Call for Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Polling on COVID-19 and CVE Issues in Cote d’Ivoire
Background: Equal Access International (EAI) – a non-governmental organization (NGO) with U.S. regional offices in Washington, D.C.– partners with communities around the world to co-create sustainable solutions utilizing community engagement and participatory media and technology. With funding from bi-laterals, multi-laterals, foundations, and individual donors, EAI has a 17-year track record implementing social change projects and currently operates in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan and the Philippines.
Violent Extremist Organizations (VEO)—Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) that currently operate in landlocked countries to the north are looking to extend their influence into more economically developed and geopolitically significant coastal states to the south, including Côte d’Ivoire. The ongoing violence and socio-political tensions in Côte d’Ivoire have led to a widespread feeling of self-victimization, lack of trust between communities and local authorities in Abidjan, towns along the main trade routes, and in the border areas with Guinea, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Mali. Looming political crises triggered by the sudden death of the prominent ruling party candidate four months before the presidential elections and socioeconomic tensions are further exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s response to it. Such instability has made Côte d’Ivoire increasingly vulnerable to outside incursions and attacks and has increased communities’ vulnerability to recruitment by VEOs.
In communities along the border with Burkina Faso and Mali, EAI’s June 2020 assessment trip revealed that while people are aware of COVID-19 and the preventive actions they should take, they are not taking measures to socially and physically distance, maintain handwashing hygiene, or use face masks. This low perception of the risk of COVID-19 is one of the factors presently driving the pandemic that has spread to 24 districts across the country. As is often the case with public campaigns everywhere, Ivorians are informed about the issue, but remain unconvinced that the problem is relevant to them.
This undesirable attitude is a consequence of converging factors, including mistrust in the government and the mainstream media outlets, false belief that COVID-19 is a “rich person’s” disease or not a “real disease,” and lack of personal capacity to carry out preventive measures.
Further fueling the tensions and vulnerability of the public is the stigmatization of individuals who contract COVID-19, based on fear and misinformation. According to EAI’s research, there is a pervasive fear of testing due to the possibility of a positive result. Individuals who test positive and share results with family and friends face the risk of being stigmatized. COVID-19-related stigmas are contributing to the anxiety and tension between different social groups and communities, especially migrants and host communities.
Attacks on people of Asian and European origin in the early stages of the epidemic in Côte d’Ivoire were the consequence of a clash between these existing racial and health stigmas.
DESIRED BASELINE PARAMETERS
As a baseline for our information campaign, we are looking to perform three polls preferably using live voice or similar phone polling technology on a questionnaire that focuses on four areas of concern:
1) Attitudes and practices around protection and prevention of the spread of COVID-19
2) The types of misinformation about the virus and common sources of misinformation about the virus
3) The perceptions of the government COVID19 response in terms of the negative impact of movement and work restrictions, sources of income
4) Feelings of marginalization, stigmatization, or discrimination as a result of official and unofficial actions by government officials under the cover of COVID19 restrictions and counterterrorism campaigns along the border including border closings, abusive border taxations, military operations, and other actions
Sampling Parameters
· Each poll will require a sample size of 500 individuals. Whilst the project can provide 2000 known phone numbers; vendors will be expected to ensure that they fulfil the requirement of 500 completed surveys per poll.
· The zone of interest is restricted to residents in the Gbéké, Poro, Kabadougou, Tchologo, and Bounkani regions, specifically in or around the towns of Bouake, Doropo, Ouangolodougou, Tengrela, Mbengue, and Kimbirila North with an equal number from each region or 100.
· Respondents need to be residents of at least 5 years with a preference for native born residents.
· We are looking for an optimal number of questions for an automated phone survey. Ten – fifteen questions is an acceptable length
· We are looking for views of women and youth in particular. We do not wish to canvas youth below the age of 14.
