Background
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. We work with partners to integrate qualified, highly motivated and well supported UN Volunteers into development programming and promote the value and global recognition of volunteerism. UNV is active in around 130 countries every year. With field presences in over 80 countries, UNV is represented worldwide. UNV is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
In December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution titled “Volunteering for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” (A/RES/73/140). The resolution defined the overall theme of the global technical meeting (GTM2020) as “Reimagining volunteering for the 2030 Agenda” and requested that the meeting be held as a special event on the margins of the 2020 High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development. The main aim of the meeting is for the global volunteering community to effectively position volunteering in the global agenda through enhanced recognition of the engagement and contributions of citizens through volunteering to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The GTM2020 will take place at a critical juncture under the 2030 Agenda. Five years following the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), development actors are looking backwards to best practices and lessons learned and forwards to how the SDGs can be accelerated to achieve their targets over the next decade. Across the globe, Member States and other actors have taken steps to achieve the SDGs by 2030, including many that involve volunteering. However, progress has been mixed, and much work remains to be done. While, for example, extreme poverty has declined considerably, and countries are beginning to take serious climate action based on the ratification of the Paris Agreement, there remain critical areas that require a “much deeper, faster and more ambitious response.”
The GTM2020 will also take place at a time of rapidly evolving social, environmental, economic and political mega trends that bring new risks, create new opportunities, while also changing the development landscape. SDG Progress is increasingly threatened by a climate emergency. Development gains are being distorted by growing inequality. Migration is shifting populations and altering and disrupting social fabric, whilst exponential growth in technology is bringing changes to the way that people live and work. With the focus in 2020 on accelerating sustainable development against a backdrop of unprecedented change, volunteering can be a powerful means to engage people to ensure that global sustainable development efforts are owned by people, implemented by people and for people. However, volunteering – and how to engage volunteering – needs to be “reimagined” so that it keeps agile, responsive and impactful.
While much work has been done to support volunteers, there are significant areas that require further attention. For example, the historical and geo-political legacy of volunteering discourse has largely focused on either international volunteering, mainly from the global North to the global South, or local “charity” work. The value of volunteer actions led by the global South needs to be much better recognised, understood and promoted, with most research to date done by and in the global North. Despite significant changes in the forms and functions of volunteer activities, such as online and micro-volunteering and collection of citizen generated data, over the last decade, they have not been adequately mirrored in policy debates and official processes. Furthermore, how governments safeguard the rights of volunteers against the potential risks of exploitation and ensure safety, security and well-being of volunteers needs to reflect these realities, particularly given that volunteers are often the first responders at times of crises and shocks.
Against this dynamic, complex and challenging backdrop, there is a need to reimagine volunteering and the way that development actors engage with volunteering, backed by a broad and diverse evidence base, to support volunteers to become an integral part of the decade-long push to deliver the SDGs by 2030.
The Strategic Objectives Of The Plan Of Action To Integrate Volunteering Into The 2030 Agenda, Endorsed By UN Member States, Are To
Strengthen people’s ownership of the development agenda through enhanced civic engagement and enabling environments for citizen action;
Integrate volunteerism into national and global implementation strategies for the post-2015 development agenda; and
Measure volunteerism to contribute to a holistic understanding of the engagement of people and their well-being and be part of the monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In line with these objectives, the GTM2020 is to strengthen recognition and support of volunteering through the generation and analysis of existing and new evidence, while providing a platform for the exchange of good practices, knowledge products and lessons learned. The GTM2020 will be the culmination of three years of evidence generation and validation in coordination and partnerships with multiple stakeholders at national and regional levels, in particular those from the global South.
Against this backdrop, four building block ‘workstreams’ will support the overarching theme “Reimagining Volunteering for the 2030 Agenda”.Duties And Responsibilities
UNV is looking for an expert in conceptualizing and graphic design of infographics and data vizualisations for a range of products and materials leading up to the Global Technical Meeting (GTM) on volunteering in July, 2020. The graphics need to be along the brand guidelines of the Meeting but at the same time innovative and usable in both online and offline publications. The consultant will report to the Policy Specialist, Volunteer Advisory Services Section.
