of the campaign plan and in order to ensure greater continuity and integration of the plan within wider efforts to reduce forest degradation in Vietnam, the consultant will support VNFOREST to develop a broader and long-term communications strategy aimed at promoting sustainable forest management in the country in five years.

Output1: Design and finalization of a national communications campaign plan aimed at raising awareness on the legal sanctions of illegal logging and trade, and on promoting behavior that will help keep illegally harvested or traded timber out of the supply chain. Deliverables 1: a. Draft and finalized workplan for the assignment (10/01/2022) b. Stakeholder consultation meetings’ material and minutes (15/03/2022) c. Draft national communications campaign plan aimed at raising awareness on the legal sanctions of illegal logging and trade, and on promoting behavior that will help keep illegally harvested or traded timber out of the supply chain (01/04/2022) d. Final national communications campaign plan aimed at raising awareness on the legal sanctions of illegal logging and trade, and on promoting behavior that will help keep illegally harvested or traded timber out of the supply chain (30/04/2022)

Output 2: Development of a five-year national communications strategy on sustainable forest management, integrating the communications campaign plan. Deliverables 2: a. Draft and finalized national communications campaign strategy on sustainable forest management (14/05/2022)

Work Location Home Based – Viet Nam

Expected duration 15 December 2021- 15 May 2022

Duties and Responsibilities The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

UNEP’s Asia and the Pacific Office geographically serves 41 countries across the region to promote and implement sustainable development solutions. It assists countries of the region pursue sustainability, particularly in their implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development including technical expertise, facilitating access to finance, undertaking cutting-edge science-policy assessments, offering advisory services and strengthening laws, policies, management and governance.

UNEP works with national and local authorities, civil society, other UN organizations, research institutions and the private sector to catalyze the efficient use of the region’s natural assets and reduce the degradation of the environment.

As part of its country activities, UNEP (together with FAO under the UN-REDD programme) is implementing the UN-REDD project ‘Addressing Forest Crime through Improved Governance in the Lower Mekong Region’ (hereafter ‘the LMR project’). The project is supported by the government of Norway and implemented in five Lower Mekong countries, namely Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

The LMR project aims to increase national commitments to legal and sustainable trade and investment in wood products in the region and supports countries to reduce the likelihood of forest crime and illegal logging by strengthening forest and land use governance, and ultimately reducing deforestation and forest degradation. The project is intended to promote dialogue, policy alignment, and compatibility within the region, boost cooperation between LMR countries and China, and improve sustainable management of forests across the region and beyond. The project has been designed for an initial implementation period of 2 years (2020-2021) with the potential for a 3-year second phase.

Illegal logging and trade continue to persist in VietNam, although it remains challenging to estimate their actual extent, volume and monetary value. In response, the Vietnamese government has enforced legal frameworks to combat the issue. In 2019, it signed the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) in Forestry Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) with EU in 2019, and recently ratified the Agreement Between the United States and Vietnam to Resolve Timber Section 301 Investigation in 2021. These agreements provide the groundwork for obtaining and verifying legally sourced in Vietnam and keeping illegal wood out of the market. However, although these provide opportunities to cull illegal activities and shift to more regulated markets, there have been repeated violations due to difficulties in tracking and prosecuting violators, and the relatively low fines compared to the financial gains to be accrued from illegal trading. Additionally, the general public which sometimes witness such violations do not generally perceive illegal logging and trade as a ‘serious crime’. Thus a complete shift in mindset and behaviour within the general public and law enforcers, including with sellers, traders, and consumers would be essential. One way to track down illegal activities and engage with target groups will be through monitoring online sites and marketplaces and e-commerce, where illegal wildlife and wood are being traded.

The National Communications Consultant will support VNForest to develop a national communications campaign plan aimed at raising awareness on the legal sanctions of illegal logging and trade, and on promoting behavior that will help keep illegally harvested or traded timber out of the supply chain. The campaign will target e-consumers and traders active in illegal trading online,and will leverage behavioural insights and communications interventions to transform behaviours to abate illegal logging and trade in communities in Vietnam. At the same time, the consultant will also develop a broad, five-year communication strategy on sustainable forest management, forest protection, development and the forestry law enforcement, reducing deforestation and fighting forest crimes. These products will focus on:

1) Promote an increase in the awareness of the general public, and law enforcers on what is illegal timber, its impacts on environment and natural resources, what can be done to stop illegal logging (e.g. use of legal timber, responsible consumption and businesses): The communications campaign plan and national communications strategy will target the law enforcers, traders and loggers (more specifically, it will target enforcement officers on the point of sale of illegal forest products – sawmills, wood processors, and markets and shops, and at export points, enforcement agencies to implement the law, forest violators, community leaders and local citizens for forest monitoring and surveillance, and general public, i.e. users of forest products) and the general public to enhance their awareness, perceptions and knowledge on the incidences, sanctions and effects of illegal logging and trade, and the legal frameworks and regulations that are in place. A situational analysis and initial data gathering will be conducted as a basis for developing simple communications messages, materials and interventions that will help the target groups understand how illegal trade occurs what data and evidence exists, why it happens and what can be done against it, and why taking action matters.

