Consultant – Dili Early Warning Systems Filmmaker – Timor Leste

Background:

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

In March 2018, the UN mission in Timor-Leste reported the country had experienced 793 disaster events between 2002 and 2013. Timor-Leste is prone to severe and recurrent windstorms, drought, flooding, landslides, tropical cyclones, earthquakes, and tsunamis. While the disasters are relatively small scale and have resulted in few deaths, close to 20% of the entire population of Timor-Leste have been affected (221,730 people). Although Timor-Leste has a medium exposure to hazards, its lack of coping and adaptive strategies ensures that even small-scale disasters result in major setbacks for household and community wellbeing. There is currently no functional national-level end-to-end early warning system to help communities prepare for and respond to these frequent disasters. The collection of hydro-meteorological data is uncoordinated and sharing of data across stakeholders for use in early warning systems is still a challenge. Although weather (forecast) information is available at the national level from neighboring countries and a regional hydro-meteorology service provider, it is rarely linked with preparation and response mechanisms from the national to the community level.

Purpose / Project Description:

The Mercy Corps Timor-Leste program portfolio has several disaster risk reduction and climate resilience programs, including the Managing Risk through Economic Development (M-RED) Phase III program, the Strengthening Critical Resilience Capacities to Climate Change and Natural Disasters program funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Maloa Urban Resilience Initiative funded by the European Union, and a field technology pilot small grant with funding from Cisco. All of these programs include components related to the development of end-to-end early warning systems.

For the past two years, Mercy Corps has been working with a private sector partner, Similie, in coordination with a number of government ministries to design and deploy an end-to-end flood early warning system, with hydrometeorological data collection devices in the rural Ainaro Municipality as well as the urban capital of Dili. This system, co-designed with multiple government counterparts, includes the integration of a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to improve thresholds for alerts that can support Timor-Leste communities to prepare for and respond to the impacts of natural disasters.

This film will be used to share the process and successes of the project with international audiences, including the program donor, Mercy Corps teams around the world, and disaster risk management communities of practice. While the film should reflect the work and impact of the EWS system on the affected communities, it should also highlight the deployment of innovative technologies, coupled with community-based approaches, to help protect at-risk communities).

Consultant Objectives:

The primary responsibility of this position is to work collaboratively with program staff to produce one high-quality 6 minute film in English (with English sub-titles), which will be used to:

• Introduce the EWS system and how it was created to international audiences (including the program donor, Mercy Corps teams around the world, and disaster risk management communities of practice).
• Inform international audiences about Mercy Corp’s approach to deploying innovative technologies, coupled with community-based approaches, to help protect at-risk communities

Consultant Activities:

1. **Development and Pre-Production: The consultant will work with the program team to identify the narrative of the idea including the approach, and format of the video. This should include facilitating the development of a storyboard outline, deciding on pre-production work, and finalizing scripts for any narration or voice overs with the system description. The storyboard and scripts must be approved before production begins.
2. Production: The consultant will record the raw elements for the videos during visits to the system locations or offices, accompanied by the program team. The consultant will spend approximately 5-6 days in program team in sites around Dili. There will also be voice overs that will need to be recorded to explain program approaches or provide background information regarding the development of the system. For each location an agreed script and scene sequence will be shot, according to the script and story board agreed in Activity 1 above. At least 50 hi-resolution photos should be taken throughout the production process. These photos will be used for visibility materials. The consultant will be responsible for collecting consent forms for all individuals who will be recorded throughout this process.
3. Post-Production: The consultant will work closely with program team during the editing phase to finalize the films. Voice-overs will be added to the videos as needed. The work during this phase should be finished approximately 1-2 weeks after the filming production is completed. The consultant needs to come with 2 versions of the film: raw film, edited actual file size, and compressed to mp4.

Consultant Deliverables:

The filmmaker will lead the process from story boarding to shooting and edition and subtitling the film. All deliverables will require review and approval from the Program Manager before proceeding. Specific deliverables are as follows:

• A definitive concept that will include a script, story board, and overview of pre-production work
  • Program Manager Review and Approval Required
  • 1 week
• Filming, photography, and voice recordings
  • Program Manager Review and Approval Required
  • 1.5 weeks
• Up to four drafts of the video is produced accordingly to the agreed upon story board.
  • Program Manager Review and Approval Required
  • 1.5 weeks
• Final product (in English or with English subtitles): One six minute video covering the project. Please see video requirements below.
  • Program Manager Review and Approval Required
• At least 50 high-resolution photos
• All raw footage filmed in 1080p (editable footage to be used at the discretion of the organization to meet future programmatic needs).
• Signed consent forms (along with photo of signee holding consent form) of all individuals that were recorded for this video.

Video requirements:

The produced video must comply to the following requirements:

• The produced film should be no longer than 6 minutes
• The film should be shot in 1080p or higher quality
• Final product should be compressed into mp4 formats to be used across a wide variety of devices (smartphones, tablets, computers, television, projection) and suitable for YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
• Final product should be consistent with branding requirements of Mercy Corps, partners and donors.

The audience of these videos will include international audiences such as conference audiences, the program donor, and will be used as promotional material shared through Mercy Corps’ social media and website.

Timeframe / Schedule:

The period of performance for this contract is approximately 2 months, from April 2022 until the end of May 2022; with the following timetable:

• Pre-production: 1 week
• Field-production: 1.5 weeks
• First edits: 1.5 weeks
• Final edits: 1 week
• Final product – May 20, 2022

Mercy Corps anticipates that the contract will include a deliverables payment structure similar in form and substance to the following:

• 1 – Development/Pre-Productions

  • Approximate date: 15 April
  • Payment due: 25%

• 4 – Finished Product

  • Approximate date: 20 May
  • Payment due: 75%

Logistics for the Assignment:

No equipment will be purchased or provided by Mercy Corps Timor-Leste. Any equipment needed to complete this assignment will be provided by the consultant.

These videos will take place primarily in program locations in Dili.

The Consultant will report to:

Program Manager- Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change, Mercy Corps Timor-Leste

The Consultant will work closely with:

• Deputy Program Manager- Managing Risk Through Economic Development, Mercy Corps Timor-Leste
• Senior DRR and Climate Change Communications Officer, Mercy Corps Timor-Leste
• Country Director, Mercy Corps Timor-Leste
• Director of Programs, Mercy Corps Timor-Leste
• Other program and MERL team members as relevant

Required Experience & Skills:

• At least 5-10 years of work experience in films, especially producing/directing similar video documentary projects.
• Experience creating films for in Timor-Leste a plus.
• Knowledge of Tetun a plus.
• English fluency

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.