West Africa Competitiveness Programme - Communications and Outreach (New version)

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Date : 11 Jun 2020 - 09 Jul 2020
Venue : ECOWAS Commission,
Town : ABUJA
Country : Nigeria

SELECTION FOR CONSULTANTS

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

 

Assignment Title: West Africa Competitiveness Programme – Communications and Outreach

• ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW

 

The ECOWAS Commission invites eligible communications firms to indicate their interest in providing communications services for the West Africa Competiveness Programme (WACOMP). These services include communications strategy implementation, off and online communications, community outreach, communications capacity building, and awareness raising, among other activities.

Interested agencies must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (per the requirements detailed below). One or more firms will be selected in accordance with procedures set out by the ECOWAS. Selected firms will be retained as pre-qualified agencies for WACOMP communications projects over the program’s five-year implementation.

Assignment Countries:

– Burkina Faso

– Benin

– Cape Verde

– Cote d’Ivoire

– Gambia, The

– Ghana

– Guinea-Bissau

– Guinea

– Liberia

– Mali

– Mauritania

– Niger

– Nigeria

– Senegal

– Sierra Leone

– Togo

 

• ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION

 

The West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) was adopted under the 11th European Union Development Fund (EDF) Regional Indicative Programme for an amount of €120m.

The programme aims to support several selected value chains at national and regional level to promote structural transformation and better access to regional and international markets, while taking into account social and environmental concerns. Its objective is to strengthen competitiveness of West African countries and enhance their integration into the regional and international trading system. To reach this overarching goal, the programme will work to:

• improve the performance, growth and contribution to industry, regional trade and exports of selected value chains, and
• improve the business climate at national and regional levels.

 

The programme, which is aligned to support the implementation of the West African Regional policies and programmes, including the West Africa Common Industrial Policy (WACIP), West Africa Quality System Programme (WAQSP) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Private Sector Development Strategy, will be instrumental in creating the foundations and promoting access of West African countries to the EU External Investment Plan (EIP).

Communications tasks will be broken down into smaller task orders and bid out to the firms that respond to this advert and are successfully pre-qualified. Each task order will cover a distinct piece of the communications work and will run for a specified period – generally between three months and one year. Each task orders will have a set goal, in a specific location. For all tasks, the agency will:

 

• Work in close collaboration with designated focal points from the ECOWAS Commission, and any other partner designated, which may provide oversight and guidance over the course of the engagement.
• Implement an informed, regionally effective communications strategy and tactical plan
• Provide ECOWAS with the tools required to take over and implement the communications plan in the long term.
• Provide support to facilitate contracting with the main media in the countries to ensure media coverage of meetings, seminars and other events.
• Provide support for the organization of television programs and the production of television spots in order to facilitate the dissemination of program activities and results.
• Provide support for the production of a short film on the activities and achievements of the project as needed
• Produce progress reports at agreed intervals (per each task order).

 

 

• ELIGIBILITY

 

Eligibility restrictions apply:

• The communications agency should have a minimum of 5 years work experience in public relations, communications, media outreach, advertising, and/or stakeholder engagement.
• The communications agency is expected to have a network of relevant local, media, and/or communications contacts, including private media outlets.
• The communications agency should have demonstrated experience organizing public communications campaigns and/or events, including overseeing event logistics, content development, and outreach/execution.
• The agency must have the capacity, in the form of resources and technology (in-house or sub-contracted), to deliver communications activities within agreed timeframes and budgets.
• The communications agency should have demonstrated experience mapping/targeting audiences and running successful market research (surveys and focus groups) in-house or through a reputable survey firm.
• Previous experience working on trade facilitation, or similar public awareness campaigns with development partners, international NGOs, or civil society, is desirable
• Ability to work in one of the following languages: English, French, and/or Portuguese. The specific requirements will vary per task order, but please specify capabilities in your submission.
• Capacity to execute communications assignments in any two or more of the following countries: Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Burkina Faso. NB: subsequent selection for a specific task order will require capacity to execute in the relevant country or countries.

 

• SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

 

The ECOWAS Commission now invites eligible firms to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested firms must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.)

Please specifically describe in which countries the consultant will carry out activities, languages, years in operation, relevant work, network/contacts, resources/technology, awards/accomplishments. Please note that the total size of all attachments should be less than 5MB and 30 pages or less.  Consultants may associate to enhance their qualifications.

 

Interested firms are hereby invited to submit expressions of interest.

Expressions of Interest should be submitted, in English or French, electronically through info-wacomp@ecowas.int. The deadline for EOI submissions is July 9, 2020.

 

• NOTES

 

Following this invitation for Expression of Interest, a shortlist of qualified firms will be formally invited to submit proposals. Shortlisting and selection will be subject to the availability of funding.

Only those firms which have been shortlisted will receive notification. No debrief will be provided to firms which have not been shortlisted.