Request for Proposals : National and Regional Public Opinion Survey on Key Issues of Concern for Tunisians, Democracy International Retour vers les opportunités

Democracy International, Inc. (DI) works on democracy and governance (DG) programs worldwide for  the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other development partners. DI provides analytical services, offers technical assistance, and implements projects across the full range of DG programming. 

The firm has extensive experience with analytical services including assessments, evaluations, project designs, democracy assistance studies, survey research, and strategic communications. DI is based in the United States. 

DI has worked in more than 45 countries and in all regions of the world. Since 1985, DI’s principals have advised and worked with election management bodies, civil society and election‐monitoring organizations, political parties, legislatures, government agencies, and others in more than 70 countries. 

Program Overview 

DI’s project in Tunisia seeks to empower citizens to advocate for specific issues and contribute to Tunisia’s  development at the local, regional, and national level as well as to build the legitimacy and sustainability of  the civil society sector.  

Purpose for Request for Proposal 

Democracy International is seeking a Tunisia-based firm to conduct national and regional survey based on  nationally representative, mixed-methods research to identify: 

(1) key issue areas of concern for Tunisians; 

(2) opportunities and barriers to civic engagement around these issues; and 

(3) the most credible and influential actors at the national and local levels who are best positioned to  mobilize citizens in civic initiatives.  

DI will work with a variety of local partners both in Tunis and in the regions to ensure maximum impact.

Part 1 – Invitation to Bid Letter 

RFP number: _001_ 

May 17, 2023 

Dear Sir or Madam, 

Democracy International will conduct a public opinion survey by constituency in Tunisia to gauge public  opinion on issues of key importance to citizens. 

Enclosed is a request for proposal for the studies. We invite research firms to submit a fixed price proposal to perform the above-mentioned services. 

Your response should include a clear technical description of the services you provide, a detailed cost and  financial component, and a comprehensive description of your firm’s qualifications and prior experience as  well as CVs of key experts who will be responsible of the accomplishment of the mission.  

This package must be submitted by email to the following address: infotun@democracyinternational.com, at no  later than 16:00 Tunis, Tunisia local time, May 24, 2023. DI reserves the right to exclude late or incomplete  proposals from its evaluation. Please mention the object of the email as the following: Public Opinion Survey. 

Sincerely, 

Patricia Taft Nasri 

Chief of Party 

Tunisia Civil Society Activity 

Democracy International 

Tunisia

Part 2 – Instructions to Bidder 

1. Type of Subcontract: Contingent on donor and programmatic approval, DI intends to issue  a Firm Fixed Price contract (hereafter: ‘Contract’ or ‘the Contract’). 
2. Submission of Questions: DI will answer all questions on a rolling basis up to May 23, 2023 sent to infotun@democracyinternational.com . DI will not provide technical guidance on preparation of your proposal regarding exact information to provide, cost or pricing, or any other technical  requirement. No questions will be answered over the phone or in person; all questions must be submitted in writing. 

Clarifications to this solicitation will be sent via email to all potential bidders. The source of  the inquiry will not be identified. 

1. Submission of Proposals: All responses must be in English or French and submitted via email  to infotun@democracyinternational.com. All responses must be received by this email address  no later than May 24, 2023 (4:00 pm Tunis, Tunisia local time). DI reserves the right to exclude late or incomplete proposals from its evaluation process. 

Applicants’ Proposal to this RFP should be submitted in one .pdf or .doc file not to exceed 15 (fifteen) pages and that includes the following components: 

1. Cost Proposal: The Bidder should provide a detailed and reliable estimate of all costs to perform the services described in this RFP. The total costs for services should be clearly broken down and the costs should be supported by a brief narrative explanation. 
2. Corporate Capabilities: The Bidder should provide a thorough description of their  capacity to conduct international standard survey research in Tunisia. The Biddershould  discuss its experience administering similar opinion research in the past for similar  international organizations. 
3. Technical Approach: The Biddershould provide an explanation of its technical approach to conduct the services detailed in this RFP. The technical approach should include, at a  minimum, a sampling plan, the Bidder’s approach to conducting international standard field  work and its quality control processes, and a brief discussion of the challenges to perform the specific services described in this RFP.

