Request for Proposal-Climate justice visual storytelling project

Request for Proposal-Climate justice visual storytelling project

Ipas works globally with a vision that every woman and girl has the right and ability to determine her own sexuality and reproductive health. Our programs use a multifaceted approach that addresses reproductive health services, access to services and fulfillment of reproductive rights.

As part of the broader reproductive justice movement, Ipas is working to ensure that abortion and contraceptive care are essential health services and that all people can access them. Our programs use a multifaceted approach that addresses reproductive health services, access to services and fulfillment of reproductive rights. We seek to expand the availability, quality and sustainability of abortion and related reproductive health services, as well as improve the enabling environment for the services.

Ipas Nepal’s program intervention prioritize intersectional partnerships that integrates into the broader gender equality and social justice, including gender-based violence prevention and response, and women-led climate justice.

Ipas Nepal is planning to produce a video documentary that showcases the Community Action, Reflect, and Transformation (CART) sessions led by Natural Leaders (NLs) and adolescents. The selected consultant or consultancy firm will support Ipas Nepal in documenting the most significant changes occurring within the community as a result of these sessions. The video will also serve to develop impactful communication messages that connect SRHR with climate justice, highlighting the unique challenges and solutions faced by women and girls in the context of climate change.

Background

Ipas works to advance reproductive justice by expanding access to abortion and contraception, using a comprehensive approach that addresses health, legal and social systems. We believe every person should have the right to bodily autonomy and be able to determine their own future. Across Africa, Asia and the Americas, we work with partners to ensure that reproductive health services, including abortion and contraception, are available and accessible to all.

Climate change is now affecting every country on every continent, disrupting national economies and affecting lives, costing people, communities and countries dearly today and even more tomorrow. Nepal is among the countries of the world that experience the most severe impacts of climate change, ranking the fourth most climate-vulnerable country in the world. Climate change poses “a serious risk” to Nepal’s economy and society, according to a vulnerability and risk assessment carried out by the government of Nepal. It says cultural norms and social inequalities put women, girls and Indigenous peoples at a particular disadvantage during extreme climate events.

The Karnali and Lumbini face adverse effects of climate change and often the impact on gender roles and sexual and reproductive health are not assessed and informed. These are also unique regions  that experience climate change at an extreme level, including landslides, floods, heat waves, and forest fires. Apart from that, the local adaption plan of action  do not integrate gender, SRHR and climate change which marginalizes women further due to differential impact of climate change on women and girls.

Women are more vulnerable to the impact of climate change because they lack power. They often don’t have as much money as men, have more family responsibilities and less mobility, lack political power, and in many cultures do not have any say in family decision-making – including decisions about their own reproductive health and choices. This is a bad situation that is likely to be made worse when women are caught in climate disasters such as landslides, floods, heat waves, or forest fires.

Through the Strengthening Sustainable SRHR ecosystem project, Ipas Nepal is implementing its flagship program Community Action, Reflect and Transformation (CART) sessions which train and mobilize community members (Natural Leaders and adolescent) to impart information, galvanize community efforts and to build grassroot movement for climate resilient health system. Natural Leaders are self-mobilized women and girls who Ipas trains in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information and they are then deployed into the community. The CART sessions links SRHR such as abortion, contraception, gender-based violence (GBV with climate justice issues).

Objective of assignment

Ipas is seeking a consultant photographer to produce visual stories that highlight this issue through the voices and experiences of women and local communities. Through powerful imagery and the voices of the people at the center of this issue, we will engage our local and global audiences to raise awareness, bolster advocacy efforts, and raise funds to expand Ipas’s climate justice programming.

This visual story will accomplish 2 goals: (1) The problem—Climate change impacts women; (2) The solution—Ipas has created locally-led solutions through our partnership and local expertise. Practically, we will accomplish this by documenting:

1. In depth visual story with Natural Leaders: In-depth day in the life photography and interviews with Ipas-trained Natural Leader (self-mobilized marginalized women and girls). Images of the Natural Leaders going out into their communities and interacting with other women.

• Natural Leader in local government: In-depth day in the life photography and interview with a Natural Leader who now holds a position in local government.  They can speak about how they lobby and advocate within local government as well as advocacy with the community, school boards, etc.

2. CART sessions: Photographing and interviewing participants at the Community Action, Reflect and Transformation (CART) sessions lead by Ipas and/or Natural Leaders

• Interview questions will include: How does climate change impact women and girls in this community? What is the impact on their day-to-day life? How does it affect their livelihood, sense of safety, decisions about their family, and their reproductive and sexual health? What have they learned in the CART session? How will they use what they learned to make change in their community?

