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30 мај 2022

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS- ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC GAPS – SUPPORT TO CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM REFORMS

 

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    ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC GAPS – SUPPORT TO CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM REFORMS

Regional Project of SOS Children’s Villages in: Albania, Armenia, Belarus, North Macedonia and Ukraine

 

 

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

 

Development of Methodology for Planning, Implementing and Monitoring Public Awareness Campaigns

 

 

  1. CONTEXT AND RATIONALE

1.1.            SOS Children’s Villages North Macedonia

SOS Children’s Village – North Macedonia (SOS CV) is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profit organization, established in 2001. It is a member of the SOS Children’s Villages International, among over 100 other SOS Children’s Villages national associations.

The vision of SOS CV is “Every child belongs to a family and grows up with love, respect and security”. It is led by the mission to “build families for children in need, help them shape their own future, and share in the development of their communities”. The organization’s prime goal is to contribute to respect and promotion of children’s rights. SOS CV supports all children at risk, especially those who have lost their parents or parental care or live in hard conditions, and focuses on family support and provision of long-term care for children.

SOS CV has first-hand experience in delivering social services to children and families for over 20 years, including: support to over 60 foster families with over 120 children through a Foster Family Support Centre; supported living for 28 children and youths in four groups homes; counselling services to over 100 families at risk (facing family violence, conflictual relations or child neglect); and semi-independent living to over 30 youths aged 18-25 who had previously been accommodated in alternative children’s care.

At the same time, SOS CV seeks to inform and sensitize the public and the society at large on the challenges and risks that vulnerable children face and to promote children’s welfare around the world. The organization’s advocates for legal and institutional framework that works in the best interest of the child.

In addition to services and advocacy, SOS CV implements various project and initiatives, supported by a range of private and public donors, aimed at promoting children’s welfare and rights.

 

1.2.           Regional project: Addressing Systemic Gaps – Support to Child Welfare System Reforms

The “Addressing Systemic Gaps – Support to Child Welfare System Reforms” project began in October 2021 and will be completed by April 2025. It is jointly implemented by five national SOS Children’s Villages associations from Albania, Armenia, Belarus, North Macedonia and Ukraine, and aims at supporting childcare system reforms and promoting de-institutionalization. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ) is the project donor, with the Hermann Gmeiner Foundation Deutschland (HGFD) acting as the executing agency.

The expected project impact is to contribute to providing special legal protection to children growing up without or at risk of losing parental care (vulnerable children) in the five participating countries.  Thus, in the long run, vulnerable children are enabled to lead active, participatory and independent lives.

The main project objective is to ensure that vulnerable children benefit from preventive services, family-based care and de-institutionalization efforts, in line with the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, in each of the participating countries.

The objective is expected to be achieved by accomplishing the following project sub-goals:

  1. Improved childcare legal and policy frameworks, such that favors family- and community-based alternative care over institutional care (macro level);
  2. Raised awareness and increased support for de-institutionalization by local, regional and national decision-makers and the society at large (mezzo level); and
  3. High-quality and rights-compliant community-based prevention and alternative care services are available to vulnerable children (micro level).

The project’s awareness raising component, designed to achieve sub-goal 2, consists of the following:

  • In Albania, public awareness raising activities will be conducted in four municipalities and will focus on foster care. Foreseen communication channels include TV advertisements, newspaper articles, workshop with journalists, community meetings, etc.
  • In Armenia, an awareness raising campaign will cover targeted municipalities and will promote foster care. Communication channels include TV advertisements, TV discussions, newspaper articles, and training for media professionals.
  • In Belarus, two awareness raising campaigns are planned on: 1) childcare and child protection and 2) social stigmatization of vulnerable children. Communication channels include: TV, radio, newspapers, brochures, flyers, posters, websites and social media.
  • In North Macedonia, an awareness raising campaign will promote fostering through TV, radio, newspapers, social media, brochure and community meetings. The project will produce a short documentary movie.
  • In Ukraine, initially foreseen awareness raising activities will be reviewed to propose communication strategy on needs of vulnerable children in emergency.

