Request for Proposals (RFP) - Development of Policy Portal to address concern of Women, Youth and Marginalized (WYM) Communities

USAID CIVIL SOCIETY AND MEDIA

Request for Proposals (RFP)

Development of Policy Portal to address concern of Women, Youth and Marginalized (WYM) Communities

The Civil Society and Media Program, funded by USAID through the Civil Society and Media – Standing Together and in New Directions (CSM-STAND) Leader with Associates Award, is led by The Asia Foundation in partnership with Pact. USAID-CSM is a five-year program (2022-2027) to support ongoing and emerging civic engagement in areas that advance the interests of sub-national communities, particularly those with a history of challenges in engaging women, youth, and marginalized sections of their populations. USAID CSM focuses on civic and media engagement related to good governance (accountability, transparency, participation, equity, and inclusion) and access to and quality of education. Most activities focus on providing grants to those organizations and communities outside of Kathmandu in Lumbini and Madhesh Provinces, with some activities implemented in Kathmandu.

CSM’s overarching goal is to support independent civil society and media led by and for women, youth and marginalized (WYM) communities to advance public interest, fundamental freedoms, and accountability. The program works to achieve this through mutually reinforcing activities under three inter-related objectives while contributing to USAID’s Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS):   

1. To foster an enabling environment for civic space where issues and interests of WYM communities are addressed.
2. Increase WYM's engagement in civic and public spaces and advance their interests through better access to resources, assets, and skills.
3. Improve availability of credible information and diverse narratives within media that better represent WYM issues and perspectives.

Women, youth, and marginalized (WYM) communities constitute a significant portion of our society. However, it appears that the vulnerable people from various groups, such as WYM, are still either not part of the institutional processes of the state or find it difficult to navigate their engagement in the state institutions given the complex web of interconnectedness and patron-client relationships that exist and is shaped by political, economic and social powers. The various ways the power relationship interacts make it further complex for WYM to navigate for their share in the system. The practice of inclusion of WYM in government interventions needs to be revised. The policies framed to include WYM in development endeavors are either not implemented or only give tokenistic representation rather than active participation of WYM in the change process.

In this regard, access to information and resources related to policies, regulations, and opportunities is crucial for their empowerment, inclusion, and active participation in various spheres of the socio-political cycle. These groups often need help accessing and comprehending relevant laws, policies, and guidelines and their implications. Creating a one-window multimedia policy portal for addressing the concerns of Women, Youth, and Marginalized (WYM) communities is a powerful and dynamic approach to engage, inform, and empower these groups. Such a portal would leverage a variety of multimedia formats, including videos, podcasts, infographics, analytics, and interactive tools, to effectively convey information and advocate for inclusive policies and their implementation. It offers a range of interactive and informative tools to inform, educate, advocate, and promote equity for the WYM community. By leveraging the power of multimedia, this portal contributes to a more inclusive environment for policy formulation and reforms and empowers WYM communities to advocate for their rights and improve their lives.

At the same time, a one-window policy portal will be a platform that offers a potential government-citizen engagement making information on policies more accessible and understandable to all concerned stakeholders. Moreover, developing and implementing such a portal in Nepal can provide numerous benefits while addressing various challenges and improving the overall efficiency and transparency in government and citizen engagement and interactions while drafting, implementing, and executing policies in Nepal.

In addition, the portal will also become a valuable platform and repository with policy-related information and analysis,  easing the access to better data and information sources that empower WYM communities, government agencies, civil society organizations, think tanks, academia, media outlets, and the general public to  engage in informed policy discussions, advocacy efforts, research and policy formulation, ultimately contributing to a more transparent, inclusive and accountable governance system in the country.

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit applications from prospective applicant to support The Asia Foundation (hereafter referred to as the “Foundation”) in the implementation of the USAID Civil Society and Media (CSM), funded by USAID (Award # 72036722LA00001) through CSM-STAND.

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit applications from prospective applicant to;

• Develop and design a multimedia portal to serve as a repository for all policy-related information such as records/ documentation of policy discussions, draft policy papers, videos of events and activities, analytics, and findings from research studies, particularly related to concerns and issues of WYM, PWD, LGBTQIA+ communities which will increase the accessibility and the availability of evidence-based information and materials.
• To create an intuitive and user-friendly interface, integrating necessary functionalities, and ensuring the portal's scalability and security through a well-designed digital solution.

Application Timeline:

Any interested applicant can send questions regarding the assignment in writing before August 22, 2024. A pre-bid conference will be held virtually to discuss the details of the solicitation and answer the questions to interested vendors. The conference will be held on August 23, 2024, from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Please send your proposals along with the aforementioned documents to usaidcsm.nepal@asiafoundation.org with the subject heading “Development of Policy Portal” no later than September 10, 2024, NPT 5:00 PM.

Late submissions will not be accepted. Electronic submissions in response to this Request for Proposal will be accepted. Telephone requests will not be entertained. The Foundation may request additional documentation after the bid deadline.

For Details:

Click Here: Detailed Request for Proposal (RFP)

Click Here: Annex B- Detailed Cost Proposal