REQUEST FOR QUOTATION RFQ Nº UNFPA/KOS/RFQ/2021/002

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION

RFQ Nº UNFPA/KOS/RFQ/2021/002

Organize a campaign promoting the availability, provision and utilization of e-health Essential Health Services

UNFPA requires provision of services from interested and qualified companies for developing a campaign promoting the provision of Essential Health Services online (e-health). This Request for Quotation is open to all legally constituted companies that can provide the requested services and have legal capacity to deliver the services in the country, or through an authorized representative.

1. About UNFPA

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is an international development agency that works to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

UNFPA is the lead UN agency that expands the possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy sexual and reproductive lives. To read more about UNFPA, please go to: https://kosovo.unfpa.org/en/node/9285

2. Service Requirements/Terms of Reference (ToR)

• Background information

UNFPA jointly with WHO, UNICEF and UN Women, and with funding from British Embassy in Pristina, are implementing the Project Return to (New) Normal: Strengthening resilience through a safe and inclusive return to normality in health and education in Kosovo in the wake of COVID-19.

The project aims to ensure a safe return to normality taking into account the possibility of future waves of COVID-19 and allow for commensurate preparations, and a fair return to normality, which is inclusive, ensuring that groups that were already marginalized prior to the pandemic are not left behind even further.

In addition, under the project the government is advised on how to balance the COVID 19 response with maintenance of other Essential Health Services (EHS), in particular through supporting the Ministry of Health (MoH) in implementing the action plan on maintaining EHS while responding to COVID 19, including the provision of EHS via phone, email and internet.

In this context, one of the crucial activities of UNFPA is support to the Primary Health Care (PHC) –family medicine centers in the Municipality of Prishtina in establishing EHS e-health services that will be provided through the use of IT technology, i.e. internet, mobile communication applications (Viber, Facebook), e-mail, and/or telephone.

2. Development Objectives

The COVID-19 pandemic in Kosovo has placed a significant strain on its health services. This includes the provision of non-Covid-19-related services due to the shift of medical resources to fighting the pandemic. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen delivery of essential health services (EHS) in the public health sector.

This project component addresses this need by enhancing patients’ communication with medical personnel by creating an online application for communication via the internet or telephone. Public awareness of this new medical service is crucial given its novelty.

Promotion of the new EHS service is key for its effective and wide use once it is launched. UNFPA therefore seeks a specialized creative company that will design and deliver a promotional campaign targeting the citizens of the Municipality of Prishtina and presenting the new e-health service related to EHS (using evidence-based messages in video, audio, infographics, social media and print, in sign-language and Braille).

3. Immediate objectives

Under the framework of the project, UNFPA is developing specialized applications and communication tools designed as a platform for patients to gain additional access to public health services by scheduling appointments and receiving medical advice online or by phone. This new platform seeks to enhance patients’ access to EHS with a priority given to COVID 19, Massive Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such are Diabetes, Hypertension, Immunization / Vaccination, pre and post-natal care, Family Planning and Contraception. The creative company is to design and implement a promotional activity for the new health platform/service in the Municipality of Prishtina.

The objective of this campaign is to promote EHS while responding to COVID 19, and provision of EHS e-health virtual services via phone, email or other internet communication platforms. This includes promotion of the component through which UNFPA will equip medical personnel of 16 primary health care facilities in Prishtina Municipality with IT technology (tablets and applications) to support the implementation of the EHS e-health through scheduling and holding consultations with patients via internet, mobile communication applications (Viber, Facebook, Skype etc), e-mail, and/or telephone.

The campaign for the provision of e-health Essential Health Services should promote:

• Work with the e-health EHS working group of the Prishtina Municipality Main Family Medicine Center to promote provision of virtual / on-line essential health services using various means of virtual communications (Viber, Facebook, Skype etc);
• Promote availability, access and use of the specific application for e-health EHS;
• Promote and provide user friendly information for users / patients on the steps on how to establish online/virtual communication with family physician’s / family medicine team and specialist of gynecology-obstetrics at PHC;
• Promote steps to make an on-line appointment for virtual medical consultations with family physicians / family nurses and specialist of gynecology-obstetrics at PHC; 
• Promote a list of essential health services that can be accessed and utilized via virtual / on-line communications with respective family physician’s / family medicine team and Gynecologists/ Obstetricians working at PHC.

