A. BACKGROUND

Mongolia received a credit from the International Development Association (IDA) for the Strengthening Fiscal and Financial Stability Project (SFFSP). The Objective of the SFFS Project is designed to improve fiscal policy and sustainability in a mineral-based economy, protect the poor and vulnerable, and restore confidence in the financial sector. The project is designed into five components: (I) Strengthening Macroeconomic and Fiscal Management; (II) Improving the Efficiency of Public Financial Management; (III) Enhancing Financial Sector Stability; (IV) Strengthening the Social Protection System; (V) Project Management and Monitoring. The objectives are to Strengthening fiscal responsibility and implementing relevant policy measures, improving fiscal discipline, strengthening the resiliency of the banking system, improving public expenditure quality in social protection, providing support for Project implementation, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation, including, inter alia, audit arrangements, reporting requirements, procurement, and financial management activities respectively. For more details, please refer to the Project Appraisal Document Report No. PAD2269. 

The Parliament and the Government of Mongolia have renewed the long-term and mid-term policy documents to ensure the sustainability and continuity of Mongolia's development policy and planning, including “Vision-2050”, “Five-Year Guidelines for Development of Mongolia in 2021-2025”, and “Action Plan of the Government of Mongolia for 2020-2024”.  The policy documents, including the “Government Action Plan” have stipulated the following social insurance reforms agenda: expanding the coverage of social insurance, developing the pension insurance as a multi-tiered system, establishing proper management of social insurance fund assets, bringing the fund to a loss-free level, establishing a multi-tiered pension system, reform the social insurance system, providing basic pension to every old-age citizen, introducing a private pension scheme, gradually increasing pension benefits in line with inflation, and creating conditions for the family to inherit a certain part of the balance of the personal account of social insurance premiums.

The policy needs to include pension reform and the formulation of programs to improve social insurance coverage among informal workers, herders, and the self-employed, the non-pension elements of the Social Insurance Scheme, and needs to adjust technical parameters such as financial sustainability, contributory incentives, and adequacy of benefits. Following the formation of the Government, the Concept Notes on the revision of four social insurance laws were revised and approved jointly by the Minister of Justice and Home Affairs and the Minister of Labor and Social Protection (MLSP) on December 3, 2020. In connection with the revision of the concept notes and new government’s priorities, it became necessary to bring required changes to the respective draft revised  Social Insurance Laws.  The MLSP is working to submit the revised social insurance laws to the Cabinet meeting in September of 2021 and then to the Parliament in the fall session of 2021. However, MLSP has not enough implemented a communication strategy on social insurance current situation and social insurance reform. With the ever-increasing public and political pressure for the pension system reform, the Parliament and the Government of Mongolia have assigned the MLSP to increase the public awareness activities around the pension reform issues, expedite the preparation of legal changes for pension system reforms and submit a draft package of laws on social insurance to the Parliament in 2021.

Therefore, MLSP aimed to implement a public awareness strategy to better disseminate the social insurance reform process and to improve the chances of success of the said reform process to communicate these changes to targeted audiences.

To support the fulfillment of its mandate and social protection policy MLSP wishes to have an experienced professional entity to contribute to the development, communication activities of public awareness products for the MLSP in order to better disseminate the social insurance and protection policy as well shape policies whereas communication and public awareness is an intensive activity that precedes and accompanies a specific reform and it improves the chances the reform that will be smoothly executed and increases the chances that future reforms can be carried out.

B. OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The objective of this assignment is to provide nonconsulting service through television channels on public awareness products (stork, news, TV program, interviews, and others) based on the context of the draft social insurance law to inform the public debates about the Social Insurance reform policies.

C. SCOPE OF THE WORK

The professional entity will work closely with the working group of MLSP, SIGO, and other respective agencies and be responsible for the following area of work: 

Prepare television news and interviews with the content proposed by the MLSP, including the draft law on social insurance, its reform policy, issues facing the social insurance fund, pension policy, reforms, and international experience will be available to the public during accessible hours and on television with a large audience. Should be discussed and agreed with the MLSP for disseminating which TV and when.   Please see the detailed information (Specific purposes, the key messages, audience, and duration, etc.) of each task from Annex II. The MLSP will provide the professional entity with ready-to-broadcast content. 

The professional entity is responsible for the quality of the following  deliverables: 

Task I. Prepare and broadcast TV programs or interviews and content:  Prepare i) at least 2 types of popular TV programs or interviews, and ii) 4 types of content or program in cooperation with the MLSP and broadcast them on TV channels. Based on the proposal of MLSP, the professional entity will be notified at least 14 days in advance when and which programs will be co-produced. The main message is to raise awareness of the need for social insurance reform, examples and experiences of other countries, main principles of reform, multi-pillar pension system, pension reform, parametric changes its reform, and the importance of new policies and reforms based on actuarial planning by international and national experts. It also highlights the advantages of the current pension system, experiences of good and bad practices in other countries, how to avoid risks, the risks of not reforming, and the benefits of reform.

