ToR: Provision of consultancy services related to developing and communicating a climate-focused narrative on the Sierra Leone Healthcare Electrification project.

1.    Context 

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an international organization working with leaders in government, the private sector and civil society to drive further, faster action toward achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), which calls for universal access to sustainable energy by 2030, and the Paris Agreement, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate warming to below 2° Celsius.

Achieving these goals will require a radical rethink of the way we produce, distribute, and consume energy. SEforALL is at the heart of this foundational shift to ensure no one is left behind. Drawing on data and evidence, we identify a critical path to success in achieving SDG7.

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative in 2011. Now an independent organization, we maintain close links with the UN, including through a relationship agreement, partnerships with UN agencies and with SEforALL's CEO acting as the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. These roles include advising the UN Secretary General and his staff on issues relating to sustainable energy and the implementation of SDG7 and supporting the coordination of sustainable energy issues in the United Nations system.

The ambitions of SDG7 are extraordinary. Aiming to achieve them in the context of the Paris Agreement on climate change involves transformation at a scale never undertaken before. Swift action must be taken by Leaders in governments, private sector companies, institutions, financiers, development banks, unions, communities, entrepreneurs, and civil society. As we enter the final decade to achieve SDG7, SEforALL has strategically chosen to strengthen global agenda-setting while expanding its activities to an engagement model that prioritizes data-driven decision-making, partnerships with high-impact countries and implementation on the ground. The new SEforALL three-year business plan outlines “results offers” that scope out our planned interventions and demonstrate to our funding partners the impact of their support. 

Powering Healthcare in Sierra Leone

Health service delivery in Sierra Leone remains hampered by a lack of reliable electricity access in health facilities. This impacts health facilities at all levels, with several key hospitals still unconnected to the national grid. Those hospitals that are connected to a grid continue to suffer from frequent power outages.

With support from the UK Government and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), SEforALL developed a Market Assessment & Roadmap report for the sustainable electrification of health and education infrastructure in Sierra Leone, along with an energy audit of 7 hospitals. These energy audits further showed the energy gap in hospitals (both on-grid and off-grid) and the opportunity to address this gap with renewable energy solutions (i.e. solar PV with storage).

Following these needs assessments, SEforALL in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and EM-ONE Energy Solutions, and with funding from the UK Government, implemented the Sierra Leone Healthcare Electrification project to electrify 6 key hospitals in Sierra Leone with renewable energy solutions, commissioned in December 2023. Under the second phase of this project, SEforALL is electrifying one additional hospital and 25 community centers. The project has now been further extended to electrify 11 more hospitals in the country as part of the third phase.

This important work is having a dramatic impact in closing the energy access gap and improving the lives of the communities which these health facilities serve, including those in the last mile. The hospitals from the first phase are reporting a significant reduction in diesel generator usage by 60-99%. The quality of healthcare services has also reportedly gone up.

Our work on the project has included communicating about the impact it has had so far, through powerful stories from patients, healthcare workers and project developers. The stories have mainly focused on how the healthcare system has improved for different beneficiaries since the project along with insights to the process. SEforALL is now looking to capture and amplify the environmental and climate impact of the project. To do this, SEforALL is contracting a full-service Public Relations/Communications company to produce broadcast-quality stories and content that can be disseminated across social media and shared with in-country and international partners and media outlets to demonstrate the project’s climate impact.

2.    Objective

SEforALL seeks to procure a Communications/PR company (multimedia and media relations) to work under the guidance and supervision of SEforALL’s Communications and the Powering Healthcare (PHC) programme teams to support the achievement of the following objectives: 

i.    Tell a strong climate story (mitigation and adaptation) to broader audiences which communicates the overall impact of the Sierra Leone Healthcare Electrification project from a climate and environmental angle. The other impacts in terms of health and well-being, energy access and efficiency, social and economic outcomes, will be made a part of this climate-centred story. 

ii.    Communicate about the progress and key milestones in Phase 3 of the project, as part of the broader climate story. This would entail documenting health facilities before, during and after implementation, and supporting in organizing gatherings like commissioning events and documenting them.

iii.    Build on the communications efforts from Phases 1 and 2, and continue to increase overall awareness and visibility of SEforALL’s Powering Healthcare work in Sierra Leone within the country and the global sustainable energy development sector

iv.    Showcase the model of the Sierra Leone Healthcare Electrification project, especially to potential funders, development partners and governments. This will include the journey from Phases 1 to 3, the efforts of different stakeholders, the lessons learned, recommendations for the future and how this model can be replicated in other countries using SEforALL’s country roadmaps.

