RFQ-AFG-007918 Provision of short-term consultancy of a professional photographer and freelance journalist At Danish Refugee Council

Statement of Works

Freelance photo-journalist consultancy, Afghanistan

Background

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has worked in Afghanistan since the 1990s through Humanitarian Mine Action. In 2011, DRC expanded its scope and reach of programming to provide multi-sector and holistic packages of assistance. DRC currently works in four regions of the country (West, East, South and Central), focusing on the most vulnerable and at-risk of conflict and natural disaster-affected populations, including IDPs, host communities and documented/undocumented returnees.

In partnership with Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), DRC is implementing an integrated emergency and humanitarian mine action (HMA) response to address the urgent needs of some of the most vulnerable and shock-affected communities in Afghanistan. The Action prioritizes remote rural areas acutely endangered by the current complex crisis. The Action capitalizes on DRC’s experience generated from over a decade of leading emergency response in Afghanistan, with an enhanced focus on the integration of humanitarian mine action (HMA) to improve affected populations’ access to essential services and perceptions of safety. Beneficiaries reached through this programme receive multi-purpose cash transfers (MPCT) to address urgent basic needs gaps. Activities are also designed to address acute life-threatening conditions from Explosive Ordnance (EO) contamination, prioritizing newly accessible areas with high casualty rates and recent contamination. Quick Response Teams (QRT) will be deployed to conduct surveys, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), and land clearance, complemented by a localized and targeted approach to explosive ordnance risk education (EORE) to reach at-risk groups with life-saving messaging.

Scope

The short-term consultancy of a professional photographer and freelance journalist aims at documenting stories of individuals and communities in some of the most remote and shock-affected communities in Afghanistan from the point of view of DRC teams, as they deliver emergency cash and humanitarian mine action assistance in these locations. The selected consultant will be responsible for the development and post-production editing of two photographic essays focusing on stories captured as part of DRC emergency cash and mine action activities. This consultancy, as well as the activities being documented, are funded by DG ECHO and must strictly adhere to both DRC’s and the donor’s Communication, Information, and Visibility guidelines and best practices. This includes capturing the EU humanitarian aid visual identity to showcase the tangible impact of EU-funded humanitarian aid.

The assignment is expected to take place between July and September 2022 (60 days estimated timeframe for field work, postproduction and editing) in the South of Afghanistan (tentatively Kandahar and Helmand provinces). During the preparatory phase of the consultancy, the selected photojournalist, in collaboration with DRC, will develop and submit a storyboard to DG ECHO describing the themes to be covered in the photo-essays and detailed information about the intended means of dissemination, target audience, and estimates of the potential reach for their review and approval. Through strategic planning and facilitation by DRC’s South Area Office team, the consultant will travel to pre-identified field sites to capture still images and stories from the field, as per the timeline of implementation of the emergency cash and HMA activities.

The content gathered will aim at documenting the following:

Life of individuals, families, rural communities affected by climate change, conflict, political instability, and lack of services and development efforts
The activity of DRC emergency teams travelling to newly accessible and hard-to-reach locations to deliver humanitarian aid
The impact of contamination from explosive ordinance on conflict-affected communities
The work of DRC de-mining teams

While the consultant will travel to remote and conflict-affected communities alongside ECHO-funded DRC teams, the main focus of the photo essays will be on stories of individuals, families, and communities in Southern Afghanistan. Through these stories, the photo essays will document the impact of decades-long conflict, political instability, and the devastating effects of climate change on rural Afghanistan. To uphold best practices, stories should be collected primarily from direct or indirect beneficiaries of ECHO-funded activities or from individuals directly linked to the implementation of DRC projects.

The expected outputs for this service should include two photographic essays focusing on

Remote and shock-affected rural communities, accessed by travelling alongside DRC teams delivering emergency cash assistance
Conflict-affected communities, whose daily life and livelihoods are impacted by high levels of EO contamination from decades of war, and DRC humanitarian de-mining operations

For both outputs, the consultancy service should include visual content (still images) collection, post-production editing and drafting of journalistic-style pieces depicting the two stories listed above. All unedited visual content gathered throughout the consultancy should also be shared with DRC. Signed permission of all recognisable person(s) featured in the photos should be submitted to DRC’s focal point and DG ECHO. Written consent of all interviewees should also be collected before utilizing personal information aimed at external publication. The exact schedule for the service and content of the footage will be agreed upon with DRC’s focal point upon signature of the service contract.

DRC will maintain unlimited right to use the materials delivered by the Consultant during and after this engagement on all internal and external media and communication channels, for its own production, in external press efforts, and in outputs produced for or in partnership with close partners/donors. The Consultant will maintain the copyright on all materials submitted, hence resale of the material by DRC can only happen upon agreement and renewed price negotiation. The Consultant is to be credited when possible – note that accreditation is by default not used on DRC’s Social Media platforms but will be a priority for DRC. The Consultant is required to ask for permission to display the photographs and stories collected as part of this service on his/her/their own website or social media platforms as part of their own marketing. DG ECHO is also entitled to use or reproduce, wholly or in part, the visual and story production.

