The UN Secretary General’s Issues communications RFP
The UN Secretary General’s Independent Accountability Panel for Every Woman, Every Child, Every Adolescent (IAP) and Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) seeks support for strategic communication and advocacy services for the outreach and dissemination of two forthcoming 2020 reports
The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to enter into a contractual agreement with a successful bidder and select a suitable contractor to carry out the following work: strategic communications support for the dissemination of two reports to be launched in 2020 under the aegis of the UN Secretary General’s Every Woman Every Child movement: (i) the 2020 report of the UN Secretary General’s Independent Accountability Panel for Every Woman Every Child (July 2020); and (ii) a report on progress on the Every Woman Every Child (EWEC) Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health 2016-2030 (i.e., report is tentatively titled “EWEC @ 10), to be launched in September 2020. Both reports will be launched virtually as global events involving high level UN officials and other leading figures. The launch of the two reports is organized by a small consortium of representatives from the Every Woman Every Child secretariat in New York (www.everywomaneverychild.org), the Independent Accountability Panel Secretariat in Geneva (www.iapewec.org), and the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health Secretariat, also in Geneva (www.pmnch.org). WHO is an Organization that is dependent on the budgetary and extra-budgetary contributions it receives for the implementation of its activities. Bidders are, therefore, requested to propose the best and most costeffective solution to meet WHO requirements, while ensuring a high level of service.
Background:
1.2.1 WHO Mission Statement
The World Health Organization was established in 1948 as a specialized agency of the United Nations. The objective of WHO (www.who.int) is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. “Health”, as defined in the WHO Constitution, is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. WHO’s main function is to act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work.
1.2.2 Structure of WHO
The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the main governing body of WHO. It generally meets in Geneva in May of each year and is composed of delegations representing all 194 Member States. Its main function is to determine the policies of the Organization. In addition to its public health functions, the Health Assembly appoints the Director-General, supervises the financial policies of the Organization, and reviews and approves the proposed programme budget. It also considers reports of the WHO Executive Board, which it instructs with regard to matters upon which further action, study, investigation or report may be required. The Executive Board is composed of 34 members elected for three-year terms. The main functions of the Board are to give effect to the decisions and policies of the WHA, to advise it and generally to facilitate its work. The Board normally meets twice a year; one meeting is usually in January, and the second is in May, following the World Health Assembly. The WHO Secretariat consists of some 7,900 staff at the Organization’s headquarters in Geneva, in the six regional offices and in countries. The Secretariat is headed by the Director-General, who is appointed by the WHA on the nomination of the Executive Board. The head of each regional office is a Regional Director. Regional directors are appointed by the Executive Board in agreement with the relevant regional committee.
1.2.3 Description of Cluster/Service/Unit
This contract will be issued on behalf of the consortium referenced in 1.1, and will be managed principally by the Secretariat of the Independent Accountability Panel, supporting the Every Woman Every Child movement. The IAP in support of the Every Woman Every Child (EWEC) movement was mandated by the UN Secretary-
General in 2016 to play a key role to independently review progress and accountabilities under the 2016-2030 Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health and SDGs more broadly. The IAP is unique in that it is a leading independent accountability mechanism established under the rubric of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The main functions of the IAP include:
• to provide rigorous, independent and transparent assessment of progress on implementing the Global Strategy, under the overall rubric of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs;
• to issue recommendations and reports with a view to providing constructive, solution-oriented directions based on the best available evidence and analysis, with the aim of contributing to strengthened accountabilities for accelerated achievement of the Global Strategy and SDGs;
• to disseminate IAP reviews and recommendations to support country action and impact; and
• to promote accountability principles and advocate for remedy and action. In the era of UHC and PHC, the IAP views this as an unprecedented opportunity to reach all women, children and adolescents left furthest behind. In 2019, external evaluation of the IAP was undertaken and one area identified to further strengthen was to enhance its communciations strategy, and in particular – dissemination and promotion of the implementation of the recommendations.