3.    Scope of Work

The scope of work under the guidance and supervision of SEforALL’s Communications and PHC teams would include the following:

i.    Develop a communications strategy that describes the target audiences, key messages (with an emphasis on climate and environmental impacts, but also including health and well-being, energy access and efficiency, social and economic outcomes), media and social media dissemination plan, and timeline.

ii.    Capture the progress and impact of the work in at least three (3) hospitals as selected by SEforALL, through photos and videos captured before, during and after implementation, and design and produce photo and video assets for dissemination.

iii.    Design and produce image and video assets like photo cards, quote cards, short reels and longer impact videos (approx. 3 mins) to tell a strong climate story and the impacts on the whole. In addition to the climate story assets, the selected company will also develop assets to communicate the SEforALL’s Project model. This will capture the journey of the project including its origin from the country roadmap, the energy audits of the health facilities, the key stakeholders involved, lessons learned, recommendations on next steps in alignment with SEforALL’s MEL Framework and related data, and how this model can be replicated in other countries, telling a compelling story for potential scale-up of our implementation work.

iv.    Produce a social media calendar including captions for different SEforALL channels, and update it periodically and/or as new content is generated, to ensure continuous coverage of the project online.

v.    Secure coverage of the project, its impact and process, in media including news outlets in Sierra Leone and sub-Saharan Africa and identify other ways to improve visibility of the Powering Healthcare work in the country, for example, through events.

4.    Approach, Timeline, and Deliverables

Approach

The selected firm(s) will maintain close contact with designated SEforALL members from the PHC and Communications teams, as well as a dedicated Project Management firm supporting Phase 3, throughout the assignment. All draft written and visual deliverables will be reviewed by SEforALL. The selected company will participate in weekly project coordination meetings and/or as required by SEforALL and present status reports on its approach, findings, challenges, and next steps.

The selected firm(s) should make a concerted effort to mainstream gender considerations throughout this assignment. This includes following gender parity when looking for candidates. Furthermore, the firm is expected to implement a 40:60 female to male ratio in their team and submit a copy of gender policies followed by the organization. The selected company is expected to visit project sites thrice – before, during and after project implementation.

Deliverables and Timeline

A.    Inception phase – communications strategy

During the inception phase, the selected firm(s) will develop a communications strategy that describes the overall narrative, the target audiences, creative assets to be produced, broad dissemination plan in different media outlets including social media along with the timeline. The dissemination plan will include where these different assets can be used, i.e. on social media, at events, in newsletters, etc. and suggestions about the usage of these assets even beyond the contract period. This strategy will be developed in close consultation with the SEforALL PHC and Communications teams, who will approve the plan before moving on to its execution.

The communications strategy will use multimedia storytelling, i.e. both photo and video content and amplify this content via social media and media relations. Key milestones and announcements will also form the basis for content to ensure a steady stream of content throughout the contract period. SEforALL will support the company in identifying these opportunities for content.

B.    Documentation of progress and impact of work in Phase 3

Photos and videos will need to be captured from at least three (3) hospitals, which will be selected by SEforALL. The selected firm(s) will visit the sites three times throughout the project period – before, during and after, and capture and/or produce the following: 

• A minimum of twenty (20) dynamic edited photographs per visit of the selected health facility covering:
  • Before implementation: the medical equipment, physical infrastructure like lighting, cooling devices, etc., and people including patients particularly mothers, and healthcare workers like doctors, nurses and other hospital staff, 
  • During implementation: deployment and installation of power equipment including solar panels
  • After implementation: the medical equipment, physical infrastructure like lighting, cooling devices, etc., and people including patients particularly mothers, and healthcare workers like doctors, nurses and other hospital staff
• Raw video (b-roll) of the identified sites, at least 60 minutes' worth of footage. The video footage will include shots of the energy sources and physical environment before and after implementation, and the installation and deployment of equipment. The footage can be in multiple forms including timelapses, drone shots, vertical shots, etc.
• Raw and edited short videos (30-60 seconds each used for social media reels) for at least two interviewees per site, such as patients, healthcare workers, and administrators. 
  • Before implementation: Talking about their energy needs, their observed impacts of diesel generator usage, their thoughts on climate change, etc. 
  • During implementation: (aiming for a mix of healthcare workers/ representatives from the project management company/ people installing the panels particularly women or youth/ government representatives) telling their perspectives on the benefits of solar, especially from a climate and environmental angle
  • After implementation: Telling their perspectives on the impact of the project, particularly from a climate and environmental angle
    Interview content should be mixed with b-roll to help illustrate energy needs. The selected agency will work with SEforALL to design a short questionnaire for the interviewees.
• Three edited photos of each interviewee per site showing them in their work setting.

