National Consultant / Community Field Coordinator

UNDP
UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so countries can sustain progress. As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

UNDP Lao PDR
UNDP in Lao PDR works with the Government to build on the impressive progress in economic growth and poverty reduction that has been made over the past two decades. The proportion of poor people has dropped from 46 percent in 1992 to 23 percent of the population in 2015, and annual growth rates are above 7%.
However, these achievements have been accompanied by widening gaps between rich and poor, women and men, ethnic groups, and residents of different regions of the country. Poverty and near-poverty remain widespread in rural areas, standing at nearly three times the rate of that in urban areas. Ensuring that growth is achieved with equity and benefits poor people is central to UNDP’s role in assisting the country in a smooth graduation from Least Developed Country status.

Governance Unit, UNDP Lao PDR
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The UNDP Country Programme for Lao PDR (2017 – 2021) approved by the UNDP Executive Board is currently being implemented. The Country Programme is anchored in its four broad priority pillars – Inclusive Growth and reduced inequality, support to UXO institutions for clearance eventually leading to achieving the national SDG 18, building resilience and environmental sustainability and capable and more responsive Governance. UNDP’s Governance support focuses on 6 core areas of work reflecting the national priorities of the Government of Lao PDR: 1) Public administration reform to improve people’s equitable access to social services, 2) Strengthening the legal/justice sector and the rule of law, 3) Enhancing People’s Participation Through Community Radio, 4) Enhancing people’s participation in the decision-making process, 5) Ending violence against women and gender-based violence, and 6) Report to international mechanism on Human Rights of Person with Disabilities.
The Community Radio
The “Enhancing People Participating through Community Radio (EPPCR) Project” aims to expand the community radio network to more provinces as well as to ensure the sustainability of community radio after the project is completed. Currently, there are ten community radio stations in 5 provinces that can reach about 300,000 people.
Community radio stations, which allow local communities to operate and broadcast their programmes, have helped to harness the relevance of radio to enable people in remote regions to access information in their ethnic languages and engage on issues affecting their lives.
Since 2018, UNDP, MICT / Department of Mass Media and NT2DF Team have worked together to explore the potential of community radio in Nakai Resettlement Area. This preparatory work has shown a high potential for positive impacts in the area. The project responds to ambitions both NTPC and UNDP to establish linkages between various development initiatives in Nakai and to contribute to the 18 SDG.

Summary of the Key Functions:
1. Ensure the sustainability of Nongbuakham Learning Center (NBLC) and Nakai Community Radio (NCR)
• Develop Sustainable Strategy Plan for Nongbouakham Studio
– Organization structure of Nongbuakham Learning Center (NBLC) on volunteer in close consultation with Nakai DICT
– Capacity building of human resource, especially volunteers of NBLC and seeking the potential volunteers who will be local coordinator in the future.
– Radio Program and Schedule of NBLC
– In collaboration with Nakai DCT, lead NBLC volunteer to create concrete plan for fund mobilization Transparent selection process of local volunteer (procedure and workflow)
– Annual equipment maintenance plan of NBLC
• Prepare Annual Work Plan of NBLC
– Collect successful stories of staff and volunteers of Nakai CRs and NBLC
• Ensure the popularity and credibility of NBLC.

2. Identification of potential local coordinator
• Identification of potential local coordinator among volunteer within the District
• Conduct regular assessment and strengthen the capacity of potential of local coordinator, both on technical and soft skills
• Provide on the job training to potential local coordinator on problem solving and strategy planning
• Conduct regular assessment (every quarter) on the needed skills of local volunteers and provide training as necessary

3. Prepare Monthly Report
• Summarize the activities that have been done in the month
• Prepare financial report of NBLC that related to project activities
• Ranting radio programme both on content and quality of broadcasting
• Prepare monthly tracking sheet on audience interest/feedback to improve contents and quality of broadcasting
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• Prepare attendance sheet of NBLC volunteers
• Develop monthly work plan of NBLC action plan

4. Prepare Annual Report
• Ensure expected outputs of the NCR are completed
• Lead volunteer to conduct community mobilization
• Report on the airtime of volunteer
• Monitor and evaluate activities undertaken
• Capture emerging issues and lessons learnt
• Provide clear identification of challenges ahead and proposition of solutions
• Prepare financial report of NBLC

