UNDP Seeks Communications Agency
This project intends to develop the capacity of MOFA to adapt to the changing work environment through 1) utilizing and developing the capacities and expertise of personnel; 2) applying modern technologies to meet requirements of the diplomatic and consular work; 3) integration of performance according to standardized criteria, operations and systems. In this respect, the Five-Year Strategic Plan of MOFA includes nine strategic objectives as follows: 1) an active foreign policy; 2) support to strong economic policy; 3) effective public diplomacy; 4) distinguished consular services; 5) professional protocol services; 6) organizational excellence; 7) advanced systems and ICT platforms; 8) effective knowledge management for decision support; 9) continuous training and leading diplomatic studies.
In line with the Country Programme Document (CPD) for Saudi Arabia, the support of MOFA’s projects will be crucial through maintaining cooperation with UNDP Country Office in Riyadh during the period 2017-2021.
Through this umbrella cooperation between Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the strategic objectives of MOFA will be initially framed in three broad pillars with the flexibility of modification or addition in line with the various needs of the Ministry. This cooperation comes in an umbrella with details in terms of activities and projects to be identified on an annual basis in support of MOFA’s deputyships. These will be set annually according to MOFA’s priorities and will be reviewed by UNDP’s project management in coordination with the deputyships for submission to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The key pillars under the umbrella cooperation are:
• Strengthening public diplomacy
• Supporting Prince Saudi Al-Faisal Institute of Diplomatic Studies
• Providing advisory services to the organizational units at MOFA: political, economic, specialized, consular, general affairs, technical affairs, planning and development, legal unit and human resources unit.
• Promoting the international representation of Saudi Arabia.
• Supporting the recruitment of Saudi nationals in the UN System
Background:
Saudi Arabia, under the prudent leadership of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Ibn Abdulaziz, has launched the Saudi Vision 2030, which is seeking to achieve a diversified, prosperous economy. In achieving this vision, it is expected that all ministries and Government bodies would strive for organizational excellence, improving their services and qualified personnel, and building highperforming manpower. Looking at the vision, it is evident that it urges Saudi Arabia to open up to the external world, and the need to improve the consular services, as well as strengthening the positive image of the Kingdom, enhancing the regional relations. This accentuates the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the realization of the Vision 2030.
Further, this advances the importance of cooperation with the United Nations System, with particular emphasis on UNDP. On the other hand, this requires promoting economic and commercial activities along with the interaction of the Kingdom with other countries, and the urgency to enhance the public services for citizens, the efficiency of the public expenditures and upgrading resource allocation.
Scope of Work:
Objective:
The Political Science and International Relations Expert should focus on achieving the following:
- A capacity development program at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to include embassies and missions outside the Kingdom, preceded by a training needs assessment summarized in a comprehensive report that includes the following:
I. Institutional requirements;
II. Individual training needs;
III. Training pillars;
IV. Identifying a list of Public Diplomacy stakeholders; and
V. Resources needed.
The outputs of the capacity development program should be as follows:
a) Provide workshops and training(s) on Public Diplomacy as required by the Institute.
b) Develop/update Training Manual
c) Training of Trainers (TOT) to sustain training by the Institute.
1.2 Training toolkits designed in the following subjects:
a) Political Science:
• G20
• The reality and future of OPEC
• Development challenges in sub-Saharan Africa
• Migrants and refugees in the Middle East
• International Negotiations
b) Crisis:
• Crisis Management: Crisis Cell (CC)1
1.3 Conduct studies and provide consultations as applicable.
Duties and responsibilities:
▪ To enable the Ministry’s and Institute’s personnel understand the concept of Political Science and International Relations and to develop their practical capabilities;
▪ To determine pre-training participants’ needs; based upon the assessment, the appropriate training methodology that best meets the needs of the participants should be identified;
▪ To provide workshops related to Political Science and International Relations field;
▪ Upon completion of assigned workshops, to evaluate the effectiveness of the training and make recommendations for improvement; and ▪ To undertake research and assist in the drafting of knowledge products (including lessons learned studies and practice notes).
▪ To provide consultations.
▪ To design training toolkits in the above-mentioned subjects
▪ All experts listed down below shall liaise with each other to identify synergies and avoid duplication in terms of content;
✓ Diplomacy
✓ Public Diplomacy
✓ International Law
✓ International Economy
✓ Political Science
Methodology:
▪ To conduct a training needs assessment summarized in a comprehensive report that includes the following:
a) Institutional requirements;
b) Individual training needs;
c) Training pillars;
d) Identifying a list of International Relations and Political stakeholders; and
e) Resources needed.
Based on the results of the assessment, the expert will:
✓ Design a training manual
✓ Design a training course referred to in 1.1.
✓ Design Training of trainers (TOT) to sustain training by the institute referred to in 1.1.
✓ Prepare a training portfolio for the trainees in each course.
▪ The training course will entail interactive workshops using modern training techniques such as simulation.
▪ The course and materials will be in Arabic
Due Date:
JAN 22
Address:
APCO Worldwide and MWWPR are agencies worth considering for this assignment.
