Terms of reference to design to design and deliver tailor-made capacity strengthening to digital media practitioners and content creators in Rwanda (Re-Advertisement)

Introduction and Background

Since November 2023, the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) jointly with the Great Lakes Initiative for Human Rights and Development (GLIHD), are implementing a three-year EU funded project (2023-2026), entitled “Protecting and Promoting Responsible Freedom of Expression, Enhancing Access to Information and Improvement of Digital Media Literacy in Rwanda (PPRFR)”. The project is dubbed “Ijwi Riranguruye ry’Itangazamakuru” in Kinyarwanda or ‘’IRI’’ in abbreviation. 

Overall, the project seeks to contribute to addressing limited access to information, limited quality of the content that digital media feeds the public with and responsible exercise of freedom of media in Rwanda. Key approaches underpinning the project design and implementation include mass campaigns to enhance citizens’ critical knowledge on digital media literacy and capacity development for media practitioners, digital content creators and citizen journalists.

It is under the above background that NPA is seeking consultancy services from qualified local media expert/ media capacity development organization to design and deliver tailor-made capacity strengthening training package to digital media practitioners and content creators.

Project Summary

The three-year project, which is being jointly implemented by NPA and GLIHD since November 2023, was designed to address some of the existing critical gaps resulting from the rapid evolution of information technology, internet penetration and proliferation of media outlets including the increasing wide use of social media. Some of these gaps include limited digital media literacy including limited knowledge and skills among media practitioners, digital content creators, citizen journalists on fact-based content development and sharing, responsible and ethical digital media and journalism, limited knowledge and capacity among citizens to critically assess and thus discern on the quality of the digital information or content they share and or consume.

Specifically, the IRI Project, which is in pursuit of a long-term goal of enhancing freedom of expression and access to information by digital media practitioners, citizens and decision makers in Rwanda, is is primarily targeting digital media practitioners, content creators and citizen journalists as direct target boundary partners. The project will directly work with digital media practitioners who are officially accredited by competent media regulators and those who are not (informal) to empower them to produce and share more ethical and responsible digital content meant for public consumption, which is critical for their responsible exercise of the freedom of expression in the digital space.

 NPA and its partners believe that with technical empowerment to be provided to media and content creators, their satisfaction level regarding their freedom of expression in digital media space will increase over the course of the project and ultimately contribute to improved citizen satisfaction with the quality of digital media content.

The project also primarily targets different duty bearers, including law enforcers, at local and national levels who will be engaged to better know and observe the right to freedom of opinion expression and press and access to public information. Citizens from different walks of life are equally targeted and they will be empowered to critically scrutinise the credibility of the content out there in the digital space which is meant for their consumption.

Geographically, the IRI is being implemented in 10 districts of Rwanda namely Nyarugenge, Bugesera, Kirehe, Gatsibo, Gisagara, Nyamagabe, Huye, Nyamasheke, Ngororero and Musanze.

Objectives of the consultancy

As a prerequisite to achieve the project’s first outcome “Digital media practitioner’s and citizens capacity is enhanced to promote responsible freedom of expression in the digital space”, and ultimately contribute to the overreaching goal of enhancing freedom of expression and access to information by digital media practitioners, citizens and decision makers in Rwanda, the individual media expert/ media capacity development organization to be hired is expected to contribute to improved capacity of digital media practitioners, content creators and citizen journalists creators on quality, ethical and responsible digital journalism. Specifically, the consultancy seeks to improve the technical and practical capacity of digital media practitioners and content creators on high quality connect creation, fact-based, ethical and responsible digital content development and sharing.

Scope of Work (SOW).

