Terms of Reference for Agency, Company or Organization to conduct communication strategy/campaign highlighting TABLA Project results

 

 

 

 

 

Terms of Reference

 for Agency, Company or Organization to conduct communication strategy/campaign highlighting TABLA Project results

 

Project name:	"TABLA – General Education Activity”
Project location:	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Project duration:	36 months (September 2019 – September 2022)
Duration of assignment:	April 15, 2021 – July 31, 2022
Partners in project implementation:	Ministries of Education in Sarajevo Canton and Herzegovina Neretva Canton and Ministry of Education and Culture in Republika Srpska
Donor:	United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

 

 

1.     INTRODUCTION

Save the Children (SC) is the world’s leading independent organization for children. SC vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. SC mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.

 

In the North West Balkans Region, SC strives to improve child rights situation in general and especially in the areas of education, child rights governance, protection of children from all forms of violence and emergencies. In all of the mentioned areas SC aims at providing professional and financial support to partners.

 

Since 2000, SC in the North West Balkans has programming in the Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro and it supports implementation of regional initiatives in the region of South East Europe.

 

Save the Children in North West Balkans (SCiNWB), based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) conducts its activities in three countries: BiH, Serbia and Montenegro and supports realization of regional initiatives in the area of South East Europe.       

 

2.     RATIONALE            

 

BiH’s education system sits at a moment of great opportunity for institutionalizing reforms to strengthen quality of teaching and improve student learning outcomes in preparation for an increasingly tech-driven world. As demonstrated by the 2018 results of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and confirmed by the results from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2020, BiH is faced with a grave learning crisis as schools are not prepared for the knowledge society of the 21st century and children do not have the same opportunities to develop their potential as their peers in high- and middle-income countries.  With the country scoring well below international average in both PISA and TIMSS tests, it is urgent that the education authorities in BiH design and implement comprehensive education reforms, based on the findings of international large-scale assessments, which provide much needed data for informed policy decisions. 

 

However, the opportunity to launch education reforms has coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused significant additional setbacks to the access and quality of teaching and learning around the world, including in BiH. The pandemic has brought to light the inadequacy of the education systems, their inability to adjust to the new learning environments, and has exacerbated already entrenched inequalities between students of different social and economic backgrounds. It is safe to say that the pandemic has strongly reaffirmed the urgent need for a complete overhaul of education in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

Groundwork for the much-needed reform has already taken place and continues to be laid. Through implementation of USAID’s ENABLE Project (2017-2020), teaching curricula for STEM-based subjects based on student learning outcomes was developed, a module for pre-service training of future teachers was developed, in-service training was provided to teachers from across the country, and 12 schools were equipped with modern STEM labs to facilitate practice-based learning.  Formal adoption and integration of student learning outcomes and STEM-based principles into pre- and in-service teaching curricula is the next step in BiH’s journey, and the ongoing USAID-funded General Education Activity (TABLA) (2019-2022) will facilitate this process in Sarajevo and Herzegovina-Neretva cantons, and the Republika Srpska.  These three geographic areas will now have the opportunity to serve as models for education modernization and reform. However, this workcan only happen if it simultaneously supports teachers under COVID-19 health threats and enables educators, parents and students to access learning through virtual and blended platforms, as well as traditional in-class learning.

 

Competent education authorities at all levels of government must take bold steps now to create inclusive, resilient, and quality education systems fit for the future. In order to do so, the general public andconcerned stakeholders should increase public pressure on decision-makers to initiate the needed reforms, which has so far been lacking. The campaign developed under the TABLA project will therefore aim to stimulate public discourse on education reform by mobilizing relevant stakeholders (policy-makers, professionals/practitioners, students and parents, and the business community) for education reforms based on good practice models being developed and successfully piloted in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The campaign, which will span the life of the project, will particularly aim to mobilize children and parents, and will utilize social and traditional media, public events, and different communication channels to promote and demand education reform.  Reform dialogue will especially focus on the need for increased access to high-quality online and blended-learning platforms, as well as critical mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for teachers and learners, in the context of Covid-19 pandemic.

 

 

3.     PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY

 

Save the Children in North West Balkans is seeking an Agency/Company/Organization to plan and implement communication strategy/ public information campaign on results achieved through the implementation of the project General Education Activity – TABLA.

 

TABLA aims to align pre-service curricula with CCC, and integrate 4Cs and PPDM into pre-service training. TABLA will institutionalize and incentivize professional development to support teachers’ career-long learning and build peer mentorship mechanisms into both pre- and in-service training. The project will design a STEM education package and certification, and work with ministries of education (MoEs) and pedagogical institutes to increase their efficiency and accountability. Educational policymakers and school leadership will be incentivized to support reforms by equipping schools with STEM labs.

