Call For Quotations MEAL Expert At CFI

1. BACKGROUND

1.1. Introduction to CFI

Canal France International : a government agency to support media

CFI actively promotes the development of media in sub-Saharan Africa, the Mediterranean and the Levant. We are committed to working together with media organisations to promote dialogue between local authorities and citizens so that people can be as informed as possible. Combating disinformation, protecting the environment, and promoting human rights and gender equality underpin everything we do. CFI is an operator of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and a subsidiary of the France Médias Monde Group.

1.2. Context of the Call for quotations

The Terra Asia project is an ambitious initiative led by CFI [French media development agency] with the support of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. It has a budget of €906,691 and will run for 31 months, from May 2024 to November 2026. The aim of this project is to build the capacity of the public media in the Indo-Pacific region, an area particularly exposed to environmental and climate issues. The countries involved in this project are Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Fiji.

The Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) is a regional intergovernmental organisation that works to support and promote media development, and is CFI’s main partner for the Terra Asia project. The AIBD plays a key role in influencing the region’s media decision-makers. At the 2023 annual conference, which brought together all the media members of the organisation, there was a strong emphasis on environmental issues and the fight against mis- and disinformation. The Terra Asia project will therefore focus specifically on supporting four local public media organisations by offering training and boosting journalistic skills.

At the same time, Terra Asia is aligning its objectives with France’s strategies in the Indo-Pacific region, focusing on building the capacity of public media to address crucial issues such as climate change, biodiversity and sustainable ocean management. This initiative comes against a backdrop of growing recognition of the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific, highlighted by high-level visits including the visit by the President of the French Republic to Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu in 2023.

Overarching project objective:

To help strengthen the knowledge and skills of AIBD media organisations in producing and disseminating information on environmental issues and in combating mis- and disinformation.

Specific objectives:

SO 1: Strengthen the media’s knowledge of environmental issues in order to reach a wider audience concerning the region’s broader challenges.

SO 2: Strengthening the media’s ability to cover environmental issues and deal with mis- and disinformation on social media.

SO 3: Supporting the production and distribution of digital content focusing on environmental issues.

The purpose of this Call for Quotation is to define the contractual terms of the future contract, hereinafter referred to as the “contract”, subsequently concluded between CFI and the selected service provider. The terms of the contract set forth in this Call for Quotation are provisional/informative and may be subject to unilateral modification by CFI prior to its conclusion.

2.PUPORSE OF THE CALL FOR QUOTATIONS

2.1. Purpose

The purpose of this Request for Quotations is to identify one provider capable of designing and implementing a monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning system (suivi-évaluation-redevabilité-apprentissage – SERA) to measure to what extent the Terra Asia project’s objectives have been achieved. This Call for quotations does not constitute a promise of award of the future contract to any applicant company.

The Contract between CFI and the chosen service provider(s) will be a service contract[1] governed by the provisions of the French Public Procurement Code.

2.2. Estimated services of the contract

2.2.1.Description of the services

The services entrusted to the provider will be:

1. SERA system design:

• Assess the needs, practices and abilities of the project team and partners in terms of tools, data collection, consolidation and analysis.
• Draw up a joint comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan that aligns performance indicators with the specific objectives of the Terra Asia project (indicators, targets, verification sources). This strategy must also take into account CFI’s gender strategy, ensuring that gender issues are adequately addressed and measured throughout the project.
• Define clear accountability mechanisms for all stakeholders involved in the project, ensuring transparency and responsibility.
• Incorporate a continuous learning approach to enable project activities to be adapted and improved based on data collected and lessons learned.

1. Setting up the system:

• Deploy appropriate tools and technologies for data collection and analysis. This can include the use of data management software and online platforms to carry out surveys. The service provider must be proactive and innovative, proposing solutions that optimise process efficiency and performance.
• Train the project teams and any local partners on how to use the SERA system effectively, ensuring that all users understand their role in the monitoring and evaluation process.