Task II. Broadcast documentaries on television channels Broadcast a 20-minute documentary and 3 pieces the promotion short video prepared by the MLSP on popular television at least 4 times each and at peak time. Should be discussed and agreed with the MLSP for broadcasting on when and on which channel.

Task III. Broadcast 5 types of storks on TV channels Broadcast 2 types of storks prepared by the MLSP at least 5 times each, at peak time on TV with a large audience. Should be discussed and agreed with the MLSP for broadcasting on when and on which channel.

The professional entity shall submit the detailed costs for delivery of each Task. 

D. DELIVERABLES

The content of the deliverable, when and on which channel to broadcast,  should be discussed extensively with the working group of MLSP, SIGO, and other relevant entities, and their comments are incorporated in order to improve reaching the target audience of the deliverables.

Deliverable I. At least 2 types of TV programs or interviews and 4 types of content or program prepared. Should the first TV programs or interviews be broadcast at peak time, in regard to 4 types of content or program and at least 6 of the total should be broadcast during peak hours.

Deliverable II. The 20-minute documentary and 3 pieces the promotion short video prepared by the MLSP was broadcasted on popular television during peak hours at least 4 times each.

Deliverable III. 2 types of storks prepared by the MLSP will be broadcast on popular television during peak hours and at least 5 times each.

E. PAYMENT

Payments will be released upon satisfactory completion of the deliverables and can be divided on a monthly basis into installments. 

The cost of broadcasting by the professional entity can be requested in each broadcast or several installments on a monthly basis, and the Secretary of State shall, upon the proposal of the Director of the Policy and Planning Department (PPD) of the MLSP, sign a request for the cost of broadcasting by the professional entity according to form ANNEX1.

The payment will be based on the documented outcome/s only and should be attached to the invoice and related documents.

G. CONSULTANT’S QUALIFICATIONS /SELECTION CRITERIA

Organization experience: The desired professional entity has to be legally registered for broadcasting service by a TV entity with at least 8 years of experience in the field of broadcasting service by TV and public awareness and, should be popular TV.

The professional entity must have proven experience in designing and implementing a communication strategy or public awareness particularly experience in developing and designing TV documentary programs for the social protection organization would be advantages.

The professional entity should have a competent team of professionals. The consultancy team should consist of the following members meeting the specific requirements listed below:

Key employees:

The consultancy team should consist of three (3) employees: (i) 1 team leader a professional director and (ii) 1 professional journalist and (iii) 1 cameraman.

Team Leader / a professional director (One person)

• Education: should have at least a bachelor degree in a professional director
• Experience: at least of 5-year experience as a professional director
• Language skills: Excellent written skills in Mongolian and understanding of English.
• Other: Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to function effectively and collaboratively in a team environment. Have the ability to perform and manage high-quality work in a relatively short period.      

Professional journalist: (One person)

• Education: should have a bachelor degree or higher degree in a journalist 
• Experience:  should have at least 5 years of relevant professional experience. 
• Language skills: Excellent written skills in Mongolian and understanding of English.
• Other: Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to function effectively and collaboratively in a team environment. Have the ability to perform and manage high-quality work in a relatively short period.

Cameraman: (One person)

• Education: should have a Bachelor’s Degree in Cinematography
  
• Experience:  should have at least 3 years of relevant professional experience. 
• Language skills: Excellent in Mongolian.
• Other: Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to function effectively and collaboratively in a team environment. Have the ability to perform and manage high-quality work in a relatively short period.

F. SUPERVISION AND REPORTING

The professional entity will report directly to the Head of a working group, who is the Director of Policy, Planning Department (PPD).  Work progress will be presented during the working group meeting or other meetings as needed.   

The Director of PPD shall evaluate the performance on the agreed deliverables and approve the invoices for the delivered outputs.   

The consulting agency shall provide a 2-3 pages summary final report detailing the achievements and impediments in executing the entire assignment effectively.  The MLSP and SFFS PIU will provide input to the evaluation of the consultant’s performance. 

G. CONTRACT DURATION

The consultancy is expected to commence in August 2021 with a total duration of 5 months. The MLSP will discuss their work plan to do schedule during the contract period. If any of the tasks specified is not completed and/or accepted by the Client within the agreed-upon timeline, the consultant shall complete the tasks without any additional cost within an agreed-upon timeline. 

H. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

The MLSP will provide office space for the team to work with the working group as well as the MLSP officials.  The team will have access to all necessary data and information.

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