https://devbusiness.un.org/content/delivering-training-communication-advocacy-and-networking-policy-influence-national-csos
  REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) (For Low-Valued Services)     Developing Innovation-driven and Sustainable Civil Society in Azerbaijan   DATE: September 1, 2021   REFERENCE: TR0000140121- Delivering a training on communication, advocacy and networking for policy influence for national CSOs in Azerbaijan     Dear Sir / Madam:     We kindly request you to submit your Proposal for Delivering a training on communication, advocacy and networking for policy influence for national CSOs in Azerbaijan. Please be guided by the form attached hereto as Annex 2, in preparing your Proposal.    Proposals may be submitted on or before Wednesday, September 15, 2021 18:00 Baku local time via email to the address below:     [email protected]   Your email shall bear the following information in the subject: “ Proposal for Project 000123786. Delivering a training on communication, advocacy and networking to CSOs ”.   The Company is required to prepare and submit separately a Technical and Financial Proposals.   The Financial proposal to be submitted in a password-protected file separate from the Technical Proposal. The password to financial proposal shall not be provided if not officially requested by UNDP.   The proposals should be duly signed and stamped.   The Technical proposal shall include:     Business Licenses – Registration Papers, Tax Certification etc. Profile – describing the nature of business, field of expertise, licenses, certifications, accreditations; The company’s portfolio of previous projects for similar services as those required by UNDP, indicating description of the contract scope, contract duration, contract value, contact references/contact details; At least two reference letters from previous customers/clients/partners reflecting the nature of projects implemented, their results, and the role of the applicant company; Written Self-Declaration that the company is not in the UN Security Council 1267/1989 List, UN Procurement Division List or Other UN Ineligibility List. A methodology for carrying out the assignment; (please see details in with Annex 2, Clause B) A work plan with a proposed work schedule indicating the persons responsible for each area of activity (please see details in with Annex 2, Clause B). Personal CVs of the Project Team, including information about experience in similar projects / assignments (please see details in Annex 2, Clause C);     The Financial proposal shall include:   Cost breakdown per Deliverable (Annex 2, Clause D) Cost breakdown by Cost component (Annex 2, Clause E) Written statement confirming that VAT is excluded from financial offer.                   Your Proposal must be expressed in English, and valid for a minimum period of 90 days   In the course of preparing your Proposal, it shall remain your responsibility to ensure that it reaches the address above on or before the deadline.  Proposals that are received by UNDP after the deadline indicated above, for whatever reason, shall not be considered for evaluation.  If you are submitting your Proposal by email, kindly ensure that they are signed and in the.pdf format, and free from any virus or corrupted files.                 Services proposed shall be reviewed and evaluated based on completeness and compliance of the Proposal and responsiveness with the requirements of the RFP and all other annexes providing details of UNDP requirements.     The Proposal that complies with all of the requirements, meets all the evaluation criteria and offers the best value for money shall be selected and awarded the contract.  Any offer that does not meet the requirements shall be rejected.   Any discrepancy between the unit price and the total price shall be re-computed by UNDP, and the unit price shall prevail, and the total price shall be corrected.  If the Service Provider does not accept the final price based on UNDP’s re-computation and correction of errors, its Proposal will be rejected.    No price variation due to escalation, inflation, fluctuation in exchange rates, or any other market factors shall be accepted by UNDP after it has received the Proposal.    At the time of Award of Contract or Purchase Order, UNDP reserves the right to vary (increase or decrease) the quantity of services and/or goods, by up to a maximum twenty-five per cent (25%) of the total offer, without any change in the unit price or other terms and conditions.    Any Contract or Purchase Order that will be issued as a result of this RFP shall be subject to the General Terms and Conditions attached hereto.  The mere act of submission of a Proposal implies that the Service Provider accepts without question the General Terms and Conditions of UNDP, herein attached as Annex 3.   Please be advised that UNDP is not bound to accept any Proposal, nor award a contract or Purchase Order, nor be responsible for any costs associated with a Service Providers preparation and submission of a Proposal, regardless of the outcome or the manner of conducting the selection process.                   UNDP’s vendor protest procedure is intended to afford an opportunity to appeal for persons or firms not awarded a Purchase Order or Contract in a competitive procurement process.  