Request for Expressions of Interest (RFP)

Provision Of Consultancy Services as a Communication Consultant for the Technical and Operational Support in Developing the Nepad Communication Strategy and Action Plan. Procurtement Number NPCA/CEO/CU/CS/52/2017
Closing date: 7th July, 2017

LETER OF INVITATION

20th June, 2017

Dear Consultants,

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST: PROVISION OF CONSULTANCY SERVICES AS A COMMUNICATION CONSULTANT FOR THE TECHNICAL AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT IN DEVELOPING THE NEPAD COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN. PROCUREMENT NUMBER NPCA/CEO/CU/CS/52/2017

1. The NEPAD Agency seeks to hire an individual consultants for the above assignments for Provision of Consultancy Services as Communication Consultant to provide consultancy services as a communication consultant to provide technical and operation support development of the NEPAD communication strategy and action plan.

2. The AUC now invites interested Individual Consultants to submit CVs for the assignment as per attached Terms of Reference (TORs). AUC policy requires consultants to provide professional, objective, and impartial expressions at all times and hold the Client’s interests paramount, without any consideration for future work, and strictly avoid conflicts with other assignments or their own interests.

3. Individual Consultants will be selected under Individual Consultancy Selection procedures.

4. Applications addressed to the Chairperson of NEOPAD Internal Procurement Committee, NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency and must be sent to both emails, Procurement@nepad.org and VincentM@nepad.org . The subject of the e-mail application must bear the procurement number and title of the assignment being applied for.

5. The Deadline for submission of CVs is 7th July, 2017 at 16:30 hours South African Time. Late applications will not be considered.

6. This Request for Expressions of Interest comprise of the following:
Section I – This Letter of Invitation
Section II - Terms of Reference for the two assignments

7. Consultants must submit their letter expressing interest accompanied by their CVs.

Yours sincerely,

Head, Procurement, Travel and Stores Division
NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency
SECTION II: TERMS OF REFERENCE

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST: PROVISION OF CONSULTANCY SERVICES AS A COMMUNICATION CONSULTANT FOR THE TECHNICAL AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT IN DEVELOPING THE NEPAD COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN.
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR COMMUNICATION STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN
Position title: Development of Communication Strategy and Action Plan
Position type: CONSULTANCY
Office/Project: Communication Unit
Key deliverables: • Inception report to confirm brief and detail methodology, project activities and timelines, client liaison and feedback and approval processes
• Review existing communication strategy and identify areas of improvement therein
• Develop a multi-year Communication Strategy and Action Plan (2018 – 2023) with clear and feasible goals
• Engage with and receive input from identified stakeholders at continental, regional and country levels in finalisation of the strategy and accompanying action plan
• Attend and facilitate a two-day workshop in Pretoria, South Africa to receive final input into the strategy
Duration of contract: Two (2) Months
Requirement for travel & Location: Work remotely with weekly meetings at the NEPAD Agency in Midrand, South Africa
Conditions of payment: Stage Payments to be agreed.
Key requirements and competencies:
Education and experience:
i. Consultant must have a minimum qualification of a Master’s Degree in Communications and/or Journalism.
ii. Consultant must have at least ten (10) years post-qualification experience within the public sector or similar institutions, regional organisations/institutions and civil society organisations.
iii. At least three (3) years of such experience must include management level experience in leading and managing comparable public sector institutions or similar organisations nationally, regionally and / or internationally.

Other relevant skills

i. Excellent writing skills with proved experience in developing communication strategies
ii. Excellent working knowledge of computer applications (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publishing Software).
iii. Proven experience in working with international organisations
iv. Excellent interviewing, writing, editing and oral communication skills in English, while French proficiency would be an asset
v. The consultant shall have the ability to meet deadlines and prioritise multiple tasks

Direct Supervisor: NEPAD Agency Communication Unit Supervisor
1. Background
The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD Agency) is a socio-economic flagship programme of the African Union (AU). NEPAD’s four primary objectives are to eradicate poverty, promote sustainable growth and development, integrate Africa in the world economy and accelerate the empowerment of women and youth.
The NEPAD Agency serves as the AU's development agency and implementing body of Agenda 2063 – the continent’s strategic framework for socio-economic transformation over a period of 50 years. It is in this context of reform for better delivery that the NEPAD Agency, through various programmatic interventions with countries on the continent, works towards enabling the continent’s people to see “The Africa We Want” through Agenda 2063.

