Date Issued: 7thJune, 2017

Request for Proposal: 2017/Supply/9132245

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) seeks to engage research firm for communication campaign on ending violence against children.

Technical and Financial proposals should be forwarded to UNICEF Nigeria supply section mail box and or hard copies in sealed envelopes and should be dropped in the bid box placed in the reception room at the entrance hall of UNICEF, or be sent through courier service.

Address to: Supply Manager, UNICEF, Old CBN Building, Area 11, Garki, Abuja, Nigeria.

IMPORTANT – ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

The reference RFP - 2017/Supply/9132245must be shown on your offer.

The proposal format should align with the technical evaluation criteria when replying to this invitation. Failure to submit your bid in this format, or failure to complete the details as requested, will result in invalidation.

Offers MUST be received on or before 14:00hours Nigeria local time on 23rdJune, 2017 and may be publicly opened at 14:30hours Nigeria local time same day. Proposals received after the stipulated date and time will be invalidated.

Please visit our website and download our supplier profile form (SPF) and fill same with necessary information to evaluate you.

You are required to visit UNGM website and complete your registration if you have not already done so. The UNGM registration number should be provided on your SPF & other submission.

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This request for proposal is approved by:

Michael Zanardi

Chief, Supply & Logistics Section

TERMS OF REFERENCE

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN ON ENDING VIOLENCE AGAIST CHILDREN

Background

His Excellency, President Buhari launched the Year of Action to End Violence Against Children on 15th September 2016 in response to a nationally representative Survey on Violence Against Children which was carried out by the National Population Commission in 2014, with technical and financial support of UNICEF Nigeria and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nigeria was the first country in West Africa to undertake this Survey, demonstrating its leadership in the region to end violence against children and the eighth country in the world to launch the findings. The Survey indicated a high prevalence of sexual, physical and emotional violence against children in Nigeria – 6 in every 10 children will suffer one or more forms of violence – physical, sexual and emotional – before they reach the age of 18 years, over 70% suffering again and again. The Survey also highlighted that very few children speak out about their experiences, and even fewer seek or receive services or justice – less than 5% ever receive the help that they need to recover. Most children suffer in silence.

The President called on every Nigerian to play their part to protect children from violence. At the event, National Priority Actions that not only set out the actions to be taken by each Ministry, but also NGOs, religious groups and the media, to more effectively prevent and respond to violence against children were launched. At the launch, President Buhari called upon all States in Nigeria to launch their own campaigns. Lagos became the first State to heed this call on 24th February 2016, followed by Cross River State on the 16th June 2016. Benue State launched its campaign in August 2016, Plateau State launched on the 29th of September 2016 to be followed by Gombe State before the end of the year.

With the support of all key Ministries, religious leaders, NGOs and the media through the national Technical Working Group on Violence Against Children, and with support from USAID and UNICEF, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development commemorated the launch of the Year of Action to showcase progress made during the last year. The President reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to end VAC on 25th October 2016 by launching the campaign to end violence against children by 2030 to achieve target 16.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

UNICEF is forging partnerships with religious and traditional leaders and the education and health sectors including adolescents and young people in order to implement the Priority Actions and to support their contribution to change social norms that perpetuate violence against children and the culture of silence in focus states (Gombe, Plateau, Cross River and Lagos).

For the partnership to be meaningful and bring results, communication and messages on ending VAC and child protection generally must be in line with religious teachings, including the tenets of the Holy Quran and the Bible to ensure buy in and commitment to the campaign by the religious leaders as well as in line with traditional channels of communications. UNICEF will also be hiring local religious scholars to research and identify scriptures in the holy books to complement the key messages and materials for development.

To capitalize on the momentum of the national campaign to end VAC, UNICEF is looking for an institution to provide expert technical assistance to UNICEF to develop a multi-media campaign as well as mass dissemination of key messages and communication materials for religious/traditional leaders, community actors, teachers, health personnel and adolescents and young people. The institution will also be tasked with securing support from the private sector to join the campaign to end violence against children.

Purpose

UNICEF Nigeria in support of the National Campaign to End Violence Against Children requires the expertise of an institution to provide technical assistance to design and implement a mass media campaign and develop communication materials for use by religious/traditional leaders, schools, health personnel, parents and adolescents/young people. .

Specific Project objective

The capacity of key institutions, civil society and communities strengthened to promote gender-sensitive positive social norms to protect children from practices and behaviours harmful to them in focused states, including in humanitarian context in focus states.

