Communication specialist for the HQCJ and the PCIE to support the HACC judicial competition

General background:

The EU Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine (EUACI) is the European Union’s technical support program in the area of anti-corruption in Ukraine, co-funded and implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Denmark. The overall objective of the EUACI is to achieve significant progress in preventing and countering corruption, ensuring the coherence and systemic anti-corruption activities of state and local self-government bodies, and to empower civil society and citizens to contribute to the combating of corruption, as well as the proper process of Ukraine’s post-war recovery. The program runs till April 2027.

The EUACI is one of the international technical assistance projects that support the HQCJ in conducting the HACC judicial competitions. On 3 June 2025, the HQCJ officially announced a new competition for 23 judicial vacancies at HACC, with the initial deadline for submission of documents set for 7 July 2025. The competition process is expected to last until the end of March 2026. In accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On the High Anti-Corruption Court,” the Public Council of International Experts (PCIE) will be involved in the competition process by assisting the HQCJ in assessing the integrity and professionalism of candidates.

In view of the upcoming stages of this high-profile competition, the HQCJ and the PCIE has requested EUACI’s support in strengthening communication efforts to ensure transparency, raise public awareness, and provide timely and accurate information throughout the entire competition process, while also encouraging a broad and qualified pool of applicants.

To effectively support the HQCJ and the PCIE in communicating about the HACC competition and engaging relevant stakeholders, a dedicated communication specialist is required to design and implement a comprehensive communication strategy and ensure timely and transparent public messaging throughout the entire competition period.

Objective:

The objective of this assignment is to assist the HQCJ and the PCIE by managing all communication aspects related to the НАСС selection process. This includes developing a comprehensive communication strategy, facilitating transparent and timely media engagement, organizing interviews and press briefings for the HQCJ and PCIE members, and managing public relations. The focus will be on ensuring that the selection process is perceived as it is – transparent, fair, and merit-based – while addressing any potential crisis communication that may arise during the process. Additionally, the expert will support the HQCJ and the PCIE in maintaining clear communication channels with stakeholders and the public.

Scope of work:

The Service Provider will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Communication Planning for the HQCJ and the PCIE:

1.1. Develop and implement a detailed communications/media plan for the entire competition period, including recommendations for updates as needed. The plan should outline key milestones, target audiences, communication channels, and timelines.

1.2. Coordinate the communication plan with the HQCJ, the PCIE, and the EUACI, and obtain the necessary approvals.

1.3. Participate in coordination meetings with the HQCJ and the PCIE to stay updated on key developments and align communication activities accordingly.

1.4. Adjust the communication plan based on progress, public reaction, or emerging issues during the competition period.

2. Organize external communications of the HQCJ and the PCIE and provide leadership in the communication function:

2.1. Draft and disseminate timely and accurate information on stages, decisions, and outcomes of the competition through press releases, announcements, and other materials.

2.2 Coordinate and process incoming requests from journalists, preparation of comments/responses with the assistance of the HQCJ and the PCIE;

2.3. Organize interviews, press briefings, and public events with participation of HQCJ or PCIE representatives.

2.4. Prepare HQCJ and PCIE members for meetings with media representatives and other public events, including drafting talking points.

2.5 Create informational triggers, drafting materials (press releases, announcements, news, videos), and organizing infographics development based on the competition updates.

2.6. Support in multimedia content development and infographics;

2.7. Provide input to drafting op-eds and other materials upon request of HQCJ and PCIE members.

2.8. Develop content for and ensure the regular maintenance and timely updating of the HQCJ and PCIE official websites and social media pages, in line with key messages, milestones, and developments of the competition process.

2.9. Provide support to crisis communication management.

3. Monitoring and Reporting

3.1. Conduct regular (weekly; daily in a crisis situation and upon important events/ milestones) media monitoring and analysis of key messages;

3.2. Prepare a final report to the EUACI, which should include activities and results of the communication support, statistics, recommendations.

Deliverables:

The Service Provider will be responsible for delivering the following outputs:

Qualifications:

The contract can be awarded to the expert meeting the following criteria:

• Private entrepreneur under Ukrainian legislation;
• 3+ years’ experience in designing, implementing and monitoring communication and media initiatives or other related fields;
• High education in Media, Journalism, Marketing, Public Policy, Public Administration, Economics, Law, International Relations, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or other related fields;
• Solid understanding of peculiarities of judicial competitions;
• Media, Journalism, Marketing, Public Policy, Public Administration, Economics, Law, International Relations, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or other related fields;
• High degree of integrity;
• Fluency in Ukrainian and English.

Budget:

The total budget under the Contract is max EUR 10,800 (with a fee per working day being max EUR 120).

Timeline:

The intended commencement date is the date of signature of the contract by both parties and the period of implementation of the contract will be up to 9 months, with a maximum duration of 90 working days starting from June 2025 – March 2026 (approx. 10 working days per each month).

Reporting and management:

The performance of the Service Provider will be judged upon reaching the purpose of this contract as well as obtaining its results, as indicated in the section “Objective” and “Deliverables” herein respectively. Moreover, the performance of the Contractor will be judged upon the successful implementation of all the specific activities indicated in Section “Scope of work” of this document.

By signing the contract, the Service Provider agrees to hold in trust and confidence any information or documents (“confidential information”) disclosed to the the Service Provider or discovered by the the Service Provider or prepared by the the Service Provider in the course of or as a result of the implementation of the contract, and agrees that it shall be used only for the contract implementation and shall not be disclosed to any third party. The Service Provider also agrees not to retain copies of any written information or prototypes in its archive and for its use.

How to apply

The deadline for submitting the proposal is 11 July 2025 17:00 Kyiv time.

All interested candidates should submit:

• CV indicating relevant experience in communications, media and other related fields;
• Financial offer, including daily fee.

The proposal shall include the aforementioned information and should be submitted within the above deadline to [email protected] cc to [email protected] indicating the subject line “Communication specialist for the HQCJ and the PCIE”.

In case the submitted documentation does not live up to what is requested above, the bid will not be considered.

You should receive an auto-reply from the [email protected] mailbox when the offer has been received. If you do not receive an auto-reply, your offer was not received and you should contact the EUACI by phone.

Bidding language: English.

Any clarification questions regarding the terms of reference should be addressed to [email protected], not later than 9 July 2025 2025 17:00 Kyiv time.

Please note that the name of the winner will be published on the website of the EUACI.

Evaluation criteria

Bids will be evaluated under the criteria provided below: