Call for proposals: M&E Consultant to carry out CPDE Communications Perception Survey

Location: Remote

Application Deadline: 14 July 2023 midnight (Manila time, Philippines)

Type of Contract: Individual Consultancy Contract

Languages Required: English

Duration of Initial Contract: 3 months and one week

Budget: Shall not exceed 20,000 USD (inclusive of taxes)

BACKGROUND

The Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE) is an open platform uniting CSOs around the world on the issues of effective development cooperation (EDC). CPDE was established in 2012 and has since pursued its works in six regions and over a hundred countries with regional and sectoral constituencies as well as thematic task forces.

CPDE is heading towards the endline of implementation of its 2020-2023 Strategic Plan (SP), “Leveraging Effective Development Cooperation for Inclusive Partnerships to deliver the 2030 Agenda,”. The European Commission (EC) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) are the main partners in the roll-out of the platform’s work, especially its strategic objectives.

As part of its Sida program reporting commitments, CPDE shall commission the conduct of a communications perception survey to investigate how stakeholders perceived and used the platform’s key messages throughout the program implementation timeframe. Both quantitative and qualitative metrics should be used to determine the perception of CPDE stakeholders. A comprehensive survey report shall be delivered by 3 November 2023.

SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES

The Sida-funded program “Promoting the Universal Application of Effective Development Cooperation (EDC) for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, January 2020-Dec. 2022 (no cost extension of 2022) includes the following communications objectives:

• To communicate and gather support for our positions around effective development cooperation issues,
• To raise the profile of CPDE as an interlocutor of civil society perspectives on development cooperation,
• To grow the capacities of CPDE units to communicate CPDE advocacy and positions

And the following communications indicators of success:

• a majority of CPDE members expressing sufficient knowledge of the platform’s positions on development cooperation issues
• a majority of CPDE members expressing that, through the platform’s efforts, they have been equipped with the skills to communicate said positions in various channels and spaces
• other development stakeholders expressing knowledge of CPDE/civil society positions during policy milestones and other engagements

Against this background, a short-term Communications Consultant will be engaged to conduct this survey in order to provide specialised technical support to the Global Secretariat and the Communications team.

CPDE has already commissioned a communications perception survey back in 2020, which the Consultant should familiarise with and enhance to match the new forms of communications adopted by the platform since, and the 2023 Communications strategic directions. This survey should ensure a degree of comparability from the previous survey results to indicate progress in improving the communications work of CPDE.

OBJECTIVES

The Perception Survey seeks to assess levels of awareness, perception, and experiences of key stakeholders in receiving communications on CPDE’s positions on development cooperation issues, and information use and dissemination of CSO strategic advocacy messages.

Specific Objectives

• Measure members’ and stakeholders’ perception on the effectiveness of CPDE’s communications work during the years 2020 to 2023;
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses in CPDE’s communications to aid in improving its work
• Recommend ways for the platform to ensure that members and stakeholders are effectively reached and can use this information to help support CPDE’s advocacies

METHODOLOGY

The consultant should propose the methodology to deliver each of the deliverables listed below, including a detailed breakdown of the steps they would follow, to ensure a participatory and effective process. For the survey a range of innovative methods, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, are expected to be used.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. The Consultant shall report directly to the Communications Manager and the Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation (PME) Officer. The Communications Manager and the PME Officer will be the focal persons in the Global Secretariat during the engagement.
2. The Consultant shall familiarise with available resources for designing the survey:

• CPDE positions on Effective Development Cooperation: CPDE Statement of Principles for HLM3, Istanbul Principles for CSO Development Effectiveness
• CPDE Strategic Documents: CPDE Strategic Plan 2020-2023, CPDE Midterm performance assessment report, CPDE Communications Strategy
• A selection of CPDE communications materials published between 2020 and 2023
• The Perception Survey 2020 report
• Suggested questions for 2023 survey

All aforementioned documents can be found in this folder.

1. The Consultant shall take into account the inputs of the CPDE Communications team and PME Officer on the design of the survey tool and methodology. The CPDE Coordination Committee (CC) will give the official approval of the final output.
2. The Consultant shall conduct the survey with a representative sample of CPDE CSO constituencies and networks and other stakeholders coming from multilateral agencies, governments, the private sector, and development partners. CPDE will provide the mail addresses of members, allies, and partners to the Consultant, and support them in the online data-gathering process (follow-up emails, online advertisement, and responses translation).

