Terms of Reference Communications Strategy Development (Stage I)

Introduction B-SkillFUL Phase II is a skills and enterprise development programme, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Swisscontact. It contributes to Switzerland’s overall goal in Bangladesh, which is to bring about a more equitable society that enjoys inclusive and sustainable growth, aligned with the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations. After a successful completion of Phase I, B-SkillFUL Phase II commenced operations from September 2020 with the aim to improve productivity and competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and create better jobs in the furniture making, light engineering and leather goods manufacturing sectors across six districts in Bogura, Dhaka, Gazipur, Kishoreganj, Nilphamari and Rangpur. Recognising the importance of domestic economic recovery, in the COVID-19 scenario, B-SkillFUL Phase II offers customised solutions to SMEs to improve technical and management capabilities, modernise production methods, diversify products and services, expand into new markets and ensure safe and decent working conditions for workers. The solutions are designed to address specific constraints identified through detailed analyses at the sector and SME levels. The programme also creates opportunities for coaching, mentoring, and providing advisory services to SMEs through Business Development Service (BDS) providers. These services include business planning, human resource development, product design, production improvements, inventory control, marketing, and finance. BDS providers can gain access and opportunities to engage with SMEs in peri-urban and rural areas and expand their clientele beyond the major cities. The two major intervention areas include: (a) workplace-based training, coaching and mentoring services for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers and management staff at SMEs; and (b) specialised BDS targeting production methods and working conditions in SMEs. By 2024, B-SkillFUL Phase II will ensure: At least 12’000 workers and 1’000 management staff at SMEs have improved their

employability and performances at workplaces; and At least 800 SMEs have increased productivity and efficiency, and improved

working conditions.

Communications Context The communications strategy for the B-SkillFUL Phase II programme will be designed and implemented in two different stages, at different timeframes of the programme cycle. In the first stage, the programme must broadly engage with stakeholders in the pilot sectors and geographic districts. In the second stage, capable and early adopting SMEs and BDS providers must be identified and recruited to pilot the designed programme interventions. Also, as part of the second stage, further SMEs and BDS providers must be engaged to scale successfully piloted programme interventions.

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During the inception phase, the programme requires the engagement of a communication agency/consulting firm to help develop the initial communication strategy which will assist the programme to start off its interventions. Initially, the programme must identify effective communication avenues to keep stakeholders informed and engaged and most importantly, assist with partner identification and selection. Internal stakeholders will be periodically informed through a number of programme management bodies such as the Core Implementation Unit structure, the Programme Steering Committee (PSC), etc. However, processes are needed to keep internal stakeholders current on the programme’s progress and potential challenges on an ongoing basis. Programme beneficiaries include enterprise owners and workers, associations, and BDS providers (including training providers) as well as donors, Government of Bangladesh as well as non-governmental agencies, and the community at large in the targeted sectors and districts. A critical element of the communications strategy, in the early part of the programme, is the ability to engage key stakeholders effectively– particularly enterprises and BDS providers that are early adopters of new methods and technologies. This would involve explaining the programme interventions and identify effective tools and techniques to assist in brokering partnerships with enterprises, BDS providers and training service providers. It is anticipated that a wide range of approaches will be necessary to ensure that meaningful messages are received by all programme stakeholders. A list of stakeholders identified by the programme, to date, will be made available upon contracting. The communication strategy developed in Stage I will assist the programme to identify the key communication modalities, including tools ad techniques, with both the internal and external stakeholders. Interventions will be designed, validated with stakeholders and piloted in order to i) enhance working environments, ii) increase employment status and opportunities for women and men (including marginalised groups) and improve the competitiveness and environmental sustainability of SMEs. Interventions will also serve to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The priority, after successful interventions are implemented later in the programme, is to promote and scale the successfully piloted innovations primarily through Stage II of the communications strategy that will focus on how to: i) efficiently reaches the target audience, ii) demonstrate how peers were able to successfully innovate and iii) provide ‘calls to action’ that clearly demonstrates to other stakeholders methods that are proven to increase enterprise efficiency and effectiveness. Objectives The objective of this assignment is to develop a communication strategy, which incorporates customised approaches to effectively inform and engage various types of stakeholders, especially SMEs and BDS providers, in the programme sectors and geographic locations, in order to facilitate collaboration as programme interventions are designed, piloted and scaled. Scope The Communication Strategy (Stage I) will address the following:

1. How best to engage with main stakeholders (modalities and approaches)? 2. What are the key messages to keep each type of programme stakeholders

engaged?

