Communications, Marketing & Visibility (CMV) Consultant

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A. Purpose

The Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (“CCREEE”) is an institution of the Caribbean Community (“CARICOM”), that was established in the framework of the global network of regional sustainable energy centres (“the GN-SEC”) and its sub-network for small island developing states (“SIDS”) in Africa, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific. The CCREEE is the implementation hub for sustainable energy within the CARICOM region and is expected to, inter alia, accelerate the quantity and quality of initiatives, programmes, projects, and activities for renewable energy and energy efficiency in Member States. The CCREEE was operationalised in May 2018, following the entry into force of the multigovernmental Agreement establishing the Centre in April 2018. This, in turn, followed the adoption of the said agreement by the Thirty‑Eighth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, held in Grenada, in July 2017.

The CCREEE operates on a “hub and spoke” ecosystem­‑based model, in which strategic partnerships with stakeholders are critical to the delivery of its services. The stakeholders traverse the entire spectrum of public and private sector, as well as various groupings of non‑state actors – at the global, regional and country levels – that are actively supporting and promoting the region’s sustainable energy markets within CARICOM. To enhance its reputation as the focal point for the delivery of high-quality services within the regional sustainable energy sector, and to demonstrate that the CCREEE is an effective and reliable partner within the global and regional “sustainable energy space”, the Centre has been applying state of the art communications and marketing concepts to, inter alia, attract new funding, technical and knowledge partners, and other strategic alignments. The communication and messaging of the Centre has, so far, been based on a strategy that addresses six (6) areas of Internal Communication, Public Education, Communication Channels, Crisis Management Communication, Communications Reporting, and Social Media Policy and Engagements, which is articulated in the CCREEE Strategic Plan (2019 – 2023). More recently, it was determined that it is necessary for a repositioning in which the CCREEE would function as a “quasi‑commercial” entity whilst maintaining a core set of public‑service obligations. Accordingly, Business Plan (2023 – 2027) that delineates, inter alia, the theory of change and revenue generation framework of the CCREEE for the five‑year period, 2023 – 2027, is in an advanced stage of preparation.

As the CCREEE embarks on this new approach towards the discharge of its mandate, there is heightened recognition of the urgent need to improve the communications management capacity within the Centre.

In accordance with the foregoing, the CCREEE is hiring a Communications and Marketing and Visibility (CMV) Consultant. The Consultant shall:

• Conduct a communications capacity assessment, and develop a results‑focused Communications Strategy, Action Plan and Budget that is sensitive to gender, youth and other vulnerable groups within Member States.
• Manage the implementation of the communications and visibility activities of the CCREEE so as to, among other things:

General

• Improve internal communications among the CCREEE Staff and Members of the Executive Board.
• Re‑imagine the CCREEE Website, Annual Report, and other tools that are outward facing and provide key points of interface for our core stakeholders, including development partners.
• Generate content for the CCREEE website (as well as any subsidiary websites), social media platforms, annual reports, and all communications products, that fall within the responsibility of the Centre.
• Integrate communications into programme management for the CCREEE, and to support the roll‑out of new initiatives, programmes, projects, and activities.
• Facilitate dialogue (e.g., via blogs, communities of practice, etc.) among internal and external subject matter experts and thought‑leaders on areas that are of strategic importance to the CCREEE and the regional approach to energy security.
• Facilitate an enhancement of direct communications between the CCREEE and end-beneficiaries of the initiatives, programmes, projects, and activities of the Centre, and to facilitate the mechanisms for beneficiaries to tell their stories of the benefits realised from the CCREEE‑supported interventions.

Resource Mobilization

• Support the “ramping up” of resource mobilisation efforts through, inter alia, improvements to the visibility and image of the CCREEE as a fit-for-purpose institution that is attractive to regional and international development partners, thereby increasing the development resources that are available to support the work agenda of the Centre.
• Reinforce to Member States, the role and importance of the CCREEE to the realization of their respective visions, goals, and targets on sustainable energy, encouraging their continuing and consistent collaboration and cooperation with the Centre, and also promoting their exploration and exploitation of opportunities to participate in the initiatives, programmes, projects, and activities of the Centre.
• Support the rollout of the five‑year Business Plan (2023 – 2027), with focus on promotion of the critical elements of the Plan and the provision of clarity on the role of the Centre in supporting the establishment of secure and resilient energy supplies within the region through the Plan.

The CCREEE Business Plan, and the People‑centric Focus on Social Cohesion and Inclusiveness

• Promote stakeholders’ awareness on the status of implementation of the CCREEE Business Plan, highlighting linkages and contributions to the regional and Member State Policies, Strategies and targets on sustainable energy.
• Sensitise development partners, private sector, civil society, and other stakeholders, on opportunities to collaborate on and contribute toward the attainment of increased social cohesion and economic inclusiveness, through the work agenda of the CCREEE that identifies and implements solutions related to sustainable energy based needs and opportunities that target vulnerable and at­‑risk groups, i.e. women, the elderly, youth, rural‑folk, etc.
• Continually sensitise stakeholders on the mandates, goals, objectives and work agenda of the Centre, with focus on how they many inform and influence the development of work plans across the programming cycles.
• Coordinate the ongoing implementation of all the CCREEE marketing and communications activities, to include the provision of leadership on the design and implementation on specific marketing and communications for bespoked initiatives, projects, activities, and events, when required.

