RFP - Social Behavior Change Communications Training

 Project Overview and Role:

The New Partnerships Initiative (NPI) Expanding Health Partnerships (NPI EXPAND) project is a global five-year (2019-2024) U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funded project that supports locally driven efforts to increase the availability and utilization of high-quality health and education services. In line with USAID's localization agenda, NPI EXPAND invests in new and underutilized local partners (NUPs) and strengthens their capacity to strategize, plan, and implement programs with USAID funds. Enhanced participation of capable local organizations to increase demand for and deliver high-quality, high impact services will enable governments to meet crucial goals equitably and sustainably. NPI EXPAND also catalyzes opportunities to scale up innovative interventions by strengthening the capacity of NUPs with varying levels of capabilities and exposure to USAID.

In Pakistan, NPI EXPAND is implementing USAID Pakistan's Human Development Activity (HDA) to advance development, education, and health aims in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Pressing issues in these areas include low access to and use of high-quality education and health services, limited qualified personnel, equipment and supply shortages, security-related restrictions, and gender inequity. Through HDA, NPI EXPAND will support creative, locally driven solutions to improve education and health (FP/MNCH) in the border areas. The primary beneficiaries include the most disadvantaged women, girls, children, and newborns living in these areas. The project will provide grants and tailored assistance to local organizations in line with the following results:

• Intermediate Result 1: Access to and utilization of basic health and education services increased.
• Intermediate Result 2: Quality of basic health and education services improved.

Purpose

NPI EXPAND HDA is seeking to engage a contractor to provide training on Social Behavior Change Communications (SBCC) to its partner organizations working on health and education in Buner and Upper Dir districts in KP. The partners focus on strengthening capacity of the government’s health and education service delivery system in these two districts. The selected contractor will train partner organizations on practical SBCC approaches including behavioral science to enable them to further train public health and education service providers, help increase their motivation and adopt new behaviors. The eventual goal is to help improve the quality of public education (including ensuring effective implementation of the new curriculum) and health systems with these approaches.

NPI EXPAND conducted organizational capacity assessments for its partners which identified a need for capacity strengthening for SBCC and highlighted the importance of addressing specific behaviors that impact access to and utilization of health and education services in the target communities. Through training partners on SBCC, NPI EXPAND aims to enhance community engagement, improve awareness and knowledge, and promote positive behavioral changes that facilitate increased access to and utilization of essential services. Many NPI EXPAND partners work in conflict-affected settings and building trust and establishing effective relationships with communities in these areas is vital for overcoming barriers and creating an enabling environment for service delivery.

Type of Contract

This contract will be a fixed price agreement with payments based on completion of deliverables:

• Development of a training package, such as workshop outline, agenda, presentation, activities, trainer’s guide and handouts.
• Delivery of workshops.
• Submission of training report.
• Implementation of Post-training Action Plans for participating grantees.

Anticipated Contract Term

The anticipated period of performance is 25 calendar days from the date of the agreement execution.

Scope of Work and Standards

The contractor will work closely with NPI EXPAND HDA and partner organizations to design and deliver tailored SBCC training programs that address these specific behaviors and challenges. The training will equip partner organizations with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively engage with communities, address barriers to access, and promote positive behavioral changes. Through collaboration, capacity building, and the development of context specific SBCC strategies, the consultancy aims to strengthen community trust, enhance service utilization, and contribute to the overall improvement of education and health outcomes in the target districts.

The contractor will receive technical directions from and report to the NPI EXPAND Pakistan Country Team Lead.

Tasks:

• Conduct a learning needs assessment of NPI EXPAND HDA grantees.
• Design, develop and conduct training on SBCC based on the needs of NPI EXPAND HDA grantees. The training should strengthen grantee organizations’ capacity to enable beneficiaries to increase and improve their access to seeking health and education services and increase beneficiaries’ and communities’ trust in public services in conflict settings. All material developed must be approved by NPI EXPAND HDA before it is used in the trainings.
• Develop a post-training action plan with grantees during the training to demonstrate how they will use SBCC in their work and encourage them to adopt innovative teaching methods.
• Develop a report on the training with recommendations on a way forward.
• Submit all material developed for this project to NPI EXPAND HDA before conclusion of the contract.

Deliverables:

• Learning needs assessment - conduct a learning needs assessment of NPI EXPAND grantees to identify SBCC knowledge gaps. Use the outcomes of the needs assessment to finalize the training design.
•             4 working days after contract award.

• Training package including: workshop outline, agenda, presentation, activities, trainer’s guide, and handouts.
•             16 working days after contract award.

• Delivery of workshop - conduct one 3-day training workshop on SBCC with 30 participants from 15 grantee organizations and facilitate grantees to develop individual SBCC action plans for their respective organizations based on gaps identified in the organizational baseline assessments.
•             19 working days after contract award.

