Call for Consultant: Writing, editing, and design

Company Description

SNV is a mission-driven global development partner working in more than 20 countries across Africa and Asia. Building on 60 years of experience and grounded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we work on the core themes of gender equality and social inclusion, climate adaptation and mitigation, and strong institutions and effective governance. Together with our team of over 1,600 people, our mission is to strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems, which enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all.

For more information on SNV’s operations, visit our website: www.snv.org. 

Project background 

SNV is implementing Sustainable Energy for Smallholder Farmers (SEFFA), a multi-country project that supports scalable, innovative business cases using renewable energy services and technologies to improve production, and the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the dairy and horticultural value chains in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda. SEFFA is an EnDev project co-financed by IKEA Foundation with a project duration of three years (Jan 2021-Dec 2023).

The SEFFA project takes a market-based approach and aims at increasing the availability of productive use of energy (PUE) technologies and services. Through the project, SNV and partners demonstrate the feasibility of PUE and the economic potential PUE investments for smallholder farmers.

Purpose of the job

The main purpose of this assignment is to support the SEFFA project team in developing accessible knowledge materials and visualising selected information through the production of engaging graphics.

Towards achieving this, the consultant will undertake written, editorial, and/or layout and design tasks, at the request of the Regional MEAL Advisor.

In addition, the consultant will be requested to develop social media messages for specific materials that will be promoted and disseminated widely.

The five-month assignment will commence in August 2023. For every material written, edited, designed, or laid out as part of this assignment, a maximum of three review rounds with SNV will be implemented.

The team will prepare all written documents in the SEFFA three countries (Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda). Will be handed over to the editor with clear deliverables.

Job Description

Written and editorial tasks

In their written or editorial work, the consultant is expected to strictly apply SNV’s editorial and referencing instructions. It is also their responsibility to ensure that messaging across all deliverables is presented in a consistent and coherent manner. 

For this part of the assignment, the consultant will undertake any of the following, depending on the level of writing or editing agreed upon with the assignment’s supervisor:

• Present written text in a succinct and accessible manner, rewriting based on the agreed content structure with the supervisor.
• For substantive or content editing work, improve readability and overall presentation, rewriting complex, or wordy sentences.
• Ensure consistency in argumentation, highlighting contradictory statements and potentially erroneous facts.
• Fact-check information in diagrams and boxes, ensuring that numbers and information correspond to those presented in the main body text.
• Align information in in-text citation and reference list, highlighting those that are missing or incorrect for the lead author’s completion.
• Review and correct errors in punctuation, capitalisation, spelling and grammar, and syntax.

Deliverables include but are not limited to technical documents such as research studies, assessment and evaluation reports, briefs, factsheets, articles for the web, and social media texts.

To facilitate a smooth review process for written and editorial work, the consultant is requested to track changes for the supervisor’s review. For materials where the consultant serves as the writer, they will make sure to address all comments and feedback posed by SNV.

3.2 Design and layout

In their design and layout work, the consultant is expected to mostly adhere to EnDev’s brand guidelines. For infographics developed for and by SNV, the graphs will carry the colours and brand identity of SNV

For this part of the assignment, the consultant will undertake the following:

• Layout and design select written materials on EnDev’s publication templates, which will be shared by the Regional MEAL Advisor.
• Develop SNV-EnDev publication templates, e.g., brochures or briefs, following EnDev brand guidelines.
• Transform and visualise text-based information, creating engaging infographics.

All designs and laid-out materials produced as part of this assignment will be delivered to SNV as follows:

• For publications:
• complete, open, and packaged InDesign publication files.
• two formats: a press-ready file (with print bleeds) and a web-compliant interactive file (reduced size, complete with hyperlinks, and laid out in separate pages [not spreads]).
• Infographics, diagrams, and other artwork found in publications:
• open design files
• in high-resolution PNG or JPG files

Deliverables include, but are not limited to SNV-EnDev branded publications (different types) and infographics, diagrams, etc.

Qualifications

The consultant shall be selected solely based on their CV. Based on the below criteria the total score will be out of 100.

• At least 15+ years of experience in substantive/content editing with the capacity to pull out key highlights from technical pieces, presenting these succinctly and in an engaging manner. (Score 30)
• At least 10+ years of experience in graphic design or has design expert support – with the minimum number of years of experience – to deliver to 3.2 tasks. (Score 25)
• Has a track record working with SNV. (Score 25)
• Preferably, has a track record working on ENDEV materials or has track record to easily adopt to brand book. (Bonus)
• Review of samples of their written/edited and design work. (Score 20)

Note: When firms/organisations are invited to propose individual consultants, only the CVs of individuals shall be used in the selection process, and that the firm or organisation’s experience shall not be. considered. And the contract will be signed either with the firm/organisation or the proposed individual(s).

Additional Information

How to apply?

The detailed terms of reference and information on how to apply can be obtained by clicking the following link: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pZMdjMP8IrJDGG8bXwF6_53JpiP3cxJHA5dUdvarPww/edit?usp=sharing

Interested individuals are requested to submit their CV, motivation letter, and samples of their written/edited and design work via smart recruiter by 04 August 2023.

For any clarification and questions use the following address

SNV Ethiopia, Roosevelt St. jobs-near-me.org On the way from AU to Mexico Square, next to Shebele Clinic; telephone: +251 (0)11 616 6232 ; Email: bassefa@snv.org.

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