Terms of Reference (ToR)

Develop, organize and conduct Awareness Campaign with Environmental Days

1.GENERAL INFORMATION

Caritas Switzerland (CACH) is an independent Swiss NGO, engaged in Switzerland and more than 20 countries worldwide, including Kosovo. Our mission is to prevent, combat and eradicate poverty in a sustainable manner. To achieve this goal, CACH employs a policy of equity: we support inclusive communities with opportunities for everyone regardless of their ethnic background, group affiliation, or gender. CACH has been working in Kosovo since 1999, focusing on social inclusion, rural development and rehabilitation. Based on the Strategy 2021-2025, our central themes are Climate Change, Income Generation and Migration. For more than twenty years, CACH has worked closely with municipalities to increase incomes in agriculture and preschool education, and for three years for the sustainable (re) integration of returnees.

1.1 YENI PROJECT

As of January 2022, CACH implements the YENI project which is designed to help the Kosovar local authorities to increase their capacity to address the country’s climate change vulnerabilities by focusing long-term on youth via schools and education in the local context. To accomplish this overall goal, the project activities are focusing on tackling existing barriers to make behavioral change constructively possible. The YENI project aims to motivate youth for climate change engagement and vision, as well as complementing skills, to enable them to become active citizens and make their contribution to mitigating or adapting to climate change. Therefore, the project will facilitate the strengthening of the role of youth as agents of climate change in the targeted municipalities.

1.2 YENI Project Outcomes

2. BACKGROUND OF THE ACTION

Environmental pollution and degradation of natural resources have taken an increasing rate during the past two decades in Kosovo, in addition to the existing problems linked to the limited capacities in addressing poverty, public health and employment. Nevertheless, Kosovo authorities have taken several steps toward creating a legal basis for addressing these issues through the adoption of the climate change strategy and concept document on Climate Change Law. Additionally, Kosovo endorsed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which among others emphasizes the importance of taking immediate actions in combating climate change. Furthermore, the Sustainable Development Goals – SDG 4 (Quality education), SDG 7 (clean energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action) emphasize the special importance of environmental education and awareness-raising on topics related to climate change and its associated impacts.

Education is a crucial component of climate change mitigation and adaptation. Increasing environmental awareness and education on the climate crisis can contribute to the effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and to adapting to a changing climate in both the short and long-term. Education is thus seen as a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development as an essential tool for good governance. Environmental awareness, including climate change perception, is still weak among all generations in Kosovo. Our climate is changing every single day, and it’s becoming harder and harder to forget that many of our daily choices have a dramatic effect on the world we live in.

Therefore, the main goal of this action is to launch an environmental day awareness campaign, which aims to mobilize and create awareness on environmental issues among Kosovar youth and a wide group of stakeholders as well as ensure the spreading of information’s that the youth can be more environmentally conscious. It is foreseen that several NGO-s, members of Eco-clubs from high schools of Kosovo, students, teachers, municipalities officials and a whole range of other stakeholders will participate in the campaign.

3. THEME

In view of the wide range of inter-related environmental issues faced worldwide, the activities shall focus on issues relating to National/ Regional/ Local concern. Promoting environmental awareness and climate action is an effective way to become an environmentalist and create a better tomorrow for our children. The idea behind is to increase awareness that our daily activity makes a difference and each of us has a role to play in the fight against climate change. Emphasis should be given to awareness activities that lead to action-oriented activities on the following identified theme “Raising Awareness on Environmental Protection and Combating Climate Change”.

4. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The Public Relations consultancy firm/Company/communication consultancy for the annual environmental day awareness campaign (develop, organize and implement various environmental and climate-friendly awareness activities) shall contribute to the main theme of this campaign “Raising Awareness on Environmental Protection and Combating Climate Change”.

This assignment will focus on combining some of the globally leading approaches and best practices to tackling environmental issued and climate change, which focus on the adolescent role in environmental protection. Through these awareness activities, the high schools’ students, teachers and respective stakeholders will be able to generate ideas for addressing environmental issues and contribute on tackling climate change impacts (mitigation and adaptation) in Kosovo.

4.1 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

This Environmental Day Awareness Campaign will focus on the main theme of this campaign “Raising Awareness on Environmental Protection and Combating Climate Change” but related to sub-themes outlined in Table 1 below:

Table 1. Environmental Awareness Campaign Schedule/Calendar 2023 (with potential implementation of the same set in 2024)

*Note: The contract will cover the activities on awareness for environmental days for the year 2023. However, the deliverables on the first year (2023) will be probation and subject to the continuation of these activities on the second year (2024). The contract can be extended with a repetition of the days upon successful implementation during the first year.

5. ACTIVITIES

The following is the indicative list of activities for awareness and action components that may be organized during the Environmental Days Campaign:

- An indicative list of awareness activities that may be organized under the campaign:

• Insightful workshops, public meetings and /or exhibitions related to the respective topics;
• Launching the environmental day events via social networks and other media;
• Information and dissemination of the educational and informative briefs, through prints, pamphlets, leaflets, brochures; online, outdoor, any other media channels;
• Eco Competitions, Eco Quiz; Eco Essays etc;
• Energy efficiency and water conservation best practices;
• Kosovo Nature Protection Areas Awareness;
• Awareness of Kosovo’s Biodiversity (Save our Flora and Fauna);
• School campaign: How to reduce youth carbon footprint;
• Develop brief information’s on Kosovo’s biodiversity, protected zones, endangered species etc;
• Outreach: a toolkit consisting of: flip-charts and posters, flash cards, Eco caps, Eco T-shirts, Eco mobile-phone covers, eco bags, eco stickers etc.
• Awareness Campaign monitoring - feedback collected from the target audience.

