Request for Proposal (RFP) for Media Campaign at Creative Associates / Northeast Connection Program

Creative Associates International provides outstanding, on-the-ground development services and forges partnerships to deliver sustainable solutions to global challenges. Its experts focus on building inclusive educational systems, transitioning communities from conflict to peace, developing sustainable economic growth, engaging youth, promoting transparent elections, and more. Creative is recognized for its ability to quickly adapt and excel in conflict and post-conflict environments. Creative is currently implementing a 2-year USAID-funded project titled “Northeast Connection: Building Community Resilience to Violent Extremism and Conflict in Northeast Nigeria”.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Request for Proposal (RFP) for Media Campaign Northeast Connection: Building Community Resilience to Violent Extremism and Conflict in Northeast Nigeria

RFP Number: RFP-YOL-05-22-0001
Location: Jere LGA and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Borno
Performance Period: June 15, 2022 - September 15, 2022
Reference: USAID Contract No. AID-OAA-I-13-00005/72062021F00005

Background
The purpose of the Northeast Connection project is to strengthen the resilience of communities vulnerable to violent extremism and conflict. The program targets communities in Adamawa, Yobe, and Borno states, seizing on opportunities to mitigate communities’ vulnerabilities, build social cohesion within and across communities, and respond to emergent risks. NE Connection seeks the service of a competent media firm or organization to support the government of Borno state efforts in addressing community grievances and, to strengthen the resilience of communities vulnerable to conflict through media campaigns by working with communities to support the reintegration of rehabilitated former extremists. This campaign will pave the way for a smoother reintegration experience for stakeholders in Borno state. The media firm/organization is expected to adopt local and conflict-sensitive approaches in propagating positive messages of peace, reconciliation, and reintegration of former Boko Haram members across communities in Jere LGA of Borno state.

Creative invites qualified consultant(s), firms, and organizations to submit a proposal for the Northeast Connection: Building Community Resilience to Violent Extremism and Conflict in Northeast Nigeria (hereinafter Northeast Connection) project funded under the referenced USAID contract.

Summary

• Under the guidance of the Chief of Party and Program Manager for the USAID NE Connection program. Media firm/organization will be engaged to produce, broadcast, disseminate and amplify positive voices of citizens on reconciliation, forgiveness, and reintegration of repentant VEOs across Jere local government area (LGA) of Borno state.
• This assignment will focus on strengthening the resilience of communities targeted for the return and reintegration of repentant VEOs through media campaigns on tolerance, forgiveness, and reintegration.
• The assignment will involve the use of multimedia to propagate positive views and opinions of community members, influential leaders, and victims of insurgency in an area not harnessed by most actors working in the LGA.

Scope of Services

• The Northeast Connection Activity (2021- 2023) aims to strengthen the resilience of communities vulnerable to violent extremist infiltration and conflict and to develop local capacity to respond to emerging threats. By targeting communities not yet under the control of violent extremist organizations (VEOs). Northeast Connection will mitigate the grievances that make communities vulnerable to violent extremism while building social cohesion within and across communities in northeast Nigeria.
• In addition to helping, Northeast Nigerians create a stronger foundation against the violent extremist and conflict threats, the activity is designed to develop local capacity to respond to emerging threats.
• Creative Associate international seeks to engage the services of a media firm or organization to facilitate the production and broadcasting of (2-3 months) live radio phone-in program, jingles containing pre-recorded interviews with respected/influential personalities.
• The purpose of this assignment is to produce a context specific media content, broadcast and amplify positive voices of citizens on reconciliation, forgiveness, and reintegration of repentant VEOs across Jere local government area of Borno state.

