Terms of Reference: French – to - English Language Translators for GDN Essay
Competition on Foreign Aid
Task: GDN requires the services of up to 4 translation experts to translate up to 12 shortlisted essays
written in French into the English language.
A. Background and Services Required
GDN has launched the Next Horizons Essay Contest which is being held in partnership with the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation on the theme of the future of development assistance. The contest invited
fresh thinking related to the future of aid that can inform the ongoing discourse on development
assistance and to make this thinking available to policymakers and key stakeholders. Essays were invited
in English, French and Spanish. More details on the competition can be found at
www.gdn.int/nexthorizons.
GDN requires the services of up to 4 translation experts to translate up to 12 shortlisted essays written
in French into the English language. Each translator will receive up to three essays for translation. Each
essay will be up to 5,000 words long (with an additional abstract of up to 500 words) and will be written
on the theme of the future of development assistance.
B. The Global Development Network
The Global Development Network is an International Public Organization that supports research in
economics and social sciences in developing countries and connects researchers and development
research institutes globally. Founded in 1999, GDN is headquartered in New Delhi, with an office in
Washington D.C. GDN supports researchers in developing and transition countries to generate and share
high quality applied social science research to inform policy-making and advance social and economic
development. GDN’s core business is building research capacity, understood as the combination of
individual and organizational competences as well as institutional features needed to produce good and
relevant research and to mobilize knowledge for public policy purposes. GDN works in collaboration
with 11 Regional Network Partners, international donor organizations and governments, research
institutes, academic institutions, think tanks and more than 12,750 individual researchers worldwide.
C. Conflict of Interest Statement
Translators (for this specific contest) must not have participated in the contest. Successful applicants will
be required to submit a statement that they did not participate in the contest to avoid any conflict of
interest. In addition, they will also be required to inform GDN if any organization/individual they had or
continue to have some association with applied to the contest.
D. Timeline
The French essays to be translated into English will be provided on 7 November 2014. The translated
documents in the English language should be provided to GDN on or before 14 November 2014.
E. Fees
The total fees will be calculated based on the actual number of words translated. Interested applicants
are expected to provide a quote for their services.
F. Requirements
 Applicants must be native French speakers with more than 5 years of experience in
providing translation services from French to English preferably for development
organizations, embassies, consulates etc.
 Applicants must be fluent in English with completion of certified courses
 Applicants must provide at least 2 references
G. Procedure: Proposal Submission
Interested applicants should send their CV’s along with their fees quoted to consultants@gdn.int
with a copy to Ms. Savi Mull, Head - Monitoring & Evaluation (smull@gdn.int) by 31 October, 2014.
Please indicate “Translators: Next Horizons” in the subject line of your email message. Only
shortlisted applicants will be contacted.