Terms of Reference for a Graphic Designer

1.            1.   Background 

 Inclusive Resilience in Somalia (IRiS) is a five-year (2022 – 2027) Project jointly funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The project’s goal is to accelerate economic development for marginalized groups in the targeted areas of Somalia by increasing individual, household, business, community, and system-wide resilience through rural and urban livelihood diversification and promoting inclusive economic market systems. DT-Global implements the project with their partners Mercy Corp, Save the Children International, Somalia Agricultural Technical Group (SATG), and ITAD.

 The project employs a facilitative approach to enhance the ability of marginalized households, communities, businesses, and the broader market systems in Somalia's productive sectors to absorb, adapt, and transform. These sectors encompass agriculture, livestock, and fisheries and include targeted interventions to integrate and engage the urban poor in economic activities in these sectors. IRiS addresses four key shocks and stressors in Somalia: 1) recurrent droughts 2) floods due to climate variability, 3) conflict and political instability, and 4) economic instability that causes price volatility in essential commodities.  

IRiS activities are structured in four result areas as follows:

•    Expanding climate-resilient agricultural systems in Somalia's core productive sectors—agriculture, fisheries, and livestock.

•    Integration of urban poor and IDPs into urban economies by strengthening market-driven “upskilling” of urban poor and IDP communities and improving conditions for entrepreneurship within the disadvantaged communities.

•    Promotion of private sector investments, service delivery, and strengthening economic agency of rural and urban populations.

•    Strengthening policy and regulatory environment while supporting financial institutions to expand their services to the marginalized population. 

To-date, IRiS has implemented its activities in seven districts in Benadir, Hirshabelle and Jubaland regions.

2.              Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of the assignment is to support the project’s communication and outreach efforts by creating visually compelling and effective graphic designs to improve overall aesthetic and readability of communication materials. This includes the development of print and digital materials that align with the project's branding and messaging that will help demonstrate project interventions and their contribution to IRiS’s goal through the result areas.

3.     Scope of Work: The graphic designer will be responsible for the following tasks:

3.1  Branding and design

·       Develop a consistent visual identity for the project in line with the approved branding and marking plan and organizational branding guidelines (where necessary).

·       Create templates for project banners, documents, presentations, and reports.

3.2  Print materials

·       Design factsheets, brochures, flyers, posters, and banners for events and engagements with various stakeholders such as governments, private sector, academic institutions etc.

·       Create accurate and appealing infographics based on the provided data and content. The infographics and visual aids should support project documentation and dissemination efforts during internal and external meetings, presentations, conferences, webinars etc

·       Create infographics demonstrating project interventions, including flowcharts of processes and results (indicator achievements etc)

3.3  Digital content

·       Design social media graphics, including banners, ads, and posts for platforms such as LinkedIn and X.

·       Design animated content that could include video clips and photographs alongside statistical data to tell compelling visual stories.

·       Develop project visuals such as icons, banners, and other graphical elements with USAID and consortium partners’ websites (with IRiS-specific content).

3.4  Reports and publications

·       Design layout and graphics for project reports and publications, ensuring they are visually appealing and easy to read. These will include quarterly, annual and final project reports, work plans, sector-specific write-ups, factsheets etc

4.              Logistical Support: The assignment will be primarily conducted remotely, with occasional in-office work in Mogadishu, if needed.

5.              Copyright Information: DT-Global will retain copyright and intellectual property rights of the works emanating from this assignment.

6.                Activities

6.1 Inception activities

·       Participate in an inception meeting to discuss the scope of work and deliverables with IRiS technical and communications teams.

·       Review and discuss the project’s branding guidelines, existing materials, and design preferences.

·       Familiarize yourself with the project’s goals, target audience, and key messages.

6.2 Collaborative design process

·       Engage in ideation and brainstorming sessions with the project and communication teams to conceptualize and develop design ideas.

·       Contribute creative input and suggestions for improving visual communication.

·       Develop initial design concepts for infographics, document layouts, and other graphic elements.

·       Present design concepts to the project team for feedback and refinement.

·       Based on feedback provided, design the agreed product(s) and ensure consistency in style, fonts, images, and layout across all documents/products.

·       Ensure products are optimized for different digital formats and platforms.

6.3  Review and feedback

·       Participate in regular feedback sessions with the IRiS team to review design progress.

·       Incorporate feedback and make necessary revisions to designs.

·       Conduct quality checks on all designs to ensure they meet the project’s standards and specifications.

·       Ensure all deliverables are free of errors and inconsistencies before submission.

6.4  Final deliverables

·       Prepare and submit final versions of all design deliverables in required formats.

·       Ensure all designs are compatible with print and digital use.

·       Deliver all design files, including source files, to the communications team.

·       Provide a brief guide or documentation on the usage of the designs, if necessary.

7               Deliverables

·       Templates for project presentations, banners, documents, and other agreed products.

·       Factsheets, brochures, flyers, and posters designed and optimized for use in online and print formats.

·       Several social media graphics per month.

·       Fully designed and formatted reports and publications as required by the project timeline.

·       Animated content as discussed and specified by communications team.

·       Specified infographics as per approved data and content.

·       Any other graphic materials as specified by the communication director/team related to the above tasks.

·       Timesheet record of the main activities.

8               Monitoring and Supervision

The graphic designer will report to the communications director and participate in regular check-in meetings to discuss progress, address any issues, and receive feedback. All deliverables will be reviewed and approved by the director of strategic communications.

  Expected Profile of the Graphic Designer 

 ·    Minimum 2- or 3-year experience in graphic design, with a strong portfolio demonstrating relevant work.

·       Proficiency design software certificates such as Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign).

·       Strong understanding of visual communication principles and branding.

·       Excellent ability to conceptualize and synthesize complex information in visually engaging and compelling graphics.

·       Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively with a diverse team.

·       Experience working on donor-funded or non-profit projects is a plus.

·       Knowledge of Somalia’s context.

·       Work references provided.

·       Excellent command of both English and Somali

·       Ability to deliver high-quality work against tight deadlines.

Interested and qualified applicants should their send over the portfolios together with their resumes/CV and cover letter (as a single pdf document) to IRiS Recruitment email: [email protected].

DT Global is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or national origin. DT Global prohibits discriminating against employees and job applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose the compensation of the employee or applicant or another employee or applicant.