In the event that you believe you have not been fairly treated, you can find detailed information about vendor protest procedures in the following link: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/operations/procurement/business/protest-and-sanctions.html                 UNDP encourages every prospective Service Provider to prevent and avoid conflicts of interest, by disclosing to UNDP if you, or any of your affiliates or personnel, were involved in the preparation of the requirements, design, cost estimates, and other information used in this RFP.    UNDP implements a zero tolerance on fraud and other proscribed practices, and is committed to preventing, identifying and addressing all such acts and practices against UNDP, as well as third parties involved in UNDP activities.  UNDP expects its Service Providers to adhere to the UN Supplier Code of Conduct found in this link: https://www.un.org/Depts/ptd/sites/www.un.org.Depts.ptd/files/files/attachment/page/pdf/unscc/conduct_english.pdf   Thank you and we look forward to receiving your Proposal.       Sincerely yours,   Subhan Ahmadov OM, UNDP 1.09.2021     Annex 1     Description of Requirements   Context of the Requirement The European Union (EU) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) value a dynamic civil society environment, which fosters pluralism and contributes towards sustainable development and inclusive growth. To support active engagement of the civil society in the national development, the EU and UNDP have launched a 3-year project “Developing innovation-driven and sustainable civil society in Azerbaijan”, an initiative that aims to build a strong and influential Civil Society Sector by fostering meaningful participation of the CSOs in policy formulation and policy debate, and enable them to better represent and voice the interests and concerns of their constituencies.   The project comes at an opportune time following gradual thwarting of the relations between the government and the CSOs. Over the past few years, the practice of organizing public discussions with the participation of independent experts and CSOs has to some degree improved. CSO-government cooperation channels have widened, with CSOs being given more opportunities to provide policy recommendations and participate in public councils, discussions, and working groups. To earn credibility and effectively influence policy the CSOs need to beef up their technical expertise and experience in policy-making processes, and be familiar with key tools and procedures involved in the development and implementation of policy. While the CSOs in Azerbaijan have practical knowledge of what is happening on the ground it is crucial that they acquire specific advocacy and networking skills and learn how to better utilise the evidence they collect, if they want to stand a better chance of influencing public policies. In addition, the CSOs also need to improve their communication strategies to become better able to persuade various stakeholders of the validity of their goals and strategies, and convey their results of their activity in clear, concise and convincing manner. In order to contribute to the set overall goal, the project envisages a capacity enhancement programme, with the main objective being to increase the capacity of the CSOs representative in a number of key areas by offering them new knowledge of the contemporary methodologies and techniques as well as the opportunity for exchange and practical experience. These key capacity areas the project focuses on include: •   Policy research and preparation of policy papers •   Communication and visibility •   Advocacy for policy change •   Alliance building and networking for policy influence Implementing Partner of UNDP UNDP   Brief Description of the Required Services [1] The purpose of the assignment is to strengthen the capacities of the civil society organizations in Azerbaijan to communicate effectively and to influence the public policies and promote policy changes through advocacy and networking.   The content of the training should be designed around three areas and cover the following topics:   Communication: Training objectives 1. To gain knowledge on the best approach to present the CSO message to policy makers 2. To enhance the capacity of CSOs in communicating the message to the media Key content Developing communication strategies and communication & visibility plans Formulating a clear message Communicating Project Impact through story writing Communicating project impact through images Data visualization and presentation Effective media relations Digital communication and social media  Advocacy for policy change: Training objectives   1. To increase understanding on the role of the CSOs in advocacy and stages of an advocacy process. 2. To learn on the way to identify key messages and deciding of the most effective approach in advocacy. 