3. Ipas staff: Interview and photography with an Ipas staff person who can describe the Ipas program, how we work with partners, and our reproductive justice approach.

Examples and background information:

Ipas Climate Justice site

Upholding Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights During Climate Risks

Natural Leaders: Towards Transformation

Natural Leaders’ Conference

Community Health Score Board (CHSB)

Special considerations and potential challenges:

• Ethical storytelling: At Ipas we rely on a Code of Conduct for Ethical Storytelling to ensure that we are ethically principled in our use of images in a way that maintains our values of respect, equality, solidarity, and justice. All images must be made with the full understanding, participation, and permission of the subjects and may require photographing with anonymity, leaving out personal information, or using pseudonyms.
• Drone use: The local government requires special permission to operate a drone for drone photography. We feel the drone photography is important because it gives a better picture of the climate vulnerabilities including forest fires and landslides.

Deliverables:

Still photography and uncut video files that will be used in digital stories, print publications, and video products—all produced in-house by Ipas. All photography/videography will be conducted in Aathbiskot Municipality and Banphikot Rural Municipality (Rukum West), Nalgadh Municipality and Chhedagad Municipality (Jajarkot)

• In-depth visual stories of at least 3 Natural Leaders:
• Each visual story will include:
  • A raw, uncut video interview with the subject discussing the topics and questions provided by Ipas. 
  • Still portraits of the subject.
  • 10-20 still photograph and raw b-roll footages of the subject interacting in their community and engaging in their daily activities.
• In-depth visual story of at least 1 Natural Leader holding local office which includes:
  • A raw, uncut video interview with the subject discussing the topics and questions provided by Ipas. 
  • Still portraits of the subject.
  • 10-20 still photograph and raw b-roll footage of the subject interacting in their community and engaging in their daily activities.
• In-depth visual story of the CART sessions and its participants including:
  • 10-20 still photograph and raw b-roll footage of the activity.
  • Raw, uncut video interviews with 2 participants discussing the topics and questions provided by Ipas. 
  • Portraits and 5-10 still images of the 2 participants.
• Ipas staff person or local partner.
  • A raw, uncut video interview with the subject discussing the topics and questions provided by Ipas. 
  • Still portraits of the subject.
  • 10-20 still photograph and raw b-roll footage of the subject interacting in their community.
• Environmental photography:
  • 10-20 still Images and b-roll video footage that paint a picture of the landscape and environment. What does it look like when women travel for water? What barriers might climate disasters create (flooding, erosion, destruction of roads or bridges)
  • 10-20 still images and b-roll video footage of the community’s relationship to the land and climate (e.g. working in agriculture, fishing, collecting water)
  • 5-10 raw video drone footage showing the geographical landscape, key landmarks of the district/municipality. and climate vulnerabilities such as floods, landslides, and forest fires.
• Transcription(in Nepali) and translation in english of the video interviews.
• All files to be provided to Ipas in high-quality with required specifications:
  • Still image photography: High-quality photography in original resolution, roughly 2:3, 5504px:8256px at 300dpi. Photography files should be edited for exposure and color correction and have accurate caption information in the file information.
  • Video: 4K, MP4 files. Edited for exposure and color correction but without cuts or edits to the content.
  • Audio: Interviews captured with a lavalier microphone or similar, WAV file.
• Consent documentation of all participants (forms provided by Ipas). All footage will be taken with the highest of ethical standards, in accordance with the Ipas Code of Conduct for Ethical Storytelling. Photography will be taken only with the full understanding, participation, and permission of the subjects.

Qualification and skill requirements:

• Minimum three years of experience of documentary production for I/NGOs especially related to SRHR, gender and women’s health and empowerment issues.
• Access to high-quality filming, light, sound and editing equipment.
• Ability to operate under strict time limits and apply high production and technical standards for the purpose of maintaining high level of professionalism.
• Ability to communicate and conduct interviews.
• Track record of successful materials filmed in the region and /or on similar topics would be an asset.
• Consulting firms with experience in designing and developing community video, storytelling and documentation especially focusing on health in community.

Application Procedure:

To apply please go through the link https://procurement.ipas.org/rfp/request-for-proposal-climate-justice-visual-storytelling-project/ and upload following documents

• Cover Letter
• Links of work samples demonstrating most relevant experiences.
• Technical Proposal highlighting the overall implementation approach, draft concept with storyboard, profiles of team members (with CVs) and equipment details, (including camera, light, sound, editing software, etc.) and timelines.
• Financial Proposal with detailed breakdown of estimated costs, including estimated days of shooting, production team, days of editing, travel costs etc.
• Copy of latest tax clearance certificate.
• Copy of firm/organization registration certificate.
• Copy of VAT/PAN registration.

Deadline: 17th September 2024.