Specific Tasks of the Media Firm
Northeast Connection will contract the firm or organization to:

• Produce, broadcast, or disseminate radio program that promotes reconciliation, forgiveness, and reintegration of repentant VEOs across community ready
• Record, edit and produce interviews, broadcasting of weekly live radio phone-in program, airing daily radio jingles in English, Kanuri and Hausa languages.
• Produce schedules of weekly radio phone-in program and daily jingles – ensuring that contributions from listeners are delivered in a conflict sensitive and professional manner.
• Support dissemination and management of social media activities on reconciliation, forgiveness and reintegration
• Develop broadcast schedule for live radio phone-in program and jingles to be reviewed and approved by NE Connection.
• Monitor and provide data of radio listener’s reach and social media analytics to NE Connection for onward evaluation and reporting.

Under the overall guidance of the Nigeria Northeast Connection Program Manager, the media firm will accomplish the following tasks using experience, knowledge, and additional understanding gleaned from available resources:

• Participate in activity kick-off and planning meeting with NE Connection team: The media firm/organization will participate in a joint kick off and planning meeting with media firm, Programme Assistant and the NE Connection program and Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) teams to discuss key deliverables, timeline, and reporting. During the planning meeting, NE Connection will introduce the media firm/organization to all the program team and technical consultants that are on board and agree on the channels of communication and key responsibilities. This will help ensure synergy and clarify of roles and responsibilities during the media campaign.
• Production and broadcasting of radio phone-in program, pre-recorded interview, and radio jingles: Firm will produce short video skits, jingles, pre-recorded interviews by develop ed by a consultant engaged by NE Connection. and design conflict sensitive messages to be printed on T-shirts, Face-caps and Hijabs in English, Hausa, and Kanuri languages.
• Broadcasting/dissemination of media contents on reconciliation, forgiveness, and reintegration: The team media organization or firm will work closely with the media consultant engaged by NE Connection to produce, broadcast, or disseminate live phone-in program, jingles, short video skits, pre-recorded interviews with important personalities and social media contents in Hausa, English, and Kanuri languages, that propagates reconciliation, forgiveness, and reintegration of repentant VEOs. The media firm or organization will broadcast 15 episodes of weekly radio phone-in program and air jingles 120 times (twice times daily) over a period of 60 days. The media organization will support the consultant in the recoding of 10 interviews with influential personalities, produce 5 distinct short video skits in English, Kanuri, and Hausa, as well as posting and monitoring of social media activities on the project.
• Activity Monitoring and Listenership survey: NE Connection state team will support the Monitoring and Evaluation unit will conduct two monitoring visits; one to assess the output of the project after the first two months and the second is to facilitate a listenership survey for evaluation of impact of the project. Audience and social media users across the 6 target communities and 2 wards will be engaged on KII and FGDs. The Programme Assistant will actively participate in the exercise to ensure adequate reporting, coordination.

Deliverables
The following are the key deliverables of the media firm:

• Production of short video skits developed by NE Connection in three languages
• Produce of audio jingles in three different languages
• Broadcast and airing of weekly live radio phone-in program and jingles
• List of listeners or program anchor staff to engaged during monitoring visit and listenership survey.

Milestone Schedule and Deliverables

Eligibility of Applying Organization

• Must be a registered non-profit or for-profit organization or firm.
• Must be working in compliance with relevant civil and fiscal regulations for example evidence of registration with the National Planning Commission, Corporate Affairs Commission, or Agency for the Coordination of Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Activities in Borno).
• Proof that the entity or organization is not a debarred organization.
• Individuals and government are not eligible to apply.

Supervision and Guidance:

• The organization will be supervised on a day-to-day basis by the Nigeria Northeast Connection Project Team, led by the Chief of Party (COP). The COP will be responsible for deliverables review, payment, and administrative management.
• The organization will participate in relevant meetings with USAID, as required and under the supervision of the COP.
• The organization is expected to exercise the highest degree of resourcefulness and confidentiality consistent with the sensitivity of this intervention and USAID’s overall policy and procedural framework.

Period of Performance:

• Creative anticipates a period of performance of four months (June 15, 2022 - September 15, 2022); to be finalized at the time of the award.

Application Closing Date
5:00 PM: 9th June, 2022.