Міжнародна ГО «Donau Soja» для локального офісу в Україні та реалізації 5-річної Програми стратегегічного партнерства за підтримки Австрійської Агенції з Розвитку (Austrian Development Agency) шукає фахівця з комунікацій та PR. Дедлайн - 10 квітня 2017 р.

Donau Soja with funding from Austrian Development Agency is seeking for the Long-term PR & Communication Expert/ Consultant

 ssuance Date: March 30, 2017

Closing Date: April 10, 2017 

 for the following assignment/ service:

1. Context/ Background of the Assignment

Donau Soja is a non-profit association which has subscribed itself to increase the production, processing and use of soya in Europe. The mission of the Association is to increase Europe’s self-sufficiency in soya, to promote sustainable agricultural practices and to contribute to the development of rural areas. Its members are representatives from the entire value chain who combine their efforts to change the way soya is produced and used in Europe. Donau Soja serves as a platform for information exchange, business promotion and trade facilitation, know-how and technology transfer, fostering innovation in breeding, cultivation and processing, and for promoting dialogue on European level. Donau Soja currently has more than 240 members in 16 European countries who are all devoted to increasing cultivation of high quality non-GM soya in Europe. More about Donau Soja hear - http://www.donausoja.org/en/home/

Programme Building sustainable, inclusive and well-functioning value chains for Non-GM soya and organic soya in Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina is planned to be implemented by Donau Soja (DS) in cooperation with the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) in Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina over a period of 5 years (2017-2021).

The overall objective of the program is to build sustainable, inclusive and well-functioning value chains (local, regional and international) for non-GM soya and organic soya in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine until 2021.

The Program proposes measures in nine areas (components: Production and processing, Value chain development, Awareness raising and sensitisation, Certification and labelling, Business environment and policy framework, International market development, Knowledge and technology management and transfer, Project development and Technical assistance, General administration and programme management) planned to be implement by Donau Soja through numerous measures and activities.

All Program activities are to be implemented according to General Contract Conditions (Allgemeine Vertragsbedingungen), considering DS and standards in international development, with special emphasis of DECD Standard (http://www.enterprise-development.org/dced-guidance/).

Knowledge is prerequisite for consumers to make an informed decision. However, to gain knowledge, consumers need to have access to reliable information sources. This is especially the case regarding the use of GMOs in the food chain as well as the benefits of a labelling scheme for consumers, as non-GMO labelling and certification schemes don’t exist yet in the target countries or can’t be trusted by consumers. For that purpose, Donau Soja will implement a set of activities to inform consumers in the target countries about agriculture and food production systems in general and related to health, food safety and quality, environmental issues in particular. Information regarding the utilization of GM compounds in food and livestock production is also disseminated. The following activities will raise the interest of consumers in high quality products and in turn trigger them to purchase them. Hence Donau Soja will promote awareness raising through information sharing and intensification of the public debate regarding these issues. An emphasis will be put on brand building as a key element of the Donau Soja marketing program.

2. Objective of the Assignment 

• Develop and implement communication strategy in Ukraine
• Propose and conduct awareness raising activities on issues with respect to agricultural systems, rural development, pesticide use, GMOs in food, food quality and safety, environment
• Promote the idea of a European Protein Strategy and the establishment of a European standard for non-GM/GM-free production, supports implementation of national policies, and raises the awareness of consumer for environmental issues and product quality.
• Increase consumer awareness and changed consumer behavior through labelling (which is key in informing consumers as it increases transparency with regard to the characteristics of a product and will ultimately help them to make an informed decision).
• Dissemination of information about health, food safety, and environmental aspects of agriculture and food production, regional and local agriculture and products, GM and regional value chains.

3. Expected Outputs

• A strategic document on Donau Soja promotion, communication and marketing in Ukraine is available for ADA-DS Programme Building sustainable, inclusive and well-functioning value chains for -GM soya and organic soya in Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Monthly reports on awareness raising activities and results are available.
• Soybean producing / collecting / processing/food companies are selling DS/ES certified products on national, regional and international markets
• Consumers are aware and informed/educated about importance of non-GMO labelling of products. Evaluation methodology is proposed and implemented.

4. Tasks/Activities

The Expert/ Consultant will provide his/her professional input to perform the assignment consisting of the following specific tasks:

• Development of communication strategy (Plan and goals -short-term & long-term; communication channels-offline & online, partners, communication concept and frequency)
• Initiate informational events for media
• Support Programme strategic partners in cooperation with media and ensure proper coverage of Programme related activities in media
• Ensure digital and social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, ES Web-site etc.)
• Support organized by DS events with relevant media coverage
• Develop marketing strategy, provide support in marketing activities implementation to certified value chain participants selling their products on local, regional or international markets
• Cooperation, strategies alignment and experience exchange with DS regional offices and HQ in Vienna

 5. Time schedule and organization

The assignment should start by End of April 2017 and is expected to be completed at the latest by 31 December 2017 (with the possibility of extension annually till the 31 December 2021 based on annual tender results).

The Expert/Consultant is expected to use DS local office but his/her supplies for the assignment.

Part-time employment by Donau Soja local office in Ukraine is also possible.

6. Key Qualifications Required:

The expert proposed to undertake the assignment should have the following qualifications:

Education:

A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing or other relevant field.

Experience:

1. At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in Communication, PR or Marketing,
2. Knowledge and experience in work on food and agribusiness related projects is preferable,
3. In-depth knowledge and familiarity with communication and marketing instruments.

Competencies:

1. Excellent communication, analytical, writing and project management and organizational skills
2. Excellent ability to communicate in English both written and spoken and excellent drafting and presentation skills.
3. Demonstrates integrity and high ethical standards
4. Ability to work in an independent manner.

The expert/consultant has to provide detailed CV. The expert/consultant should also include a list of similar work experience/assignments/consultancies/references done indicating name of client plus the nature of assignment.

If Expert/Consultant is offered through a Company- the Company has to be legally authorized to undertake the required consultancy work and company profile and business license must be provided.

7. Reporting

The Awareness raising and communication report should be submitted monthly, before the 5th of each month. The report should include:

1)      Update operational plan & budget of the Programme

2)      Activities implemented, proof of implemented activities (relevant documents, e.g. list of media, KOL’s. strategic documents etc.; photo, video, publications, registration lists, media monitoring etc.)

3)      KPI’s reporting (number of publications, likes, appearances etc.) in line with the preliminary agreed objectives within the Strategic Communication and Operational Plans 

For submission of CV, proposal and questions please contact:

DS Representative in Ukraine, Inna Ilienko – [email protected], +38-073-481-20-08