Project awareness raising activities will be synergized with advocacy actions that aim at improving national childcare legal and policy frameworks.

The project has a strong learning and exchange component, expected to result in multiplication and application of innovative approaches and concepts. Lessons learnt from awareness raising need to be properly documented and shared among project partners, as well as the wider SOS CV community.

 

1.3.           Rationale and objectives of the Development of Methodology for Planning, Implementing and Monitoring              Public Awareness Campaigns

The purpose of the Methodology for planning, implementing and monitoring public awareness campaigns is to support project implementors (i.e. project teams in the five participating countries) in successfully carrying out awareness raising actions within the project. The methodology is expected to present applicable approaches, methods, and techniques for public awareness raising focused on promotion of child welfare system improvements, in line with relevant international documents and de-institutionalization principles. Case study(ies) of previous best-practice campaigns, national or international, should provide practical examples that might be followed in the course of the project.

Participation of national project teams in the methodology development shall ensure that their needs and expectations are met. The contracted bidder will also closely work with the project’s regional team in aligning the methodology with regional activities and SOS CV policies, values and communication practices.

National teams shall be trained and mentored in applying the methodology, expected to result in awareness raising plans, which will be implemented (and monitored) in the course of the project.

  1. GENERAL INFORMATION FOR BIDDERS

This Request for Proposals is open to all national and international suppliers (independent consultants or companies) who are legally constituted and can provide the requested services.

Bidders shall bear all costs of the bid preparation; costs of proposal development cannot be included as a direct cost within the assignment.

Proposals and all supplementary documents to be submitted in English; financial bids to be stated in Euro.

 

2.1.           Submission of bids

Bids need to be submitted electronically to the following e-mail address: info.dei@sos.org.mk.

Technical and financial bids are to be submitted as separate PDF files, with the expressions “financial proposal” and “financial proposal” used in the documents’ filenames respectively.

 

2.2.            Bidding documents

Only bids that contain the following documents will be considered complete and will be reviewed:

  1. Curriculum Vitae of the proposed consultant(s).
  2. Three references for previous experience of consultant(s) in awareness raising, preferably in the field of social protection, child welfare and care, de-institutionalization, or similar.
  3. Technical proposal – brief work plan, not more than 3 pages, including description of:
    • participatory process of methodology development;
    • training of national project teams in methodology application;
    • mentoring national project teams in developing awareness raising plans.
  4. Financial proposal:
    • statement of the requested amount per consultant/day and the overall gross amount for execution of the contract (all expenses and taxes included).

In case the bid is submitted by more than one consultant, separate documents are to be submitted for items 1 and 2 in the list above for each of the proposed consultants.

 

2.3.           Closing date

Bids must be received by the end of June 12, 2022 (CET). Late submissions shall not be considered.

 

2.4.            Modification and withdrawal of bids

Bids may be withdrawn on bidder’s written request to SOS CV prior to the closing date of this Request for Proposals. Any corrections or modifications must also be received in writing prior to the closing date. Changes must be clearly stated in comparison with the original proposal. Failure to do so will be at bidder’s own risk and disadvantage.

 

2.5.           Rights of SOS CV

Throughout the bidding and evaluation under this Terms of Reference, SOS CV maintains the rights to:

  • contact any or all references supplied by the bidder(s);
  • request additional supporting or supplementary data from the bidder(s);
  • arrange interviews with the bidder(s);
  • reject any or all proposals submitted;
  • accept any proposals in whole or in part;
  • negotiate with the bidder(s) who will be considered for contracting; and
  • contract any number of candidates as required to achieve the purpose of this assignment.

