Request for Proposal (RFP)

Communication Consultant for Youth Affairs Council under the President of Ukraine

National Democratic Institute

RFP Release Date: December 21, 2022

BACKGROUND

The National Democratic Institute (NDI or the Institute) has actively supported Ukrainian efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and advance democratic reforms through supporting good governance and citizen engagement, political party strengthening and civil society development, election monitoring and strengthening the political participation of women and youth.

During October 1, 2022 – August 31, 2023, with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), NDI implements the “Ukraine: Supporting Youth-led Reconstructions Efforts, Asset Mapping, and Cities Accommodating Refugees” project aimed to support Ukrainian youth, refugees, civil society organizations and government officials in their efforts to preserve Ukraine’s democracy and rebuild Ukraine. As a part of the project, the Institute will partner with the Government of Ukraine in order to increase youth engagement in peacebuilding and recovery processes and will provide expertise, technical and organizational assistance to the Council.

SUMMARY

NDI seeks consultancy services from a qualified individual to provide communications support for the Youth Affairs Council of the Office of the President of Ukraine. Under NDI’s supervision and in daily cooperation with the Youth Affairs Council, the consultant will support communication activities of the Council in order to raise its visibility. For the duration of the project, the consultant will advise, develop and help implement the communication strategy and plans and will produce and disseminate communication materials.

TIMELINE

Submissions are due by January 9, 2023. Early submissions are encouraged.

The consultancy contract is expected to start in February 2023 and last till August 31, 2023.

NDI reserves the right to contact bidders to seek additional information and clarifications based on the submission of proposals following the submission deadline.

GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK

The selected consultant, in close collaboration with NDI and the Youth Affairs Council, would:

●   Develop a communication strategy and a communication plan for the Youth Affairs Council;

●   Conduct analysis of the target audiences and work with the Council to upgrade the existing and establish new сhanells for communicating;

●   Create a media plan, including mapping the communication channels to be used for the implementation of the communications strategy (including TV, online media and offline communication);

●   Oversee and advise on the management official social media accounts of the Council;

●   Guide and advise on the Youth Affairs Council’s visibility in social media as well as monitor social media pages’ analytics;

●   Identify communication materials for implementation of the communication strategy and plan (posters, announcements, online materials, etc.);

●   Conduct regular evaluation of and reporting on the implementation of the communication strategy and the plan and its updating in case of need;

●   Perform other duties at the request of the Council/NDI.

The anticipated weekly workload is 40 hours. Duties shall be performed offline in Kyiv with possibility to work remotely.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Qualified individuals should submit proposals in English or Ukrainian that include the following to NDI by the aforementioned deadline for full consideration:

1. CV that describes the individual’s previous experiences related to this project, including:

      a. At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in communications, preferably with governmental agencies and or international development organizations and/or NGOs. Experience with youth-focused structures and/or in youth-related communications is a strong advantage;

      b. Proven experience in development and implementation of communication strategies and plans

      c. Excellent writing and editing skills in English and Ukrainian.

      d. Proficiency with management of organizational social media accounts: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram;

      e. Experience in creating different communication products, skills of working with texts;

      f. Understanding of youth political participation, youth infrastructure, Ukrainian legislation related to youth and government-led efforts to support youth initiatives will be a benefit;

     g. Experience in coordinating with diverse stakeholders;

     h. Strong analytical and organizational skills;

2. Contact details (email address and/or phone number) for at least two referees who, if contacted, can attest to the professional background of the candidate.

3. Hourly rate inclusive of all taxes, indicating the currency.

4. Motivational statement in English (up to 500 words) describing previous work background and relevance of previous experience.

NDI may contact potential candidates for additional clarifications on submitted documents. The successful candidates will be selected based on the following criteria: relevant experience, examples of motivation statement and hourly rate. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited for the interview to discuss the background and technical experience.

The bid should be valid for 60 days from the due date of this RFP.

CONTACT DETAILS AND SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Please submit the applications that include the above mentioned in English or Ukrainian via email to [email protected] with the subject line: NDI communications consultant, Youth Affairs Council. The deadline for submitting proposals is January 9, 2023.

NDI will evaluate prospective candidates based on their ability to meet the description of services needed, and professional experience.

Kindly note that there is no option of answering questions regarding this announcement. The candidate should not contact the Youth Affairs Council.

NDI reserves the right to reject any and all bids. NDI reserves the right to consider bids for modification at any time before a contract is awarded. NDI should not be liable for any costs associated with the preparation, transmittal, or presentation materials submitted in response to the RFP. NDI makes no certification as to the accuracy of any item and is not responsible or liable for any reliance on or use of the information or for any claims asserted therefrom. Bids are expected to be valid for up to six months from the publication date of the RFP.

NDI reserves the right to require any prospective contractor to enter into a non-disclosure agreement. All information provided by NDI in this RFP is subject to change at any time. NDI makes no certification as to the accuracy of any item and is not responsible or liable for any reliance on or use of the information or for any claims asserted therefrom.

Bidders must provide disclosure of any known past, present or future relationships with any parties associated with NDI. For example, bidders should disclose if a member of their Board is also a member of NDI's Board currently or in the past, or if they are affiliated (such as a board member, current/past employee or family member, volunteer, etc.) with a civil society organization that is a current, past or planned recipient of NDI funding. The bidder also certifies that the prices offered were arrived at independently and without the purpose of restricting competition with other offerers, including but not limited to subsidiaries and that prices have not been and will not be knowingly disclosed to any other offerer unless required by law. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in NDI having to re-evaluate the selection of a potential bid.

INFORMATION ABOUT NDI

The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government. NDI has been supporting local democratization efforts in Ukraine since 1992.

For more information about NDI, please visit: www.ndi.org.