Terms of Reference for Report on Indigenous Peoples’ emerging uses of ICTs

UNESCO’s Small Islands and Indigenous Knowledge Section is recruiting a consultant to produce the report:

Indigenous Peoples’ emerging uses of ICTs

Background

Ten years after the adoption of the Geneva Plan of Action and on the path towards the targets set for 2015, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is undertaking a systematic review of the implementation of its objectives. Article 15 of the WSIS Declaration states: "In the evolution of the Information Society, particular attention must be given to the special situation of Indigenous peoples, as well as to the preservation of their heritage and their cultural legacy.” Indigenous peoples and communities often face multiple barriers to effective participation in political and decision-making processes, including barriers of infrastructure, connectivity, social inequality and racial prejudice, language, economic inequality, and inappropriate education. However, around the world, they are working to overcome these barriers in partnership with NGOs, private sector, governments and international organizations by developing innovative software, modifying hardware and using existing tools in innovative ways to, among other things: preserve and promote their cultural heritage, indigenous knowledge, practices and languages; to exchange experiences and best practices; to develop and implement community development projects; and to manage their heritage, including landscape and biological diversity.

UNESCO seeks a consultant to undertake a foresight report by reviewing the global state of this emerging trend and make recommendations for future developments. Spanning the mandates of all five of UNESCO’s programme sectors (Education, Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, Culture, and Communication and Information) it will also assist the Organization in identifying its future strategic directions and programming priorities in relation to the aspirations, innovations and needs of indigenous peoples, as well as shaping its strategy within the post-2015 UN development framework.

Objectives and outputs

The objective of this research is to assess achievements and gaps as experienced by indigenous peoples in areas relevant to WSIS and its plan of action, with particular attention to the C8 line of action on “Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content”. It should identify emerging trends that can guide policy-making and strategies post-2015.

Working closely with the relevant Unit at UNESCO, the consultant shall:

  • Carry out a meta-survey of available databases, publications, best practices and other relevant information related to indigenous peoples’ applications of ICTs;
  • Consult with the Indigenous Peoples’ International ICT Task Force to ensure their input into the survey.
  • Carry out limited numbers of interviews with experts, project leaders and other relevant individuals, including indigenous peoples, to identify emerging trends with respect to Indigenous Peoples and ICTs;
  • Analyse the collected data to identify emerging trends and make recommendations in support of indigenous peoples’ innovative uses of ICTS, including within the context of UNESCO’s Knowledge Societies concept.
  • Write, edit and prepare for publication the results of the survey (including a one page outline of report for review at an early stage).

Qualifications

The successful candidate will have demonstrable experience with and/or knowledge of the following areas:

  • The WSIS process
  • Indigenous peoples’ issues, including indigenous peoples’ rights and innovative uses of ICTs for community development
  • Skills related to the production of publication quality technical reports, including data collection and analysis, writing and editing
  • Must have excellent writing ability in English
  • The ability to read and communicate in one or more of the other five official languages of UNESCO (French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic) will be an asset.

    • Timeline

    The edited and revised report must be submitted by 30 November

    Payment

    USD6000

    Application procedure

    The application should include i) a curriculum vitae; ii) a sample of work; and iii) a cover letter outlining how the candidate meets the requirements of the consultancy and the reason(s) for their interest. Queries and application should be sent to:

    WSIS C8 Indigenous Peoples’ Consultant Search
    Small Islands and Indigenous Knowledge Section
    UNESCO
    1, rue Miollis
    75015 Paris
    France
    links@unesco.org

    Review of applications will begin 20 August 2012.

    To download this announcement on pdf, please click here