Тендер на закупівлю послуг з проведення досліджень: IREX_RFP_L2D-Ed_Research Services in Ukraine

PURPOSE

The objective of this Request for Proposals RFP is to obtain the services of Ukrainian-based research firm(s) to support national, regional, and local studies among secondary school teachers and/or students, and/or general population on media literacy and critical information consumption.

Background

Learn to Discern in Education (L2D-Ed) program is aimed to equip Ukrainian educators with the awareness, knowledge, and skills that lead to critical information consumption (CIC), and the pedagogical skills to effectively transmit CIC to students across a variety of disciplines throughout the Ukrainian secondary school system. This will help to bring up Ukraine’s next generation of well-informed, discerning voters, leaders, and activists.

Within the program more than 3612 teachers from 1558 schools across the country took part in the program. They received an extended media literacy training, learned how to integrate exercises on the development of critical information consumption skills and received materials for school lessons. The program intends to expand its network to engage at least 2500 more teachers and up to 1500 new schools until 2025. Learn more information about the project.

IREX is looking for a prequalified vendor(s) to conduct studies that will help IREX to gather information and conduct needs assessment before starting new interventions to adapt programming and plan new activities, test the hypotheses that arose during the implementation of the program, evaluate the impact of the program, etc.

SCOPE OF WORK

The selected vendor(s) will work the L2D-Ed project to design, facilitate, analyze, and manage completion of research activities related to media literacy and critical information consumption. These activities will focus on but will not be limited to the following:

• Find out how representatives of target audience(s) consume information and news during the war.
• Using real examples to identify the ability of target audience(s) to recognize foreign malign propaganda, hate speech, divisive narratives, and disinformation.
• Explore vulnerable and resilient audiences to disinformation among target audience(s).
• In accordance with the competencies that were developed as part of the project to identify areas and needs in which target audience(s) need to be trained on topics related to information consumption, propaganda, and disinformation.
• Study the ripple effect—what changes have occurred following the knowledge sharing between L2D program participants and other teachers, cases of diffusion.
• Study the long-term effect of L2D program on students, who completed medial literacy classes.
• Identify how updated training program addressed needs of target audience(s).
• Assess how media coverage of war (violence, hate speech, visual content on social media) impacts the well-being of target audience(s).
• Identify the mental health related measurement areas.
• Gather feedback from participants on mental health-focused materials around how these materials augment participants’ ability to prioritize their mental well-being and engage in healthy information engagement habits.

Possible target audiences (TA):

TA 1. Secondary schools’ teachers (women and men), L2D-Ed program participants (database will be provided by IREX);

TA 2. Secondary schools’ teachers (women and men), who have not been exposed to L2D-Ed program;

TA 3. Secondary schools’ students (girls and boys) who have studied using L2D materials;

TA 4. Secondary schools’ students (girls and boys) who have not studied using L2D materials;

TA 5. General population

Regions: L2D program participants represent all oblasts of Ukraine and different types of settlements.

Methods: Both quantitative, for example: f2f and/or online and/or CATI, etc. and qualitative, for example: focus group discussions (FGDs) and/or in-depth interview, desk research or etc. can be used.

Description of possible works

IREX expects that the selected vendor(s) will provide services for the following scope of work, but will not be limited to it.

Qualitative method:

• Develop the methodology to address the goal of the
• Conduct desk research
• In cooperation with IREX, prepare the guide for conducting FGDs and/or in-depth interviews.
• Translate the guide for FGDs and/or in-depth interviews from Ukrainian to English or vice versa.
• Recruit respondents for FGDs and/or in-depth interviews.
• Conduct FGDs and/or in-depth interviews.
• Prepare transcripts from FGDs and in-depth interviews using the language of respondents.
• Prepare narrative report.

Quantitative method:

• Develop the methodology to address the goal of the survey.
• Develop design of the survey, including a sampling plan (sample size, quotas, method of recruitment, etc.).
• Develop all sociological tools and instruments for the goal of the survey in English and translate them into Ukrainian or vice versa.
• Conduct pre-test of interviews with a sample of potential respondents to address potential challenges.
• Conduct fieldwork.
• Prepare a database in Excel (xls/csv) or SPPS (sav).
• Prepare an analytical report in PowerPoint or Word.
  

