Consultancy on Communications Activities Execution

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Consultancy on Communications Activities Execution  

FSC INDIGENOUS FOUNDATION

1. CONTRACT CONDITIONS

Name: Consultancy on Communications Activities Execution – FSC Indigenous Foundation. 
Type of consulting: Consulting agreement with payments tied to the deliverables specified in the payments and deliverables section.

Contract period: October – November  

Location: Remote or Panama City, Panama 
FSC Indigenous Foundation Offices: Calle Gustavo Lara, Building 155 A/B, City of Knowledge, Clayton 
Person in charge: Direct reporting to the Head of Communications at the FSC Indigenous Foundation

2. INFORMATION ABOUT THE FSC INDIGENOUS FOUNDATION

In 2019, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) established the FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF) as the operational office of the Permanent Indigenous Peoples Committee (PIPC). FSC-IF, a private interest foundation under Panamanian law, exists to secure Indigenous Peoples’ rights and promote sustainable forest-based solutions across 300 million hectares of Indigenous forests.

We are Indigenous Peoples, guided by ancestral knowledge, practices, values, and respect for Mother Earth. We provide Indigenous-led solutions to global challenges by integrating Indigenous values, rights, livelihoods, ecosystem services, and territories into forest governance, climate change policies, and market systems.

Our work is guided by Indigenous values:

Respect for Mother Earth – recognizing our duty as caretakers of lands, waters, and ecosystems for future generations.

Respect for Ancestral Knowledge – honoring our ancestors by sustainably managing resources and valuing traditional wisdom.

3. CONTEXT

Communications play a vital role in amplifying Indigenous voices, raising awareness of Indigenous-led solutions, and strengthening FSC-IF’s presence at global, regional, and local levels. The Communications Unit works to develop and implement culturally appropriate communication strategies, enhance visibility, and promote Indigenous Peoples’ narratives in global dialogues on forests, climate change, and rights.

The Communications Assistant will provide day-to-day support to the Head of Communications, ensuring timely content creation, digital engagement, and logistical support for communication products and events. This role will strengthen the visibility of FSC-IF programs, projects, and initiatives through consistent and culturally sensitive communications.

4. OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTING

General Objective 
The Communications Assistant will support the FSC-IF Communications Unit in the implementation of the global communication strategy by assisting with digital media, content production, visibility actions, and stakeholder engagement.

Specific Objectives

Assist with the preparation of communication materials, including a policy brief, and a report.

Help monitor media mentions, digital trends, and analytics to inform communication efforts.

5. ACTIVITIES

The Consultant will assist the head of communications in the following deliverables:  

Policy brief, for use by FSC-IF and FSC PIPC for UNFCCC CoP30  that details the official agenda items of importance to IPLCs, what to expect and how to effectivey participate,

Assist in drafting a communication material: a summarized and concise report.

6. DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT METHOD

#

Deliverable

Notes

1

COP30 policy brief

4–6 pages, synthesize outcomes & recommendations

2

COP30 activities report (summary version)

4-8 pages, a concise COP30 activities report (text-focused, light on design)

6.1. QUOTATION:

We invite interested parties to submit letters of interest including a quotation of the cost of services based on the outlined deliverables.  Deadline for submission of such will be on September 25th this document “Terms of Reference: Consultancy on Communications Activities Execution for FSC-IF.” Please include the taxes for this work in case it’s necessary.

6.2. PERIOD:

The contract will run from October through November; however, it is deliverable-based rather than time-bound. Payment will be issued upon submission and acceptance of the agreed deliverables.

6.3. PAYMENT METHOD:

Bank transfer locally and internationally.

Payments remain tied to the successful submission of deliverables and reports.

7. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND REQUIRED SKILLS

Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or a related field.

Minimum 1–2 years of experience in communications, preferably in Indigenous, environmental, or development sectors.

Ideally bilingual: Strong skills in writing, editing, and translating (English and/or Spanish required; proficiency in Indigenous or other languages is an asset).

Strong organizational and coordination skills, with attention to detail.

Ability to work collaboratively in multicultural environments.

Sensitivity and respect for Indigenous Peoples’ rights, values, and perspectives.

Active members of Indigenous Peoples are encouraged to apply.

8. HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates are invited to send their CV, LinkedIn profile link (if any), Quotation, and Motivation Letter to procurement.fscif@fsc.org by September 25th  at 17:00 Panama Time.

Subject line: Consultancy on Communications Activities Execution  – FSC Indigenous Foundation

9. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

All materials, content, and outputs produced during this consultancy will remain the property of the FSC Indigenous Foundation.

10. CONFIDENTIALITY

The consultant agrees to maintain confidentiality of all information and materials obtained during the consultancy and not to disclose them without prior authorization from FSC-IF.

11. CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

Any potential conflict of interest must be disclosed to FSC-IF management, which will determine appropriate measures to resolve it.