4. Deliverables

• Development of two videos. First video (up to 1.5 min) on introduction and availability of EHS e-health services featuring medical staff from the Main Family Medicine Center and Family Medicine Centers (appropriate for all ages and genders) and second video (up to 2 minutes) a tutorial to explain procedures/ steps to access and utilize EHS e-health web application.
• Development of at least 10 unique infographics and other illustration formats (appropriate for all ages and genders), suitable for but not limited to:

• Billboards
• Posters
• Brochures
• LED Screens
• Totems
• Digital portals
• Social media etc. 

• Development of at least two audio clips for radio for the presentation of these services, and promote access and utilization of the EHS e-health web application featuring PHC institutions and medical staff from the Main Family Medicine Center and Family Medicine Centers engaged in this project (appropriate for all ages and genders).
• Ensure participation of the representatives of the Municipal Health Directorate / MFMC / MOH and UNFPA in the TV shows for Prishtina Municipality broadcasted in selected TV broadcasters such are KTV – ‘038’, RTK – ‘Imazh’, TV21 – ‘Bonbon or morning show’, ATV – ‘Studio A’.
• Development of the user friendly web application that supports setting up appointments and getting for virtual e-health consultations with Family Medicine teams in 16 selected Primary Health Care facilities i.e. Main Family Medicine Centers and Family Medicine Centers of the Prishtina Municipality, that can be accessed from computers, lap-tops, tablets, mobile telephones by most commonly used internet video communication means such is Viber, Facebook, Skype etc. Application needs to display list of 16 PHC institutions of Prishtina Municipality, and respective staff of those institutions, then enable selection of the PHC facility, respective medical personnel, set an appointment within a specified time slot and input patient /users personal details including contact details, based on which virtual communication between patient and respective medical staff will be established.
• Maintenance of the web Application.

All promotional activity is based only in Prishtina Municipality.

UNFPA and the EHS Working Group will review and approve the content and the visuals of the deliverables.

5. Details of how the work should be delivered. Delivery dates:

The contractor will be expected to implement activities from 01. March 2021 to 31st of March 2021.

All activities will be closely consulted with UNFPA, MoH, NIPH. The contractor will implement the following activities and will submit the deliverables mentioned below:

6. Activities

Activities include but are not necessarily limited to the tasks below. Based on their technical expertise the company should, add other activities relevant to the achievement of the expected objectives:

• Meeting with UNFPA to discuss this ToR and clarify any details related to the expected activities, deliverables and work schedule;
• Development and submission of the narrative and draft video/infographics/ animations/designs;
• Attend meetings with UNFPA, MoH, EHS Working Group to consult narrative and video/animations/designs and application features;
• Finalize the products based on feedback received from EHS Working Group and UNFPA;
• Products will be considered finalized upon approval by EHS Working Group and UNFPA;

7. Timing

The assignment shall be conducted 01. March 2021 until 31 March, 2021.

Questions

Questions or requests for further clarifications should be submitted in writing to the contact person below:

The deadline for submission of questions is 23 February 2021, at 17:00. Questions will be answered in writing and shared with parties as soon as possible after this deadline.

1. Content of quotations

Quotations must contain:

1. Technical proposal, in response to the requirements outlined in the service requirements / TORs, including a structured and detailed plan of work performance, calendar schedule and major milestones. The technical proposal should demonstrate how the objectives of these terms of reference will be achieved and deliverables produced. The technical proposal shall also include organization’s supporting documents:

• Copy of the organization’s registration certificate;
• Organization profile including experience in similar assignments, list of similar assignments and clients’ portfolio;
• Resumes (CVs) of the key personnel comprising information requested as per the evaluation criteria;

2. Price quotation, to be submitted strictly in accordance with the price quotation form.

Both parts of the quotation must be signed by the bidding company’s relevant authority and submitted in by mail.

Note: All promotional materials developed under this contract including the source code for the web application and royalties shall be the property of UNFPA Kosovo! UNFPA reserves the rights to transfer ownership to other entities!

