Terms of Reference for Global Summit on Intellectual Property and Access to Medicines 2021 Storytelling Strategy

Background

The International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC) is a global coalition of PLHIV and community activists working to achieve universal access to optimal HIV, HCV and TB treatment of those in need. Formed in 2003 by a group of 125 HIV activists from 65 countries at a meeting in Cape Town, ITPC actively advocates for treatment access in eight regions across the globe. ITPC believes that the fight for treatment remains one of the most significant global social justice issues.

The Make Medicines Affordable Campaign works to bring down the price of HIV, TB, Hepatitis C, and potential COVID-19 medicines and vaccines, specifically in middle-income countries (MICs). Make Medicines Affordable (MMA) believes it is every person’s right to access the treatment they need, and that intellectual barriers (IP) preventing access must be removed. The MMA campaign is a civil society-led initiative made up of civil society organizations from over 20 countries. These organizations include patients, lawyers, health experts and activists, who have chosen to challenge the IP measures through successful legal and technical interventions, in-line with the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects to Intellectual Property) agreements, and working to strengthen patent laws to create long-term change.

In the over two decades of TRIPS implementation, civil society and particularly community-based groups like people living with HIV, HCV and cancer have played a key role in advocating for, ensuring the use of, and even directly implementing TRIPS flexibilities through patent oppositions and litigation. The extent of work and expertise of CSOs and the critical role they play in balancing WTO mandated IP rules with public interest and health while also resisting the onslaught of TRIPS-plus measures is underappreciated and under-resourced.

The 2021 Global Summit on IP and Access to Medicines will take place virtually and coincide with the anniversary of the Doha Declaration adoption and shall serve as a platform to reflect, discuss and strategize on over two decades of the implementation of the TRIPS Agreement and Doha Declaration, its impact on health and access to medicines and to both imagine and reimagine what the next two decades of TRIPS implementation will or could bring. The COVID-19 pandemic as well as the recognition, preservation and sustainability of the work of civil society in this regard is central to the theme and sessions at the Global Summit. The Summit will take place over a week in November 2021.

Consultant Scope of Work and Deliverables

ITPC is seeking a communications consultant specializing in storytelling for the Global Summit on Intellectual Property and Access to Medicines 2021 to:

· Develop a storytelling strategy for the IP summit, in coordination with the MMA communications consultant and other MMA partners.

· Perform content desk research on IP activism & interviews with key people in the consortium and partners.

· Build a timeline documenting the history since the signing/effectiveness of TRIPS 1995 until today.

· Engage with social media agency for content development (10-15 posts across different media).

· Develop 3-4 scripts for short video pills of around 2 minutes, from the interviews.

· Work on overall messaging for the Summit in coordination with the communications consultant and the graphic designer.

· Engage in de-centralized video production for the 5 corresponding scripts

· Develop invitation video.

· Develop video product on the Summit’s “behind the scenes” as legacy for 2022.

· Work on overall messaging for the Summit in coordination with the communications consultant and the graphic designer.

Duration of Consultancy

· 30 September 2021 to 15 December 2021

Qualification/Eligibility Requirements to Provider:

• 5 years of experience with Storytelling strategies and products
• Degree in communications or equivalent experience
• Experience with civil society campaigns and other communications actions
• Proficiency in screenwriting.
• Experience collaborating with community-based organizations.
• Experience with online platforms and apps used for virtual meetings and events.
• Fluency in English

Method of Selection

Quality and Cost-Based Selection method shall be used to determine the winner. The following selection criteria with relative weight of criteria showed in percentages shall be used for selection for the bidders’ proposals that meet all obligatory qualification/eligibility requirements above and that essentially meet the above scope and deliverables:

1. Qualifications and experience of the consultant in working on storytelling initiatives (relative weight 25%) – shall be assessed based on CV or description of experience;
2. Quality of previous work developed by the consultant (relative weight 35%) – shall be assessed based on example(s) of previous work done by the candidate consultant;
3. Previous experience of collaboration with CSOs developing stories at the national and international level (20%) – shall be assessed based on CV or description of experience;
4. Daily rate demanded by the consultant to achieve the work required (relative weight 20%) – shall be assessed based on provided quotation.

Compensation

The funding is available for no more than 28 days. Payments shall be made upon completion of all deliverables by the consultant.

Instructions to Tenderers

Tender proposal validity should be no less than 60 days. By submitting the tender proposal tenderer certifies that in relation to the company no bankruptcy procedure is commenced, no criminal investigation has been currently conducted in relation to professional conduct or business activity, there is no unfulfilled obligations relating to payment of taxes or social contributions.

Before preparing tender proposal tenderer should acquaint him/herself with the Template of the Agreement that is attached hereto as Annex 1.

Tenderers shall have the right to seek written clarifications on any aspect of the tender documents and receive responses from ITPC in good time before the deadline for submission of tenders, not less than 14 days prior to the deadline.

Any firm or individual who:

Ø is bankrupt or is being wound up, whose affairs are being administered by court, who has entered into an arrangement with creditors, who has suspended business activities or who is subject to an injunction against running business by court;

Ø is the subject of proceedings for a declaration of bankruptcy, for an order for compulsory winding up or administration by court, or for an arrangement with creditors or of any other similar proceedings;

Ø has been convicted of an offence concerning her/his professional conduct by a court;

Ø has been found guilty of grave professional misconduct; or

Ø has not fulfilled obligations relating to payments of taxes or social security contributions;

would be excluded from the evaluation and the award of a contract. By submitting Technical and Financial Proposal bidder certifies that no above listed situation is applicable to him/her/legal entity of the bidder.

By submitting Technical and Financial Proposal bidder-vendors (only applicable to legal entities-bidders) certifies that:

• it is registered by a national Registrars of Companies or corresponding national official register;
• is registered for declaration and payment of value added tax or a similar sales tax in accordance with national legislation;
• has declared taxes for staff and employee contributions; and
• is free from debts regarding taxes and social security contributions.