REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) – Afghanistan – Research Study

1. RFP Objective

Geneva Call is commissioning a research study focusing on exploring the interplay between the public opinion and policy dynamics in Afghanistan, pertaining to Education.

2. RFP Calendar

The timeline for the RFP process is below. While we do not anticipate any changes to this timeline, Geneva Call reserves the right to adjust the timeline as needed.

Action

• RFP Issue Date
  • 4 December 2024
• Deadline for Receipt of Proposals
  • 18 December 2024
• Vendor Selection Anticipated Date
  • 9 January 2025
• Start date of operational services: 13 January 2025

3. Proposal Submission Address

Please divide the offer into two separate proposals, being the financial proposal and the technical proposal to the address below no later than17 December 2024.

Geneva Call

47 chemin de la Chevillarde, CH-1224 Chêne-Bougeries Geneva – Switzerland

And/or to the following email address:

• The financial proposal can be sent to: rfpfinance@genevacall.org.
• The technical proposal can be sent to: rfp@genevacall.org.

4. Bid Validity

Proposals are expected to be binding for a period of fourteen (14) days from the published response date. Please see RFP attached for more details.

5. RFP Terms & Conditions

1. The Request for Proposals is not and shall not be considered an offer by Geneva Call.
2. All responses must be received on or before the date and time indicated on the RFP.
3. All proposals will be considered binding offers. Prices proposed must be valid for entire period provided by respondent.
4. All awards will be subject to Geneva Call’s contractual terms and conditions and contingent on the availability of donor funding.
5. Geneva Call reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal or cancel the solicitation process at any time and shall have no liability to the proposing organisations submitting proposals for such rejection or cancellation of the request for proposals.
6. Geneva Call reserves the right to accept all or part of the proposal when award is provided.
7. All information provided by Geneva Call in this RFP is offered in good faith. Individual items are subject to change at any time, and all bidders will be provided with notification of any changes. Geneva Call is not responsible or liable for any use of the information submitted by bidders or for any claims asserted therefrom.
8. Geneva Call reserves the right to require any bidder to enter into a non-disclosure agreement.
9. The bidders are solely obligated to pay for any costs, of any kind whatsoever, which may be incurred by bidder or any third parties, in connection with the Response. All responses and supporting documentation shall become the property of Geneva Call, subject to claims of confidentiality in respect of the response and supporting documentation, which have been clearly marked confidential by the bidder.

6. Attachments

• Annex I Request for Proposal minimum requirements

ANNEX I

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Scope and requirements

2. Scope of Work:

Geneva Call is commissioning a research study focusing on exploring the interplay between the public opinion and policy dynamics in Afghanistan, pertaining to Education.

The research should use a variety of methods – both qualitative and quantitative – including key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) and surveys with key stakeholders or groups of stakeholders. A review of existing literature, reports and prior studies that have been conducted on the topic should complement the analysis. The research should also consider official government policy documents, statements, media reports, online resources, including social media posts, and other materials that provide insights on the research topic.

Key stakeholders whose views and perspectives should be reflected in the study include key government and community representatives, community members, Geneva Call staff and/or other relevant practitioners in the field.

Applicants are expected to present a more detailed methodology approach in their technical proposals in line with the aims of the research study.

The research is expected to be completed by 17 March 2025, with the start date to be agreed between the consultancy/research firm and Geneva Call.

The expected deliverables are as follows:

• Inception report – at the minimum should contain the following components: detailed work plan, research methodology, research risk analysis and mitigation plan, annotated outline, and list of key informants. This will serve as a point of agreement between the consulting company and Geneva Call before the commencement of the study
• Data collection tools/questionnaires for the different stakeholder segments
• Draft Report along with presentation made to Geneva Call country team
• Final Report of approximately 25-35 pages excluding annexes
• A final presentation (with suggested changes incorporated, if any are communicated during the draft presentation) of results for the Geneva Call team along with a well-designed summary factsheet of the key results and findings
• Two-page concept note on the basis of the findings presenting suggested recommendations for Geneva Call’s future actions

The Final Report must include the following:

• Executive Summary
• Table of Content
• Key findings
• Limitations
• Introduction
• Methodology
• Findings and analysis, with answers to the key research questions
• Well-designed visuals (photos, graphs, charts), where appropriate and useful to support/illustrate the main arguments of the report
• Conclusion
• Recommendations

A presentation of the key findings of the research should be made to Geneva Call alongside the submission of the Draft Report. The Final Report should be submitted within one week of the restitution, incorporating feedback from Geneva Call.

The required timeframe for the completion of the study is Monday, 17 March 2025. The suggested breakdown of the timeline is as per the below:

Deliverables & Milestones (2025)

• Initial meeting (Consultants and GC)
  • 13 January
• Inception report shared with Geneva Call
  • 16 January
• Literature Review completed
  • 21 January
• Data collection tools/questionnaires shared with Geneva Call
  • 24 January
• Data collection tools/questionnaires cleared by Geneva Call and ready for use
  • 27 January
• Organize interviews and FGDs/surveys
  • 27 January
• Data Collection and field visits
  • 27 January – 20 February
• Data analysis
  • 20 February – 2 March
• Draft Report and PowerPoint presentation prepared
  • 5 March
• Presentation of the findings for Geneva Call
  • 10 March
• Incorporation of Geneva Call comments and feedback
  • 10 – 14 March
• Final Report and factsheet submitted to Geneva Call
  • 17 March

3. Proposal Guidelines:

Interested and qualified consultancy/research firms must submit the following documents:

Technical Offer:

The technical offer should be provided in the English language and contain the following:

• A technical proposal of maximum 10 pages explaining the understanding of the consultancy, as well as the methodological approach describing the different stages, the timetable and the tools and deliverables that will be used for each stage
• A valid company license/registration document
• A brief and clear company profile outlining the company history, capacities, staffing structure detailing the research team
• An updated Curriculum Vitae of the lead researcher/team leader and all evaluation team members, highlighting relevant professional experience and qualifications for this consultancy
• A sample of previous work that is relevant to this consultancy
• Contact information for at least two recent client references

Financial Offer:

The financial offer must display the all-inclusive final cost as well as a detailed budget in USD/CHF or currency as appropriate.

