Проект «Фінська підтримка реформи української школи» оголошує тендер на організацію та проведення комунікаційної кампанії у засобах масової інформації щодо позитивного сприйняття реформи НУШ.

1. Background

Learning Together is a four-year collaborative project that started between Ukraine and Finland in July 2018, and was joined by the EU in late 2018. The work is scheduled to last until July 2022. The Project is implemented by FCG International.

The project focuses on supporting the New Ukrainian School (NUS) reform, especially in the primary education, and is designed around three main clusters and cross-cutting elements. These clusters are (1) teacher preparation, (2) education promotion, and (3) education environment.

Learning together is now seeking to contract a qualified and experienced media company or other suitable organization to undertake work associated with the design and implementation of a mass media campaign called Friendly School. The purpose of this Terms of Reference (TOR) is to call for competitive proposals for this task. This assignment focuses on education promotion.

2.    Objective

The objective of the Service Provider is to design and implement a mass media campaign comprising several sub-campaigns to strengthen the positive identity of the NUS reform, to create awareness and public discussion about the quality of education and schools including the upcoming OECD PISA results. The campaign is a part of the Communication Strategy of the Ministry of Education and Science. The working name of this mass media campaign is Friendly School, the purpose of which is to promote the new values of the New Ukrainian School reform. The learning of a child is placed in the center of all efforts where child’s learning is considered holistically. This means that the task of a school is not only to train student’s for exams and learning by heart, but to develop necessary knowledge, skills, and competences that children need in real-life situations and in their future. Further, concepts like trust, respect, the  privacy of the pupils, anti-bulling, safe way to school, and safe learning environment are in the focus.

3. Scope of Work

The Service Provider will be contracted to: 

3.1. Design and implement a communications program for Friendly School including the following sub-campaigns:

1. A campaign that points out safe school environment (with involving a wide range of business partners and opinion leaders).
2. A campaign that explains the knowledge, skills (including soft skills) and competences that children need in real-life situations and in their future.
3. A campaign that concentrates on the dignity of a child including anti-bulling components.

Campaign 1 should be started in August 2019 and campaign 2 in November 2019. The expected length of this communication campaign would be about 2 years.

The supervision of the campaigns will be carried out by the Project Learning Together and the staff of MOES.

The targeted groups: The campaigns should be targeted to a wide audience including parents, students, teachers, and school administrators nationwide. Each sub-campaign will be targeted separately.

3.2. Conceptualize, layout, format, and design all promotional materials and activities of the sub-campaigns. This may involve campaigns using appropriate media such as print and posters, advertisements in newspapers, radio, TV, web campaigns, social media, knowledge management activities such as workshops and seminars, and billboards. In campaigns, the visual identity of the Project Learning Together will be used. 

3.3. Collaborate with MOES’s press service in production of press releases, blogs, brochures, and organize press briefings, media visits along with different media articles.

3.4. Cooperate with other possible actors such as NGOs, SCOs, Think tanks, companies, brands, businesses, media professionals, and key opinion leaders.

3.5. Document and report activities highlighting progress, achievements and impacts of campaigns. Daily media monitoring and monthly analysis.

4. Expected Deliverables

The Service Provider will submit the following deliverables:

4.1. Present ideas and communications plan for the mass media campaigns

4.2. Design creative concept and layouts of related materials

4.3. Draw up an Inception Report outlining the activities to be undertaken, including an implementation plan with exact timelines

4.4. Implement campaigns

4.5. Write Progress Reports describing accomplishment of each sub-campaign. 

4.6. Submit a Final Report which shows the methodology used, activities undertaken, successes, challenges, results (planned and unplanned), lessons learned, and future recommendations.

5. Budget

The maximum Grand Total Budget for the assignment is 105 000 € out of which the maximum of 45 000 € can be used during 2019. The budget, details of the assignment, terms and conditions will be specified in the contract between the FCG International Ltd (Contractor) and the local Service Provider. Payment milestones will be based on the acceptance of the key deliverables by the Project Management Team.

6. Submission requirements

The Proposal must include the following:

6.1 A Technical Proposal not exceeding 10 pages in length including the intended approach and the planned activities the implementation, the management of the undertaking, including an operational work plan with timelines.

6.2 Breakdown of costs

The budget breakdown must include two separate sections: “Fees of experts” and “Other Costs”. The fees shall be defined on rates based on working days or working months. The other Costs must be broken down to correspond the Technical Proposal and Work Plan. The Budget Breakdown must be in Euros.

6.3 The Curriculum Vitae of the consultant and for each member of the team (if a team approach is used).

6.4. Official documents proving the status of the organization and the document proving the financial capacity (annual turnover and profit/loss) of the organization.

Copies of registration documents (including a copy of the certificates of state registration of legal entities which the Participant plans to apply for the provision of services, a copy of the tax certificate; an Extract from the Statute indicating the activities).

Other relevant supporting material may be attached as an annex. 

The Proposal must be in English.

7. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on Quality (90% weight) and Price (10% weight).

The quality of the proposal will be evaluated based on the following:

Organization:

• Previous experience on similar assignments, at least one implemented nationwide communication campaign, preferably in the education sector
• Proven knowledge of the education sector

Technical Proposal:

• The relevance of the approach and implementation methodology
• the expected impact of the proposed methodology

The Service Provider’s team should have the following qualifications:

• A master’s degree in the field of public relations, journalism, marketing or relevant field
• A minimum of five years of professional experience in media campaigns, development communications, public relations, journalism, marketing or in another related field
• Experience of working with Ukrainian governmental organizations (in providing the social oriented campaigns), and NGOs
• Availability to established relationships with potential partners from the Ukrainian business community
• Capability and proven experience in developing and executing mass media campaigns, and designing messages in various formats (press releases, websites, success stories, blog entries, tweets, TV, radio etc.) targeting a variety of audiences
• Ability and proven experience in taking initiative and working effectively under pressure
• Familiarity with branding compliance
• Excellent written, oral and interpersonal skills; excellent communication skills in English and Ukrainian
• Familiarity with the New Ukrainian School reform will be an asset.

8. Deadline for Proposals

The timeline of the tender is as follows:

1. All tenderers are requested to indicate their interest to submit their proposal by 7 June 2019 via email ([email protected]).
2. In case the tenderers want to have further clarification on the competition, written questions must be sent via email ([email protected]) by 14 June 2019.
3. All tenderers will be provided with answers to all clarification requests by 21 June 2019.
4. The final application must be submitted by 5 July 2019 via email to [email protected]. 

Please note that all written communication must be in English. Further instructions for the tender are given only from the email mentioned above. Any further information or advice obtained from other sources may be disregarded in the tender evaluation.