International Summit on Public Expenditures for Care Reform

 Date: 27 June 2022

Subject: Invitation to submit offers to provide Strategic Communications services to CRS for one year (July 2022 to June 2023).

Dear Sir/Madam,

CRS invites you to submit a bid to provide Strategic Communications services to CRS. The final winner will be confirmed after bids will be received and evaluated. CRS does not commit to any purchase prior to a written purchase order from CRS.

Please find the requests and instructions that will allow you to submit your offers correctly.

The offer needs to be submitted to the secured e-mail address:

procurementMD@crs.org

The offer needs to be submitted before the deadline: 4 July 2022, 17:00 local time. The offer needs to have the subject “Strategic Communications Services.”

CRS retains the right to reject any offer that is received after the deadline.

CRS will complete the evaluation of the received offers and inform bidders about the results of the tender within 14 days from the submission deadline. CRS retains the right to change the specifications before the purchase order or to entirely cancel the tender.

This invitation in no way obligates CRS to make a contract with any supplier.

Sincerely,

O'Loughlin, Conor

CRS Representative

Invitation to Tender

“Strategic Communications Services

July 2022 to June 2023”

I. INSTRUCTIONS

A. Description

Background:

Changing the Way We Care^SM (CTWWC) Moldova is creating transformational change at scale for vulnerable children and families across Moldova by working to end the placement of children in residential care institutions and ensuring that family support systems are strengthened.  A key component of the initiative is the implementation of a strategic communication strategy aimed influencing the government, the media, and civil society actors.

In Moldova, CTWWC is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), among others and is implemented by a consortium of NGOs led by Catholic Relief Services (CRS). 

Purpose:

CRS seeks a strategic communications company to support CRS and its partners in implementing CTWWC communication activities in Moldova.

Objectives

1. International Summit on Public Expenditures for Care Reform.

• Provide support for the successful implementation of the 2022 International Summit on Public Expenditures for Care Reform, an 3-day international conference with expected attendance of 200 people.

• Develop and implement a plan for the management of all venue-related administrative and logistical arrangements for the CTWWC Summit including, but not limited to the following tasks:

Site Selection/Contracting

• Identify appropriate CTWWC Summit spaces that adhere to the agreed upon CRS requirements.
• Contract directly with the venue to cover all anticipated expenses including but not limited to, audio-visual needs, food and beverages, and translation.

Registration

• Manage pre-Summit registration of the participants including but not limited to: arranging transportation for international participants, booking hotel rooms, managing RSVPs, compiling a confirmed registration list of participants, speakers, and special guests in close coordination with CTTWC staff.
• Establish and manage a registration/information desk. Manage on-site registrations and ensure data collected has all the relevant contact details.

Audio-Visual/Translation/Food & Beverages

• Provide audio-visual equipment and conduct necessary checks before the Summit begins to ensure it is functioning correctly.
• Ensure that food and beverages are offered in a timely manner as per the Summit schedule.
• Manage on-site translation services for Romanian, English, and Russian including coordinating with translators and ensuring equipment needed for translation is available and properly working.

2. Media Engagement

Media Workshops

• Identify and compile a list of media outlets (including names of reporters) that cover child protection/care issues in Moldova.
• Develop a media outreach plan for the regular engagement of journalists focused on child protection/care including but not limited to participation in CTWWC workshops, Summit and other activities to be developed.
• Develop a workshop module for journalists and media practitioners to promote better communication on child protection and care issues to ensure accurate information, shared understanding of main concepts and conventions, as well as increasing quality and quantity of the reporting of the issue.
• Conduct, in collaboration with CTWWC communications staff, quarterly media workshops focused on child protection/care issues.

Media coverage of CTWWC Summit

• Develop and implement a communications plan to maximize visibility of the CTWWC Summit to targeted audiences.
• Communications plan should include what audiences will be targeted, how, with what products or messages, and how follow-up / monitoring will be conducted to ensure objectives are met.
• Organize a media event/press briefing at the Summit including sending invitations to reporters and following-up on their delivery and receipt, supporting the distribution of a press release, and monitoring all media resulting from the Summit.
• Develop media kits, including: invitations to the media, press-releases, FAQs, media briefs and other media materials.
• Develop a social media plan for the Summit, in close coordination with CTWWC communications staff, including: developing 4-5 messages SM posts focused on CTWWC and coordinating with CTWWC partners to engage their existing SM platforms.

3. Regional Care Reform Summits

• Develop and implement a plan for the management of three 2-day regional summits with local public authorities and other stakeholders to be held in Chisinau, including but not limited to the following tasks:

Site Selection/Contracting

• Identify appropriate CTWWC Summit spaces for up to 100 participants that adhere to CRS requirements.
• Contract directly with the venue to cover all anticipated expenses including but not limited to, audio-visual needs, food and beverages, and translation.

Travel/Registration

• Manage travel of LPAs to Chisinau including support hotel, per diem, and meals as appropriate.
• Handle registration for the meetings.

Audio-Visual/Translation/Food & Beverages

• Provide audio-visual equipment and conduct necessary checks before the Summit begins to ensure it is functioning correctly.
• Ensure that food and beverages are offered in a timely manner as per the Summit schedule.

4. Public Awareness Campaign

• Design a Public Awareness Campaign, including the strategy and specific campaign content (posters/billboards, fliers, social media templates, website content, newspaper placements, audio and video/animation-content). The campaign will focus on the following themes:

• Positive benefits of caring for and raising children in families and in family-type environments.
• Positive benefits of foster care and adoption.
• Negative effects that separation from the natural family has on the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual development of children, regardless of their age.
• Negative effects that poverty or material deprivation can have on families with children.
• Availability of support vulnerable families can receive to prevent separation of children from their parents.
• Positive effects of including children with disabilities in mainstream education for the entire community

• Develop a foster care recruitment campaign and tool-box that can be used by local authorities in the raions to recruit potential foster care families.