 

All of these efforts yield models of good practice that need to be promoted as the path towards improving education in BiH. At the same time, relevant target groups need to better understand the need for educational reforms in order to be empowered to demand more vigorous action from relevant authorities.

 

Overall aim of the campaign: Stimulate public discussion to facilitate education reforms in BiH

 

Specific objectives of the campaign:

 

·        General awareness raised of the results of relevant international assessments (TIMSS, PISA) and connection between them and the need to reform education in the country, including awareness of 21st century skills as prerequisites for successful results.

·        Increased understanding of inclusive education, gender disparities in education, and the digital divide that result in unequal access to quality inclusive education for marginalized groups, especially in the context of Covid-19 pandemic.

·        Improved public discourse on education quality and increased public demand for education change leveraging results of international tests (PISA, TIMMS).

·        Relevant target groups (ministries of education, cantonal/entity governments) recognize TABLA as a leader of innovation in education and implement good practice models developed under the project as guidance to initiate reforms.

 

4.     SCOPE OF THE WORK

 

Engagement involves the development of a campaign strategy and implementation plan, as well as the actual implementation of the campaign, by the following information:

 

The aim of the communication campaign is to inform the general public in Bosnia and Herzegovina about the efforts and results of the TABLA project and the importance of access to quality education for all children,

 

The main target groups of the campaign are:

·        Children, students, parents, who will raise their collective voice on the current quality of education and its relevance. Children in particular need to be mobilized for action and demand better education that will prepare them for life, build their creativity and 21st century skills, and prepare them for the labor markets of tomorrow.

·        Teachers, educational practitioners, professors, experts in education: who will voice opinions on how current education systems can be improved, the implementation of best practices from BiH and other countries, and the role of teachers in the context of COVID 19 and otherwise.

·        Business sector (private and public): who will clearly define the competencies that future adults will need to enter the labor market and articulate in public what schools in the 21st century should look like.

·        Ministries of Education, Ministry for Science and Technology Development and Information Society, National Agencies for Standards and Quality Assurance (APOSO, HEA, HE RS,) Education Special Commission of the Government of Canton Sarajevo: who will be the main targets for advocating changes in the education system, they need to initiate curricular reforms, improve system of pre-service education for teachers, in-service professional development for teachers, strategically plan technical equipping of schools in order for them to be able to implement contemporary teaching methods.

 

 5.     DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Save the Children staff based in Sarajevo will be the main contact for the Agency/Company or Organization.

 

Duties of consultant:

·        The Agency/Company or Organization will be fully responsible for this assignment;

·        The Agency/Company or Organization will liaise with Save the Children staff throughout the process, providing regular updates and seeking their input and advice where necessary;

·        The Agency/Company or Organization will adhere to the timeframe of the consultancy;

·        The Agency/Company or Organization will deliver the final report with reach figures.

 

Responsibilities of Save the Children:

·        Providing all background materials for the Agency/Company or Organization.

·        Ensuring the participation and support of implementing partners/STEM model schools and faculty representatives;

·        Monitoring adherence to specified deadlines;

·        Facilitating access to required information;

·        Perform quality control, as required for all deliverables.

 

 

6.     DELIVERABLES

 

·        Communication campaign implementation strategy and plan - including clear segmentation of target groups, development of specific messages for all segmented groups, development of campaign visuals, communication channels and communication products that contribute to campaign goals.

·        All products covered by the campaign implementation plan, including all print, audio/video /multimedia materials and press releases, primarily focusing on:

 

1.      Online and offline campaign designed and implemented to promote main outputs of TABLA project as best practice examples and way forward towards implementation of education reforms in BiH.

Possible channels of communication: media appearances, video and infographics for social media, case studies to be promoted in electronic and print media, press releases and promotion related to project events, TV shows with expert participation

 

2.      Youth groups from project locations empowered to engage in campaigning for improved education quality. This deliverable will be implemented in close coordination with NGO Mreža mira, partner on the TABLA project, responsible for capacity building of children and youth in the field of advocacy and campaigns.

Possible channels of communication: youth campaigns on social media, also to include voices of parents and businesses, short video clips produced by youth, digital hangouts as virtual forums for interaction between youth and decision-makers, youth engagement through specialized events such as STEM fairs, Researchers' Night

 

3.      Direct lobbying and advocacy towards relevant decision-makers to secure their commitment for implementing education reforms in project locations.

