I. BACKGROUND
Pact is an international development nonprofit that works on the ground in nearly 40 countries to end poverty and marginalization. We partner with local organizations, businesses, and governments to build lasting solutions for thriving, resilient communities. Our vision is a world where everyone owns their future. Pact has worked in Ukraine since 2006 in the areas of governance, capacity development, and health. Building on a decade of experience, we address key challenges facing civil society organizations in Ukraine.
This Request for Proposal (RFP) is a part of the Activity to Enhance Non-Governmental Actors and Grassroots Engagement (ENGAGE). The purpose of ENGAGE is to increase citizen awareness of and engagement in civic activities at the national, subnational, and local level.
ENGAGE has worked since 2016 providing support to local coalitions across Ukraine to involve citizens in civic education, anti-corruption and democratic reforms, grass-roots advocacy campaigns, and initiatives to protect vulnerable groups. Local civil society groups supported by ENGAGE have effectively advocated for policy changes at the national and local levels in the areas of countering corruption, fostering European integration, and addressing pressing local community issues. Following the Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, ENGAGE pivoted its activities to support its civil society partner organizations to adapt to the challenging operating environment, remain effective, relevant and in service to other CSOs, state institutions, and Ukrainian citizens affected by the war. Pact aims to continue developing capacities of ENGAGE partner CSOs, to increase their resilience to adapt to the changing operating environment.
This RFP invites proposals from a Ukrainian consultant, consortium of Ukrainian consultants, or Ukrainian company to provide services as described below.
II. SCOPE OF WORK
Purpose:
To equip ENGAGE institutional partner CSOs with the knowledge, skills and actionable advice to strengthen their crisis communications capacities during the war.
Objectives:
- To conduct at least one training for ENGAGE institutional partner CSOs to develop and strengthen their capacities for crisis communications during the war to:
1. build technical skills essential to withstand information attacks and malign influences during war;
2. develop sensitive approach to messaging to avoid re-traumatizing communication;
3. help maintain and develop public image of civil society organizations during war. - To provide ENGAGE institutional partner CSOs with individual mentoring related to the training topics above. The mentoring should include:
1. assessment of CSO partners’ crisis communications activities during the war, and
2. development of resulting and tailored recommendations per partner CSO.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Task 1: To develop an outline of at least one training for ENGAGE institutional partner CSOs. It shall include but not limited to:
- suggested topics covering sensitive messaging to avoid re-traumatization of war victims or igniting hostility towards specific social groups; countering targeted information attacks; reputation management; countering malign informational opinions and influences.
- format of the training, timeframe, agenda for the training, and methods of the training delivery;
- anticipated training results and methods to assess whether results are achieved.
Task 2: To prepare handouts, list of compulsory reading, and evaluation form for the training.
Task 3: To conduct at least one training for ENGAGE institutional partner CSOs.
Task 4: To assess partners’ activities related to their crisis communications during the war. The assessment should be done per organization, using semi-structured interviews and desk review.
Task 5: To develop resulting actionable recommendations to improve ENGAGE partners’ crisis communications during the war. Recommendations should be tailored per partner CSO.
Task 6: To prepare a final analytical report on the provided services including training, assessment, and recommendations to strengthen capacities of ENGAGE institutional partner CSOs for crisis communications during the war (in English).
It is anticipated that the training will be conducted in Ukrainian language. Pact anticipates representatives of up to 30 of ENGAGE institutional partner CSOs will participate in the training and the mentoring.
The training and mentoring should be built from the perspectives related to the operations of the civil society organizations in Ukraine, to strengthen their crisis communications capacities during the war.
Deliverables:
- Final concept of at least one training including but not limited to the topics on:
1. sensitive messaging to avoid re-traumatization of war victims or igniting hostility towards specific social groups;
2. countering targeted information attacks;
3. reputation management;
4. countering malign informational opinions and influences. - Agenda, presentation, handouts, evaluation form and compulsory reading package for the training.
- At least one training conducted.
- Report on the training including a list of participants, evaluation forms results, video recording.
- Assessment methodology to assess ENGAGE partners’ activities related to their crisis communications during the war.
- Assessment of ENGAGE partners’ activities related to the crisis communications during the war.
- Report on main takeaways of the assessment prepared.
- Resulting recommendations to each partner CSO prepared.
- Final analytical report on the provided services including training, assessment, and recommendations to strengthen capacities of ENGAGE institutional partner CSOs for crisis communications during the war (in English).
Place of Performance: All services required under this solicitation will be performed in Ukraine.
Period of Performance: All services required under this solicitation will be delivered from June 15, 2024 and will conclude by September 30, 2024.
Qualifications:
- Knowledge on countering malign information influences, managing organizational reputation, and developing sensitive messaging, related to the operations of the civil society organizations in Ukraine.
- Experience in delivering training sessions, trainings, consultations, organizational assessments and mentoring on countering malign information influences, managing organizational reputation, and developing sensitive messaging, related to the operations of the civil society organizations in Ukraine.
