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 Government Action Plan for 2020-2024 includes the objectives of “optimizing social welfare” and “targeting social welfare services to support employment and consistently reduce poverty”. Also, the Resolution 39 of the State Great Hural of December 4, 2020, states that “by optimizing the scope of social welfare, directing to the target groups in need of assistance and support, integrating various programs and activities, and transferring some services to other sectors”. Therefore, without a sharp reduction in total welfare expenditures, it is necessary to redistribute within the current welfare budget and allocate more funds to support the poor who are most in need of welfare assistance. To this end, it is necessary to update the Social Welfare Law by streamlining the types of welfare pensions, benefits and services, consolidating some benefits and assistance, and introducing an effective welfare system based on a unified household database.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection (MLSP)’s Working Group has drafted the revised Social Welfare Laws by  February 2021 drawing upon global and thematic reports developed by the World Bank and learning from social welfare laws and practices of other countries.  Also, initial consultation on the draft revised  Social Welfare Laws was carried out with the World Bank team in March 2021. Following this virtual meeting, the working group reflected the Bank's recommendations to increase the number of social welfare programs targeting the poor. The MLSP is working to submit the revised draft social welfare package laws to the Cabinet meeting in September 2021 and then to the Parliament during the fall session of 2021. However, MLSP has not enough implemented a communication strategy on social welfare reform. With the ever-increasing public and political pressure for the social welfare system reform, the Parliament and the Government of Mongolia have assigned the MLSP to increase the public awareness activities around the social welfare reform issues.

Therefore, MLSP aimed to implement a public awareness strategy to better disseminate the social welfare 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 welfare 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 revised draft social welfare law to inform the public debates about the Social Welfare reform policies.

C. SCOPE OF THE WORK

The professional entity will work closely with the working group of MLSP, LSWGO, 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 revised draft law on social welfare, its reform policy, issues growing expenditure of the social welfare fund,  to support the poor who are most in need of welfare assistance, 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 three types of popular TV programs or interviews 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 welfare reform, examples from other countries, key principles of reform, the importance of targeting welfare, its reform. It should also highlight the advantages of the current welfare system, how to improve addressing the target group, examples of good and bad practices in other countries, the risks if not reforming, and the benefits of reform. 

Task II. Broadcast two pieces of short videos on television channels: Two pieces of short videos were developed by MLSP to be broadcast on popular television at least 6 times each and at peak time. Should be discussed and agreed with the MLSP for broadcasting on when and on which channel.

Task III. Prepare and broadcast 2 types of storks on TV channels Prepare and broadcast 2 types of storks at least 10 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, LSWGO, and other relevant entities, and their comments are incorporated in order to improve reaching the target audience of the deliverables.

Deliverable I. Three types of TV programs or interviews and one content or program prepared. Should the broadcast at least 2 times, the first broadcast should be at peak time.

Deliverable II. Two pieces of short videos were developed by MLSP was broadcasted on popular television during peak hours at least 6 times each.

Deliverable III. Prepared 2 types of storks and broadcasted on popular television during peak hours and at least 10 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 State Secretary 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 ANNEX I.

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

F. 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.

G. 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. 

H. CONTRACT DURATION

The consultancy is expected to commence in October 2021 with a total duration of 4 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. 

I. 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. 

Please submit the following documents in English via email to procurement@sffs.mn or in a sealed envelope no later than 15:00 PM, October 11, 2021:  

- Cover letter for quotation; 

- Price quotation;

- Company introduction along with a copy of state registration certificate; 

- CV of key experts along with professional diploma and certificate;

- Evidence of specific experience and qualification information of the firm relevant to the assignment. (Annex III)

The Quotation should be clearly marked “A professional entity to broadcast through TV on social welfare reform with Ref no. D1/NC/003)”. 

A professional entity will be selected in accordance with Request for Quotations (RFQ) method of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/178331533065871195-0290022020/original/ProcurementRegulations.pdf. 

The submitted documents will not be returned to the applicants. Please be noted that incomplete applications would not be considered for evaluation. Only selected candidate will be contacted. Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours: 8:30 to 17:30 hours (local Ulaanbaatar time) or procurement_sgm@sffs.mn.

Address for submission of Expression of Interest: Attention to Ms.G.Ariunaa, Procurement Specialist, Strengthening Fiscal and Financial Stability Project, Address: Room #205, Negdsen undestnii 8/2, 4th khoroo, Chingeltei District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. 

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