Consultancy Opportunity
Background
The USAID SHIFT project is USAID Vietnam’s five-year, flagship PEPFAR program operating from 2016- 2021. As a high-profile USAID and PEPFAR-funded project, USAID SHIFT is expected to deliver high-quality English language deliverables and communications products on a very frequent basis. These include both contractually stipulated deliverables, such as weekly bullets and monthly and quarterly progress reports, as well as numerous ad-hoc products, such as technical strategies and presentations. In addition, the project is responsible for organizing frequent external events with both national and international stakeholders, including PEPFAR leadership, members of the United States Congress and State Department leadership, the United Nations and Global Fund. USAID SHIFT is seeking a native English-speaking consultant to support the full-time Senior Communications and Knowledge Management Officer and Technical Director to these ends.
Objectives
The hired consultant shall provide the following services to all units under USAID SHIFT Initiative:
- Review, edit and ensure the quality of English language deliverables and communications products
The USAID SHIFT project produces numerous English language materials in line with donor requirements and in a significant number of technical domains, from outreach to key populations to data systems, antiretroviral therapy and social health insurance. In addition, as an acquisition award (versus a grant or cooperative agreement), USAID SHIFT’s deliverables and products must strictly align with USAID requirements for branding. Therefore, the project requires an English language consultant who is well familiar with USAID branding and marking requirements for acquisition awards; who has impeccable English language editing skills; who is highly responsive to short turnaround time requirements; and who can handle multiple, concurrent high priority tasks. The consultant must also be familiar with the Vietnamese health system and PEPFAR programs. Ideally, s/he will already have some familiarity or knowledge of the USAID SHIFT project and/or multiple technical domains in which the project operates. S/he will be responsible for working with all technical units within the USAID SHIFT project to solicit, review, edit and ensure the English language quality of their products. Doing so will require superb interpersonal communication skills and ability to build a professional rapport and positive working relationship with numerous staff.
- Help organize and support project events
The USAID SHIFT project also convenes approximately two key events per month at which the donor and/or other major project stakeholders are present. These include reviews of priority province progress to achieve HIV epidemic control, site visits to SHIFT-supported facilities by VIPs (including members of the US Congress, US State Department, Vietnamese government, and/or PEPFAR leadership), and workshops to share project technical strategies. Such events must be very well-organized and all logistics and materials well-designed and prepared in advance. On-site support is also needed to ensure that the events run smoothly from all aspects, and reflect USAID SHIFT’s role as a leading project in the HIV response. An experienced communications consultant is needed to work with the one communications staff member (a local national Senior Communications and Knowledge Management Officer) to prepare, organize and support such events. The consultant must have prior experience organizing project events in Vietnam effectively, and can therefore anticipate common challenges and issues which, if not addressed appropriately, would diminish event outcomes.
- Strengthen staff capacity in English language writing and presenting and advanced Communications
The USAID SHIFT staff is progressively transitioning responsibility from ex-patriate to local personnel. These responsibilities include preparing and delivering high-quality English language presentations. A consultant is required who will coach and support local national technical staff and leaders to do so progressively. S/he will do so under the direction of the Technical Director, to prioritize staff and determine the specific types of English language presentations to prepare (e.g. informal discussions on technical topics with the donor, as well as formal presentations for larger audiences using PowerPoint). Furthermore, the consultant will help strengthen USAID SHIFT local national staff capacity in English language writing.
Therefore, the consultant must have experience not only in writing and editing but preferably in strengthening Vietnamese local national English language skills as well. Again, her/his ability to build trust and a positive rapport with a variety of staff will be essential.
In addition, USAID SHIFT will be newly recruiting a Senior Communications and Knowledge Management Officer (SCKMO) in July-August 2018. The Communications Consultant will, under direction of the Technical Director, work to strengthen this staff member’s knowledge and skills in advanced communications areas. These may include how to adhere to USAID requirements for acquisition awards; how to effectively plan, organize and support events; how to develop effective success stories following USAID requirements; and how to produce other key communications products.
Tasks and Deliverables
The consultant will deliver services to the USAID SHIFT for up to 81 days from the period August 1st – December 31st, 2018. Key tasks are as follows:
- Draft and/or edit select weekly bullets, following latest USAID SHIFT Vietnam guidance and requirements
- Work with USAID SHIFT and relevant Technical personnel and/or units to develop two success stories while ensuring the products are written for relevant target audiences and in line with USAIDS SHIFT and technical team guidance
- Edit English language drafts of project document, materials and presentations including:
Quarterly provincial progress review PPTs;
Technical strategies, materials, presentations, reports and ad-hoc communications
TA provider profiles and CVs
- Work with Senior Communications & Knowledge Management Officer (SCKMO) to plan and organize project events, including:
- Developing event preparation plan
- Identifying materials to be produced
- Developing materials with input from technical teams
- Working with Operations to coordinate all event logistics
- Anticipated events include workshops to release project technical strategies or tools, site visits by US and Vietnamese government representatives, and meetings to review progress in specific domains
- Support Technical Director to develop staff capacity in communications and knowledge management
- Reviewing and providing feedback and coaching to strengthen staff English language presentation and writing skills
- Building SCKMO advanced capacity in project communications in areas identified with Technical Director
- Copy editing Quarterly Progress Reports and Monthly Progress Reports
Requirements
- Native English speaker
- Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, communications, marketing or a related field
- At least 5 years of relevant communications experience
- Experience in branding, communications and editing
- Strong writing skills
- Keen attention to detail
- Good time management and ability to prioritize
- Ability to work independently while also earning respect and building rapport among superiors
- Familiar with the Vietnamese health system and PEPFAR programs
- Event organization experience, including media relations
Preferred
- Familiar with USAID branding and marking requirements for acquisition awards
- Some familiarity or knowledge of the USAID SHIFT project and/or multiple technical domains in which the project operates
Reporting
The Consultant will report to Megan Averill, Technical Director, USAID SHIFT
Cost and Payment Schedule
Total work under this contract is for up to 72 days. The consultant will be paid at a daily rate, plus travel and accommodation costs in accordance with USAID SHIFT policy.
The consultant will be paid upon satisfactory completion of deliverables and upon receipt of an invoice
Submission of CVs/Resumes and USAID 1420 form
Interested persons should send their detailed curriculum vitae with letter of application in English and a completed USAID 1420 form [1] (template attached) by July 23, 2018 to [email protected] [2]