This call is for institutions or legal entities (i.e. for-profit or not-for-profit organisations)

Introduction

This call for expressions of interest is for a consultant company or institution to author the first edition of a new “Policy Briefs” series that will be published digitally by UNESCO’s Diversity of Cultural Expressions Entity. This first edition will focus on the role played by cultural organizations in the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions.

Background

Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cultural and creative industries were among the fastest growing sectors in the world. Generating annual revenues of US$ 2,250 billion and nearly 30 million jobs worldwide, they employed more people aged 15 to 29 than any other sector. Over the last decade, it has become clear that cultural and creative industries are drivers for inclusive economic growth, reducing inequalities and achieving the goals set out in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

As the only United Nations agency with a mandate in the field of culture, UNESCO is committed to harnessing the power of cultural and creative industries for sustainable development. The 2005 Convention for the Protection and the Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and the 1980 Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist are the Organization’s main normative instruments to shape the design and implementation of policies and measures that support the creation, production, distribution of and access to cultural goods and services around the world.

Since the entry into force of the 2005 Convention fifteen years ago, its Parties have been at the forefront of emerging trends and issues that affect the cultural and creative sectors. From preferential treatment for cultural goods and services to the impact of digital technologies on the creative sector, Parties’ decisions and resolutions have helped to create a new framework for informed, transparent and participatory systems of governance for culture.

To further nourish and inspire the discussions of Parties to the 2005 Convention, UNESCO is set to launch a new “Policy Briefs” series, which will identify emerging trends in the culture sector, discuss recent developments in specific thematic areas, and provide an analytical overview of future perspectives for the Governing Bodies of the Convention.

In the framework of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions’ Entity’s ongoing research activities in the field of culture and creativity, the consultant company or institution will be responsible for the drafting of a Policy Brief on an emerging topic within the creative and culture sectors. Based on existing data, the consultant company or institution will provide a comprehensive, yet concise overview of a given topic based on existing quantitative and qualitative data and information, including relevant examples of policies, measures and programmes from the different regions. As far as possible, the Policy Brief should provide a balanced geographic overview of the current state of the field of the given topic.

The Policy Brief is intended to:

• provide UNESCO Member States, and particularly Parties to the 2005 Convention, an overview of emerging trends and recent developments in the culture sector;
• provide an analytical overview of future perspectives for the Governing Bodies of the 2005 Convention to help them identify priority areas of intervention over the medium and long term and plan the sequence of their future interventions.

Objective

Cultural organisations, belonging to both the public and private sectors, can be considered those whose speciality is the dissemination or distribution of cultural goods and services, or in some cases their production or co-production. They include but are not limited to cultural centres, theatres, cinemas, festivals, libraries and art galleries. They play a key role in providing audiences with access to diverse cultural expressions from their territory as well as from other countries of the world, as called for by the 2005 Convention in its Article 7.b. They are thus cornerstones to enhance cultural awareness of self and others and to improve cross-cultural knowledge, competence and skills. They fulfil this role primarily by giving access to, supporting, and promoting a rich and diverse range of cultural content in their programming. In pursuing this mission, they must navigate a complex series of trade-offs, notably between open access and revenue generation, creative vision and responding to audience expectations, and artistic experimentation and revenue maximization.

The first edition of the Policy Brief series will focus on cultural organizations and the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions. The consultant company/institution will review how cultural organizations around the world encourage the distribution of and access to a wide variety of cultural content through their programming, initiatives and projects.

The main objective of this Policy Brief is to explore the specific ways in which cultural organizations use their programming, partnerships and other initiatives to promote a greater diversity of cultural expressions and to present selected case studies that offer insights to policy-makers, cultural practitioners and other stakeholders interested in developing measures to create spaces where multiple artistic voices can be heard. In order to address this topic, the consultant company/institution will conduct a mapping of good practices put in place by cultural organizations around the world to give access and visibility to diverse cultural expressions through their projects.  From this diverse data and information sources, including among others the periodic reports of the Parties of the 2005 Convention, the consultant company/institution will highlight promising results and outline policies and measures that have demonstrably improved access to and distribution of a wide range of cultural content. It should also analyse the approaches put in place by these organizations and identify common actions/steps that can serve as inspiration for other organisations wishing to engage in the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions.

It is expected that the consultant company/institution will pay attention to the diversity of cultural goods and services as well as the diversity of their creators and producers, in particular from a gender perspective.

The Policy Brief, which is conceived as a strategic document, should be concise and written in an accessible language for an informed audience of policy-makers, researchers and cultural professionals.

Scope of work

The consultant company will be responsible for:

1. Gathering primary evidence by conducting research using online resources, conducting interviews, and analysing the programming of selected cultural organisations, ensuring geographical balance of their locations and the balance of the sub-sectors in which they specialise;
2. Carrying out a basic mapping of practices and initiatives put in place by cultural organizations to promote diversity of cultural expressions;
3. On the basis of qualitative and quantitative evidence gathered from various sources, providing a thorough but concise analysis of the data, identifying good and inspirational practices.
4. Offering insight regarding opportunities for cultural organizations to contribute the implementation of the 2005 Convention, by identifying possible areas of intervention and innovative collaboration mechanisms among themselves and with the governing bodies of the Convention.

Qualification requirements

The consultant company or institution should have at relevant experience, and a good record of accomplishments in global research and analysis of cultural policies and measures and/or cultural programming. Demonstrable subject expertise, including research experience and publications on cultural diversity and cultural organisations would be considered an asset.

The team must be able to consult sources of information in English and French. The ability to consult information sources in additional languages, especially Spanish and Arabic, will be considered an asset.

Proposal

The consultant company should include in its offer:

• A proposal regarding the team composition and structure with recent CVs, including a list of publications and research achievements. The requested team should have diversified skills including at least a Team Leader and a subject expert.
• A detailed presentation of the proposed approach, strategy and methodology.
• A detailed work plan for the assignment, including a precise timeline.
• A financial proposal, broken down by activity and quoted in US Dollars. If an amount is included for the purchase of data, please include the sources being considered.

Proposals should be submitted in English or French.

Deliverables

1. A full draft of the Policy Brief in English or French, for review by the UNESCO Secretariat
2. The final Policy Brief of a maximum of 15 standard UNESCO pages and an executive summary of less than one page. The Policy Brief should be written in a clear and concise way for an informed audience, avoiding jargon or specialized terminology, and include a minimum of illustrative infographics.

Timeframe

The Contractor shall submit to UNESCO, in electronic format, the following:

1. On or before 3 Mai 2021, the draft Policy Brief
2. On or before 18 May 2021, the final Policy Brief

Expressions of interest should be submitted by email, clearly indicating “Policy Brief on cultural institutions and the diversity of cultural expressions” to convention2005@unesco.org.

Closing Date of Applications:  6 April 2021