1. Management and follow-up:

• Coordinate data collection and management in collaboration with the project manager, and with the support of the regional coordinator and the project assistant.
• Conduct remote interviews with beneficiaries and project partners to assess the quality of the activities carried out, with particular emphasis on the training sessions and support programmes provided to media organisations.
• Produce regular monitoring and evaluation reports documenting the results, impacts and challenges faced, and providing recommendations based on the analyses carried out. The report format should be agreed with the project manager at the start of the service.
• Maintain and regularly update a monitoring dashboard which the project team can consult, providing real-time access to the project progress and results.

1. Evaluation of results and accountability:

• Organise regular project reviews with the implementation team and stakeholders to assess results and adjust strategies where needed.
• Identify opportunities for improvement based on the data and feedback gathered through the SERA system (in particular the training and support sessions provided to media organisations).
• Set up workshops and feedback sessions to incorporate lessons learned into the project’s current and future practices. Format to be defined in consultation with the project manager.

1. Communication of results and production of reports.

• Prepare periodic news reports highlighting the project’s progress, successes and lessons learned.
• Produce annual reports and a final capitalisation report providing a comprehensive overview of how the project activities have been implemented, and to what extent the objectives have been achieved. These documents will also capitalise on the lessons learned throughout the project to enhance the next phase and/or other similar initiatives, ensuring knowledge transfer and the continuous improvement of practices.
• Carry out a detailed mid-term review to gather and analyse relevant information. This process includes assisting with the internal evaluation in preparation for the external evaluation, and incorporating the results of this review to refine and, if necessary, adapt the SERA system.

2.2.2.Estimated deliverables and due dates

PERIODIC DELIVERABLES

Type of deliverables

Due dates

• Project outline with initial assessment and strategy for the SERA system (maximum 15 pages), together with a PowerPoint presentation

No later than 15 November 2024

• Monitoring, evaluation, learning and accountability system (SERA) presented in the form of a written document (maximum 30 pages), including related tools (applications, forms, Excel tables), with a meeting using PowerPoint to present the system

No later than 30 November 2024

• Mid-term review of the SERA system, accompanied by a summary of potential updates to be made to the system (maximum 5 pages)

No later than July 2025

• Four six-monthly reports on the monitoring and evaluation of the project progress, each accompanied by a dashboard summarising the indicators and presented at a meeting using PowerPoint

Every (6) six months from the date on which the contract takes effect

FINAL DELIVERABLES

Type of deliverables

Due dates

• Final capitalisation report

No later than 20 days before the contract expires

• Final archive of all data and reports generated by the project

No later than 10 days before the contract expires

Project outline with initial assessment and strategy for the SERA system:

• This outline will include a detailed analysis of the project team and partners’ needs and current capabilities, as well as an assessment of existing tools and practices for data collection and analysis.
• It will also propose a detailed plan outlining the steps to be taken to design and implement the SERA system, including indicators, verification sources and accountability mechanisms adapted to the Terra Asia project objectives and to CFI’s gender strategy.

Monitoring, evaluation, learning and accountability system (SERA) presented in the form of a written document, including related tools (applications, forms, Excel tables), with a meeting using PowerPoint to present the system

• This deliverable will include the detailed framework of the SERA system with the specific tools required for its implementation, such as data collection applications, forms for data entry and analysis, and Excel tables to monitor the indicators.
• A launch meeting will be organised to present the system to end users, together with a PowerPoint presentation detailing how the tools work and how to use them, to ensure effective implementation.

Training workshop for project teams on using SERA data collection tools

• The aim of this workshop is to train members of the project team in how to make effective use of the tools and technologies involved in the SERA system. The focus will be on best practice in data collection, management and analysis.
• The training will include interactive sessions, practical demonstrations and real-life simulations to ensure that all participants gain the necessary skills.

SERA mid-term review

• This review will assess the effectiveness of the SERA system, identify the problems and challenges encountered and propose adjustments to improve data collection and the monitoring of results.
• Involve stakeholders in this review to gather their feedback and suggestions, thereby boosting the project’s accountability and continuous learning.

Four six-monthly reports on the monitoring and evaluation of the project progress, each accompanied by a dashboard summarising the indicators and presented at a meeting using PowerPoint

• Each six-monthly report will provide a full analysis of the progress made in relation to the project objectives, an assessment of the impact of the activities and a summary of the lessons learned.
• A summary dashboard of indicators will be updated at each reporting period to provide an overview of the project performance.
• The results will be presented at a structured meeting with stakeholders, using a PowerPoint presentation to aid discussion and decision-making.