3. To learn on how to formulate an advocacy effort on a policy or regulatory issue relevant to the participating CSOs in the workshop 4. To understand the approach for managing and implementing an advocacy process, by setting specific targets together with corresponding activities, timeframe and budget Key content Objectives of advocacy and role of CSOs in the development of advocacy strategy The implementation steps of advocacy process: identification of the issue, networking and forming alliances, and involvement of the media The three stages of an advocacy campaign: development of concrete proposals for change, bringing the proposal to the political level for consideration and adoption, and integrating the changes made into the policymaking criteria Stakeholders’ analysis: Identification and analysis of target audience that can make policy change or influence the decisions: primary and secondary audiences Identification and formulation of key advocacy messages Approach(es) to be taken in advocacy Identification of the goal and objectives/outcomes of the advocacy campaign with well formulated indicators of achievement Preparation of the intervention framework (log frame) for the goal, objectives/outcomes and activities Identification of activities to be undertaken for the policy issue in question, for each of the target audience, together with the corresponding key message. Budget preparation with a time frame based on the advocacy strategy and activities     Alliance building (coalitions) and networks for policy influence: Training objectives 1. To increase understanding on the advantages and disadvantages of CSOs coalitions and networks and the way to mitigate the risks when entering a coalition or a network 2. To enhance knowledge in carrying out an assessment of potential partners in order to design the appropriate coalition communication strategy Key content Coalition and network models Why enter a coalition or a network: advantages and disadvantages of building formal or informal relationships with other CSOs? Assessment of the potential partners Managing coalition partners and networks Coalition communication strategy and trust building   The main target audience of the training programme will be national and local civil society organizations working with a diverse population groups including but not limited to youth, women, people with disabilities, internally displaced populations, small entrepreneurs and others. The main sectors of their activity include: Gender equality and women empowerment Youth development Social and economic studies Education Health Support to people with special needs Environmental management Regional development   The trainings should reach out to around 80 CSOs and should be delivered remotely using Zoom platform. The trainings shall be delivered within normal business hours in Azerbaijan – 10:00 – 18:00 Baku time. Given high number of participants, the training should be delivered in a series of four (4) training events, each accommodating up to 20 participants.   Each training event is expected to take place remotely and last for 6-7 full days (12-14 days in half-day sessions) using a mix of training methodologies including lectures, power point presentations, guided discussions, group work, simulation exercises, demonstration of video materials, case-study analysis and other. Relevant essential documents for the training, and instructions for trainees shall be shared prior or during the trainings. Final training content, methodology and agenda should be designed and finalized in consultation with UNDP.   List and Description of Expected Outputs to be Delivered Inception report detailing overall approach to the assignment, training methodology and content, learning outcomes and methods Delivery of the 4 training events to around 80 CSOs, each training event for up to 20 CSOs Training report outlining the pre-& post-test assessment, general trainer's reflections on training workshops, overview of most common issues of concern, recommendations for improvements and statistical results of trainee feedback forms. Person to Supervise the Work/Performance of the Service Provider   Project Manager Frequency of Reporting Report Deadline for submission Inception report detailing overall approach to the assignment, training methodology and content, learning outcomes and methods   Within 7 days from the commencement of the assignment Delivery of the 4 training events to around 80 CSOs, each training event for up to 20 CSOs   Within 60 days after approval of the methodology Training report outlining the pre-& post-test assessment, general trainer's reflections on training workshops, overview of most common issues of concern, recommendations for improvements and statistical results of trainee feedback forms. Within 7 days after the completion of the trainings.     Progress Reporting Requirements The reports shall be submitted in a written form and shall be well structured. Deliverables will require review and approval by the Project team before raising an invoice for payment. Location of work ☐ Exact Address/es [pls. specify] ☒ At Contractor’s Location; through zoom platform Expected duration of work Up to 11 weeks Target start date 11 October 2021 Latest completion date 27 December 2021 Travels Expected Travel is not expected.   Special Security Requirements ☐ Security Clearance from UN prior to travelling ☐ Completion of UN’s Basic and Advanced Security Training ☐ Comprehensive Travel Insurance ☒ Others: It is Service Provider’s responsibility to undertake all security measures for carrying out the assignment Facilities to be Provided by UNDP (i.e., must be excluded from Price Proposal) ☐ Office space and facilities ☐ Land Transportation ☒ Others: none. The Service Provider will use own facilities and transport, as well as own corporate Zoom account.   