Additional requirements:

• All photos must be high-resolution (300 PPI or more, ranging from 2,000 x 2,000 pixels and above) and in JPEG and PNG formats.
• All videos must be broadcast quality with edited short/medium length HD video clips that can be utilized across multiple platforms (social media, website, PowerPoint presentations, YouTube, and sharing with media outlets).
• All interviews to include English subtitles to enable a greater audience to reach and amplify regardless of the original language.
• Videos must be produced with a uniform look-and-feel based on existing branding. SEforALL will share previous examples of such work 
• The company will be required to share original and final footage and photography files. These can be shared online via Drive or WeTransfer. In case of size limitations, the company will have to ship the material on an external hard disk to the SEforALL Vienna office.
• The company will also be required to obtain written permission and release forms from any individuals included in the photographs and the videos.
• Final production-ready deliverables are requested in landscape and portrait formats.

C.    Production of creative assets 

Climate story:

The selected firm(s) will design and produce photo and video assets including quote cards, picture cards, short reels, edited interview videos (part of Deliverable B) and a longer video to tell a strong story about the climate impact of the project. Information about Phase 3 including key milestone updates like kick-off, groundbreaking ceremony, site visits with key stakeholders, commissioning, etc. will be weaved into this story.

In addition to the material collected from the three hospitals (Deliverable B), the selected firm(s) will be granted access to the photos, b-roll and other video content gathered and produced as part of the first two phases of the project, to help create a comprehensive story about the project. The selected firm(s) will also coordinate with the Project Management firm and SEforALL’s MEL team to obtain the quantitative data required to show impact and use this in the assets produced.

The selected firm(s) is expected to produce a total of 48 creative assets in total including one longer-form video (approx. 3 minutes) that tells a climate impact story using a compilation of video and interview footage from across the three phases of the project. These assets will include the short interview videos under Deliverable B.

SEforALL’s Project Model:

• The selected firm(s) will also develop a creative asset that captures the overall model and a step-by-step process with narrative, including:
  • the journey of the project so far from Phases 1 to 3, 
  • the potential to replicate and scale up in Sierra Leone, how this intersects with other active SEforALL programmes, what is the broader impact potential in alignment with the MEL Framework and SEforALL’s MEL team, 
  • impact potential to scale this beyond Sierra Leone, connecting to SEforALL’s Powering Healthcare Roadmaps and influencing the sector to take these results and learnings forward to other countries.
• This asset will be a longer video (not more than 3 minutes) and could include animated elements. The selected company will use the different elements in the video to also create a .PPT file for the purpose of presentations.

All creatives produced will be reviewed and approved by SEforALL’s Communications team.

D.    Social media calendar

The selected firm(s) will develop a social media calendar that includes the assets mentioned above in Deliverable C, written pieces mentioned in Deliverable E published and promoted as blogs on the SEforALL website, along with captions for each post for different SEforALL channels and suggested dates. This calendar will be updated regularly as more content is produced. Where relevant, the calendar should include a post on key environmental dates, for instance, International Reducing CO2 Emissions Day on January 28, etc. While the selected firm(s) will develop the calendar, SEforALL will be responsible for posting the content on its social media channels.

The calendar will be reviewed and approved by SEforALL.

E.    Broadcast media 

The selected firm(s) will be responsible for securing coverage of the project in local, national, regional and/or global media, as part of the broader climate story. The selected firm(s) will be responsible for:

• Having at least 4 written pieces published in print/digital media, one per month from December 2024 to March 2025. These pieces will also be published as blogs on the SEforALL website.
• Getting the project featured in at least 2 climate-related podcasts and/or audio/video broadcast media like radio shows, TV, etc.