2) To motivate a shift in the behavior and attitude of the general public, traders, timber industries and law enforcers to keep illegally traded or harvested timber out of the supply chain by reporting and persecuting illegal activities; The communications campaign plan and national communications strategy will seek to identify harmful behaviour of the target groups that condone the occurrence of illegal wood trade and associated crimes as well as their capabilities, opportunities and motivations for change. Based on such data, the campaign will make use of behavioural insights and nudges to change existing/harmful or adopt a new behaviour to halt forest crimes and illegal wood trade.

The position is home based and will require regular visits to the VNForest office in Hanoi, VietNam. The National Communications Consultant will work under the direct supervision of the UN-REDD Asia Pacific Communications Officer and in close collaboration with the LMR project country team (the National Project Coordinator and Technical Advisors) and under the technical guidance of UNEP regional team. UNEP will be responsible for the quality control and will provide final approval of the national communications plan.

Specifically, the National Communications Consultant will deliver the following:

a. In consultation with VNForest, develop a workplan for the assignment (incl. stakeholders list and consultations), integrating feedback from LMR project team, and aligning it with relevant ongoing plans and activities on strategic communications (from both the Government and non-Government actors);

b. Support the organization and facilitation of a kick-off meeting (to be organized by FAO and VNForest) to consult with relevant stakeholders to: - Take stock of relevant ongoing plans and refine/finalize the workplan for the assignment, - Identify the main goal(s) of the campaign, key messages, audiences, objectives, etc and develop an outline of the national communications campaign plan;

c. In consultation with VNForest and the LMR project team, draft the national communications campaign plan in local language. It is expected that the campaign itself will be not exceed one year. The national communications campaign plan will focus on leveraging communications activities to raise awareness around illegal logging and wood trade. The campaign plan will detail: - the main goal(s), key program outcomes and purpose - situational analysis of wood trade and illegal logging in VietNam - the theory of change and communications analysis - communications outcome and outputs (incl. how communications interventions can change behavior and stir action) - the audiences (incl. a mapping of stakeholders and their role during implementation). The strategy shall also include an engagement plan for stakeholders and audiences who cannot be easily reached via mainstream media sources, - the distribution channels (traditional media, broadcast, web, social media, etc.), - the priority communications tools and platforms (such as events, theme days, social media, web, etc), - a media rollout plan, and other communications activities (as relevant) - the timelines that ensure the campaign will reach the envisioned targets most effectively and timely, - Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that can measure achievement against the targets .

d. In parallel with the communications campaign document, prepare of a coherent communications budget estimate required for effective uptake and delivery, with a detailed breakdown covering the campaign duration;

e. Present the draft version(s) national communications campaign plan for review and feedback during a series of meeting with pre-identified stakeholders (incl. the LMR project team), and integrate comments;

f. Support the organization and facilitation of a national consultation meeting (to be organized by FAO and VNForest) to present the final draft of the national communications campaign plan and collect final feedback and integrate comments

g. Finalize the national communications campaign plan in the local language and ensure consistency of its English translation (to be done separately);

h. Develop and finalize the five year national communications strategy building on the national communications campaign plan in the local language.

Performance indicators for evaluation of outputs 1. Lead the development of an ambitious yet practical national communications plan aimed at raising awareness on the legal sanctions of illegal logging and trade, and on promoting behavior that will help keep illegally harvested or traded timber out of the supply chain for VietNam in the local language with associated budget estimates for the activities required for meeting the objectives outlined in the strategy; 2. Building on the national communications campaign plan, lead the development of a practical national 5-year communications strategy for VietNam.

The National Communications Consultant will be responsible for supporting the implementation of activities under 1.6. Specific deliverables are as follows: 1. Draft and finalized workplan for the assignment (incl. stakeholders list and consultations); 2. Meetings’ (kick-off, consultations) material and minutes; 3. Draft and finalized national communications campaign plan on illegal logging and wood trade 4. Draft and finalized national communications strategy on sustainable forests management and governance

Qualifications/special skills Academic Qualifications: - A university degree in environmental affairs, social sciences, behavioral sciences or development communications

Experience: - At least 7 years of experience in environmental affairs, forestry, behavioral science or communications - Proven ability to develop and execute nationwide communications/behavioral change campaign plans and activities - Excellent knowledge in forestry or environmental issues is a plus. - Working experience with international organizations/public sector an asset

Language: - Excellent command of English language (oral and written) and Vietnamese language.

Skills: - Demonstrated networking, knowledge management and communications skills, and ability to work with different stakeholders efficiently - This vacancy is for Vietnamese citizens only

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.