Implementation Schedule indicating breakdown and timing of activities/sub-activities   ☒ Required ☐ Not Required Names and curriculum vitae of individuals who will be involved in completing the services   ☒ Required ☐ Not Required   Currency of Proposal   ☒ United States Dollars ☐ Euro ☐ Local Currency (AZN)   If the local organization quotes in USD, payments will be made in AZN according to UN treasury exchange rate at the date of transaction: https://treasury.un.org/operationalrates/OperationalRates.php   Value Added Tax on Price Proposal [2] ☐ must be inclusive of VAT and other applicable indirect taxes ☒ must be exclusive of VAT and other applicable indirect taxes   Validity Period of Proposals (Counting for the last day of submission of quotes)   ☐ 60 days       ☒ 90 days          ☐ 120 days   In exceptional circumstances, UNDP may request the Proposer to extend the validity of the Proposal beyond what has been initially indicated in this RFP.   The Proposal shall then confirm the extension in writing, without any modification whatsoever on the Proposal.    Partial Quotes   ☒ Not permitted ☐ Permitted   Payment Terms [3]   Outputs Percentage Timing for completion of the output Condition for Payment Release Inception report detailing overall approach to the assignment, training methodology and content, learning outcomes and methods   20% Within 7 days from the commencement of the assignment UNDP’s written acceptance (i.e., not mere receipt) of the quality of the outputs; and Receipt of invoice from the Service Provider. Delivery of the 4 training events to around 80 CSOs, each training event for up to 20 CSOs   65% Within 60 days after approval of the methodology Training report outlining the pre-& post-test assessment, general trainer's reflections on training workshops, overview of most common issues of concern, recommendations for improvements and statistical results of trainee feedback forms. 15% Within 7 days after the completion of the trainings.   Person(s) to review/inspect/ approve outputs/completed services and authorize the disbursement of payment   Project team / Programme Advisor Type of Contract to be Signed ☒ Purchase Order ☒ Other Type of Contract: Face Sheet with General Terms and Conditions   Criteria for Contract Award ☐ Lowest Price Quote among technically responsive offers ☒ Highest Combined Score (based on the 70% technical offer and 30% price weight distribution) ☒ Full acceptance of the UNDP Contract General Terms and Conditions (GTC).  This is a mandatory criterion and cannot be deleted regardless of the nature of services required.  Non-acceptance of the GTC may be grounds for the rejection of the Proposal.   Criteria for the Assessment of Proposal Technical Proposal (T=70%) ☒ Expertise of the Fi rm 25% At least 5 years of proven experience in delivering trainings on advocacy / communication / networking – 15 points At least 3 projects on delivery of relevant trainings to CSOs – 10 points ☒ Methodology, Its Appropriateness to the Condition and Timeliness of the Implementation Plan 30%. The methodology, inter alia, must include training content, learning methods, tools and techniques. Methodology- 20 Implementation plan- 10 ☒ Team composition and Qualification of Key Personnel 45% Adequacy of the team composition to the complexity of the assignment – 7 Qualification of the trainers- 38   Trainers must meet the following requirements: University degree in communications, public relations, journalism, marketing or relevant field is required (5) At least 7 years of professional work experience at international level in public relations, communications, or advocacy; (8) Experience in media relations or in journalism; (5) Experience in the use of social media; (5) Proven experience in building capacities for Communication, Advocacy and Networking for multiple target audiences including civil society organizations  (8) Previous similar experience of work with CIS / Central Europe (5) Fluency in English is required (oral and written) (2)   Financial Proposal (P=30%) Financial scores to be computed as a ratio of the Proposal’s offer to the lowest price among the proposals received by UNDP:            Lowest Proposal Sf =------------------------- x 100          Proposed Proposal   Proposals will be ranked according to their combined technical (St) and financial (Sf) scores using the weights (T = the weight given to the Technical Proposal; P = the weight given to the Financial Proposal;   T + P = 100; S = St x T% + Sf x P%. The contract will be awarded to the firm whose proposal will obtain the highest aggregate score based on the technical and financial evaluation.    If a company passes 70% minimum threshold as a result of technical evaluation, then UNDP will officially request the companies passing 70% to provide their passwords for financial proposal. The companies not gaining 70% for technical evaluation will not pass to the next stage of evaluation and their passwords will not be requested.     UNDP will award the contract to:   ☒ One and only one Service Provider   Contract General Terms and Conditions [4] ☒ General Terms and Conditions for de minimis contracts (services only, less than $50,000)   Applicable Terms and Conditions are available at: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/procurement/business/how-we-buy.html   Annexes to this RFP [5] ☒ Form for Submission of Proposal (Annex 2) ☒ Detailed TOR   Contact Person for Inquiries (Written inquiries only) [6]   [email protected] All questions must bear the following information in subject field: “ INQUIRY. Proposal for Project 000123786. Delivering a training on communication, advocacy and networking to CSOs ”   Any delay in UNDP’s response shall be not used as a reason for extending the deadline for submission, unless UNDP determines that such an extension is necessary and communicates a new deadline to the Proposers.   