5.    Travel

The selected firm(s) is expected to travel to the selected project sites (three hospitals) thrice for 1-2 days each visit during the project period – before, during and after. Proposals should be inclusive of all travel costs.

6.    Reporting

The selected firm(s) will report to SEforALL’s Communications and Powering Healthcare programme teams.

7.    Eligibility Criteria and Qualification Requirements

SEforALL is looking for a firm or consortium of firms with communications/PR expertise, with excellent climate-storytelling skills and a strong presence in Sierra Leone thereby demonstrating a clear understanding of the local context and the ability to effectively document the ongoing work in different stages and during key moments. The company should meet the following eligibility criteria and qualification requirements:

Eligibility Criteria:

• The company, or a partner in the case of a consortium, must be a registered company/legal entity in Sierra Leone, with a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in public relations, video production, photography, and multi-media storytelling in English as well as dealing with local languages (scanned copy of the Certificate of Incorporation to be submitted).
• The company or the consortium should have led and worked on similar climate-related communications and story-telling projects.
• Recent Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) issued by the relevant authority.
• National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) compliance (for local firms and international firms with local presence).
• Statement of Confirmation.
• Completed and signed Bank Information Form.

Qualification and Expertise:

The company or consortium should:

• Demonstrate excellent climate story-telling skills and strong expertise in the subject including communicating about social and economic impacts.
• Demonstrate a track record in Sierra Leone in media relations management and content creation, videography, and photography, preferably in activities related to sustainability and renewable energy/energy access and communicating impact.
• Propose a designated team (of at least 4 members) of specialists with adequate competence and experience in climate communications, content creation and multimedia services, particularly in photography, video-editing, content writing and social media, with the Team Leader having more than 6 years of experience delivering high-quality public relations and multimedia services and managing at least 2 similar projects.
• Ability to produce materials in English.
• Familiarity with the energy sector in Sierra Leone and the off-grid energy access sector specifically will be considered an advantage.
• Experience working with the UN, and/or any other international organization will be considered an advantage.

8.    Bidding Process

Proposals can also be submitted as a single entity and consortia. Interested and qualified bidders must submit one Technical Proposal and one Financial Proposal as separate documents. Proposals must be submitted either in PDF of PPT format and should include the following:

Technical Proposal:

• Brief background about your organization. 
• The organization’s experience in carrying out similar work including relevant skills, qualifications, and knowledge. 
• Your understanding of the assignment, approach/methodology as well as proposed workplan. Any deviations from the Terms of Reference should be clearly indicated.   
• Three (3) relevant organizational/client references from the last three years. 
• CVs of key personnel. 

Financial Proposal, outlining the costs associated with carrying out the scope of work, including: 

• Labour costs (personnel, daily rates, LOE). 
• Equipment costs (if any). 
• Other costs. 
• All costs must be in USD and inclusive of all taxes.

9.    Evaluation and Conflict of Interest

Statement of Confirmation

• Confirmation of no conflict of interest (e.g., none of the bidder’s key personnel, including individuals directly involved in project implementation, management, or decision-making, is associated - financially, personally, or employment-wise - with concerned SEforALL staff, SEforALL experts/consultants recruited under this project). 
  • Confirmation that no fees, gratuities, rebates, gifts, commissions, or other payments, other than those explicitly stated in the offer, have been given, received, or promised in connection with the selection process or in contract execution.
  • Confirmation of satisfactory past performance, including adherence to contractual obligations, timely delivery of services, and compliance with relevant regulations, and confirmation that the bidder is not debarred from conducting business in the country where the procurement is taking place. 
  • Confirmation that the bidder did not participate directly or indirectly in the preparation of the concerned procurement process or the bidding documents, including the terms of reference, being subsequently used by SEforALL. 
  • Confirmation of no conflict of interest between or among bidders, and a commitment to disclose any potential conflicts of interest to SEforALL for resolution prior to the submission of bids. 
  • Gender Policy Statement.
• The evaluation of proposals will be based on a 70 – 30 split for technical proposal and financial proposal, respectively. Details of the evaluation criteria are attached as Annex I.

10.    Submission of Proposals

Please submit your proposal to procurement@seforall.org by 28 October 2024, 17:00 Central European Time. In case of questions or queries contact SEforALL at procurement@seforall.org.