I. BACKGROUND / PROJECT DESCRIPTION 

The Programme for Accelerated Community Development aims to help improve rural access to basic social services through the development of socio-economic infrastructure. PACD is a model that provides a vehicle for a multi-sectoral approach to addressing poverty and inequality at the community level and will help the government to respond to social demands through a partnership with development partners to ensure accelerated, multi-pronged, participatory, and accountable delivery of services particularly to far-to-reach populations. The Programme for Accelerated Community Development (PACD) started in April 2020 by The Gambia government is bridging the rural-urban development gap by reaching out to hard-to-reach communities and providing access to basic social services such as potable drinking water, electricity, labour saving devices, and post-harvest processing equipment, exotic livestock breeds for milk production and construction of rural access roads. PACD is intervening in selected rural communities in all five (5) regions WCR, LRR, NBR, CRR, and URR targeting 89 Communities and 539,540 people in 38 Districts. The Pilot Phase ended in December 2021; however, the aim is to consolidate the results achieved and transit towards Phase II in 2022. The year 2022 is used as a bridging phase to complete and scale up some of the activities implemented during the pilot phase. To this end, the government of The Gambia is responding to the social demands through a partnership with UNDP to address the needs of vulnerable communities.

II. OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY

The Communications Consultant will provide support to the PACD Team and is responsible for developing and implementing the communication strategy and plans that increase the exposure of the PACD and participating donors to mobilize public, political, and donor support. He/she ensures strong visibility and positioning of the PACD among the news media by agreed and approved guidelines by the UNDP. He/she will also provide expert communications advice to the PACD team. He/she liaises with all stakeholders, the DSPD, on communications, messaging, and other operational issues.

III. SCOPE OF THE WORK

Specific activities will include:

Strategic Communications

• Develop, review, and implement communications strategy & work-plan, campaigns, events, and other initiatives in support of the PACD
• Provide considered professional communications advice, editorial input, and guidance to support the PACD on an ongoing basis
• Ensure full compliance of communications activities with UNDP rules, regulations, communications, and visibility guidelines.
• Support the development of a Communications Strategy to be included in the formulation of a fully fledge PACD expansion

Technical Communications/development of knowledge & visibility products

• Develop stories, research, write, edit, and publish compelling human-interest stories PACD that is clear, concise, vivid, and effectively convey key messages to target audiences to ensure frequent and regular news updates for the PACD including briefing notes, press

releases, talking points, fact sheets, videos, social media outputs, etc.

• Work closely and support the PACD team to develop quarterly reports for dissemination to all Project Steering Members (PSC)
• Undertake and organize missions, video shoots, and field trips with major news media in support of the PACD and its work by a work plan as approved by the Programme Manager.
• Organize and participate in high-level visibility events that promote the work of the PACD and position it strategically by UNDP Communications and visibility guidelines, work plan as approved by the Programme Manager
• Proofread edit, format, design layout and ensure compliance with UNDP branding guidelines compliance for all PACD reports, visibility materials, and presentations for dissemination to all national relevant stakeholders

IV. EXPECTED OUTPUTS AND DELIVERABLES 

The following deliverables are expected in sequential order:

1. Development of Communications Strategy and Work Plan for PACD
2. Organization of a High-level visibility event that includes the media, donors, multilateral organizations, and the Government of The Gambia
3. Monthly Blog or stories of PACD
4. Final report on the delivery and implementation of the visibility events, campaigns, and branding materials of PACD by the approved work plan

Complete and detailed Terms of reference (TOR) of required consultancy are provided in attachment.

Please submit your Technical and Financial proposals to: [email protected] no later than 30 May 2022

Email subject: “NATIONAL CONSULTANT FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND VISIBILITY ON THE PACD”