Format
· Vendors will be expected to design the survey, in consultation with EAI staff. Survey questionnaire should use closed-ended questions for the collection of quantitative data
· The SOW calls for three polling sessions, the first will serve as a baseline and the last two will serve as means to evaluate the project’s impact
· All surveys will be conducted remotely without the use of evaluators on the ground
Language
· The language for the surveys will be Malinke and EAI will be able to record survey questions in Malinké
Timeline
· The timeframe for concluding baseline and analysis of the data is March 2021
· The second and third surveys and analysis should be completed by August 2021 and January 2022
How to apply
To view this RFP in full, please visit our website: http://www.equalaccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/A4DWDC-2020-01-Polling-RFP-v2-10FEB2021.pdf
1. Introduction and Purpose
1.1 Purpose
EAI, the implementer of the Accountability for Development project in Cote d’Ivoire, invites qualified offerors to submit proposals to supply and deliver Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Polling in support of program implementation.
The requirements for this activity are described in the “Statement of Work” in Attachment A. EAI encourages your organization to indicate its interest in this procurement by submitting a proposal according to the instructions in this RFP. EAI will make an award to the responsible Offeror submitting an offer which provides best value to the project: technical merit and price will be both considered.
Issuing Office
The Issuing Office and Contact Person noted in the above synopsis is the sole point of contact at EAI for purposes of this RFP. Any prospective offeror who fails to register their interest with this office assumes complete responsibility in the event that they do not receive direct communications (amendments, answers to questions, etc.) prior to the closing date.
1.2 Type of Award Anticipated
EAI anticipates awarding a Firm Fixed Price Purchase Order. This contract type might be subject to change during the course of negotiations.
2. General Instructions to Offerors
2.1 General Instructions
“Offeror”, “Subcontractor”, and/or “Bidder” means a firm proposing the work under this RFP. “Offer” and/or “Proposal” means the package of documents the firm submits to propose the work.
Offerors wishing to respond to this RFP must submit proposals, in English, in accordance with the following instructions. Offerors are required to review all instructions and specifications contained in this RFP. Failure to do so will be at the Offeror’s risk. If the solicitation is amended, then all terms and conditions not modified in the amendment shall remain unchanged.
Issuance of this RFP in no way obligates EAI to award a subcontract or purchase order. Offerors will not be reimbursed for any costs associated with the preparation or submission of their proposal. EAI shall in no case be responsible for liable for these costs.
Proposals are due no later than February 24, 2021 at 5:30 PM EST, to be submitted by email to [email protected] , the RFP number must be stated in the subject line of the email. The cost and technical proposals must be submitted in separate emails. Late offers will be rejected except under extraordinary circumstances at EAI’s discretion.
The submission to EAI of a proposal in response to this RFP will constitute an offer and indicates the Offeror’s agreement to the terms and conditions in this RFP and any attachments hereto. EAI reserves the right not to evaluate a non-responsive or incomplete proposal.
2.2 Proposal Cover Letter
A cover letter shall be included with the proposal on the Offeror’s company letterhead with a duly authorized signature and company stamp using Attachment B as a template for the format. The cover letter MUST contain the information requested in Attachment B.
2.3 Questions regarding the RFP
Each Offeror is responsible for reading and complying with the terms and conditions of this RFP. Requests for clarification or additional information must be submitted in writing via email as specified in the Synopsis above no later than February 12th. No questions will be answered by phone. Any verbal information received from a EAI or project employee or other entity shall not be considered as an official response to any question regarding this RFP.
Copies of questions and responses will be distributed in writing to all prospective bidders who are on record as having received this RFP after the submission date specified in the Synopsis above.
3. Instructions for the Preparation of Technical Proposals
The Technical Proposal and Cost/Business Proposal must be kept separate from each other. Technical Proposals must not make reference to cost or pricing information at any point. This will enable in order the technical evaluation to be made strictly on the basis of technical merit.