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3. How to identify early adopters among stakeholders (particularly enterprises and

BDS) and effectively encourage participate in programme interventions?

4. How can the programme ensure that a gender and social inclusion lens are applied in all mediums of communication?

5. How can stakeholders provide input or raise issues and use their expertise to contribute to the success of the programme?

6. How can the programme’s internal stakeholders (i.e. SDC, Swisscontact, implementing partner organisations) communicate amongst themselves most effectively?

7. How can communications success be best measured to ensure ongoing cost-effectiveness?

8. What is resourcing levels are required to implement the proposed communications strategy?

9. How will the communication strategy be implemented and monitored by the programme team? How will these tools and techniques be defined in the monitoring and results measurement (MRM) guidelines of the programme?

Approach and Methodology The strategy (Stage I) will conduct a thorough stakeholder communications assessment through a literature review of similar programmes, an analysis of primary stakeholder data collected through the programme’s sector assessments, and the gender analysis as well as by reviewing the stakeholder assessment conducted during the development of the programme document. The strategy will also take into account the corporate communication requirements of Swisscontact and SDC. Analyses of primary and secondary data will form the basis of a series of proposed initiatives to address issues outlined in the above defined objectives. The recommended initiatives will be first internally vetted and refined amongst the wider B-SkillFUL Phase II team before feedback is collected from stakeholders through informal interviews and focus groups as necessary. A review and reflection of the communication activities in B-SkillFUL Phase I will be conducted. Lessons learnt and experiences can be drawn from B-SkillFUL Phase I while developing the strategy for Phase II. This will be done using a variety of tools such as Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs).The consultant(s) will propose a methodology to most efficiently and effectively collect and analyse stakeholder data while ensuing coverage of the programme sectors and geographic areas. The strategy must reflect the programme context and dynamic nature. As a result, the strategy will be periodically review and most likely require adjustment from time to time. An ongoing review of communication metrics will be incorporated in the strategy in

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order to indicate when adjustments are necessary. A full review of the strategy will be done during the programme’s midterm evaluation. Responsibilities The B-SkillFUL Phase II programme responsibilities for communications are as follows: Team Leader The Team Leader approves communication planning, budget and final design and concepts for the programme activities, as well as the communication strategy. The team leader also is the medium and focal who conveys programme communication activities to the donor and the head office, when required. Local Communication Agency/Consultancy Firm Primary and secondary data will be collected and analysed by a contracted communications agency/consultancy firm. In consultation with the B-SkillFUL Phase II team, the firm will be responsible for drafting the Communications Strategy (Stage I). Validation of the strategy with internal and external stakeholders will be led by the firm, in consultation with the B-SkillFUL Phase II team. Communication Focal Point The communications focal on the programme team is the Coordinator - Gender and LRDW’ or, in her absence, the Team Lead. S/he is responsible for coordination and implementation of all communication related activities. Additionally, the focal point is in charge of management of the website, social media, design of public relations materials and giveaways, general templates for communications related materials. Coordinator - MRM & KCM A baseline study with stakeholders will be conducted in parallel with communications strategy development (Stage I) activities. The ‘Coordinator - MRM & KCM’ will work with the consulting firm to ensure data collection and analyses between these two assignments are coordinated. In addition to data gathering, the ‘Coordinator - MRM & KCM’ will collaborate with the consulting firm to ensure outreach and the effective distribution of the programme results. Other Team Members Other B-SkillFUL Phase II programme team members are responsible for acting as the main sector focal points for interactive communication with targeted stakeholders. They will also assist in general dissemination of knowledge materials. Team members also ensure that their activities are aligned with the programme’s Communication Strategy and associated donor and headquarter guidelines.

Audiences The strategy needs to address the specific needs and interests of the B-SkillFUL Phase II programme audiences, which are categorised as follows:

Internal Audience The internal audience is divided in four major groups:

i. Communication Focal - advocates and coaches other internal stakeholders on the communication strategy and guidelines;

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ii. B-SkillFUL Staff involved in programme implementation who need to be

coached and supported to represent the programme and key messages.

iii. Swisscontact Staff including members of the portfolio team, head office and other programmes who need to be informed about current and relevant programme information.

iv. Programme Donor is an integral part of the internal audience and requires plentiful and meaningful opportunities to engage with the B-SkillFUL Phase II programme and distribute programme messages to wider audiences.