Randomised interviews to be carried out at the end of project activities (seminars, training courses, field visits, etc.) to enhance the learning reports:

• These interviews will enable us to gather direct and varied feedback on participants’ experiences and their perception of the initiatives.
• The ideas gathered will contribute to the continuous improvement of the project and the adjustment of strategies based on feedback from the field.

Deliverables will have to be written in French or in English. In addition, some meetings and workshops with project partners/beneficiaries in the project countries will be held in English.

The language of communication for this service, meetings and all deliverables shall be French or English.

Any deliverable not written in French or in English will be rejected by CFI, and the service provider will have to make the modifications in order to comply with the imposed language within a period of time that will be transmitted by CFI without this being the object of any remuneration or compensation of any nature or amount.

3. ESTIMATED TERM

The term of the contract will be ten (10) months from the date of signature by the second of the two parties.

The contract is subject to one (1) renewal of seventeen (17) months under the conditions defined in this article. The maximum total duration of the Contract, including renewal, shall not exceed twenty-seven (27) months.

Renewal is tacit.

In the event of non-renewal, the service provider will not be able to request payment of compensation and the right to payment acquired will not apply.

The service provider may not refuse the renewal[2].

4.PLACE OF SERVICE PERFORMANCE

The services will be performed at the Service Provider’s usual place of work. Working meetings and discussions may take place by video conference.

5. TOTAL ESTIMATED VALUE

5.1. Amount and form of prices

The maximum amount of the contract is sixteen thousand five hundred euros (16 500 €) excluding tax.

The services of the contract will be paid for using an overall price set out in the estimated and signed quotation of the applicant company.

5.2. Prices for subcontracting

If subcontracting is used, contract prices are deemed to cover the costs of the service provider coordinating and supervising its subcontractors, as well as the consequences of any failures on their part.

6. CONDITIONS FOR SENDING PROPOSALS

6.1. Content of proposals

Any incomplete proposal will be rejected by CFI without the possibility for the applicant company to complete it.

Each applicant must submit a complete proposal that includes all of the following documents and information or CFI will not consider the proposal:

1. A technical proposal (Maximum of 20 A4 one-sided pages excluding appendices) describing the proposed methodology for conducting the service, in particular regarding the team’s own experience or the experience of the person dedicated to this Contract within the applicant company regarding the subject of the Contract (detail of experience linked with this Contract);
2. The resume of each member of the team or person dedicated to this Contract within the applicant company;
3. A quotation, excluding mission fees, the overall price excluding tax.

All of these documents are written in French or in English by the applicant company or its proposal will be eliminated by CFI.

6.2. Conditions for sending quotations

Applicant company must submit their proposal to the address indicated on the cover page of this Call for quotations.

Complete proposals will be sent to reach the destination before the deadline indicated on the cover page of this Call for quotations.

Only proposals received at the latest on the closing date and time specified on the cover page of this Call for quotations will be received. Proposals received or delivered after this date and time will not be opened.

Once selected, the service provider will provide CFI with additional documentation.

6.3. Quotations validity period

The quotation validity period is sixty (60) calendar days from the quotation’s submission closing date.

By responding to this Call for quotations, the applicant company is deemed to have unconditionally accepted conditions. Its application and offer shall undertake the entire period stipulated in this article.

The applicant company cannot withdraw before this period expires.

7. SELECTION OF PROPOSALS

Criteria

Technical value of the bid Weighting

• Understanding of the challenges and expectations of the Request for Quotations 20%
• Quality of the methodology and processes proposed for designing and monitoring the SERA system 20%
• Skills and references of the monitoring and evaluation team put forward by the service provider, specifically for the design and monitoring of SERA systems 30%
• Relevant professional experience of the proposed team in media support and capacity-building projects 10%
• Price 20 %

[1] Pursuant to Article L. 1111-4 of the French Public Procurement Code

[2] Pursuant to the article R2112-4 of the French Public Procurement Code.