Specific Tasks for the Institutional Consultancy

The institution will support UNICEF and Federal and State Ministries of Women Affairs and Social Development to facilitate the development and implementation of a communication strategy to create public awareness to end VAC in focus states of Lagos, Cross Rivers, Gombe and Plateau. The institution will also manage and channel funds for payment to third parties such as media organisations. Specific tasks are stated below:

Mass media campaign Tasks

  • Develop a communication strategy on VAC to begin from 1 July 2017 to 31 December 2018
  • Execute an innovative and effective mass media campaign on Violence against Children (TV and Radio, Outdoor, brand products) in collaboration with the Federal and State Ministries of Women Affairs and Social Development and other relevant Ministries and UNICEF consultant on Social Media. This task will entail:

-Designing the campaign in consultation with UNICEF, Government partners and relevant stakeholders

-Developing, designing, producing and disseminating all supporting campaign materials including scripts writing, reviews and pretesting in target states

-Negotiate and facilitate procurement of airtime and other communication platforms for dissemination of the campaign messages

-Identify, engage and mobilize media partners (organisations and on air personalities) to advocate for prevention of and response to VAC in the four focus states

  • Coordinate the engagement of adolescents and young people (through a youth organisation) to design and execute a social media campaign on end VAC including community interventions in at least two states
  • Develop a discussion guide for “Hidden Scars” documentary to aid advocacy and community outreach in target states
  • Establish partnerships with three major private sector organizations to support the National End Violence Against Children campaign

Mass media Campaign Deliverables

  1. Communication strategy on campaign to end VAC for 2017 and 2018 for each of UNICEF 4 focus states
  2. Monthly report of mass media campaign for each focus state including results achieved on all elements of the campaign
  3. At least 1 script for a TV drama or alternative programme agreed with UNICEF for each focus state
  4. at least 1 script for a radio drama or alternative programme agreed with UNICEF for each focus state
  5. At least 1 script for a series of TV and radio jingles or alternative programme agreed with UNICEF for each focus state
  6. At least 1 TV programme and 1 radio programme produced and aired in each of the focus states
  7. Monthly report of social media campaign including results and mileage on visibility
  8. Produced and disseminated discussion guide for “Hidden Scars” documentary and report on results of community outreach in target states
  9. Partnerships established with at least 3 major private organisations to support end VAC campaign (with signed MoUs)
  10. Specific airtime schedule for 2018 agreed with the above mentioned organizations as part of the MoUs signed

Key Messages and Communication Materials Tasks

  1. Review key messages (by religious scholars) aimed at persons of the Islamic and Christian faith and provide feedback to ensure the messages also conform to best practice for social norms change
  2. Develop, design and produce IEC package on ending VAC for religious leaders (Islamic and Christian) and ensure the package conforms to best practice for social norms change
  3. Develop, design and produce IEC package on ending VAC for schools in consultation with the education sector partners ensuring the package conforms to best practice for social norms change in regards to reporting of violence against children and prevention of peer violence and gender based violence
  4. Develop, design and produce IEC package on ending VAC for health facilities in consultation with health sector partners ensuring the package conforms to best practice for social norms change in regards to positive parenting and discipline, reporting of violence against children, birth registration and prevention of FGM/C and child marriage
  5. Develop IEC package on prevention of VAC for parents of children at risk
  6. Deliver orientation sessions on the use of IEC materials for key partners and UNICEF staff in Abuja
Key Messages and Communication Materials Deliverables
Key messages by religious scholars on ending VAC reviewed, pretested and designed for production
  • Produced and disseminated IEC package on ending VAC for religious leaders (Islamic and Christian)
  • Produced and disseminated IEC package on ending VAC for schools
  • Produced and disseminated IEC package on ending VAC for health facilities
  • Produced and disseminated IEC package on prevention of VAC for parents of children at risk
  • Report of the three orientation sessions conducted on the use of IEC materials for key partners and UNICEF staff in Abuja

General Deliverables

  • Monthly implementation and activity reports
  • Detailed end of consultancy report including results, constraints, observations and recommendations