External Audience The external audience can be divided in four broad categories:

v. Beneficiaries of the programme are of utmost importance. The programme will specifically target enterprises and BDS providers (female and male employees including differently-abled people and people from marginalised groups such as ethnic and religious minority groups).

vi. Programme partners are the main drivers of the programme information. As B-SkillFUL works in a facilitative manner it is important that the programme partners are well informed about the programme. Enterprises, associations and BDS providers need to understand and subsequently support the programme goals and the information will snowball to others through these partners.

vii. Various Government of Bangladesh agencies, other international

organisations, development partners and other Swisscontact programmes will be communicated based on the needs of the programme. Creating these linkages will help in getting key programme messages out.

viii. Media, political leaders, opinion leaders, and other skills, local economic

development and market development programmes can influence people when it comes to programme results sharing. This group will to be regularly monitored by the programme.

Team Composition and Required Profiles Sl. Specialist Category Level of Effort Tentative required dates

of availability

1 Lead Consultant (National)

20 days From 3rd January 2021 to 18th February 2021

2 Enumerators (National)

30 days From 3rd January 2021 to 18th February 2021

Profile of the Communication Agency/Consultancy Firm A team of enumerators will be proposed by the local communication agency/consultancy firm. The team will be mobilised as per the instructions of the lead consultant and the B-SkillFUL Phase II team. The local communication agency/consultancy firm will be required to demonstrate the following:

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a) Previous experience in conducting surveys (both data collection and analyses) for communications in similar scale for socio-economic projects and programmes in Bangladesh;

b) Strong experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis; c) Strong experience in training of enumerators and ensuring quality data collection; d) Ability to translate data collection tools, pilot these tools and share feedback for

revision, if necessary; e) Ability to deploy enumerators who can work remotely and across several districts

in a short notice; f) Ability to demonstrate established access to clusters of BDS providers and SMEs

in light engineering, furniture and leather goods sectors would be an added advantage;

g) Proven track record of working effectively with marginalised groups, particularly

women; h) The enumerators should have appropriate academic qualifications in relevant

field of expertise, preferably in social sciences and statistics; i) The enumerators should have excellent computer literacy, especially in MS Excel

and other data processing software; and j) The enumerators must have excellent communication skills in English and

Bengali.

Profile of the Lead Consultant The lead consultant will be proposed by the local communication agency/consultancy firm. a) Minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in communications for

development cooperation programmes – specifically related to private sector development (including enterprise development),skills development and social marketing;

b) Demonstrated experience in developing effective communications strategies for programmes with a wide range of stakeholders, based upon primary and secondary data analyses;

c) Demonstrated experience in monitoring the implementation of communications

strategies for development cooperation focused programmes and projects; d) Strong analytical skills, sound judgement, the capacity to think strategically,

including the ability to produce high quality policy materials, high level strategic documents and advice for development implementation;

e) Successful track record of similar assignments: and

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f) Excellent analytical, research, writing (English) and facilitation skills.

Selection Criteria

Sl. What to evaluate Description Point

1. CVs of the lead consultant and enumerators

Lead consultant’s relevant and recent experience in similar assignments

Skill sets of the enumerators

30

2. List of similar assignments

Research firm’s relevant and recent experience in similar assignments

10

3. Detail Technical Proposal

Proposal that convincingly addresses the TOR objective

30

4. Detail Financial Proposal

Proposal provides good value for the investment

30

TOTAL: 100

Timeline

Activity Completion

Contracting 3rd January 2021

Orientation of the team and validation of the workplan

7th January 2021

Stakeholder data collection tool design 14th January 2021

Data collection 4th February 2021

Validate initial findings 11th February 2021

Final report incorporating stakeholder feedback

18th February 2021

Deliverables 1. A detailed workplan which highlights the key milestones and deliverables,

including the data collection plan and processes to be undertaken; 2. Reviewed, modified and translated data collection tools and defined

techniques used for primary information and data collection.; 3. Documentation of all interviews and focus group discussions conducted; and

4. A final report that includes:

a. Findings of the analysis;

b. An overall communication strategy for the initial phase of the programme;

c. An internal communication strategy, with an action plan (including resource

requirements and timeline), for internal stakeholders; and

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d. An external communication strategy, with an action plan (including resource requirements and timeline), for external stakeholders (including programme partners and beneficiaries).

The final report will include with an executive summary of maximum five pages, which reads as a standalone document.