Key Deliverables
Key deliverable 1. Submission of concept and guidelines for infographics
The consultant will build from the provided event branding and broader graphic design principles to propose the overall concept and guidelines for infographics, including providing examples of graphs/charts and visuals by objective/purpose that workstream content providers can consider for use in their products.
The guidance should also suggest common factors to be used across all infographics, including but not limited to:The consultant will also produce a format for the workstreams/product leaders to fill out when requesting infographics and providing feedback on draft infographics, to ensure relevant information is provided ahead of discussion and conceptualization.
Key deliverables 2 & 4. Drafts of the different infographics
The Split Of Infographics/data Visualizations Has Yet To Be Finalized But For Indicative Purposes Could Be Something Like
Based on commission by the different workstreams (coordinated by the Policy Specialist) the consultant will provide 25 infographics. File formats could include pdf, png, jpg, gif, eps, svg, or other vector file formats.
Mapping trends and evidence on volunteering for the SDGs: This workstream will help to position volunteer efforts as we scale up efforts for 2030 and beyond.
Volunteering as SDG accelerator: This workstream will move from what we have learned and success-to-date to understanding how volunteerism might contribute to accelerating progress in tackling critical SDG challenges.
Next generation volunteering support: This workstream asks whether and how the package of ‘enabling environment’ solutions that governments and their development partners invest in needs to be updated.
Measuring volunteering for the SDGs: This workstream explores how volunteer measurement efforts might strengthen a people-centered approach to SDGs planning, monitoring and integration.
Typography: fonts
Colour: primary, secondary, colours gradients
Charts: types of charts to be used to show specific relationships/processes/matrices etc
Icons: Likely common icons or concepts such as: connections, innovation, inclusion, cooperation, volunteers, solutions, youth, equality, evidence, policies.
Call to Action (1) – Summary 1-page infographic of the Call to Action – June 2020
Global Synthesis Report (2) 2 x infographics including one gif – April 2020
For Example
One on Plan of Action process
One on Recommendations April 2020
Global Technical Meeting materials; 2 x infographic products to be used for the website, agenda or other materials – May 2020
Workstream 1: Contribution to the SDGs (5); 2 data visualizations/infographics on contributions to the SDGs based on the good practices database including one gif. Due May 2020
1 infographic on volunteer practices/typology. February 2020
1 data visualization based on the results of the global survey. May 2020
1 infographic on results from the global survey. May 2020
Workstream 2: Acceleration matrix (5) 1 x infographic on the acceleration matrix. April 2020
4 other infographics summarizing aspects of the toolkit (1 per section). May 2020
Workstream 3: Next generation volunteering support (5)
1 overarching infographic on trends on 21st Century Volunteering. March 2020
1 infographic on commen elements of an enabling environment. May 2020
3 other infographics based on the outputs of the design blueprints. April 2020
Workstream 4: Measurement (5)
1 data visualization on measurement of volunteer work by countries. March 2020
1 -page infographic distilling guidance for national statistics agencies. March 2020
1-page infographic summarizing the challenge fund papers.Feb-March 2020
2 infographics (decision-tree/process flows) for the toolkit on measurement. April 2020
The consultant is to visually showcase each set of data’s main information and supporting messages and ensure that the overall design is readable, consistent, logical and visually engaging to a non-technical audience. One round of revisions would be required for each design based on consolidated feedback from UNV and partners. Final submissions would reflect the feedback and inputs gathered from UNV accordingly and conduct final changes, in order to create the final infographics in different formats. Provide the infographics, along with the individual elements in different formats – including editable versions – on a download centre. UNV has all rights to the assets.
Key deliverables 3 and 5. Production of other language versions
Production of original infographics will be done in English. Each infographic would then be made available in the remaining five UN langauges: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish. Translated material and any guidance for inclusion in the design will be provided by UNV. Final versions would be provided in the download centre. UNV has all rights to the assets.
Key deliverable 6. Liaison with the knowledge portal developer
The consultant will liaise with the UNV web developer and recommend interactive features for developing a web-based version of at least two data visualizations.
Description Of Responsibilities (scope Of The Work)
Deliverable No of days Deadline
