Request for Proposal (RFP)
Issued on: February 14, 2024
Solicitation Number: 2205-BHFA-CONSLT-001
For: Consultancy Services
Quotes Deadline: March 1, 2024
Background
Pathfinder is driven by the conviction that all people, regardless of where they live, have the right to decide whether and when to have children, to exist free from fear and stigma, and to lead the lives they choose.
Since 1957, we have partnered with local governments, communities, and health systems to remove barriers to critical sexual and reproductive health services. Together, we expand access to contraception, promote healthy pregnancies, save women’s lives, and stop the spread of new HIV infections, wherever the need is most urgent.
Our work ensures millions of women, men, and young people are able to choose their own paths forward.
Project Background
The USAID Building Healthy Families Activity (BHFA) is a five-year program (September 2022 to August 2027). Pathfinder is leading a team in implementing this project in 37 districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh Provinces, whose overall goal is to improve the population’s health outcomes through strengthening the primary care systems so that uptake and continuation of voluntary Family Planning (FP)/Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (RMNCH) services are encouraged. The project puts the Governments of Sindh and KP along with their respective Departments of Health (DOH), Population Welfare Department (PWD), and private sector providers at the forefront. The project aims to help achieve the Government of Pakistan’s (GoP) FP 2030 goals in providing a higher-performing health system and responding to the needs of Pakistanis – especially women, girls, children, youth, and disadvantaged and marginalized populations.
BHFA requires support in producing high quality, audience-specific and visually superior communication materials. The role of the communication consultant will include supporting the development of communication materials.
Therefore, BHFA is looking for an expert to support its designing, communication, and storytelling issues based on need, on a contractual basis. The support areas will be providing writing support, editing and designing quality technical briefs, success stories, booklets, producing well formatted reports and report summaries, and generalized communications materials (e.g., Pathfinder Website blogs and BHFA external project publications for dissemination with different stakeholders).
The Communications Consultant will be extending support to the project remotely with guidance and support from the Pathfinder BHFA Team in Pakistan under the supervision of the BHFA Chief of Party.
Scope of Work (SOW)
The person will be responsible for following tasks:
1) Editing Technical Briefs and policy briefs in consultation with respective technical teams based on project needs and ideas.
2) Producing illustrated and share-ready report summaries synthesizing from the project produced reports.
3) Editing Success Stories for documentations, in consultation with the technical teams
4) Producing/Editing social media contents from the collected success stories and other sources
5) Support project with designing presentations and briefs of various project documents: assessments and surveys.
6) Editing materials to obtain high-quality technical and communication materials that can achieve desired impacts and visibility.
7) Providing print/share-ready well-designed project materials using compatible (Adobe Suits preferred) graphic design/desktop publishing software adhering to branding and communication guidelines.
8) Extending assistance to technical and program staffs preparing various types of documentation that would capture the learning and innovation of the project.
Required Qualifications:
1) Native English language skills with Literature/story telling background.
2) Expert in dealing with technical documents and familiar with SRHR and FP terminologies.
3) Up-to-date knowledge of design software such as Adobe Creative Cloud, specifically Adobe Illustrator, Adobe XD, Adobe Photoshop, and common wireframe tools.
4) Previous communication experience on USAID projects.
Required Skills:
1) Must have strong communication and analytical skills with attention to details. Able to determine and convey the intended message and develop high-quality product with creative ideas.
2) Must have artistic and storytelling skills to create appealing designs.
3) A high level of organizational and coordination skills
4) Ability to produce quality work within the requested deadline and under pressure.
Expected Results and Deliverables
|
Activity
|
Deliverable
|
|
Work closely with BHFA Communications Officer in editing and BHFA Communication materials, including project brochure, PowerPoint presentation on the project. Strategy.
|
BHFA communication materials, including overview of project in a short brief and PowerPoint.
|
|
Provide writing support to BHFA technical teams as they document project impact, approaches, and interventions.
|
Edited project materials (learning briefs, technical briefs, policy briefs, success stories blog)
|
|
Edit and provide final design for project assessments, surveys, and studies
|
Well designed, easy-to-understand briefs and presentations on BHFA findings and recommendations using compatible (Adobe Suits preferred) graphic design/desktop publishing software adhering to branding and communication guidelines.
|
Performance Period
The scope of work will take place over approximately eight months, from the date of contract award, with an estimated level of effort of 90 days.
Inquiries
If you have any questions/inquiries, please e-mail [email protected] no later than close of business February 20, 2024 (3:00PM) with a subject line Inquiries: 2205-BHFA-CONSLT-001 – Communication Consultancy. The solicitation number indicated above must be included in the subject line. Responses will be posted to all known offerors.
Modification
If at any time prior to award Pathfinder deems there to be a need for a significant modification to the terms and conditions of this RFP, Pathfinder will issue such a modification as a written RFP amendment to all competing offerors. No oral statement of any person shall in any manner be deemed to modify or otherwise affect any RFP term or condition, and no offeror shall rely on any such statement. Such amendments are the exclusive method for this purpose.