- A suggestive list of action components may include:

• Clean-up campaign, planting trees, etc.;
• Composting of biodegradable waste;
• Installing waste separation bins;
• Combat air and water pollution “Beat Pollution Campaign”;
• Recycling of waste;
• Mobility week (bike day, walk day, no vehicle day) etc.;
• Campaigns against plastic pollution (e.g., One Plastic Free Day etc.).

6. OVERALL STRATEGY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS DAY CAMPAIGN

• Key messages: ensuring that the key messages for each of the environmental days theme, are concise, coherent and effective in the local environmental, cultural and socio-economic context.
• Target audience: students of high schools through Kosovo, youth, teachers, environmental NGOs, general public, local and national environmental and education officials, etc.
• Outreach Strategy / Channels: Possible channels for the campaign may include social media, specific radio/TV channels/shows; public billboards; use of other (non-media) channels to raise awareness are also encouraged (e.g., discussions in high schools; stalls at popular markets or events; joining public discussions, Eco talks etc.). Communication channels may differ across themes/audiences e.g., general climate change awareness may call for wide distribution via radio, whereas messages targeting YENI project groups, may require more targeted channels.
• Budget: The PR Company/consultancy firm will identify a detailed budget for the proposed awareness campaign, including media/advertisement purchases as necessary, confirming current local prices; any events (e.g., launch event / press conference, campaigns, workshops etc.) should be part of this budget.
• Media content: a common visual identity (be based on existing CACH/YENI logo/guidelines) to be used in all content of the public awareness campaign and other communications tasks (e.g., standardized taglines, color scheme and logo for all posters, video-content, social-media posts etc.).

7. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

Table 2. Deliverables

8. EXPECTED TIMEFRAME

The Environmental Days Awareness Campaign activities would be spread between March 2023 - December 2023, with a potential extension to December 2024 upon successful completion of the first year.

9. WHO CAN APPLY?

Public relations (PR) and consultancy firms/ companies/ communications consultancy.

10. SELECTION CRITERIA

Eligibility Criteria

are the minimum requirements or standards that bidders must meet, to progress further in the procurement process. Bidders that cannot demonstrate that they meet this baseline will be excluded from the competition. Eligibility criteria are:

1. Suitability to pursue the required activity (registered for at least of three years at the Business Registration Agency of Kosovo in one of the relevant fields).
2. Financial capacity to manage the intervention (annual turnover of at least EUR 25,000 for the year 2022).
3. Technical and professional capacity to manage the intervention (proven experience in the required fields).

11. AWARD CRITERIA

The offer will be evaluated by using the best value for money approach (combined scoring method).
The technical proposal will be evaluated with 80% weight, whereas the financial one will be evaluated with 20%.

The offer that complies with all the specifications, requirements and offers the lowest price, as well as all other evaluation criteria indicated, shall be selected. CACH is not bound to accept any offer, award a contract/Purchase Order, nor be responsible for any costs associated with a Supplier’s/Service Provider’s preparation and submission of an offer, regardless of the selection outcome. CACH encourages every prospective Service Provider to avoid and prevent conflicts of interest, by disclosing to CACH if you, or any of your affiliates or personnel, were involved in the preparation of the requirements, design, specifications, cost estimates, and other information used in this ToR. CACH implements a zero tolerance on fraud and other proscribed practices and is committed to identifying and addressing all such acts and practices against CACH, as well as third parties involved in CACH activities. CACH expects its suppliers/service providers to adhere to the Code of Conduct.

12. REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST AND HOW TO SUBMIT

12.1 Expressions of interest must include:

- Technical offer, including:

• Latest Business Registration Certificate;
• Annual financial statements for the last three (3) years (2022, 2021, 2020);
• At least three (3) references of similar awareness campaigns projects in the field of youth activism, environment, climate action, local governance and other related, for the past three (3) years;
• Introduction summarizing your company’s profile, resources and relevant experience - 1 page max;
• A draft of the indicative timeframe and workplan (including total days of work suggested for the intervention);
• Examples of past projects, preferably of a similar size and scope - at least three examples of prior awareness campaigns (e.g., youth activism, environment, climate action, local governance etc. - can be sent by links);
• Broad concept/methodology on what the environmental days campaigns might look like (signed and stamped);
• A list of personnel on the project team (their CVs; with diplomas ideally in Journalism/communication, mass media, graphic design, environment or other related fields) and their roles in the company.

- Financial offer (including all expenses for video production and travel) - signed and stamped.

• The financial offer should be given for unit-price (per day).

12.2 General Conditions:

• The financial offer must be in EURO, whilst the price must be exempt from VAT.
• The offer shall remain valid for 30 days from the deadline of submission of the Offer.
• Documents may be submitted in English, Albanian or Serbian.

12.3 Method of submission:

• Completed offers should be sent by e-mail by 07 February 2023, at 16:00, to the e-mail address: bhajrizi@caritas.ch with kosovo@caritas.ch in CC.
• File Format: PDF, signed and stamped.
• Incomplete and late offers will not be accepted and will not be considered for evaluation.

Annexes:

Annex 1 – General Conditions: shorturl.at/fmIV7

Annex 2 – Exclusion Criteria: shorturl.at/mot47