Journalist(s) to Document Food Smart Cities Initiatives in Hanoi and Danang

TERMS OF REFERENCE
JOURNALIST(S) TO DOCUMENT FOOD SMART CITIES INITIATIVES IN HANOI AND DANANG

1. Background

Rikolto in Vietnam (previously VECO Vietnam) is a member of Rikolto, an international NGO with its International Office in Leuven, Belgium. Rikolto’s mission is to enable and support smallholder farmers to take up their role in rural poverty alleviation and to contribute to feeding a growing world population in a sustainable way. In 2017, Rikolto in Vietnam joined Rikolto’s International Food Smart City Cluster, an international initiative bringing together cities from 6 countries in Latin America, Belgium, Asia and Africa to work on sustainable food systems at the city level.

In 2019, Rikolto’s International Food Smart Cities cluster is engaging in a global learning and communication cycle. The purpose of this exercise is to increase the visibility of food smart city initiatives taking place in partner cities, to generate a sense of pride among local partners, to share best practices and approaches among and beyond partner cities, and to trigger new collaborations in order to scale up our joint impact.

As part of this project, we are looking for a (team of) journalist(s) willing to travel locally around Da Nang and Hanoi to document stories in relation to food smart cities in Hanoi and Da Nang. The stories will be disseminated locally and nationally in Vietnam, and internationally as part of Rikolto’s International Food Smart Cities Communication Cycle.

2. Objectives

The objectives of this consultancy are:

• To provide original news products on the topic of food smart cities in Hanoi and Da Nang to be distributed locally and internationally through Rikolto’s Food Smart Cities’ Communication Cycle.
• To find attractive storytelling perspectives that connect human interest stories to systemic changes at the city or national level.
• To compile inspiring and informative quotations based on interviews with local stakeholders.
• To provide inspiring and informative content to be included in the international publication: “Food Smart Cities: How Cities Spark the Food Revolution”.

3. Reporting and Accountability

During the execution of the project, the Service Provider will regularly inform Rikolto of its progress, either via email or in-person meetings as determined by the project team at Rikolto.

A financial report, all original invoices and time sheets will have to be submitted to Rikolto at the end of the consultancy.

All information collected and/or used to generate the outputs of the consultancy remains the property of Rikolto and must be handed over in its totality when the consultancy is closed. This includes, among others, video footage, texts, infographics, and photographs produced within the framework of the consultancy. Rikolto reserves the rights to reuse the outputs for its communication activities in the framework of its mission.

4. Period of consultancy engagement

The deadline for submission of applications is 07 March 2019 and the planned starting date of the engagement is the signing date of the contract, around 11 March 2019. The deadline to submit all deliverables to Rikolto is 29 March 2019.

5. Payment

The Service Provider will be paid in the following way:

• 25% at the signing of the contract;
• 75% upon approval by Rikolto of all deliverables.

6. Deliverables

The consultant will provide Rikolto with the following deliverables:

• At least 2 news products (i.e. article, infographic, video, photo reportage, etc.) on the topic of “Food Smart City Strategy Development in Da Nang”. At least one of the news products must be in the format of a news article with an 800-1,400 word count.
• The format of the news product is to be approved by Rikolto in consultation with the journalist. The news products must be disseminated in a major media outlet in Da Nang and/or nationally.
• At least 2 news products (i.e. article, infographic, video, photo reportage, etc.) on the topic of “Participatory Guarantee Systems for safe and inclusive food systems in Hanoi”. At least one of the news products must be in the format of a news article with an 800-1400 word count. The format of the news product is to be approved by Rikolto in consultation with the journalist. The news products must be disseminated in a major media outlet in Hanoi and/or nationally.
• A dissemination plan for the 4 news products in order to reach as wide an audience as possible, both nationally, and in Hanoi and Da Nang.
• A list of inspiring and informative quotations from interviews with local stakeholders, together with portrait shots. Among others, the quotations can be related to the following topics:
  
  • Challenges in safe food production, processing, and trading
  • Concerns about food safety and sustainability
  • Vision for the future of cities’ food systems
  • The impact of existing initiatives within Hanoi and Da Nang

The news products can be delivered in English or in Vietnamese. The news products and quotations must be fact-checked, free of spelling mistakes and properly edited and proofread, in consultation with Rikolto.

7. Selection criteria

• At least a bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or a closely related field
• At least 3 years of practical professional experience as a journalist or copywriter
• Good knowledge of the Vietnamese food and agricultural context
• Excellent interviewing and interpersonal skills, and an ability to build a trusting relationship with interviewees
• Strong analytical, synthesis and writing skills
• Ability to connect human interest stories to systemic changes in news articles
• Excellent written and spoken Vietnam.
• Fluency in English is an advantage
• Fast learner and resourceful
• Flexibility and adaptability

8. Submission of proposal

Candidates shall submit the following documents in Vietnamese:

• Up-to-date CV of the consultant, including relevant experience in relation to this consultancy. In case the applicant is an organization, an up-to-date portfolio of the organization should be included
• A proposal that includes the financial and technical aspects of the consultancy (including number of working days, travel costs, VAT, etc.) and the creative approach that will be used
• Sample of previous articles/news products in relation to this consultancy.

Deadline for submission of applications: 07 March 2019, close of business. Rikolto in Vietnam will contact shortlisted candidates for personal interviews. Applications must be addressed via email to Mr. Hoang Thanh Hai, Vegetable Programme Coordinator and Food Smart Cities Focal Point at [email protected].

ToR (Vietnamese)