• Implementation of post-training action plans for participating grantees - support grantees post-training to implement the SBCC action plans they developed during the training workshop.
•             22 working days after contract award.

• Training report and post-training action plans - submit training report on workshop and post-training SBCC action plans for each participating grantee organization.
•             25 working days after contract award.

Evaluation and Award Process

The successful contractor will be awarded a contract based on a best value trade off evaluation of the proposal responses. Only proposals which meet the minimum eligibility standards established below will be considered. Offerors will be assessed based on the criteria provided below which are listed in order of importance.

Evaluation Criteria

1. Proposed overview of the training: a brief (one page) overview describing the technical content of the training and any supporting materials that will be used including handouts.
2. Proposed methodology: extent of understanding of assignment and feasibility of the proposed methodology, including the approach, techniques and processes the applicant proposes to utilize to assess needs, design training, develop materials, deliver training, and provide post-training support.
3. Institutional capacity and proposed personnel: degree to which relevant experience was demonstrated in similar assignments. Depth of knowledge and understanding of the Pakistan landscape (especially KP) and experience in SBCC in health and education services.
4. Past performance: quality of the mix of experiences and competencies of the proposed personnel.

Palladium reserves the right to award under this solicitation without further negotiations. The offerors are encouraged to offer their best terms and prices with the original submission.

PROCUREMENT INTEGRITY AND ETHICS

It is Palladium’s policy that no gifts of any kind and of any value be exchanged between contractor and Palladium personnel. Discovery of the same will be grounds for disqualification of the contractor from participation in any of Palladium’s procurements and may result in disciplinary actions against Palladium personnel involved in such discovered transactions.

Instructions to the Offerors

Interested and qualified parties should submit their proposal package on or before 17 July 2023 midnight PKT. NPI EXPAND will arrange an offerers’ conference based on questions received from potential bidders by 14 July 2023. The proposal must be valid for 60 days. 

Offerors must meet the following criteria to be considered: 

• Only local Pakistani entities are eligible to bid – copy of the registration certificate must be provided.
• If selected for award, Company must complete Due Diligence Questionnaire within 5 days (Due Diligence Questionnaire available upon request).
• Company must have a UEI number or obtain one within 5 days of being notified of selection (instructions for obtaining UEI number are available upon request).
• Provide contact information from at least three past clients.

The following items are required to be submitted as part of the proposal:

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

• Description of the methodology and process the offeror will use to identify needs, design, implement and evaluate the training, and provide post-training support to participants.
• Timeline for performance of the contract
• Company profile and CVs of proposed personnel, highlighting similar assignments undertaken in the past. 

PRICE PROPOSAL

• Not more than two pages budget proposal consisting of firm-fixed prices for the required deliverables and the total price for the contract. These prices will not be subject to adjustment based on the contractor’s cost experience.

• Budget proposal will reflect breakdown of personnel and time.
• NPI EXPAND HDA will cover logistics costs for the training (e.g., training venue, participants’ travel and accommodation). The contractor will be responsible for all travel-related costs of training instructors, if needed.

Submissions should be emailed to [email protected] by 17 July 2023, 11:59 PM PKT.

Attachments

Please review the additional documentation and proposed contracts terms and conditions which should be given consideration when preparing your proposal. By submitting your bid, you will certify that that you agree with the contract terms and conditions as included in this solicitation and that all prices include all aspects of the required compliance with the terms and conditions of the proposed contract.

• 1-2 pages overview of past performances
• References
• Due diligence form(s) - available upon request
• Business Partner Code of Conduct - available upon request

Any contract/purchase order resulting from this solicitation must be signed by both parties in order to be considered valid and in force. All costs associated with, but not limited to, production, preparation and/or delivery of goods or services, including deliveries, accepted by Palladium staff, without a fully executed (signed by both parties) contract/purchase order, are at the contractor’s risk only. Palladium shall not pay for any costs, without limitation, associated with production, preparation, or delivery of goods and/or services under this or any other contract/purchase order, which has not been signed by both parties.

If your proposal is successful, you will be required to enter into the Company’s standard contract for the types of goods or services being provided. In the provision of the Goods and Services, you will be required to comply with the Company’s policies, including (without limitation) its Business Partner Code of Conduct and any relevant client terms and conditions. Potential suppliers must also comply with the Company’s Business Partner Code of Conduct in the submission of any proposals pursuant to this RFP.

If you are bidding as part of a joint venture, partnership or similar, please make this clear in your submission. Likewise, if you propose to subcontract any part of the goods or services provision, then disclose this fact within your submission. The Company may require additional information from you and approval for subcontracting will not be automatic as subcontractors will be subject to Palladium’s Due Diligence process and may be required to submit for USAID Partner Vetting.

 Company Overview:

About Palladium - Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value.  We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world's most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people's lives.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion - Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at [email protected] and we will be in touch to discuss.

Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse.  All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.