International Consultant – Coordinating Writer

Background

The ocean hosts the world’s largest connected ecosystem that provides humans with essential life supporting functions and amenities. Accordingly, environmental sustainability for the ocean is of universal concern.

Most countries’ economic and social development is based in part on healthy and productive coasts and the ocean, with this “blue wealth” of growing importance. Significant gains in terms of wealth and poverty alleviation can be expected from ocean sustainability by protecting marine biodiversity, securing equitable access to ocean resources, while wisely managing their utilization, and reducing marine pollution. In order to ensure that future UNDP programmes of work are fully aligned and in recognition of the importance of the ocean and coasts’ role in sustainable development, UNDP is planning to launch a publication that will highlight the importance of fully integrating the ‘blue’ (oceans, seas and coastal environment) into the emerging post-2015 sustainable development agenda and making sure that this ‘last frontier’ development is done in a sustainable and responsible manner. It will present success stories that highlight key outcomes of UNDP’s work supporting countries in the marine and coastal settings. This includes work on biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation and mitigation, shared governance of international waters, poverty reduction, disaster risk reduction, and crisis response and recovery. By showcasing successes in enhancing both environmental and development goals, the publication will provide evidence of the interlinkages between the ocean, seas and coastal management work and sustainable human development.

Furthermore, the publication will synthesise a future strategy seen from UNDP’s point of view on ocean, seas and coastal development linking such development to the overall sustainable development philosophy of environmental, economic and social sustainability. The publication will be produced in printed and digital/electronic form. In addition to providing a synthesis of lessons learnt and the future we want, the publication will add value to UNDP knowledge management through the process that will be followed to generate content. The work will bring together different practices within to achieve better synthesis between policy and programming in the new Bureau for Policy and Programming Support (BPPS). The final product will feed into and reflect the process of building a community of practice of excellence in ocean, seas and coastal management in UNDP, and position UNDP as a lead ‘think-tank’ regarding the ‘blue economy’.

A Bangkok-based UNDP-GEF EBD Regional Technical Advisor (RTA) will be overseeing the development and production of this publication, through an intersectoral approach that integrates across the various focal and practice areas of UNDP. A focal person will be identified in each ‘section’ of UNDP that has some of its work in coastal/marine environments and wishes to participate actively e.g. including the UNDP-GEF teams on Ecosystems and Biodiversity, Water and Oceans, Chemicals, Low Emission and Climate Resilient Development, Adaptation, Energy, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology, expertise on poverty and crisis recovery from the Sustainable Development cluster in BPPS, as well as, expertise from the Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction cluster. These focal persons will assist the consultant and RTA in the preparation of text and photographs for chapters and also serve on a task team, which will ensure that the publication is cross-practice and fully integrated. The task team will be involved in deciding on the thematic areas / chapters to be covered in the book, and in generating material through participation in a webinar of approximately 30 invited participants from UNDP staff / projects to undertake analysis of marine and coastal sustainable development issues, characterise UNDP’s work and identify best practice case studies, share lessons and analyse critical success factors, and set out UNDP’s strategy going forward.

The UNDP-GEF team requires a lead consultant (main writer and coordinator) to work closely with the RTA as lead focal point in the development of the publication “The Sea – My Life: Analysing and Showcasing UNDP’s Support to Countries on Sustaining Marine and Coastal-Based Livelihoods”. The consultancy entails extensive and in-depth research, high-quality writing, and a commitment to deadlines while at the same time demonstrated flexibility with regard to shifts in deadlines and processes that might occur.

Duties and Responsibilities

Define thematic areas/chapters and process:

• Identify, together with the lead focal point, the necessary ‘sections’ within UNDP whose work touches on marine and coastal areas and where it is felt that their presence/expertise is beneficial for evaluating past work and /or defining the future work, in order to assemble a task team to assist in the finalisation of the publication;
• Together with the lead focal point, define the intended audiences and strategies to reach them, and develop a project plan including estimating costs, developing a production schedule, and procuring editing, design & layout, and printing services;
• Provide an overview and briefing session to task team members to orient them on the work that will be undertaken to generate the content of the publication, the objectives of the process, the intended audience, and the quality of the final product;
• Acquire initial information. This will involve interviewing of task team and other identified knowledge persons in UNDP and outside, brainstorming with task team, general analysis, function and process analysis, and concept mapping;
• Lead the discussion and facilitate the process on the initial selection of thematic areas/chapters of the publication, and come up with a draft table of contents for the publication which will, through the task team, be shared more widely in UNDP for feedback;
• Based on the initial information, develop together with the task team a draft basic outline of the publication, and revise it to incorporate feedback from UNDP, ensuring an organisational ownership of the publication.