 

2.6.           Evaluation of bids

The evaluation of bids shall be based on the following criteria:

  • compliance with the requirements set in the Request for Proposal;
  • competence and experience of proposed consultant(s);
  • proposed work plan’s quality, coherence, and responsiveness (including timeliness) to the Terms of Reference; and
  • requested gross daily rate and the overall gross amount for execution of the assignment.

Representatives of the regional project team, as well as of HGFD, the project’s executive agency, will provide technical support to the responsible SOS CV procurement commission in bids evaluation.

The proposal with the best overall value, technical and financial, will be proposed for approval.

 

2.7.           Contracting

SOS CV will inform the successful bidder electronically and will send the contract form within one (1) week after the closing date of the Request for Proposals. The successful bidder shall sign and date the contract, and return it to SOS CV within two (2) calendar days of receipt of the contract.

 

 

  1. TERMS OF REFERENCE

3.1.            Specific tasks and responsibilities

The selected bidder is expected to complete the following tasks:

  1. Develop Methodology for planning, implementation and monitoring of awareness raising campaigns;
  2. Train five national project teams in applying the to-be-developed methodology; and
  3. Mentor five national project teams in preparing (project-based) awareness raising plans.

 

Methodology for planning, implementation, and monitoring of awareness-raising campaigns

In a practical and example-based manner, the methodology will cover the following questions:

  1. Identification of key awareness raising objectives and priorities, adequate to the national context and supportive of improving child welfare systems and promoting alternative care
  • context analysis and use of available studies, data, and information in determining awareness raising objectives and priorities;
  • ‘translation’ of key principles and standards from international binding documents on child welfare and protection into awareness raising objectives and priorities;
  • determining specific awareness-raising objectives and priorities for: a) the general public, b) professionals, experts and academia, and c) decision-makers.
  1. Defining key awareness-raising target groups
  • identification and analysis of potential specific target groups with regards to child welfare, including analysis of their needs and interests;
  • criteria for and selection of concrete awareness-raising target groups, to achieve maximum efficiency, effectiveness, and scalability of the efforts.

 

  1. Designing key awareness-raising (communication) messages
  • design of key awareness-raising (communication) messages, based on selected target groups’ characteristics;
  • involving the selected target groups in designing awareness-raising messages;
  • presenting child welfare system improvements, including alternative care and fostering, as a benefit for the society at large (as opposed to the ‘charity-based’ model).

 

  1. Identification, mobilization and effective use of available resources, including building alliances and partnerships with relevant stakeholders
  • resource mapping and identification of potential allies and partners;
  • building and sustaining effective awareness-raising partnerships and alliances with various stakeholders;
  • resource mobilization (communities, media, businesses, public institutions, etc.).

 

  1. Identification, planning and execution of adequate awareness-raising techniques and activities
  • presentation of awareness-raising methods, techniques and activities, including analysis of strengths and weaknesses (pros & cons);
  • effectively matching techniques and activities to address selected target groups.

 

  1. Identification, planning and application of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and tools
  • documenting awareness-raising activities, as the basis for adequate monitoring and evaluation;
  • presentation of practical and efficient mechanisms and tools for monitoring and evaluation of the progress of awareness-raising;
  • developing adequate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, including resources allocation, to follow the progress of awareness-raising;
  • selection of, when needed, the most appropriate modification/mitigation measures.

 

  1. Identification of dynamic indicators to measure the progress of the awareness-raising
  • present tools for gauging target audiences’ knowledge, attitudes and perceptions (such as: questionnaires, interviews, sampling with the general audience or specific groups);
  • setting adequate dynamic indicators for awareness raising;
  • practices and tools for efficient monitoring of determined indicators.

 

  1. Presentation of best-practice awareness raising campaign(s) in promoting de-institutionalization, community-based social services, fostering, or social protection of and care for children
  • presentation of (at least) one previous campaign as a positive model to follow, as well as to practically illustrate successful planning, implementing and monitoring awareness raising.