• Work in close consultation with CTWWC partners to develop appropriate messages based on recent Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice data.

• Develop and test campaign messages through focus group activities with media, local public authorities, and targeted members of the public (e.g., foster care families)

• Work closely with CTWCC communications staff and partners on a nationwide launch of the campaign in media, social media, and in potential in-person/high-profile events.

5. CTWWC Outreach Activities

Booth

• Support the design and acquisition of a CTWWC Outreach Booth that can be used for various outside public events including but not limited to upcoming U.S. Embassy America Days events. The booth should be portable and allow for audio-visual components.

Outreach in the Community

• Support the communications staff with outreach activities in the community, including developing strategy to engage the public in CTWWC activities, testing messages at events, and raising the CTWWC profile at the raion level.

**Please note that Contractor must ensure adherence to the Government of Moldova’s COVID-19 restrictions in planning logistics for any in-person gatherings and monitor compliance to these restrictions during the event. Contractor must stay up-to-date on any changes to GoM COVID-19 restrictions and advise CRS accordingly.**  

Deliverables:

• CTWWC Summits Completed Action Plan
• Media Workshop Module
• Media Key Contact List
• Media Outreach Plan
• Public Awareness Campaign Plan
• CTWWC Outreach Booth
• Final report covering the 5 objectives

Event closure reports detailing all activities carried out for the preparation and delivery of the Summit and Regional Summits

B. Costs for preparing offers: No costs incurred by the bidder in preparing and submitting the offer is reimbursable. All such costs must be borne by the bidder.

C. Additional explanations about tender: Bidder can request additional information in written form. Written answers completed by the CRS staff will be delivered in the same manner as the Invitation to Tender. Requests for clarification and further information can be requested on the email: 

CRS e-mail: alexandru.dobrovolschi@crs.org

1. Additional information about Invitation to tender: CRS retains the right to change the Invitation to Tender or to completely cancel the entire tender. CRS will notify selected suppliers of changes in the same manner that the Invitation to Tender was delivered.

II PREPARATION OF TENDER

A. Language of the tender: Offers may be submitted in English.

B. Value and price: All prices are to be delivered in Moldovan Lei (MDL).

C. Competencies:

1. Minimum of 7 years of relevant national/international working experience in the field of strategic communications
2. Demonstrated experience in developing, designing, production and publishing/dissemination/airing of communication products using various media.
3. Demonstrated experience organizing and producing major events.
4. Experience working with the Moldovan media establishment.
5. Successful track record of similar assignments.
6. Fluency in Romanian, Russian and English required (written and verbal);

D. Application Submission Process

1. CVs of lead consultant and staff that will be assigned to the contract
2. List of similar assignments
3. Detailed Technical Proposal that includes information on how the company will meet each of the five outlined objectives:
   1. International Summit on the National Protection Program
   2. Media Engagement
   3. Regional Summits
   4. Public Awareness Campaign
   5. CTWWC Outreach Activities
4. Detailed Financial Proposal

E. CRS’ Right:

1. CRS reserves the right to reject any quotation or all the quotations and at its discretion cancel this tender.
2. CRS may reject any quote that is determined to be nonresponsive. A responsive quote is one that complies with all terms and conditions of the tender.
3. CRS may request a due diligence visit to the supplier prior to signing the contract.

F. Contract award: CRS intends to evaluate offers and award a contract to the supplier who offers the best value for money according to the following:

1. Availability / timeliness of the requested services.
2. Technical specifications of the requested services.
3. Price of the requested items.

The supplier’s initial offer should contain the supplier’s best terms from availability, technical and price perspective. However, CRS reserves the right to conduct discussions later if necessary. CRS may reject any or all or accept other than the lowest offer; and waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received.

G. Period of the tender validity: Offers are presumed to have a validity period of 60 days unless otherwise indicated by the bidder. 

1. Terms of payment: CRS will pay for services via bank transfer after services satisfactory delivery or according to other terms mutually agreed with the supplier in writing.

I. Code of conduct: The supplier must comply with CRS’ Code of Conduct, attached to this invitation.

III BID OPENING AND EVALUATION

A. Analysis: CRS will evaluate offers according to its internal policies and procedures.

B. Criteria: CRS shall proceed with the evaluation and comparison of offers in the following order:

1. Administrative evaluation – Offers will be reviewed according to their administrative compliance. Offers must include all items noted in the Quotation Submission Instructions and be in accordance with Eligibility Criteria. Failure to meet any of these requirements may result in disqualification of the offer.
2. Technical evaluation –Offers will be evaluated for quality based on the nature of services offered and its alignment to CRS’ request.
3. Financial evaluation – Offers will be evaluated based on the proposed cost and value-for-money.

C. Tender clarification: CRS retains the right to contact bidders for clarification or further information.

D. Mistakes in the calculation of the tender: If there is inconsistency between unit price and final/total price of offered services, unit price will be taken in consideration and correctly multiplied for sake of calculating correct final price. If the tenderer does not accept the correction of the mistake, the entire offer will be regarded as invalid and therefore discarded. If there is inconsistency in the numbers and the description in letters, the price presented in the letters will be regarded as final.

E. Offers that are incomplete or submitted after the deadline may be disqualified.

APPLICATION FORM

Provision of Strategic Communication Services