RFP - Building Reputational Capital For Condom Alliance Through Strategic Communications

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About the Organization:

Abt Associates Inc. is a mission-driven, global leader in research and program implementation in the fields of health, social and environmental policy, climate change, and international development. Known for their rigorous approach to solving complex challenges, Abt Associates is regularly ranked as one of the top 20 global research firms and one of the top 40 international development innovators. They have multiple offices in the U.S. and program offices in more than 40 countries.

About The Shops Plus, India Project:

The Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS) Plus project in India is an initiative to increase the use of family planning (FP), maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH) and tuberculosis (TB) treatment products and services among the urban poor by harnessing the potential of the private sector and catalyzing public-private engagement. The SHOPS Plus India project builds on past successes and lessons learned from the United States Agency of International Development’s (USAID) investments in private sector solutions implemented by Abt Associates in India.

These projects have demonstrated the effectiveness of social and behavior change communications (SBCC) in increasing uptake of health products and services, harnessing the innovations and resources of the private sector for improving health outcomes, demonstrating effective public-private engagement approaches, and implementing marketbased approaches to reach underserved populations with health products and information sustainably.

Background on Condom Alliance

Condom sales in India have been stagnating at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1% per annum. Decline in the use of condoms and contraceptive pills also includes low use of contraception by young urban couples. India’s youth population, which is the largest youth cohort in the world, poses a huge opportunity and potential for social impact and market growth for condoms through a broader lens of family planning as well as sexual and reproductive health.

In pursuit of this opportunity, a need was identified for the key market players to come together and share resources with a common goal of reviving the condom category.

Roles and Responsibilities

As members of the Condom Alliance, partners are expected to actively advance priorities identified in the strategic plan of the alliance.

Core and technical members are expected to:-

• Contribute as a thought leader guiding the strategic direction of the Alliance
• Provide technical inputs and expert inputs to the alliance activities.
• Amplify the category revival campaigns for short-acting FP methods through its existing platforms (e.g. pharmacies, non-traditional retail outlets, online and social media)
• Support the implementation and/or scaling up of the SBCC campaigns.

Role of SHOPS plus within Condom Alliance

Abt Associates, through SHOPS Plus, is the founding member of the alliance and plays the role of the first and current Anchor partner discharging the functions of the secretariat of the condom alliance. The ‘anchor partner’ of the condom alliance is responsible for co-creating the alliance charter with partnering condom manufacturers/marketers and donors. The charter states the Condom Alliance’s strategic objectives, areas of focus, and vision of success.

Scope of Work

The objective of this activity is to build the reputational capital for the condom alliance through promotion of its work and thought leadership of its members. Specifically, pursuant to the TOR of the sub-committee on ‘Creating thought leadership ideas & products’, the strategic communications agency will:

• Develop a strategic communications plan for each of the three target audiences of the condom alliance, namely, Government, Consumers & Marketers (including condom and other marketers whose interests may overlap with condom marketers e.g., youth facing brands, etc.)
• Execute the SHOPS Plus-approved strategic communications plan that may entail articles/ op-ed pieces in the national media, etc.

Basis for Contract Award

• The criteria/factors presented in III below will serve as the basis upon which proposals will be evaluated. The cost proposal will be evaluated separately with all factors other than cost or price, when taken together, are of more importance than cost or price.
• Offerors are reminded that Abt is not obliged to award a contract on the basis of lowest proposed cost or highest technical evaluation score. Abt will make the award to the Offeror whose proposal offers the best value, considering both technical and cost factors. For this procurement technical proposal criteria are considered more important than cost.

Request for Further Information, “Building Reputational Capital for Condom Alliance through Strategic Communications RFP no. 67/SHOPS PLUS/2020 email: rfpresponse@abtindia.net, Abt Associates is under no obligation to consider or respond to questions that are not received in a timely manner. All responses to questions will be issued to Offerors as an amendment to this 14/September/2020 

Deadline: 20 Sep 2020

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