Bidders are free to propose modifying or adding specific issues, in order to improve the content of the methodology and strengthen the prospects of its usability. Use of all communication means (printed, visual, audio, video, social media and internet, direct communication, etc.) should be considered. All relevant project documentation, including available baseline studies, will be made available to the consultant(s).

Training of national project teams in applying the to-be-developed methodology

The consultant(s) shall use the finalized methodology (and accepted by SOS CV), as the basis for delivery of practical, interactive, online training for the five national project teams in its application; representatives of the regional team shall also attend the training.

In doing so, the consultant shall perform the following tasks:

  1. Develop training programme and materials on the Methodology for planning, implementation and monitoring of awareness raising campaigns
  • ensuring that the training is practical, interactive and based on examples,
  • examples to be used from best practices of awareness raising campaigns in promoting de-institutionalization, community-based social services, fostering, or social protection and care for children.

 

  1. Deliver online training to between 12 and 18 participants
  • participants shall be members of national and regional project teams.

 

  1. Conduct training evaluation with participants
  • online evaluation questionnaire;
  • orientated towards identifying project implementation team members’ need to be covered through mentoring (as a basis for developing tailor-made mentoring programme for each national project team).

 

Mentoring national project teams in developing awareness raising plans

Following the completion of the training, the consultant(s) shall provide mentoring support to all five national project teams in developing the awareness raising plans, as per their own specific needs and project requirements. The consultant(s) shall, in principle, cover the following issues:

  1. Provision of mentoring support in developing awareness raising plans
  • set the key awareness raising objectives and priorities, based on national context and focus of project activities on each country’s level;
  • define key awareness raising target groups;
  • designing key awareness raising messages;
  • adjusting the awareness raising techniques and activities stipulated within the project, with an aim to maximize effectiveness within the given context;
  • develop dynamic indicators and create a plan for monitoring and evaluation;
  • review planning documents developed by the project and suggest appropriate amendments and improvements;
  • ensuring alignment of the awareness raising activities: 1) with the advocacy actions at national level, and 2) at regional project level (in cooperation with the project’s regional team);
  • if needed, propose and justify changes to the foreseen project awareness raising activities;
  • provide guidance and advice on awareness raising to project national teams
  • identify manners for efficient sharing of know-how and experiences between the national project teams; and
  • summarizing key awareness raising actions agreed (i.e. planned) by national project teams, including, if any, lessons learnt, and presenting it to the other national project teams.

In providing mentoring support, the consultant(s) shall establish cooperation with, if any, national-level external experts hired by the national project team for the planning and execution of awareness raising campaigns (e.g. Albania). Should the campaign already be underway (as in the case of North Macedonia), the mentoring shall focus on successful completion of the campaign, monitoring (and evaluation) and extraction of lessons learnt, which would then be shared with the other national project teams.

Thus, mentoring is expected to be tailor-made, to address the specific needs and priorities of the five national project teams, to respect their project obligations in terms of actions, budget, resources, and time, and to facilitate learning, sharing and multiplication.

 

3.2.           Work plan

Bidders are asked to draft and submit a brief work plan, not more than three (3) pages, for execution of all tasks under this Request for Proposals. The work plan should explain how and when each bidder foresees the completion of the assignment: methodology development, training, and mentoring support. The document will be evaluated as the “technical proposal” within the bids evaluation process.

Once contracted, the work plan submitted by the contracted bidder shall be finalized in agreement between the consultant(s) and SOS CV and used as the agreed work plan for execution of the assignment.

 

3.3.            Expected deliverables

Contracted bidder shall provide the following deliverables:

  • final work plan for execution of the assignment;
  • methodology for planning, implementing and monitoring awareness raising campaigns;
  • training programme and materials on application of the methodology for planning, implementing and monitoring awareness raising campaigns;
  • online training on application of the methodology for planning, implementing and monitoring awareness raising campaigns; and
  • mentoring report and online presentation on the support provided to the five national project teams, highlighting the agreed actions/points.