Technical proposals shall include the following contents:
1. Technical Approach and Evidence of Local Knowledge – Description of the proposed services which meets or exceeds the stated technical specifications or scope of work. The proposal must show how the Offeror plans to complete the work and describe an approach that demonstrates the achievement of timely and acceptable performance of the work.
2. Methodology: considering the Statement of Work, please describe in details the following:
a) The steps, in chronological order, that you will take to implement the work. Make sure to describe any innovative approaches or technology you plan to use.
b) A description of similar projects you implemented in the past and lessons you learned that will be incorporated into the activity described in this RFP.
3. Past Performance: Provide a list of at least three (3) recent awards of similar scope and duration. The information shall be supplied as a table, and shall include the legal name and address of the organization for which services were performed, a description of work performed, the duration of the work and the value of the contract, description of any problems encountered and how it was resolved, and a current contact phone number of a responsible and knowledgeable representative of the organization. See Attachment C.
4. Staffing: Please provide the following, in order:
a) A staffing plan for this activity that includes the following information for each proposed staff member:
-Name and Proposed position on the team
-Summary of relevant expertise and experience
b) CVs for each proposed staff member. CVs should be no longer than one page in length.
Staffing plans that propose staff with qualifications and experience related to the tasks stated in this RFP will be evaluated more favorably than staffing plans that do not take these factors into consideration.
3.1 Services Specified
For this RFP, EAI is in need of the services described in Attachment A.
3.2 Technical Evaluation Criteria
The award will be made to the offeror whose offer presents the Best Value: the optimal combination of technical merits and reasonable cost. Proposals will be scored on technical factors first. Only the Cost/Business proposals of those offers that surpass the minimum qualifying score of 70 points in the technical evaluation will have their Cost/Business Proposal reviewed. Those that do not reach this qualifying score in the Technical Evaluation will be considered non-competitive and their Cost/Business proposals will not be considered.
Provide a clear, specific and succinct technical proposal that covers both the conceptual and practical approaches of how to achieve the objectives of this project. Specifically, please address the following, in the order specified below:
Item
Points Available
1. Technical Approach and Evidence of Local Knowledge 25 Points
2. Methodology 25 Points
3. Past Performance 25 Points
4. Staffing 25 Points
100 Points
4. Instructions for the Preparation of Cost/Price Proposals
4.1 Cost/Price Proposals
The Cost/Business Proposal must be submitted separately from the technical proposal and will primarily indicate the cost for performing the work specified in this RFP. At a minimum, the Cost/Business proposal should include the following information:
a) A detailed budget that provides a break-down of costs by line item. Note that any indirect/overhead costs should be listed as a separate line item in the budget and should not be built into the direct costs. Use the budget template presented in Attachment D. The budget could have two tabs – one for detail and one for summary.
b) Bidders should not use any “loaded rates” for labor. Budgets should include base labor rates only. Forms with loaded rates (i.e. inclusive of staff bonuses or any other type of financial benefit) will be rejected. However, the actual fringe could be included.
c) Detailed cost notes that provides information on each of the line items in the budget and explains why these items are needed for implementation of the activity.
d) If indirect rates are charged, Offerors must provide supporting computations for the allocation for indirect/overhead costs, a copy of an audit report and balance sheet, and a profit and loss (P&L)/income & expenditure / revenue & expenditure statement OR a copy of the current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).
e) No profit/administrative fee will be allowed or reimbursed as part of the cost proposal
5. Basis of Award
5.1 Best Value Determination
EAI will review proposals and make an award based on the technical and cost evaluation criteria stated above. The offeror whose proposal provides the best value to EAI will be selected.
Evaluation points will not be awarded for cost. Cost will primarily be evaluated for realism and reasonableness. EAI may award to a higher priced offeror if a determination is made that the higher technical evaluation of that offeror merits the additional cost/price.
EAI may award to an Offeror without discussions. Therefore, the initial offer must contain the Offeror’s best price and technical terms.
To help us with our recruitment effort, please indicate in your email/cover letter where (ngotenders.net) you saw this job posting.