Purpose of assignment
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the United Nations reproductive health and rights agency that contributes to the expansion of possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy and productive lives. It is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
In East and Southern Africa (ESA), UNFPA works to improve the lives of women and young people in 23 countries in the region. UNFPA focuses on impacting the lives of women and young people by empowering them; the agency seeks to ensure that they enjoy universal access to reproductive health and realize their reproductive rights – including in humanitarian crises. UNFPA places gender equality and human rights at the heart of this.
The UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) seeks a consultant to provide editing and proofreading services. The consultant will report directly to the Regional Communications Advisor, with the Media Specialist providing technical guidance.
The consultant will work off site and be available for meetings, if required.
Scope of work
The selected consultant will work under the direction of the Regional Communications Advisor to edit and/or proofread English language documents, ensuring high quality content for publication purposes, in line with the following:
Light edit: Correcting spelling errors, grammar and punctuation. Correcting incorrect usage. Checking specific cross-references, ensuring consistency in brand style and checking for proper sequencing (such as alphabetical order) in lists and other displayed material.
Substantive edit: Performing all the tasks for a light edit in addition to rewriting where necessary to improve flow, changing text and headings to achieve parallel structures, ensuring consistent style and tone, ensuring previews and summaries reflect content, and flagging unclear or incorrect statements.
Proofreading: Ensuring consistency of written and visual content in line with the UN online editorial manual as a style guide.
Duration and working schedule: The consultant will be pre-vetted and contacted as and when documents reach editing/proofreading stage. The contract will start on 1 April and end on 31 December 2020.
Place where services are to be delivered: The concluded work is to be submitted electronically to the ESARO office through the Regional Communications Advisor.
Delivery dates and how work will be delivered: The selected consultant will be expected to deliver their work electronically by the agreed due date.
Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline: The selected consultant will be required to provide regular updates via email to monitor adherence to tight production schedules.
Supervisory arrangements: The selected consultant will work under the supervision of the Regional Communications Advisor and/or Media Specialist.
Expected travel: The consultant will not be expected to travel.
Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements: The selected consultant must meet the following minimum criteria:
- Excellent written and oral English, as a first language, is required;
- 7 or more years’ experience in editing and proofreading is required;
- Experience in working for UN agencies is an advantage;
- Knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and rights programming, particularly for adolescent girls and young women, is an advantage.
Inputs/services to be provided by UNFPA, if applicable: UNFPA will provide all relevant background documents to help inform the editing and proofreading processes, as well as guidance for clarification purposes.
Please submit your CV and cover letter to Marielle Sander (sander@unfpa.org) and Lindsay Barnes (barnes@unfpa.org) by 23 March.
Kindly indicate your daily rate. Applicants that exclude this information will not be considered.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
