Republic of Moldova

National Communications Consultant

Vacancy Number: Pr15/01002

Location:	Chisinau, Moldova
Application Deadline:	29 Jun 2015, 23:59 (GMT+2:00)
Type of Contract:	Individual Contract
Starting date:	13 Jul 2015
Reference to the project:	Strengthening National Capacities to Protect the Most Vulnerable from Torture in Moldova
Expected Duration of Assignment:	July – December 2015 (up to 60 working days)
Submission Instructions: Proposals should be submitted online by pressing the "Apply Now" button no later than 23:59, 29 June 2015. Requests for clarification only must be sent by standard electronic communication to the following e-mail: natalia.voronova@undp.org. UNDP will respond by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all applicants.
Supporting Documents: Terms of Reference Individual Consultant Procurement Notice Personal History Form (P11) UNDP General Conditions of Individual Contract

Contacts:

Ms. Natalia Voronova.

Background

Torture remains to be a grave human rights violation in Moldova and not all of the aspects of this violation are addressed properly. The legal framework on general torture prevention and combatting are improving gradually. At the same time, impunity for torture remains one of the most acute problems. Thus, ECHR has released 27 judgments on Moldova in 2012, out of which 13 judgments were on torture and ill-treatment. Prosecutors received 970 torture related complaints in 2012, criminal investigation was started in 140 cases, just 46 cases were sent to the courts and sentences on 37 cases were released regarding 62 persons most of which were sentences with the suspension of execution, some of them acquitted and just one person sentenced to a real prison term.

In February 2013 international standards on freedom from torture have experienced a new milestone development with the release of the UN Special Rapporteur’s on Torture report focusing on the “certain forms of abuses in health care settings that may cross the threshold of mistreatment that is tantamount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”The Report is heavily based on the torture against the most vulnerable groups, including in mental health facilities, and against women and men with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities.

In Moldova about 98,000 persons have psychosocial or intellectual disabilities out of which 21,828 persons were hospitalised to psychiatric hospitals in 2012, about 2,200 persons are held in neurological internats (care homes), and about 3,000 adults are deprived of their legal capacity and thus are legally deprived from the possibility to protect their rights themselves. Women and men, who are held in mental health facilities, are marginalised and unseen in and by the society. They are not empowered to make their voices heard.

The problem of torture and ill-treatment in mental health facilities is an emerging issue in Moldova, which has not been adequately addressed both in legislation and practice in spite of numerous complaints from the part of persons held there. Thus, the pilot Ombudsperson in psychiatric institutions, who is providing legal consultancy and drafting monitoring reports on the situation in psychiatric hospitals and neurological internats, has received in October 2012 – July 2013 (during 9 months of her work) 5622 complaints from 1474 institutionalized persons (960 women and 514 men), all of whom complained about several violations, including 281 complaints (5%) on physical abuse, 674 (12%) – on the lack of information about treatment, 955 (17%) – on the lack of informed consent on institutionalization and treatment, etc. In addition to this, Center for Human Rights (CHR) and National Torture Preventive Mechanism (NPM) have recently released their monitoring reports to several psychiatry institutions listing a number of problems, including the complaints of institutionalized persons on ill-treatment from the part of staff persons of the institutions. Taking this situation into account, National Legal Aid Council has compiled a list of 13 legal aid lawyers wishing to work on cases of persons held in psychiatric institutions in a priority order.

Scope of work

To ensure visibility of the Project and manage all aspects of awareness raising and communication, in full compliance with the applicable visibility guidelines and rules, including via implementation of the Project’s communication strategy, development and dissemination of information and promotion materials, working with sub-grantees to ensure Project’s visibility through the implementation of sub-granted projects. 

In order to achieve objectives the National Consultant shall:

• Take lead on the implementation of the Project’s Communication and Visibility Plan in close partnership with UNDP and EU Delegation media specialists;
• Ensure compliance with all corporate rules and regulations of EU and UNDP in the field of communication and visibility promotion and reporting;
• Identify and cultivate key contacts, cooperation and communication in both print and broadcast media and other organizations;
• Provide communication and visibility support to all Project activities where necessary;
• Coordinate the communication and visibility aspects of the Grants Programme 2014 implementation, assist the sub-grantees in any communication and visibility issues, drafting and publication of success stories, work with them to ensure Project’s and donors’ visibility, supervise the application by the sub-grantees of the visibility guidelines and rules;
• Coordinate and provide support in the implementation of awareness activities on the prevention of torture and other human rights issues in order to build the awareness and zero tolerance of the public towards torture;
• Ensure and maintain cooperation/liaison and information with the UN communication/ programme unit, develop and provide information on and news about the Project implementation for the UNDP website;
• Prepare information about the Projects’ most important achievements to be disseminated through the national media, as well as local and/or regional websites;
• Respond to requests for inputs from UNDP, EU and the beneficiary institutions with respect to communication and visibility aspects of the Project;
• Prepare periodical reports on communication/media activities and contribute to the Project’s reporting in part of communication and visibility issues;
• Undertake any other related tasks requested on an ad hoc basis.

Requirements for experience

Academic Qualifications: 

• University degree in Public Relations, Communication, Journalism or other relevant field. 

Years and sphere of experience:  

• Extensive experience (at least 3 years) in working with the media, developing and implementing media/communications, visibility and awareness raising campaigns;
• Knowledge of the government institutions, NGOs and donors working in the area, mass-media outlets and PR agencies;
• Experience in similar positions in an UNDP and/or EU-funded project is an advantage;
• Effective communication skills with different categories of people, including public officials, mass media and NGO representatives;
• Working knowledge of human rights issues, including torture issues, would be an asset;
• Extensive experience in drafting communication and awareness raising materials;  

Competencies:  

• Good PC skills, ability to use the Internet and office equipment;
• Fluency in Romanian, Russian and English languages;
• Working knowledge of one or more additional languages relevant for Moldova, including Bulgarian, Gagauzian, Romani, Ukrainian or sign language is an asset.  

Personal qualities: 

• Proven commitment to the core values of the United Nations, in particular, respecting  differences of culture, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, language, age, HIV status, disability, and sexual orientation, or other status;
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills;
• Responsibility;
• Creativity;
• Flexibility;
• Punctuality.

The UNDP Moldova is committed to workforce diversity. Women, persons with disabilities, Roma and other ethnic or religious minorities, persons living with HIV, as well as refugees and other non-citizens legally entitled to work in the Republic of Moldova, are particularly encouraged to apply.

Documents to be included

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information in English to demonstrate their qualifications: 

1. Personal information (as a detailed CV or as a Personal History Form /P11) including records on past experience in similar projects/assignments and concrete outputs obtained, including 3 reference persons and their contacts;
2. Cover letter, which should include:

(i) A list of capacity building activities/trainings, reports, analysis documents, or other task related documents the candidate has elaborated or contributed to, as well as experience working for or with relevant State institutions and NGOs;

(ii) Financial proposal (in USD, specifying a lump sum amount).

Financial proposal

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in instalments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR.  In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).   

Payment will be made upon successful submission of deliverables to the UNDP Moldova Justice and Human Rights Programme Analyst. 

Travel 

All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel.  In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources. 

In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. 

No travel costs are envisaged under this assignment.

 

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