Prepare original content:

• Organise and facilitate a webinar. Together with the task team conceptualise and help organise a knowledge management webinar of approximately 30 invited participants from UNDP staff/projects to undertake analysis of marine and coastal development issues, characterise UNDP’s work and identify best practice case studies, share lessons and analyse critical success factors, and set out UNDP’s strategy going forward;
• Study/research thematic area information, write and edit chapters, in close collaboration with the task team. The consultant will act as liaison person between the knowledge persons, field staff, Country Office staff and the task team and will be required to follow up directly with these persons after initial introduction by the task team;
• Compile facts about each thematic area into a standard format, which will be presented with each chapter;
• Draft a foreword, introduction, glossary, table of contents, glossary, reference list, and acknowledgements;
• Prepare text for a flyer (200 – 300 words) for the publication launch event (venue and event to be decided).

Incorporate feedback and finalise material:

• After the draft text is reviewed by the task team, Principal Technical Advisors, Regional Technical Advisors and other reviewers within the UNDP system, the consultant will incorporate revisions related to content and/or language. Where applicable, the text will adhere to branding standards for language and presentation;
• Work with an editor to finalise the text and mark it up for layout, review and correct three sets of proofs, as they are laid out by the designer;
• Liaise with task team to collect photographs, and prepare visual briefs for graphic designer (diagrams, maps, graphs etc), as well as captions. Work with graphic designer and printing company to finalise and print the publication.

Deliverables:

• Deliverable 1: Outline of the publication;
• Deliverable 2: Draft text as a Word document (of approximately 60,000 words);
• Deliverable 3: Final proof-read text with design mark-up, including preliminary introduction and end pages (acknowledgements, contents, foreword, glossary etc.) and captions;
• Deliverable 4: Set of draft photographs, graphic design briefs for diagrams, maps and graphs;
• Deliverable 5: Final publication document ready for distribution.

Time-frame and duration:

The consultant will work for 45 days from mid-June to mid-December 2015. It is noted that due to the nature of the consultancy, there will be periods of time when no actual writing or research will occur because the writer will be waiting for either text clearances from UNDP and/or layouts from the designer. Below the planned timeline for completion of the project:

Indicative Timeline:

• Recruit Consultant – June 2015;
• Identify and start initial communication with focal person of task team – June 2015;
• Engage contributors – June – September 2015;
• Together with task team, decide on thematic areas/chapters – June – September 2015;
• Research, writing process – August – October 2015;
• Editing – August – October 2015;
• Together with task team, organise and facilitate, together with lead focal point, a knowledge management workshop to undertake analysis of marine and coastal sustainable development issues, characterise UNDP’s work and identify best practice studies, share lessons and analyse critical success factors, and set out UNDP’s strategy going forward (pending available funds) – October 2015;
• Source photos and artworks – October – November 2015;
• Design and mock page lay-outs for approval – November 2015;
• Peer review of text and mock chapter lay-out – November 2015;
• Design and layout of full publication – December 2015;
• Printing – December 2015;
• Publicity and distribution – December 2015.

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

Applicants must submit an all-inclusive daily fee financial proposal based on anticipated number of work days.

The total amount quoted shall include professional fees for completing all deliverables described below. The contract price will be a fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration (if necessary).   As noted above, when calculating his/her financial proposal, airfares and living allowances should not be included in the financial proposal.

Payments will be made upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of the deliverables and as per below percentages:

• Deliverable 1: 10% of total contract amount;
• Deliverable 2: 30% of total contract amount;
• Deliverable 3: 30% of total contract amount;
• Deliverable 4: 10% of total contract amount;
• Deliverable 5: 20% of total contract amount.

Information on Working Arrangements:

• Estimated level of effort including travel days: 45 days (possible 5-days mission);
• The Consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• The Consultant will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
• Payments will be made upon submission of a certification of payment form, and acceptance and confirmation by the Supervisor on satisfactory delivery of outputs.

Travel:

• Possible 5-days mission to Messina, South Africa;
• Missions must be approved in advance and in writing by the supervisor;
• Consultant will be responsible for making his/her own mission travel arrangements in line with UNDP travel policies;
• The Advanced and Basic Security in the Field II courses must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
• Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director;
• The consultant shall be solely responsible for taking out and for maintaining adequate insurance required to meet any of its obligations under the Individual Contract, as well as for arranging, at the consultant’s sole expense, such life, health and other forms of insurance as the consultant may consider to be appropriate to cover the period during which the consultant provides services under the Individual Contract;
• Consultants are required to comply with the UN security directives;
• Consultants are responsible for obtaining any visas needed in connection with travel with the necessary support from UNDP;
• All related travel expenses will be reimbursed as per UNDP rules and regulations upon submission of an F-10 claim form and supporting documents.  Costs for mission travel (airfares and living allowances) should not be included in financial proposal.

Location: Home-based with possible mission travel

Application deadline: 12 June 2015

Read more and apply here.