Standards

The Consultant is obliged to respect the guidance of DRC staff with regards to issues of security, informed consent, and sensitive material (e.g. in connection to taking pictures of persons of concern, particularly footage of women). Compliance to DRC rules and standards of behavior is expected not only during field work but also when it comes to the use and sharing of material collected during the consultancy. The Consultant is required to undertake a communications and media briefing with the Regional Advocacy Advisor, in-country DRC focal point, and DG ECHO communication focal point (if available) regarding ethical engagement with persons of concern for communications purposes. DRC has the responsibility to inform the Consultant of its rules and guidelines for content gathering, its interpretation of “informed consent,” and most importantly, its application of the guiding principle of “Do No Harm” during the entire duration of this assignment; and any breech of these agreements could result in suspension of this contract, including non-payment for services rendered.

Activities and Requirements

Main Activities

Bidders must submit a competitive application for this service, as outlined in Section 5 of this Scope of Works. The time required for the completion of the service and expected deliverables should be detailed in the proposal submitted at the bidding phase, and adjusted as needed prior to contract signing. Upon selecting the successful Bidder, joint discussions between DRC and the Consultant will also take place to agree on final deliverables, as well as a feasible schedule and resources required for the completion of this service.
The Awarded Consultant shall lead a storyboard workshop in collaboration with DRC – and DG ECHO if available – within the first two weeks of the consultancy period. DRC will lead on the development of a dissemination strategy for the photo-essays, in collaboration with the Consultant and ECHO DG Communication focal point. Dissemination will adhere to strict ‘do no harm,’ safeguarding, and DG-ECHO visibility policies and will consider the following with due accreditation to DG-ECHO, DRC, the Contractor(s), and tentative media outlets:
- DRC external communications and media platforms, including social media [Facebook, Twitter, Instagram]; and/or,
- Media ‘exclusives’ to select outlets with a notable presence in target markets, including the general public across the EU with due accreditation; and/or,
- Other relevant platforms identified following the development of the storyboard.
Upon receiving approval by DG ECHO, the Consultant will travel to the South of Afghanistan to collect visual content and stories, including overnight camping in target locations, with the schedule to be agreed upon with DRC staff as per the project work plan
Following the completion of all field works, the Consultant will be responsible for submitting the following to DRC:
- Draft of two photographic essays, including both edited visual and story content. Each photographic essay should include, at minimum:
  - 10 high-quality/high-resolution photos (300 pixels per inch [ppi]), with clear captions and linked to the story described in the essay.
  - 2 pages of written content (approximately 750-100 words each), including quotes from individuals interviewed (minimum 30% of the narrative content), linked to the photos collected and included in the essay.
- All unedited visual content gathered throughout the consultancy should also be shared with DRC

Other Requirements:

Willing and physically able to work in difficult conditions, including overnight camping with DRC staff
Native proficiency in Pashto or professional translation services from Pashto to English language either by the Bidder and/or a sub-contractor selected by the Bidder and costed within the project budget. These services include all language requirements for the project, including simultaneous translation during content-gathering activities, such as interviews and coordination with community members, and post-production editing, including narrative development, captioning, and other language services requested by DRC.
Strong understanding and adherence to the principles of informed consent
Previous experience in conducting similar photographic and journalistic projects in Afghanistan is essential; experience in Kandahar or surrounding provinces is desirable
The consultancy is open to both National and Expat applications, however, current residency in Afghanistan is required as DRC will not cover international travel fees nor facilitate visa application for those who require it.
The Consultant is responsible for bringing the necessary equipment for the completion of the service.

Deliverable Data Items

Bidders must submit the following sample materials and basic proposal via an online transfer link (e.g. Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) that enables DRC full viewing access to the content:

A sample of similar work, including photographic and written content – documenting NGO activities, where possible – shot and edited by the Bidder
A basic proposal with the following information:

A proposed timeline for the completion of the expected deliverables, specifying the needed timeline for collection of footage in the field and post-production/editing
A proposed lumpsum for journalistic/photography services, including all necessary resources and time for the delivery of high-quality outputs as specified in this Statement of Works. (The Awarded Consultant will receive the agreed upon fee for the service upon submission of all agreed deliverables and approval by DRC focal point following review of outputs for quality and content. In addition to the service fee, DRC will cover domestic [Afghanistan] air and land transportation costs, accommodation, and three meals per day at DRC facilities throughout the duration of field works).
An interview with shortlisted bidders will take place to discuss submitted application and inform the final selection

* DRC will accept bids from both individuals and consultancy firms. In cases where more than one staff are required (e.g. translator), the overall costs of their compensation should be included in the submitted quotation, and relevant documents should be presented for all staff involved.

The Awarded Consultant must complete, at minimum, the following deliverables within the consultancy period:

A storyboard of the proposed photographic essays, in collaboration with DRC, to be submitted and approved by DG ECHO prior to field work
Two photographic essays, in line with the approved storyboard and reviewed and approved by DRC focal points and DG ECHO for content and quality.
All unedited visual content gathered throughout the consultancy

The Consultant will be required to deliver the final products on a USB or hard drive for transfer onto the DRC hard drives. Online transfer is also feasible, however, the modality must be agreed upon to enable access to the written and photographic content without compromising their quality and definition. The selected photo-journalist is to send an invoice immediately after the delivery of final and approved deliverables. The agreed payment is due no later than 15 days after the invoice is received by DRC.