Methodology

  • The contractor, through its led consultant/team leader will ensure all deliverables are agreed in content and form with UNICEF focal points
  • A work plan for the entire duration of the contract will be agreed with UNICEF, based on the technical proposal submitted to UNICEF, including the specific modalities of engaging with UNICEF Government counterparts
  • The contractor will submit monthly reports as per deliverables in this TOR to UNICEF focal points and will held monthly progress review meetings and planning for the following month activities
  • The contractor will ensure visibility requirements as per use of UNICEF and donors’ logos with prior approval from UNICEF
  • The contractor will develop communication materials for the following targeted groups:
  • Religious leaders (communication channels) for religious congregations and religious schools (end target)
  • Teachers/schools (communication channels) for primary and secondary school children (end target)
  • Health personnel/facilities (communication channels) for parents and children attending health facilities in particular for pregnant women and mothers of new born babies and toddlers (end target)
  • Parents (communication channels) of children at risk (end target).
  • Communication materials should be original, innovative and compelling to include materials such as short videos, leaflets, posters and other brands
  • Existing communication materials on VAC such as the “Hidden scars” documentary can be incorporated into the mix of communication tools for the campaign
  • Communication materials for schools will focus on encouraging reporting of cases of violence against children and prevention of peer to peer violence and gender based violence
  • Communication materials for health facilities will focus on positive parenting, prevention of violence against children, encouraging birth registration and prevention of FGM/C and child marriage
  • The development of communication materials will be in close consultation with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and partners in UNICEF focus states, Plateau, Gombe, Cross River and Lagos to gather relevant inputs.
  • The contractor will provide technical guidance to youth organizations identified to facilitate the design and implementation of the social media campaign for adolescents/young people
  • For the development of the communication package for religious leaders, the contractor will review and provide inputs to the package of messages being developed by UNICEF religious partners to ensure consistency and synergy
  • The contractor will provide 3 orientation workshops in Abuja for UNICEF staff and selected targeted partners (1 workshop for religious leaders, 1 workshop for teachers and 1 workshop for health personnel) on the use of the communication package for further step down in the states by UNICEF and partners

The contractor will at all times regularly interface with UNICEF focal points and select government partners in the review, finalization and implementation of all elements of the campaign.

Team Requirements

This assignment requires a team of three national consultants; one will be the team leader reporting directly to UNICEF Nigeria while the other two members will be focal points for each stream of task. The team leader will coordinate his/her team to provide strategic direction and guidance to ensure the tasks are delivered with high quality and within the time frame. The team will develop a costed work plan outlining the flow of tasks with timelines to guide the implementation of the communication strategy.

Team Qualification, Knowledge and Experience

The composition of the team would need to combine the following expected profiles and experience:

  • Specialist and experts in communication for development/communications
  • Advanced knowledge and experience in developing and implementing communication strategies and national campaigns on social and health issues
  • Knowledge and capacity to engage media for advocacy, visibility and communication of social and health behaviours
  • Knowledge of child protection and sexual and reproductive health issues affecting children in Nigeria
  • Experience in fostering and sustaining partnerships with government and stakeholders
  • Advanced university degree in Mass Communication, Journalism, Public Relations, social/behavioural sciences or public health and other related discipline.
  • Minimum of 5 years work experience managing communication programmes in the public health and social development sector
  • Excellent analytical, conceptual, communication and writing skills
  • Proven ability and track record in implementing successful communication campaigns (multi-media, social media) with demonstrated results

Administrative Issues

  • UNICEF will identify a focal point in the Child Protection and Communication for Development sections to act as a liaison officer to support the consultant team throughout the contract and will help facilitate the contacts with national stakeholders and key ministries as well as support in country activities
  • The consultant team will have a team leader working under the direct supervision of the Child Protection Specialist in consultations with the Communication for Development Specialist and Chief Child Protection and Chief of Communication for Development Specialist.
  • The assignment will be combination of desk-based and field work, with frequent consultations, meetings and site visits throughout the Federal Capital Territory and Plateau, Gombe, Cross River and Lagos states
  • All travels by the contract team outside the Federal Capital Territory should be included in the programme budget using government approved DSA rates.
  • The consultancy team is expected to work independently, although UNICEF and relevant ministries will assist within reasonable parameters to ensure the smooth running of the assignment.
  • The consultancy team will be expected to mainly operate from their office and report to UNICEF office at least once a week or when needed.
  • The consultancy team will organize their own transportation for field visits and local level consultations with UNICEF support as required
  • The consultancy team is not entitled to payment of overtime; remuneration must be clearly described in the contract agreement;
  • No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultancy team.
  • The institutional contract is for six months and expected to start on 1st July 2017 and endon 31stMarch 2018.

Phases
/
Description of Activities
/
Responsible persons
/
Schedule
1.Inception
/ Inception meeting with UNICEF to achieve clear understanding of roles and responsibilities and review of implementation work plan /
UNICEF & Consulting firm
/
Month 1 (1 week)
2.Strategy design
/
Develop and submit communication strategy and costed work plan
/
Consulting firm
/
Month 1 (2 weeks)
3.Planning and Design of Campaign
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Design of multi-media campaign
  • Design and development of social media campaign with AYP
  • Message and materials development workshop for IEC packages for target audiences including package for “Hidden Scars” documentary
/

Consulting firm/UNICEF/Partners