Scope of Work:
Specific deliverables will apply to both reports and include the following:
Deliverable 1:
Provide an overarching communications and advocacy strategy and planning for both the IAP Report and the EWEC@10 Report in the lead up to, during and beyond the launch event,that reflects a holistic joint vision and concept of what is to be achieved through the launch and dissemination of both reports. The joint strategy will need to consider a joint messaging framework and strategic reach of those messages. This should include a clear vison, compelling content and targeted dissemination to widely distribute the report findings and promote consideration of both reports’ findings, the uptake of recommendations and their application, mapping of key audiences and engagement means and opportunities, with focus on country impact and action.
Deliverable 2:
Based on the overarching strategy and plan, develop or support the development of advocacy and communications materials for both reports (i.e. key messages, press releases, social media assets, advocacy toolkit, etc.) for the launch events and post-launch dissemination. These activities/assets may be for specific audiences, regions/countries opportunities, and created in line with the joint framing and key messages of both reports. This should further include the strategic dissemination of report findings following the launch events in July and September 2020 of the respective reports to sustain political momentum built around these events.
2.3 Activity coordination
As noted in 1.2.3, the IAP secretariat will take a leading role in managing this contract, working closely with the PMNCH Secretariat, and under the overall guidance of the EWEC Secretariat. The IAP is an independent entity hosted by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH). PMNCH itself is hosted by the World Health Organization, which will issue this contract. As noted in 1.1, the contractors will work in close collaboration with the small consortium of representatives from the EWEC Secretariat, IAP Secretariat and PMNCH Secretariat as the consortium will be involved in providing support/inputs to the overarching communications and advocacy planning of both reports. Specific representatives will also be focusing on providing support towards their respective reports (i.e., IAP Secretariat representatives on the IAP Report, PMNCH Secretariat on the EWEC@10 Report) with the EWEC Secretariat supporting both reports and play a leading role for the overall EWEC advocacy efforts.
3.3 Work to be performed
The contractor should recommend a holistic joint vision and concept of what is to be achieved through the launch and dissemination of both the IAP Report and the EWEC@10 Report. The communications and advocacy strategy for both reports will need to consider the objectives of a joint messaging framework and strategic reach of those messages, such as the message to amplifying the importance of greater investment and concerted policy approaches to strengthen accountability for WCAH. The communications and advocacy strategy and planning of activities/deliverables should be detailed in a timeline starting from June 2020 and take into consideration the timeframes/timelines for the prelaunch, launch and post-launch and dissemination of both reports. The contractor should allow economies of scale to take place in the designing and commissioning for core components of the strategy as a single process, and tailored and executed sequentially in relation to the specific needs or dates of each report
The deliverables are categorized into three distinct phases for each of the two report launches; the 2020 IAP Report and the EWEC@10 Report, respectively. The specific activities around the IAP 2020 Report will be further developed and determined by the IAP Secretariat in coordination with EWEC Secretariat and the Contractor in consultation with relevant partners involved (PMNCH, UHC2030, H6 etc.). The main deliverables include the following phases for the IAP Report dissemination:
Phase 1: Pre-launch of the 2020 IAP Report
• Develop a communications and advocacy strategy.
• Map key stakeholders, events and means for potential engagement and dissemination.
• Develop and support development of communication and advocacy products in line with the overarching framing.
• Promote the IAP report launch through various channels.
Phase 2: Launch of the 2020 IAP Report
• Conduct stakeholder and partner engagement to amplify the IAP Report.
• Develop and implement a social media strategy.
• Support press releases and media plans for the report launch.
Phase 3: Post-launch and dissemination of the 2020 IAP Report
• Plan and support additional post-launch Report dissemination opportunities to disseminate findings throughout the year until end 2020.
• Amplify the findings and recommendations through other channels (i.e., media, social media) to reach a wide range of audience at global, regional and national levels focusing on agreed key audiences and in close collaboration with EWEC partners, UHC 2030 Partnership or others as relevant to the recommendations.
• Support building engaging and joint narrative with focus on women, children and adolescents’ health and rights to deliver on UHC and SDGs more broadly. To amplify experiences and priorities of all people to foster the culture of accountability and invest in accountability strengthening for impact.
Due Date:
June 5 2020
Address:
queries:pmnch-rfp@who.int
Ruder Finn and Finn Partners are agencies worth considering for this assignment.