  Expected deliverables

The vendor(s) will propose possible activities addressing the above scope of work. The deliverables could be the following:

Qualitative survey:

• Methodology that can assess the goal of the survey.
• Final guide for FGDs and/or in-depth interviews in English and Ukrainian.
• Transcripts for FGDs and/or in-depth interviews using the language of respondents.
• Narrative report based on FGDs and in-depth interviews results in English and Ukrainian.
• Narrative report for desk research.
• A short summary report with key findings and recommendations in English and Ukrainian.

Quantitative survey:

• Methodology that can assess the goal of the survey.
• Final questionnaire in English and Ukrainian.
• Piloting report (up to 1 page).
• Technical report for the survey (including sampling procedures, fieldwork description, response rate, etc.).
• Database with coded open questions and codebook for the survey in Excel (xls/csv) or SPPS (sav) in English and Ukrainian.
• Analytical report in PowerPoint or Word for the survey in English and Ukrainian.
• A short summary report of the survey with key findings and recommendations in English and Ukrainian.

Timing/duration. The services will commence after signing the agreement and will be completed by May 2024, with possibility of prolongation.

Proposal requirements

Proposal should be sent to [email protected] no later than 18:00 April 6^th, 2023. Please indicate: Tender proposal – L2D-Ed_Research Services in Ukraine in the subject of the e-mail.

Any clarification questions regarding to the RfP should be submitted to [email protected] not later than 18:00 March 24^th, 2023.

The vendor (s) will be selected by April 24^th, 2023. All applicants will be informed about the selection results.

Elements of the proposal:

All proposals should include the following five items:

(1) Cover Letter (One page maximum)

Include the name of the organization submitting the proposal. Include a contact person for the proposal, including his/her name (both typed and signed), title or position with the organization, address, telephone, and email address. Also state whether the contact person is the person with authority to contract for the vendor, and if not, that person should also be listed. The cover letter must be signed.

(2) Narrative description

• Capacity of the organization and personnel qualification.
• Technical Approach to the Scope of Work (SOW) (three pages maximum). The technical approach must provide enough information for a thorough evaluation of the proposal pursuant to the evaluation criteria listed below. The vendor must demonstrate a clear understanding of the SOW requirements. The vendor should describe how they plan to reach each of the target audiences mentioned above, especially school students.
• Preliminary timeline by different activities mentioned above in working days. Template
• Capacity of the organization and personnel qualification
• Activity report with relevant examples of completed similar assignments performed during the last 3 years on topics related to media literacy information consumption etc. or/and previous experience in conducting surveys among the educators, students (young people up to 17 years old), and specifically a description of one assignment performed during the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine.
• Security risks assessment related to the ongoing war. Description of how your company will manage risks in the course of the fieldwork, and ensure safety and security of the participants, what measures are available to mitigate the risks.

(3) Past Performance References

A minimum of two client references from entities to which similar services were provided during the last three years should be included. These references should include company name, contact person, telephone number, and email address.

(4) Price

The currency of the proposal is US dollar. The payment to the vendor will be made in UAH according to the NBU exchange currency rate as of the date of invoice issue. The price section should include enough details—with a narrative explaining each line item—for cost evaluation purposes. Please include a total price and also an itemized list with costs pertaining to the deliverables outlined in the SOW. Prices must include the necessary taxes and fees, including VAT. Budget calculations need to be sent in a separate MSExcel file. Budget template

(5) Signed Representations and Certifications

Registration documents including the following: certificate of state registration, taxpayer certificate, statute, order for the appointment of the organization head, and any other relevant documents.

Language of submission is English.* The proposal must be written in English and must be valid for at least 60 calendar days from the proposal submission deadline.

Please find detailed description here: L2D-Ed_Research Services in Ukraine