International Consultant to assist the United Nations Country Team in Turkmenistan (UNCT) to develop design of the print-ready UN Country Results Report 2020 in English, Russian and Turkmen

Background

Turkmenistan joined the United Nations on 2 March 1992 as a new independent state. Since then, the UN has been supporting Turkmenistan to achieve its national priorities, which respond to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

This work is undertaken through the realization of UN-Turkmenistan joint programmes and Joint Work Plans and with recognition of the distinctive mandates of each of the UN agencies. To ensure coordination of joint efforts, the UNCT and the government developed and implemented a joint 5-year Turkmenistan-UN Partnership Framework for Development (2016-2020).

The UNPFD 2016-2020 had eight outcomes aligned with the priorities defined in the National Programme for Socio-Economic Development for the period 2011-2030 and in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda. The outcomes cover strategic areas: Quality data and progress monitoring; Quality, inclusive social services; Environmental sustainability and energy efficiency; Employment, economic diversification, and trade; Governance and the rule of law.

To highlight the Government of Turkmenistan and UN achievements in 2020 under the UNPFD 2016-2020 and following the 2019 United Nations Sustainable Cooperation Framework Guidance, the UN Country Results Report 2020 will illustrate the UN’s contribution to the advancement of the SDGs and encompass achievement stories and vision for the 2020. The publication, which will be developed in Turkmen, Russian and English, will serve as an advocacy and communication tool for the Government of Turkmenistan, other national stakeholders, and development partners. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the UN RCO Team Leader, the qualified individual will.

• Develop/ format the 2020 Results Report into the established design template, in three languages (English, Russian and Turkmen). International consultant will receive the translated text to develop language copies;
• Design compelling graphics as needed, to supplement the standard indicator progress charts that will be provided;
• Quality assure the report to ensure texts, graphics and annexes are of high quality and consistent with information provided by the team;
• Develop the online version of the report for further release on UN Turkmenistan website.

The Report will be a maximum 25-page publication highlighting the activities and achievements of the UN and Government in the country under the final year of UNPFD 2016-2020. The designer will be provided the new Guidance and template for UN Country Results Report.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

Based on the information received from UN RCO in Turkmenistan and following the guidelines, the Consultant shall be tasked to accomplish the following expected deliverables:

• Develop layout of the publication including the table of contents, proposed design, and graphic/charts of the publication balancing narratives with visualizations;
• Develop ideas for graphics and charts that creatively convey key messages/data in the report, as well as write captions for the photos in the publication;
• Structure and edit all inputs and information provided into a uniform, easily readable draft publication, which communicates clear results;
• Edit photo materials provided by the UN agencies;
• Prepare and submit draft design of the publication to the UNCT and RCO for comments and suggestions;
• Consolidate comments from the UNCT, RCO and submit a final design of the print-ready file within set deadlines to ensure on-time production of the publication in the original Adobe Indesign files and high- and low-resolution pdf documents;
• Prepare language copies in English, Russian and Turkmen using the provided translations;
• Develop the online version of the report for further release on UN Turkmenistan website.

Expected deliverables:

The expected outputs are outlined below:

Deliverable 1:

1. Develop a first draft of the publication according to the Guideline for UNCT Results Reports and UN Branding Guideline using the received materials: text and photos;
2. Develop ideas for graphics and charts that creatively convey key messages/data in the report, as well as write captions for the photos in the publication;

Estimated duration to complete: Within 6 days of receiving materials/information.Total days assigned to this deliverable: 6 days.

Deliverable 2:

1. Prepare final print-ready copy based on the feedback received from UN agencies in English;
2. Prepare Turkmen and Russian versions using the final English publication upon receiving translation;
3. Provide electronic files for the web and native files of the publication in English, Russian and Turkmen languages;

Estimated duration to complete: Within 2 working day of receiving UN feedback on final draft. Total days assigned to this deliverable: 4 days.

Institutional arrangement:

The incumbent is expected to work in coordination with UN Programme Communications and Advocacy Officer under the overall guidance of the UN Strategic Planning Officer and RCO Team Leader. She/he shall regularly update the UN RCO on the progress of implementation of the assignment. All organizational and informational support for the expert will be facilitated by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office.

