Home-based Consultancy: Revise, copy-edit and proofread SBC Case Studies and other strategic documents (18 working days) – Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO)

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, deliver.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

The purpose of this consultancy is for the selected Consultant to review, proof-read and copy-edit the content, including checks on grammar, style and spelling to strengthen overall clarity and quality of writing. For some of these case studies the consultant may need to conduct substantial rewriting/revising and reworking the text.

Background

Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) is an implementation strategy used in development and emergency programs to promote social cohesion, address GBV, support mental health and child protection, enhance education, and ECD. SBC has been integrated into preparedness and response plans in recent emergencies, including public health emergencies, the earthquake response in Türkiye, and the large-scale humanitarian and refugee crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.

UNICEF integrated SBC from the start into its refugee response plans across six offices to engage with Ukrainian refugees and host communities in neighbouring countries to promote life-saving and positive practices.

To document SBC interventions and achieved results, UNICEF ECARO SBC has commissioned a team of consultants to develop six case studies highlighting SBC’s application in the humanitarian response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis in Europe.

Objectives

This assignment seeks an individual consultant to review, copy-edit, and proofread the six case studies (6 pages each) on integrating SBC into the Ukraine Refugee Crisis Response in neighbouring countries and additional strategy documents. The total number of pages to be reviewed, copy edited and proofread is approximately 46-50 pages.

Under the supervision of the Regional SBC Specialist, the consultant will review, proof-read and copy-edit the content, including checks on grammar, style and spelling to strengthen overall clarity and quality of writing. For some of these case studies the consultant may need to conduct substantial rewriting/revising and reworking the text.

The consultant will be provided with Word documents. The content should be revised using track change mode. If any of the content will require further technical clearance following the changes proposed by the consultant, he/she should flag (as a comment in Word) what needs to be addressed/revised by the SBC Specialist until further revision from the consultant.

The content for revision will be provided in two blocks: The first block will contain the six Case Studies (approximately 36 pages) and the second block will be a concept note on SBC contribution to emergency preparedness and response (approximately 10 pages).

Scope of Work

• Comprehensive editing to improve the writing style (revising/rewriting as well as replacing technical terms with simple words) to ensure clarity, correctness and consistency as well as make it easy to understand for outside readers.
• Conduct an analysis of the structure of texts, rewrite individual fragments of the text, rebuild sentences, remove unnecessary repetitions and eliminate ambiguity.
• Copy edit and proofread to ensure accuracy in grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Correct errors and spelling; correct issues at the core of writing such as sentence construction and language clarity.
• Edit the style to make the document make sense as a whole.
• Ensure the text is written with clear style, using UNICEF editorial standards.
• Check for and eliminate discriminatory language.
• Point out factual inconsistencies, unclear and hard to understand passages, and suggest solutions.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / Milestone Deliverables / Outputs Timeline / Deadline Proof-read and copy-edit the concept note on SBC contribution to emergency preparedness and response (approx. 10 pages) Draft copy-edited concept note on SBC contribution to emergency preparedness and response, with proposed adjustments and suggestions to improve the document flow and style.

2 working days;

By November 2024

Finalize ECHO document and provide a clean, finalized version of the document incorporating all approved edits and revisions. Final concept note on SBC contribution to emergency preparedness and response.

1 working day;

By November 2024

Proof-read and copy-edit the content on the developed six Case Studies (approx. 6 pages each) Draft copy-edited case studies with proposed adjustments and suggestions to improve the document flow and style.

10 working days;

By November 2024

Finalize Case Studies and provide a clean, finalized version of the document incorporating all approved edits and revisions. Final case studies

5 working days;

By November 2024

Estimated Duration of the Contract

18 working days between September and November 2024.

Consultant’s Work Place and Official Travel

The Consultant will be remote/home-based with no travels foreseen.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

Please submit a professional fee (in USD) based on 18 working days to undertake this assignment.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, English literature, Communications or any other relevant fields.
• Minimum five (5) years of experience in professional editing.
• Proven record of edited reports, publications or documents in English.
• Experience in report writing and editing of UN agency documents, preferably UNICEF.
• Experience in professional editing in the area of emergency preparedness and response is an asset.
• Fluency in English.
• Access to internet throughout the consultancy period.
• Ability to work in track changes in Word.
• Ability to deliver on time as committed and be responsive to all communications from UNICEF ECARO.
• Technical skills in production, editing, and ability to write quickly, clearly and concisely in English.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most marginalized children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Please include a full CV, Cover Letter, and samples of recent relevant work (attachments or hyperlinks) in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and professional fee (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a professional fee will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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