B. Scope of Work

The Consultant will execute the following activities:

Communications Capacity Assessment, Strategy, Action Plan & Budget

• Review of documentation, to include (but not limited to) the CCREEE Strategic Plan (2019 – 2023), the CCREEE Business Plan (2023 – 2027), the CCREEE Work Plan (2023 – 2024 in the first instant), and the CCREEE Communication Strategy and Implementation Plan (2022), and liaising with the Executive Board, Technical Committee, Management Team, staff members, and key strategic partners, to understand the vision and strategic direction of the CCREEE as it moves into the Second Operational Phase (November 2022 – November 2025), to determine, inter alia, the existing communications management capacity and capacity gaps relative to the requirements for supporting the attainment of the strategic objectives of the Centre.

• Conduct a detailed assessment of CCREEE’s communications management needs and prepare an Assessment Report that details the findings and recommendations, which will inform the Strategy, Action Plan and Budget. Recommendations must address the issues of workflows for managing content generation and institutional arrangements – including the individual and collective capacities of individuals within the Centre, and the working arrangements among them – that are necessary for the effective implementation of the Strategy.

• Produce the CCREEE Communications Strategy, Action Plan, and Budget, aligned to the CCREEE Business Plan (2023 – 2027) and the CCREEE Work Plan (2023 – 2024).

Implementation of the Communication & Visibility Activities

• Under the guidance of the Head of Technical Programmes, liaise with technical officers within the CCREEE to develop in-depth understanding on the guiding philosophies, strategic pillars, and programme of work for the Centre, so as to determine, inter alia, the current status, outlook, achievements to date, opportunities and challenges, and the future expectations.
• Examine the current Communication Strategy and Implementation Plan for the CCREEE, with particular focus on the communications and marketing initiatives, actions, and activities implemented to date.
• Develop an Interim six-month Action Plan and Budget for supporting the ongoing communications, marketing, and visibility for the CCREEE. The expectation is that the Interim Action Plan would benefit from and improve on the current Communication Strategy and Implementation Plan for the CCREEE, which would be reviewed in (v) above.
• Implement the Interim Action Plan and, eventually, the successor Final Action Plan, to include the development and dissemination of fit‑for‑purpose products and materials communication, marketing and visibility of the CCREEE, in general, as well as the initiatives, projects, programmes, and activities of the Centre, in particular.
• Manage the use of the CCREEE Websites (including any subsidiary sites), social media sites, and other channels for communication, to support bi‑directional interactions with stakeholders and to direct marketing and visibility activities.
• Monitor, and submit concise Monthly Reports, on implementation progress, with particular attention to the effectiveness of the actions delivered within the Interim Plan and Final Plan.

C. DELIVERABLES

The Consultant shall produce the following deliverables:

Communications Capacity Assessment, Strategy, Action Plan & Budget

• Draft Work Plan for completing the assignment, within two (2) weeks of contract signing.
• Final Work Plan, within one (1) week of receiving comments on the draft.
• Assessment Report, within three (3) weeks of the acceptance of the Work Plan.
• Draft Communications Strategy, Action Plan, and Budget, within four (4) weeks of receipt of feedback on the Assessment Report.
• Final Communications Strategy, Action Plan, and Budget, within two (2) weeks of receiving comments on the draft.

Implementation of the Communication & Visibility Activities

• “Interim” (Six‑Month) Action Plan and Budget for supporting the ongoing communications, visibility, and marketing requirements of the CCREEE, within two (2) weeks of contract signing. The expectation is that the Interim Plan will be replaced by the Final Communications Strategy, Action Plan, and Budget, when approved.
• Communication and Visibility Products, in accordance with the “Interim” and Final Action Plans, when required.
• Monthly Performance Updates, within one (1) week of each month‑end.

D. DURATION, LOCATION & REPORTING

The Consultancy is expected to commence in February 2023 and would last until January 2025. The Consultant is expected to provide at least twenty (20) hours per week, towards this task.

The CCREEE is headquartered in Bridgetown, Barbados. The assignment will comprise desk based and virtual work at the Consultants home‑base with visits to Barbados, when required.

The Consultant will report to the Head of Technical Programmes (HTP) and is expected to work closely with a Communications Working Group, inclusive of communications experts from Regional partner institutions, to deliver on the task.

E. ROLE REQUIREMENTS

Citizenship: 

Must be a citizen of a CARICOM Member State

Core Values:

Core Competencies:

E. QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

The Consultant should possess the following:

• An advanced degree in one or more of the following disciplines: Mass Communications; Development Communication; Organisational Communications, Journalism, or other relevant fields.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of experience designing and leading the implementation and evaluation of results-focused communications and marketing strategies. Preference will be given to candidates who are experienced in working with multinational, culturally diverse settings within either international development agencies, regional institutions, or the private sector. Caribbean experience, in particular, will be highly valued.
• Experience in managing peer‑to‑peer sharing and knowledge management platforms, internet and social‑media sites, learning management systems, and other tools for the sharing of information, exchange of knowledge, the building of capacity, and awareness‑raising. Experience in project management is not required but is highly valued.

Other Competencies:

• Ability to work under pressure, meet tight deadlines, and handle politically and culturally sensitive issues.
• Fluency in written and spoken English; knowledge of Spanish or French would be an asset.
• Flexibility and adaptability to varying work and travel schedules.

APPLICATIONS:

Interested and qualified candidates are invited to submit their application to the CCREEE at recruitment@ccreee.org by the latest 16 January 2023. Applications shall comprise the following documents in English:

• CV (incl. detailed description of qualifications, work experience and technical papers)
• Motivation letter (max. one page)
• Scanned copy of passport
• Scanned copies of educational certificates

Further information on the CCREEE is available at: www.ccreee.org.