Resulting Award
As a result of this solicitation, Pathfinder anticipates engaging a single independent contractor/company. Pathfinder reserves the right to split the SOW and make multiple awards.
Any resulting contract will be subject to the terms and conditions contained in Annex B. Part B of this annex will only apply to USG-funded assignments.
Payment Terms
Pathfinder anticipates entering into a fixed-price contract with the selected contractor. Payment will be made according to milestones.
Proposal Guidelines and Instructions
Offerors will be required to submit two proposals, electronically, one a technical proposal and the other a cost proposal. All proposals must be signed and valid for a minimum of sixty (60) days.
Your proposal should provide basic information about your Individual and relevant service offerings. It should have a section addressing each of the following areas:
(a) Individual Profile
(b) Past Performance
(c) Technical Approach (offeror will be evaluated based on their responsiveness to the Scope of Work)
(d) References
(e) Relationship disclosure and mitigation plan
Responses should include the following information:
Technical Proposal
a. Individual Profile
- Provide a general description of the offeror in terms of domestic and international experience.
- Published reports, success stories and literature.
- Briefly summarize the offeror’s qualifications and experience of the activities described in the scope of work also as per criteria.
- Maximum attained education and certifications received.
b. Past Performance
- Provide a detailed track record of previous similar work undertaken along with the names of the associated companies.
- Achievements, awards.
c. Technical Approach
- Describe the offeror’s technical approach in responding to the scope of work.
- Describe the offeror’s experience dealing with the communication role.
- Describe the offeror’s capability in relation to the subject matter.
d. References – pass/fail
- Submit (4) client references with complete details including contact name, designation, company name, contact number and email.
e. Relationship disclosure – pass/fail
- Describe any current or past relationships your organization may have with Pathfinder, and if it is a potential conflict of interest. If there is a potential conflict of interest, please explain how this risk will be mitigated.
- Describe any personal or familial relationships any employee of the Contractor has with any employee of Pathfinder. If there is a relationship, please explain how any conflict-of-interest risk will be mitigated.
- Disclosure does not automatically disqualify offeror.
- Cost Proposal
Offerors pricing should be based on the following:
For Services performed during the Term, Consultant will be paid a fixed fee. Please submit your per day rate below in USD.
Fixed per day rate ________________
Evaluation Criteria
In evaluating the proposals, Pathfinder International will seek the best value for money rather than the lowest priced proposal. Pathfinder will use a two-stage selection procedure:
- the first stage will evaluate the Technical Proposal.
- the second stage will evaluate the Cost Proposal for proposals that pass the Technical Proposal evaluation.
Specifically, the selection committee will evaluate each proposal upon the following criteria:
|
Criteria
|
Weight
|
|
Bid Submission
- Bid submitted on time.
- Offeror is eligible to receive funding per background checks.
- Any potential conflict of interest is sufficiently mitigated.
- Reference checks yield positive result
|
Pass/Fail
|
|
Native English language skills with Literature/story telling background (Maximum 5 marks for Native English language proficiency and Maximum 5 points for Background in literature)
|
10 marks
|
|
Expert in dealing with technical documents and familiar with Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Family Planning (FP) terminologies. (Maximum 5 marks for Proficiency in technical document handling and Maximum 5 points for Familiarity with SRHR and FP terminologies)
|
10 marks
|
|
Proficiency in Producing Illustrated Report Summaries and Success Stories
|
15 marks
|
|
Proficiency in Technical Writing, Design, Content Creation, and Social Media Management.
|
15 marks
|
|
Consultant technical approach to the scope of work, ability to work independently, capacity to communicate complex ideas clearly and concisely, and willingness to collaborate effectively with an international team across various time zones.
|
10 marks
|
|
Previous communication experience on USAID funded projects (maximum 20 marks, each year of experience will get 2 marks)
|
20 marks
|
|
Master's degree (or equivalent) in project management, mass communications, journalism, development, social sciences, public relations, or related fields (maximum 10 marks)
|
10 marks
|
|
10 years of progressively responsible experience in communications role for health/development projects or equivalent (maximum 10 marks, each year experience will get 1 mark)
|
10 marks
|
|
Total Weight
|
100
|
Pathfinder is not bound to accept the lowest or any proposal and reserves the right to accept any proposal in whole or in part and to reject any or all proposals.
Pathfinder shall not be legally bound by any award notice issued for this RFP until a contract is duly signed and executed with the winning offeror.
Terms
Pathfinder reserves the right to cancel this solicitation at any point and is under no obligation to issue a subcontract as a result of this solicitation.
Pathfinder will not reimburse any expenses related to the preparation of any proposal related materials or delivery.
Agreement
Any resulting contract will be subject to the terms and conditions contained in the annex. See Annex A
Thank you,
BHFA Procurement Team
Pathfinder International