Duration of the Work:

The duration of the assignment is 10 working days within 1 month. The assignment shall start in March 2021 with the final, approved product to be submitted by end of March 2021. The expert will have home-based work.

Payment Conditions:

This is a lump sum contract that should include costs of consultancy to produce the above deliverables. The final schedule will be agreed in the beginning of the consultancy. Payment will be done in two installments based on the quality and timeliness of presented outputs after acceptance of them by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office.

1. 60% of total fee under Deliverables 1-2 upon submission of the first draft of the publication;
2. 40% of total fee under Deliverables 3-5 upon submission of the finalized print-ready version of the publication.

All costs related to the assignment will be covered by RCO in Turkmenistan.

Competencies

The successful candidate is expected to have good knowledge of UN and extensive experience in public outreach and working on UN communication products.

COMPETENCIES:

• Shares knowledge and experience and provides helpful feedback and advice;
• Ability to identify beneficiaries’ needs, and to match them with appropriate solutions;
• Excellent communication and interviewing skills;
• Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view;
• Ability to handle a large volume of work under time constraints;
• Focuses on result for the client;
• Strong organization skills with critical eye for detail;
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and juggle multiple tasks at the same time;
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills; demonstrated client orientation, sensitive to working in a multicultural environment;

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in graphic design or any other related qualifications including art and design;

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in graphic production from start to published/printed product with knowledge of printing processes (offset and digital) and color management. At least 3 examples of previous works to be listed;
• Strong theoretical and practical background in graphic design, including the use of design software such as Adobe Design Premium, In-Design, CorelDraw, Final Cut HD, web design tools such as Dreamweaver and Flash, etc. At least 3 examples of previous works to be listed;
• Clear and mature style of design, demonstrating an understanding of the communication requirements of UNCT Results Reports; At least one example of UNCT Results Report to be listed;

Language requirements:

• Fluency in English, knowledge of Russian would be an asset;

Evaluation of proposals:

Individual Consultants will be evaluated based on the combined scoring methodology. When using this method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant and having received the highest score – out of 100 points.

Out of the maximum score, the score for technical criteria equals 70% - maximum 70 points, and for financial criteria 30%.

The technical evaluation will consider the following as per the scoring provided:

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, in graphic design or any other related qualifications including art and design- 15 pts;
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in graphic production from start to published/printed product with knowledge of printing processes – 15 pts;
• Strong theoretical and practical background in graphic design, including the use of design software such as Adobe Design Premium, In-Design, CorelDraw, or similar; demonstration of at least 3 examples of previous works to be listed - 25 pts;
• Clear and mature style of design, demonstrating an understanding of the communication requirements of UNCT Results Reports At least one example of UNCT Results Report to be listed -25 pts;
• English language -10 pts;
• Russian language – 10 pts;

Submission of applications:

All experts applying for this position are required to provide:

• Cover Letter which contains a brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment (maximum 1 page);
• Financial Proposal with the references to (1) deliverables within the timing scale indicated in the present TOR, and (2) any other expenses (including transportation costs, accommodation costs and etc.); Template of the form can be found at http://www.tm.undp.org/content/turkmenistan/en/home/procurement.html . The UNDP will enter into an Individual Contract based on a lump sum amount. The financial proposal shall represent a detailed, justified and “all inclusive” amount.  In order to assist UNDP in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount, including: a daily fee for the tasks and an estimated duration as specified in this announcement, travel (to and from the missions), per diems, any other possible costs (including vaccinations, dwelling, communication etc.);
• Personal CV form including experience in similar projects and contact details of referees;
• Reference/Sample of previous works as indicated above.

Additional requirements for recommended contractor:

Recommended contractors aged 65 and older, and if the travel is required, shall undergo a full medical examination including x-ray, and obtain medical clearance from the UN-approved doctor prior to taking up their assignment. The medical examination is to be cleared by the UN physicians, and shall be paid by the consultant.