The successful applicant will be expected to be responsible for the following:
Deliver the sustainable organizational structure of NBLC including local CR volunteer recruitment:
• Conduct re Implement the recruitment of local volunteers, ensure project recruits the best and suitable volunteers. Establish community volunteer groups and volunteer activities among the local community and liven it up throughout the year
• Support NBLC in developing the organisational structure so that it functions better and in a sustainable manner.
Deliver sustainable development plan for NBLC:
• Develop sustainable development strategy and action plan for NBLC,
Deliver capacity building strategy and action plan for staffs and volunteers of NBLC and Nakai CRs:
• Identify capacity development needed for staff and volunteers with a focus on using broadcasting materials, data collection, reporting, and budget planning
• Conduct a peer to peer training, facilitate sessions on sharing and exchanging knowledge and skills between new volunteers and experienced volunteers
• Report weekly to Nakai DICT, Manager of Nakai CRs, NT2DF on the progress of skill and knowledge development of new volunteers and provide advice as necessary
• Propose good practices to be broadcasted in the live broadcasting programme
• Identify potential local coordinator among volunteers and provide necessary training to ensure that he/she will be able to carry out the overall activities of NBLC
• Together with Nakai CRs produce community radio operation guidebook
Deliver management of NBLC, ensure its well operation and sustainability:
• Establish a journalist group, in close consultation with Nakai DICT assign the group weekly with workplan (Produce recorded radio programme, news advertisement spot and so on. Number of audio asset can be confirmed later)
• Report to Nakai DICT, Manager of Nakai CRs, NT2DF the weekly on the completed assignment of the journalist group and incoming workplan.
• Monitor the radio programme schedule and skill development of volunteers and ensure the better production and programme performance.
• Provide weekly and monthly report on the operation of NBLC to Nakai DICT
Coordinate with local government, radio stations, other development projects in the area and private sector:
• Provide the monthly and annual report to DICT, EPPCR, UNDP and NT2DF
• Organize quarterly meetings with DICT and EPPCR, UNDP and NT2DF. To report progress and feedback of the implementation, also prepare the coming month work plan.
• Support project to prepare biannual and annual meeting. (timeline TBC)
Monitoring and Evaluation:
• Track audience interest/trend and provide feedback to Nakai CRs for further improvement
• Conduct a group discussion with volunteers monthly to monitor their progress in terms of knowledge and skills development and provide feedback for further improvement

• Collect staff and volunteer stories to promote good practices of community radio in Lao PDR.

• Skilled usage of computers and office software packages
• Lao (“excellent” understanding and comprehension)
• English (“fair”, understanding and comprehension, but with challenges)

• High Diploma or upper qualifications related to the field.
• Minimum of 1 year of Experience on working with community, volunteer, local authorities, development partner and private sector is an advantage.
• Experience in working with radio station is an advantage

Requirements for submission of proposals:

All interested and qualified International or National Independent Consultant should apply on-line using the following links:

UNDP Lao PDR Country Office website at https://www.la.undp.org/content/lao_pdr/en/home/jobs.html  or 

In order to make your submission, please read the relevant documents available on the link below

1. TOR (Annex I)
2. IC General Terms and Conditions _ Annex II;
3. OFFEROR’S LETTER TO UNDP CONFIRMING INTEREST AND AVAILABILITY _ Annex III
4. P11 Form

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

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

1. Technical Proposal

             (i)  Explaining why you are the most suitable for the work;

            (ii)  Providing a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work including the work

                  schedule for the delivery of outputs/deliverable;

1. P11 Form  Education and work experience, including past experience in similar projects and contact references of at least 3 references for whom you have rendered preferably the similar services;
2. Financial proposal:  Detailed financial proposal: Lump sum offer with clear cost breakdown against each deliverable. Please use this template OFFEROR’S LETTER TO UNDP CONFIRMING INTEREST AND AVAILABILITY _ Annex III

Instructions for on-line submissions:

1. Step 1:  Please prepare all required documents electronically;
2. Step 2: Combine all documents in ONE SINGLE FILE (preferably in PDF however Word format can be also accepted) and upload to the UNDP Jobs using the links above;
3. Step 3: After that you will receive an auto reply from the UNDP jobs if your offer is received successfully.

 Incomplete proposals or proposals received after the deadline will be rejected.