The successfully media expert/ capacity development organization will perform but not limited to the following key activities:

• Conduct quick capacity needs assessment (pre-training assessment) among digital media practitioners, content creators and citizen journaliststo determine their capacity needs/ gaps that will inform the development of training materials/ handbook,
• Design high quality and tailor-made capacity development handbook and relevant training materials on quality, ethical and responsible digital journalism,
• Over the course of three years, conduct six tailor-made trainings (of at least 5 days each) to digital media practitioners and content creators on high quality content creation, fact-based, ethical and responsible digital journalism,
• Conduct the post-training (evaluation) that will be compared with the pre- training evaluation to gauge the improvement in knowledge, skills and awareness among the trained participants
• Prepare and submit the training report together with pre-and post-training evaluation report.

Activities, Deliverables and Timeline

The following are expected deliverables from this consultancy:

Collaboration, Supervision and Quality Assurance

The successful consultant /media expert or media capacity development organization (company) will collaborate with staff members and senior management of NPA and GLIHD during the implementation of the activities. The consultant/organization/company will directly report to NPA’s Programme Manager who will oversee the implementation and quality assurance. S/he will also receive, review and approve all deliverables related to the assignment. All relevant inquiries and correspondence regarding the assignment will be addressed to him with a copy to NPA Country Director who will provide strategic leadership to ensure the successful implementation of the services.

Profile of service provider

The ideal consultant /media expert or media capacity development organization (company) should have the following:

• At least 5 years of progressive experience in designing and delivering the capacity development to media practitioners, journalists, online and digital media content developers,
• Degree in relevant field, preferably in mass media communication, journalism, digital media,
• Previous track record in designing tailored and user-friendly training materials on digital media, content creation and dissemination, investigative media, ethical and responsible digital media,
• Capacity to put in place and organize experienced and qualified team of experts and trainers that will implement the assignment,
• Demonstrate at least 2 recent certificates of good completion and two samples of produced reports of similar assignments in the past, accompanied with the contact details of references who know the quality of their work and can testify to their technical competence,
• Valid company/organization registration (RGB, or RDB), taxes clearance certificate from RRA and Clearance from RSSB (applicable to companies/organizations),
• Capacity to provide EMB invoices to the client,
• Capacity to collect data, analyze and write professional reports.

Evaluation criteria and scoring

A quality-based selection method that prioritises the soundness of the technical offer will be based on the following evaluation criteria

NPA’s Roles and Responsibilities

NPA will cater logistics for the participants (trainees) during the trainings such as invitation, accommodation, tea /coffee break, lunch and training hall. NPA also will coordinate with its partners to select the participants for the training. Finally, NPA will ensure printing of training materials and handbook as will be needed.

Contract and Payments

NPA will sign a consultancy contract with the consultant/organization. The payment of consultancy related fees will be agreed upon between NPA and the successful consultant/organization. The payment will be based on the quality and timely delivery of work and submitted and approved deliverables.

Application procedures

A technical offer not exceeding 5 pages indicating the capacity of the consultant/organization, previous experience, understanding of TOR, methodology to do the work, proposed team or single consultant (qualifications and experience) and their roles, work plan and other relevant sections) and Financial Offer indicating the consultancy fees (daily rate) with the mention “Consultancy services to design and deliver tailor-made capacity strengthening to digital media practitioners and content creators”, have to be electronically submitted to nparwanda@npaid.org not later than the 9^th August 2024 at 4:00 p.m. Kigali local time.

In addition, the technical and financial offers must be accompanied by the certificate of registration, RRA and RSSB certificates for companies/organizations. NPA will hold prior discussions with short listed interested consultants/firms to provide further clarification to the ToR to ensure quality final offers. Short listed consultants/firms will be contacted by NPA for a meeting/ interview prior to a final revision of the technical proposal and budget.

General Terms and Conditions

All rights reserved to Norwegian People’s Aid. NPA reserves all rights to reject all applications not fulfilling the requirements associated to this request. NPA will not be responsible or liable for any cost and time allocated by applicants to the preparation and submission of Expression of Interest. NPA reserves the right to engage other companies or individual consultants if required.

Any conflict of Interest involving an applicant must be fully disclosed to NPA. When failed to discose any conflict of interest, the application will be disqualfied and no award will be made in such case.