Other Information [pls. specify]         Annex 2   FORM FOR SUBMITTING SERVICE PROVIDER’S PROPOSAL [7]   (This Form must be submitted only using the Service Provider’s Official Letterhead/Stationery [8])       [insert: Location].   [insert: Date]   To:          Subhan Ahmadov, OM, UNDP   Dear Sir/Madam:   We, the undersigned, hereby offer to render the following services to UNDP in conformity with the requirements defined in the RFP dated [specify date], and all of its attachments, as well as the provisions of the UNDP General Contract Terms and Conditions:   Qualifications of the Service Provider     The Service Provider must describe and explain how and why they are the best entity that can deliver the requirements of UNDP by indicating the following:   a) Business Licenses – Registration Papers, Tax Certification etc. b) Profile – describing the nature of business, field of expertise, licenses, certifications, accreditations; c) The company’s portfolio of previous projects for similar services as those required by UNDP, indicating description of the contract scope, contract duration, contract value, contact references/contact details; d) At least two reference letters from previous customers/clients/partners reflecting the nature of projects implemented, their results, and the role of the applicant company; e) Written Self-Declaration that the company is not in the UN Security Council 1267/1989 List, UN Procurement Division List or Other UN Ineligibility List.   Proposed Methodology for the Completion of Services   The Service Provider must describe how it will address/deliver the demands of the RFP; providing a detailed description of the essential performance characteristics, reporting conditions and quality assurance mechanisms that will be put in place, while demonstrating that the proposed methodology will be appropriate to the local conditions and context of the work.   The Service Provider shall also submit a detailed work plan aligned with the proposed methodology and proposed staffing. Qualifications of Key Personnel   The Service Provider must provide: Names and qualifications of the key personnel that will perform the services indicating who is Team Leader, who are supporting, etc.; CVs demonstrating qualifications must be submitted if required by the RFP; and Written confirmation from each personnel that they are available for the entire duration of the contract.   Cost Breakdown per Deliverable*     Deliverables [list them as referred to in the RFP] Percentage of Total Price (Weight for payment) Price (Lump Sum, All Inclusive) 1 Deliverable 1     2 Deliverable 2     3 Deliverable 3       Total 100%   *This shall be the basis of the payment tranches   Cost Breakdown by Cost Component  [This is only an Example]:   Description of Activity Remuneration per Unit of Time Total Period of Engagement No. of Personnel Total Rate I. Personnel Services              1. Services from Home Office                    a.  Expertise 1                    b.  Expertise 2              2. Services from Field Offices                    a.  Expertise 1                    b.  Expertise 2              3.  Services from Overseas                   a.  Expertise 1                   b.  Expertise 2         II. Out of Pocket Expenses                    1.  Travel Costs                    2.  Daily Allowance                    3.  Communications                    4.  Reproduction                    5.  Equipment Lease                    6.  Others         III. Other Related Costs           [Name and Signature of the Service Provider’s Authorized Person] [Designation] [Date]   [1] A detailed TOR may be attached if the information listed in this Annex is not sufficient to fully describe the nature of the work and other details of the requirements. [2] VAT exemption status varies from one country to another.  Pls. check whatever is applicable to the UNDP CO/BU requiring the service. [3] UNDP preference is not to pay any amount in advance upon signing of contract.  If the Service Provider strictly requires payment in advance, it will be limited only up to 20% of the total price quoted.  For any higher percentage, or any amount advanced exceeding $30,000, UNDP shall require the Service Provider to submit a bank guarantee  or bank cheque payable to UNDP, in the same amount as the payment advanced by UNDP to the Service Provider. [4] Service Providers are alerted that non-acceptance of the terms of the General Terms and Conditions (GTC) may be grounds for disqualification from this procurement process.  [5] Where the information is available in the web, a URL for the information may simply be provided. [6] This contact person and address is officially designated by UNDP.  If inquiries are sent to other person/s or address/es, even if they are UNDP staff, UNDP shall have no obligation to respond nor can UNDP confirm that the query was received. [7] This serves as a guide to the Service Provider in preparing the Proposal. [8] Official Letterhead/Stationery must indicate contact details – addresses, email, phone and fax numbers – for verification purposes United Nations Development Programme Azerbaijan Not cancelled 30082021_EU_CSO_ToR_Advocacy_Communication_Training.docx Consulting Services- Firm UN-P814679-09/21 Workforce Development/Skills Marketing, Communications, Media and Design Wednesday, September 1, 2021 English Wednesday, September 1, 2021- 10:15 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)