2. Instructions for submission

Your offer comprising technical proposal and financial proposal, in TWO separate sealed envelopes, clearly indicating RFQ No. as a reference should be hand-delivered to the following address: UN House/UNFPA office, Zagrebi Str. No.58, Prishtina, 10000, no later than: 26 February 2021, at 12:00.

Proposals should be prepared based on the guidelines set forth in Section III below, along with a properly filled out and signed price quotation form.

3. Overview of Evaluation Process

The evaluation will be carried out in a two-step process by an ad-hoc evaluation panel. Technical proposals will be evaluated and scored first, prior to the evaluation and scoring of price quotations.

4. Technical Evaluation

Technical proposals will be evaluated based on their responsiveness to the service requirements/TORs listed in Section II and in accordance with the evaluation criteria below.

The following scoring scale will be used to ensure objective evaluation:

5. Financial Evaluation

Price quotes will be evaluated only for bidders whose technical proposals achieve a minimum score of 70 points in the technical evaluation.

Price quotes will be evaluated based on their responsiveness to the price quote form. The maximum number of points for the price quote is 100, which will be allocated to the lowest total price provided in the quotation. All other price quotes will receive points in inverse proportion according to the following formula:

Total score

The total score for each proposal will be the weighted sum of the technical score and the financial score.  The maximum total score is 100 points.

6. Award Criteria

UNFPA shall award a Professional Service Contract on a fixed-cost basis to the Bidder that obtains the highest total score.

7. Right to Vary Requirements at Time of Award

UNFPA reserves the right at the time of award of contract to increase or decrease by up to 20% the volume of services specified in this RFQ without any change in unit prices or other terms and conditions.

8. Payment Terms

The payment will be made in two instalments:

• 50 per cent, after submission and finalization of the first group videos/infographics and audio materials once approved by NIPH and UNFPA by 17^th of March 2021.
• 50 per cent, submission and finalization of the second group of videos/infographics and audio materials by 31^st of March 2020 and submission of the final report and final products to UNFPA.

9. Fraud and Corruption

UNFPA is committed to preventing, identifying, and addressing all acts of fraud against UNFPA, as well as against third parties involved in UNFPA activities. UNFPA’s policy regarding fraud and corruption is available here: Fraud Policy. Submission of a proposal implies that the Bidder is aware of this policy.

Suppliers, their subsidiaries, agents, intermediaries and principals must cooperate with the Office of Audit and Investigation Services of UNFPA as well as with any other oversight entity authorized by the Executive Director of UNFPA and with the UNFPA Ethics Advisor as and when required. Such cooperation shall include, but not be limited to, the following: access to all employees, representatives, agents and assignees of the vendor; as well as production of all documents requested, including financial records. Failure to fully cooperate with investigations will be considered sufficient grounds to allow UNFPA to repudiate and terminate the contract, and to debar and remove the supplier from UNFPA’s list of registered suppliers.

A confidential Anti-Fraud Hotline is available to any Bidder to report suspicious fraudulent activities at UNFPA Investigation Hotline.

10. Zero Tolerance

UNFPA has adopted a zero-tolerance policy on gifts and hospitality. Suppliers are therefore requested not to send gifts or offer hospitality to UNFPA personnel. Further details on this policy are available here: Zero Tolerance Policy.

11. RFQ Protest

Bidder(s) perceiving that they have been unjustly treated in connection with the solicitation or award of a contract may submit a complaint directly to the Chief, Procurement Services Branch, at procurement@unfpa.org.

Bidder(s) perceiving that they have been unjustly or unfairly treated in connection with a solicitation, evaluation, or award of a contract may submit a complaint to the UNFPA Head of the Business Unit Mrs.Visare Mujko Nimani, for UNFPA in Kosovo at nimani@unfpa.org. Should the supplier be unsatisfied with the reply provided by the UNFPA Head of the Business Unit, the supplier may contact the Chief, Procurement Services Branch at procurement@unfpa.org.

12. Disclaimer

Should any of the links in this RFQ document be unavailable or inaccessible for any reason, bidders can contact the Procurement Officer in charge of the procurement to request for them to share a PDF version of such document(s).