Each of the expected deliverables shall be finalized after the consultant(s) draft is reviewed by SOS CV and its comments are addressed and incorporated in the final version.

 

3.4.            Timetable

This assignment is expected to be completed in the period second half of June – September 2022, within 30 consultant/days, distributed as follows:

Activity Consultant/days
Finalize work plan for completion of the assignment 2
Participatory development, drafting and finalization of the methodology for planning, implementing and monitoring awareness raising campaigns 15
Develop training and materials on applying the methodology 1
Delivery of online training 1
Mentoring support to the national project teams 10
Final online presentation of mentoring support results to regional and five national project teams, exchange of lessons learnt 1
Total: 30

 

 

3.5.            Required qualifications

The successful bidder shall have:

  • proven competencies and experience in planning, implementing and monitoring awareness raising actions and campaigns, preferably in the field of promoting de-institutionalization, community-based social services, fostering, or social protection and care for children;
  • good understanding of social protection (systems and policies), child welfare and protection, de-institutionalization processes, and children’s and human rights, including relevant international binding documents and standards;
  • proven experience in training development and delivery, preferably in the field of awareness raising, communications and/or campaigning; experience in mentoring civic organizations shall be an advantage;
  • excellent writing skills;
  • excellent English language skills; working knowledge of any additional language of the five project countries (Albanian, Armenian, Belarus, Macedonian or Ukrainian) shall be an advantage; and
  • excellent communication and presentation skills.

 

3.6.           Contract duration and terms of payment

The contract is effective from the moment of its signing by both parties and until the acceptance of work by SOS CV.

Payment will be made only upon SOS CV acceptance of the work performed in accordance with the above described deliverables. Payment will be conducted by bank transfer in the currency of billing and is due 30 days after receipt of invoice and acceptance of work.

The contracted bidder shall be paid by SOS CV in accordance with the following dynamics:

  • 30% upon submission and acceptance by SOS CV of the final methodology for planning, implementing and monitoring awareness raising campaigns;
  • 40% upon the completion of the training on applying the methodology; and
  • 30% upon completion of the mentoring, acceptance of SOS CV of the mentoring report and the delivery of the online presentation.

 

3.7.           Notice of delay

Shall the contracted bidder encounter delay in the performance of the Contract, which may be excusable under unavoidable circumstances, the contracted bidder shall notify SOS CV in writing about the causes of any such delays within three (3) days from the beginning of the delay.

After receipt of the contracted bidder’s notice of delay, SOS CV shall analyze the facts and extent of delay, and extend the time for performance when, in its judgment, the facts justify such an extension.

 

3.8.           Copyrights and other proprietary rights

SOS CV shall be entitled to all intellectual property and other proprietary rights including, but not limited to, copyrights, and trademarks, with regard to products, processes, inventions, ideas, know-how, or documents and other materials which the contracted bidder will have developed for SOS CV under this Contract and which bear a direct relation to or are produced or prepared or collected in consequence of, or during the course of, the performance of the Contract. The contracted bidder acknowledges and agrees that such products, documents and other materials constitute works made for hire for SOS CV.

All materials: interviews, reports, recommendations, and all other data compiled by or received by the contracted bidder under the Contract shall be the property of SOS CV and shall be treated as confidential, and shall be delivered only to SOS CV authorized officials on completion of work under the Contract.

 

3.9.            Termination

SOS CV reserves the right to terminate the Contract with the contracted bidder without cause, at any time, upon ten (10) days prior written notice to the contracted bidder. In such a case, SOS CV shall reimburse the contracted bidder for all reasonable costs incurred prior to receipt of the notice of termination.

SOS CV reserves the right to terminate the contract without any financial obligations in case the contracted bidder does not meet its obligations without any prior notice, particularly with regards to:

  • agreed time schedule;
  • withdrawal or replacement of key personal without obtaining written consent from SOS CV;
  • deliverables not complying with requirements of this Terms of Reference or the signed contract.