2. Purpose of the assignment
The services of a consultant are being sought to review the current NEPAD Agency’s communication strategy, and to develop a new five-year communication strategy (a living document) in the context of Agenda 2063 and the precepts for the Agency’s 2018-2023 Strategic Plan.
The objectives of the assignment are to develop a multi-year Communication Strategy and Action Plan that will:
i. Raise the profile of the organisation at national, regional and global levels and with identified audiences;
ii. Ensure effective advocacy and buy-in with key stakeholders of the organisation’s transformation agenda;
iii. Ensure consistency, clarity, accuracy and transparency in the communication and development of messages, with their concurrent packaging, for timely dissemination;
iv. Improve overall communication outreach and knowledge sharing with key audiences.

3. Scope of Work
3.1 Inception report (7 days)
Develop an inception report within 7 days of appointment, after attending a kick-off meeting at the NEPAD Agency in Midrand with the Communication Unit. The inception report needs to cover the assignment brief and outline the methodology, project activities and timelines, frequency of feedback from the NEPAD Agency and approval processes.
3.2 Drafting of the new communication strategy and action plan (40 days)
Undertake the following activities to produce a draft of the communication strategy and action plan:
Review of current Communication Strategy: Assess NEPAD Agency’s current strategy and objectives and identify areas of improvement therein.
Background and supporting documents: Refer to and obtain information from necessary documentation that will support and feed into the development of the new strategy and action plan. The documents include, amongst others, Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want; Agenda 2063: First Ten-Year Implementation Plan 2014-2023; framework and precepts for the development of NEPAD Agency’s 2018-2023 Strategic Plan; 2016 NEPAD Agency Annual Report and 2017 Media Kit.
NEPAD programme communication needs: Develop a template for identifying and capturing communication and advocacy elements and needs from the NEPAD Agency’s programmes and projects, in order for the communication strategy and action plan to position the Communication Unit as a service provider in supporting their work.
Input from stakeholders: Develop a template / templates for capturing and synthesising input from focal persons in the different stakeholder categories for the NEPAD Agency, i.e. the African Union Commission; NEPAD offices in Senegal, Kenya and Nigeria; regional economic communities (The Arab Maghreb Union (AMU/UMA); Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS); East African Community (EAC); Southern African Development Community (SADC); Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and ; Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS); at least five civil society organisations and development partners and African countries.

Completion of first draft of the new communication strategy and action plan: Submit the first draft of the communication strategy and action plan after having undertaken a review all relevant materials and synthesised information received from the NEPAD Agency programmes and stakeholders.
Revision of the draft strategy and action plan: Revise the draft strategy and communication plan after receiving input and comments from the NEPAD Agency within 1 week.
Facilitation of Communication Strategy Validation workshop: Attend and facilitate a two-day workshop in Pretoria, South Africa, to receive final input into the revised draft strategy after validation by a number of key stakeholders.

3.3 Finalisation of the communication strategy and action plan (13 days)
Submit a revised version of the communication strategy and action plan with the identified knowledge gaps, strategic constraints, opportunities, challenges, and potential solutions for addressing challenges, after undertaking the activities outlined above for input from the Communication Unit. Addressing both internal and external communication, the strategy and action plan should outline:
• Communication operation guidelines;
• Branding guidelines;
• Dissemination plan for the organisation’s information and news;
• A list of targeted audiences, media and stakeholders that will inform the action plan towards expanded outreach and increased NEPAD Agency visibility;
• A system for monitoring the effectiveness of the strategy, and;
• An outline of the resources need for effective execution of the action plan. The action plan should also clearly outline tools, activities and implementation modalities that will need to be executed in accordance with the nature of the organisation and its targeted audiences.
Revise the communication strategy and action plan after receiving feedback from the NEPAD Agency and submit the final product within 10 working days.