Provide proof of registration.

1. Cost Breakdown:

   1. Provide a detailed cost breakdown, including all relevant expenses for the complete project.
   2. Breakdown costs by development phase or key deliverable.

2. Financial Ratio Company

   Financial stability company

   Liquidity ratio, debt-to-equity ratio, profitability ratios used to assess financial performance.

3. Additional Expenses:

   1. Include all expenses that may arise during the project’s lifecycle.

4. Budget Justification:

   1. Provide a brief justification for the proposed budget, explaining the rationale behind major cost items.

5. Management:

   1. Provide the resumes of the key members of the management team of the company.

Please note that any costs associated with the preparation of the bid, negotiating a contract and any other costs incurred prior to the signing of the contract are not reimbursable and cannot be included as a direct cost of the assignment.

4. Eligibility Criteria:

The successful applicant should have the following minimum qualifications and skills:

• Having an organizational structure with qualified research team.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting research (quantitative and/or qualitative) and report writing in the field of political science or human rights, in English language – in Afghanistan is preferable.
• Ability to collect data in the field in the local languages, i.e. Dari and Pashto
• Proven experience and track record of timely completion of assignments
• Financially capable of rendering all requested services
• Ability to guarantee the timely submission of the agreed deliverables

5. Evaluation and Selection Process:

The evaluation process will look at the extent to which the consultant meets the above eligibility criteria as well as the following evaluation criteria:

• Strong conceptual and analytical skills
• Understanding of gender dimensions
• Strong understanding of political and cultural dynamics in Afghanistan
• A track record in partnering/working with international development and/or humanitarian organizations in Afghanistan is an advantage and/or prior experience working with de facto authorities in other politically complex contexts
• Readiness to accommodate Geneva Call’s inputs to deliverables

Proposals will be received from interested parties until 17 December inclusive. The evaluation process will take place from then onwards, with those consultants who meet the basic eligibility criteria being provided with the full terms of reference (TOR) of the research project. Based on their review of the full TOR, they will be offered an opportunity to express their continued interest to remain in the bidding process.

The timeframe for the selection of the winning proposal will be 9 January 2025, with the view to signing the contract and starting the research project on 13 January 2025.

Note on visa facilitation: While Geneva Call does not require that the lead researcher(s) be present in the country, presence on the ground may be an added advantage. In this context, it should be noted that Geneva Call is unable to facilitate, sponsor or otherwise secure visas and/or work permits for foreign nationals to carry out the research in Afghanistan.

6. Terms and Conditions:

The consultant will be paid upon submission of the duly approved invoice according to the following schedule:

• First Payment: 30% to be paid after the signature of the contract
  • Second Payment: 40% upon the reception of the draft version of the research report
    • Final Payment: 30% to be paid upon GC’s approval of the final report

Payment will be made by bank transfer to the account provided by the Consultant. GC will not be responsible for fees charged by the Consultant’s bank.

7. Confidentiality:

Conducting research on behalf of Geneva Call demands for serious ethical considerations to protect interviewees and interviewers. Participants should not be harmed in any way as a result of their participation. To this end, ethical principles will be respected during the conduct of the study. In addition, the participant’s consent will be obtained before the questionnaire is administered. The final data will also be anonymized to prevent individual information from being identifiable.

The consultancy firm and all members of the data collection team will undertake measures to keep the information collected confidential. The company will make sure to take every measure to ensure everything (interview sheets/transcripts, GC feedback, draft and final reports) are kept confidential and protected. All data and reports under this study are the property of Geneva Call and will not be used for/in other research studies, papers and projects without Geneva Call’s explicit permission.

As the consulting firm will be in contact with Geneva Call partners and beneficiaries, they will be required to sign and apply/adhere to the following Geneva Call policies:

• Code of conduct
• Child protection policy
• Anti-corruption policy
• Policy on Harassment and Sexual Violence; and
• Confidentiality agreement.

In addition, the consultant is required to strictly apply the following ethical principles:

• Conflict Sensitivity
• Do no harm principle; and
• Gender sensitivity.

8. Specifics

9. Third Party Performance Reviews and Audit

9.1 Performance Review. In addition to internal measures of performance, Geneva Call retains the right to require independent evaluation of Contractor performance. Geneva Call may, contract with independent third parties to audit the contract service levels. The Contractor will cooperate fully with any third-party audit and agrees that all information shared with Geneva Call may be shared with such third party contractor.

9.2 Financial Audit. Geneva Call requires the Contractor to retain all financial documents related to the costs and revenues of its account for the standard financial data retention period in the country of incorporation.

Proof of registration

10. The Contract

10.1 Term of Agreement. The Agreement resulting of this solicitation shall be for a period of three (3) months, and non-extendable.

10.2 Termination. Geneva Call may terminate the Agreement resulting from this solicitation, or any services under such Agreement, without prejudice to any other rights or remedies, by giving 14 calendar days written notice to the Contractor.

How to apply

Please divide the offer into two separate proposals, being the financial proposal and the technical proposal to the address below no later than17 December 2024:

Geneva Call

47 chemin de la Chevillarde, CH-1224 Chêne-Bougeries Geneva – Switzerland

And/or to the following email address:

• The financial proposal can be sent to: rfpfinance@genevacall.org.
• The technical proposal can be sent to: rfp@genevacall.org.