- Technical knowledge, skills, and expertise in designing and organizing training sessions, trainings, consultations and mentoring both online and offline.
- Experience in conducting desk reviews and semi-structured interviews, developing evaluation forms and other assessment tools, ability to analyze them and produce a well-structured and consistent report.
- Excellent writing and presentation skills.
- Fluency in English is preferable.
III. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
А. Submission of Questions: All questions or clarifications regarding this RFP must be in writing and submitted to kbondar@pactworld.org no later than 17:00 on May 16, 2024. Questions and requests for clarification, and the responses thereto, will be circulated to all RFP recipients who have indicated an interest in this RFP.
В. Documentation required for application:
- Resume/CV. Short profile(s) of the prime applicant/team lead featuring expertise and experience relative to the purpose and objectives of this RFP.
- Resume(s) of the consultant(s) or expert(s) engaged into the implementation of the tasks additionally to the prime applicant.
- Technical Proposal: An outline of at least one training, and assessment, that includes:
1. suggested topics including but not limited to sensitive messaging to avoid re-traumatization of war victims or igniting hostility towards specific social groups, countering targeted information attacks, reputation management, countering malign informational opinions and influences, related to the operations of the civil society organizations in Ukraine.
2. format of the training, timeframe, draft agenda for at least one training, and methods of the training delivery.
3. draft vision of the assessment methodology to assess organizational activities related to the crisis communications during the war.
4. The first page of the proposal must use the Proposal Cover sheet as per Attachment 1. - Financial proposal (in UAH currency): Clearly stating the LOE with a requested rate per unit (per deliverable and/or per day/hour) for consultants.
Pact may require additional, more detailed budget information prior to issuing a subcontract.
- Submission of Proposals: The deadline for submission of proposals is May 30, 2024. Submissions must be forwarded in electronic format only (either PDF or Microsoft Word and Excel) to kbondar@pactworld.org. The proposals expected to be submitted from an individual consultant (or a leader of a group of consultants) as an individual/private entrepreneur.
Offeror’s proposals should not contain any unnecessary promotional material or elaborate presentation formats (black and white is preferred). Offerors must not submit zipped files. Those pages requiring original manual signatures should be scanned and sent in PDF format as an email attachment. The technical proposal and cost proposal must be kept separate from each other. Please reference the RFP Number and RFP Name in the e-mail subject line. Offerors are responsible for ensuring that their offers are received in accordance with the instructions stated herein. Late offers may be considered at the discretion of Pact. Pact cannot guarantee that late offers will be considered.
IV. EVALUATION CRITERIA
А. Review Process. Pact will establish a selection committee that includes representatives from various company departments and external professionals if necessary. All technical reviewers will be subjected to a screening process to eliminate any conflict of interest. The evaluation will be based on the criteria set forth in Section B. Evaluation Criteria.
В. Evaluation Criteria. The award will be decided on Best Overall Value as determined by a Selection Committee based on the criteria set forth below, as demonstrated in the Offeror’s proposal. Only proposals conforming to the solicitation requirements will be considered. This RFP will use the tradeoff process to determine best value. That means that each proposal will be evaluated and scored against the evaluation criteria and expectations below, which are stated below:
– Qualifications (Expertise of an applicant and ability to perform tasks outlined in this RFP) – 40 points
– Technical Proposal (Comprehensiveness, consistency, relevancy of the suggested concept) – 40 points
– Cost Proposal (Cost effectiveness) – 20 points.
V. TERMS AND CONDITIONS
А. Disclaimers
- Pact reserves the right to modify by written notice the terms of this solicitation at any time in its sole discretion. Pact may cancel the solicitation at any time.
- Pact may reject any or all proposals received.
- Issuance of solicitation does not constitute award commitment by Pact.
- Pact reserves the right to disqualify any application based on applicant’s failure to follow solicitation instructions.
- Pact will not compensate applicants for their response to the solicitation.
- Pact reserves the right to issue an award based on initial evaluation of applications without further discussion.
- Pact may choose to award only part of the scope of work in the solicitation or to issue multiple awards within the scope of work.
- Pact reserves the right to waive minor proposal deficiencies that can be corrected prior to award determination to promote competition.
- Pact may contact offerors to confirm contact person, address, and that the proposal was submitted for this solicitation.
- Pact may contact listed past performance references without notice to the offeror. Pact also reserves the right to contact other past performance information sources that the offeror did not list in the proposal.
- By submitting a proposal, the offeror confirms they understand the terms and conditions.
- Information pertaining to and obtained from the Offeror as a result of participation in this solicitation is confidential. The offeror consents to the disclosure of the documents submitted by the offeror to the reviewers involved in the selection process. Please note that all reviewers are bound by non-disclosure agreements.
В. Attachments
Attachment 1: Proposal Cover Sheet