Possible channels of communication:  meetings and round tables with stakeholders, Online sessions – inspirational speeches and communication with policy makers, professionals, students, parents’ association, examples from equipped laboratories (TABLA session),

 

 

·        Realized distribution and placement of produced materials through selected communication channels, as well as through unpaid PR in the media (media pitching for thematic shows, collages and programs on current affairs in local and state media). Promoting manufactured materials through various media channels, including boosting and mobilizing social network users for a wider distribution of produced materials.

·        Monitoring and reporting on campaign implementation and overall reach.

·        Thematic conferences as planned under the project on reform dialogue and advocacy on STEM+A/4Cs/PPDM and in light of the Pandemic and dynamic learning

·        Final event and thematic conference

 

7.     TIMEFRAME

 

In order to perform the scheduled task, an independent Agency/Company or Organization shall be hired for the period April 15, 2021 to July 31, 2022.

 

8.     REQUIRED EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE

 

The Agency/Company or Organization should possess the following expertise and skills as a minimum:

 

·        At least five years of domestic and/or regional experience in implementing similar tasks, with experience in communicating/conducting campaigns focusing on child rights and education;

·        Knowledge and experience of working in the field of education sector will be considered an advantage;

·        Proven creative and innovative approach and ability to find cost-effective alternative methods of communication and message transmission.

 

9.     Budget

 

The Agency/Company or Organization should indicate the amounts of fees and costs of the services it expects in the engagement, with currency, in the document "Bidding Response", and complete the form "SC-PR-10 - Request for Quotation".

 

All budget items should be clearly described, explaining how they fit into the proposed methodology and work plan. It is mandatory to indicate the names of budget items as well as specific budget lines within the proposed budget.

 

Save the Children will particularly appreciate the potential pro-bono contribution of the applicant to maximize the effects of the campaign, as well as its visibility, which we will be happy to announce through the campaign.

 

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount (including a breakdown of costs for fee, travel, and number of working days). Payments will be made in installments based upon key outputs, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the ToR.

·        50% on signing the contract and submission of a blueprint including work-plan and methodology for the assignment (in English)

·        50% on completion of all agreed activities and submission of final report, including full press clipping of campaign coverage (in English).

 

Note* The Agency/Company/Organization should take into account travel, food and accommodations, and all other expenses related to their tasks as they will not be reimbursed.

 

  

10.SELECTION CRITERIA

 

 

Criterion                                                                                                                                                        Points Possible

1.  Technical Approach                                                                                                                                                         50

A.      The proposed methodology, approach, and implementation plan demonstrates it will achieve the requirements of the TOR for the project B.      Describes the activities to be implemented, how and by whom, and the proposed timelines for each significant objective/deliverable/milestone described in the TOR C.      Provides in table format clear and well-defined deliverables and due dates that can be used as milestones on which fixed payments will be based

2.   Key Personnel                                                                                                                                                              25

A.      Academic qualifications B.      Team Leader/coordination experience C.      Professional experience and expertise in the technical area a.       Experience with conducting communication strategy/campaigns

3. Fees and Associated Costs                                                                                                                                           25

A.      The degree to which costs are allocable B.      The degree to which costs are reasonable C.      The degree to which costs are allowable D.     A clear and concise budget narrative

Total Points Possible                                                                                                                   100

 

Based on this proposed criteria, all applicants will have to provide:

 

1. Submission of the Bidder’s response document with a specified budget breakdown, methodology/concept, and budget;

2. Request for proposal;

3. Biography of each team member listing relevant experience in SCI template;

4. Reference list and at least two examples of previously designed and implemented campaigns;

 

 

No person working on any task for or behalf of Save the Children may in no way whatsoever be involved or related to child abuse or exploitation as defined in the Save the Children's Child Safeguarding Policy. The contracting authority also requires that the personal data of all evaluation participants must be protected and stored in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation - (EU) 2016/679 and the national law on personal data protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH Law on Personal Data Protection, Official Gazette of Bosnia and Herzegovina No. 49/06).

 

 

  

11.FORMAL EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR CONSULTANCY

 

The interested Agency/Company or Organization should develop and submit a financial proposal to respond to the above mentioned specific tasks. The proposal should include:

 

1.         Submission of the Bidder’s response document with a specified budget breakdown (Annex 1);

2.         Letter of interest with confirmation of the availability for the proposed dates and work dynamics;

3.         Biography of each team member listing relevant experience in SCI template (Annex 2);

4.         Concept of the campaign;

5.         Reference list and at least two examples of previously designed and implemented campaigns.

 

The interested applicants should submit their proposals to Procurement.NWB@savethechildren.org no later than the April 23, 2021. Only the shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

 Please download application forms: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yiw4e8oX38mYYWC1aRlWpyJabxX5CUyo/view?usp=sharing