EXPECTED OUTPUTS/ DELIVERABLES

1. Consolidated Inception Report outlining the workplan, methodology, and timelines

The consultant should develop and submit a comprehensive inception report, which should include the workplan with timeline and clear methodology (methodology and tools including the online survey questionnaire).

The Inception Report and proposed survey will be submitted to and approved by the CPDE Global Secretariat.

Approximate Time frame: 10 working days from signing the contract.

2. Presentation of preliminary findings of the survey

The consultant should present the preliminary finding of the survey to the Global Secretariat. The presentation should be comprehensive capturing the all the relevant verified facts and figures gathered through the survey. The preliminary findings presentation is subject to revision by the Global Secretariat.

Approximate Time frame: 10 working days from the closing of the survey. No later than 13 October 2023.

3. Consolidated final report of the survey.

The final report should be prepared based on the feedback received on the draft report and preliminary findings. It should not be more than 30 pages with font size 11, which should also include the follow content;

1. Executive Summary
2. Background
3. Methodology and the participants
4. Findings
5. Recommendations
6. Conclusion

Deliverable: A report on CPDE stakeholders’ perception of the platform’s communications delivered between 2020 and 2023.

Approximate Timeframe: 8 working days from presentation of the preliminary findings. No later than 3 November 2023.

APPROXIMATE TIMEFRAME OF THE PROJECT

COMPETENCIES

The independent consultant is required to conduct the survey using feasible methodology. The consultant is required to work in close collaboration with the CPDE Communications Team and PME Officer. 

The consultant must demonstrate strong technical knowledge and expertise

in development communications (with experience conducting research) and familiarity with civil society dynamics.

These competencies are desirable:

1. Experience working in the development sector, especially civil society organisations in the Global South
2. Knowledge of Spanish or French
3. Ability to work in multicultural environments, especially in the Global South

Moreover, the consultant must:

• Have comprehensive knowledge of the CPDE’s norms and standards; and human rights-based approach.
• Demonstrate integrity by modeling the CPDE’s values and ethical standards.
• Display cultural, gender, religious, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Fulfill all obligations to gender sensitivity and have zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Background in Social Sciences/Statistics, Development and/or Communications, or relevant discipline;
• Knowledge and understanding of M&E methodologies;
• Ability to produce high-quality reports and manage diverse perspectives in communications and consultations with relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries;
• Demonstrated capacity to work within a team;
• Excellent written and spoken English.

SELECTION METHOD

Selection will be based on an open and competitive bidding process. Interested applicants with the capacity to execute the scope of work described above should submit a detailed proposal, including a methodology and workplan, along with a rationale as to why it would be the best way to carry out the scope of work. The information provided in the scope of work is not prescriptive and the CPDE remains open to interested bidders elaborating and presenting what they consider to be the most appropriate methodological approach and work plan to achieving the desired results.

Selection criteria:

• Cost
• Quality of the proposal including methodology and workplan
• Familiarity with the theme of effective development cooperation and CSO communications
• Evidence of capacity and reliability: based on CPDE’s past positive experience with bidder, or references from other organisations or evidence of similar contracts in the past.

Interested candidates are requested to submit an electronic application containing the items listed below to CPDE Communications Manager myarcia@csopartnership.org and M&E Officer mignacio@csopartnership.org no later than 14 days from the advertisement. The financial proposal should provide professional fees as a lump sum amount for each deliverable, and cannot exceed 20,000 USD total, inclusive of taxes

 The submission package should include:

• Cover letter outlining relevant experience
• Curriculum Vitae
• Proposed preliminary survey methodology based on the criteria and context noted above
• Financial proposal

Payments will be based on invoices on the achievement of agreed milestones, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR and certification of acceptance by the CPDE. The applicant must factor in all possible costs in their invoice.

PAYMENT FOR SERVICES

Payment will be made in the following tranches upon completion of the following milestones:

Deliverable 1: Consolidated Inception Report: 30%

Deliverable 2: Presentation of Preliminary Findings: 30%

Deliverable 3: Consolidated Final survey Report: 40%