Part 3 ‐ Evaluation of Proposals 

1. Scoring of Proposal 

Adequacy of sampling plan 25% 

Completeness of fieldwork plan and quality control 35% 

Cost proposal 20% 

Qualifications of key personnel 10% 

Previous experience 10% 

1. Award of Contract – DI will award the contract for this solicitation to the Bidderthat it considers best able to provide the services requested at the best value. DI reserves the right to accept or  reject any proposal or rescind this solicitation process at any time prior to the award of contract, without incurring any liability to the affected Bidder(s) nor is DI obligated to inform the affected Bidder(s) of the grounds for rejection. 

Best offer price quotations may be requested. It is anticipated that the subcontract award will be made by DI solely on the basis of the original offer. However, DI reserves the right to conduct negotiations or request clarifications prior to award. Highest-rated offerors, as determined by the evaluation committee, may be allowed an opportunity to submit their best prices or technical  

responses in response to a Best and Final Offer (BAFO) request. DI reserves the right to make separate awards per survey component or to make no award at all. 

1. Conflict of Interest – The Bidder warrants that no DI employee or contractor has received or will  receive any direct or indirect benefit arising from this solicitation or its subsequent award. All parties  agree that the breach of this provision will result in the termination of the contract that may be awarded as a result of this solicitation. 
2. Whistleblower Policy and Reporting Process – Democracy International is committed to  operating with integrity and in full compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and policies. No  adverse action, including demotion, discrimination, or discharge, will be taken against a Democracy  International employee or Vendor in knowing retaliation for any lawful disclosure of information which  the employee/vendor in good faith believes there is evidence of: 
3. A gross mismanagement of a federal contact or grant; 
4. A gross waste of federal funds; 
5. An abuse of authority relating to a federal contract or grant; 
6. A substantial and specific danger to public health or safety; or 
7. A violation of law, rule, or regulation related to a federal contract, including competition for  or negotiation of a contract, or grant. 

Employees/Vendors may make anonymous whistleblower reports online at  

http://whistleblower.democracyinternational.com or via email at  

whistleblower@democracyinternational.com. 

Democracy International will provide protection from retaliation for any whistleblower. Retaliation includes, but is not limited to, any form of intimidation, reprisal, or harassment. No supervisor, director,  officer, or any other employee with authority to make or materially influence significant  personnel/procurement decisions shall take or recommend an adverse action against an  employee/vendor in knowing retaliation for disclosing alleged wrongful conduct. Any whistleblower who  believes she/he is being retaliated against should contact the Principal, Director of Administration, or  his/her supervisor. Any employee found to have so violated this Policy shall be disciplined, up to and  including termination.

Part 4 ‐ Terms of References (TOR) 

Democracy International will conduct a National and Regional public opinion survey by constituency in Tunisia  to gauge public opinion on issues of key importance to citizens. 

We invite research firms to submit two separate technical proposals, for SPOT1: National Public Survey and  SPOT2: Regional Public Survey. 

SPOT1: National Public Opinion Survey 

1. Public Opinion Survey 

The public opinion survey aims understand the: 

(1) key issue areas of concern for Tunisians. 

(2) opportunities and barriers to civic engagement around these issues; and  

(3) the most credible and influential actors at the national and local levels who are best positioned to  mobilize citizens in civic initiatives.  

The population for the surveys should be broadly representative of the Tunisian population and target individuals  from all governates, age, gender, and from minority or marginalized communities.  

1. Survey Content 

DI will work with the award recipient to develop the questionnaire first in English and then in  Tunisian Arabic. It is expected that the average interview time will be 10 minutes. 

1. Survey Methodology 
2. Representation
3. Survey samples should be designed to be representative by Governate.  
4. Sample Design
5. The target sample size will be an average of 400 per governate for statistical significance. Total  sample size, therefore, will be 9600 (400 respondents per 24 Governates). 
6. DI envisions the sample size should be drawn using a multistage random sampling procedure.  Primary sampling units will be selected randomly within the Governates.  

iii. Multiple attempts should be made to limit non‐responses; only after at least three attempts should a sample household be replaced for non‐response with an adjacent sample household in the same cluster. The contractor must record and report response rate as part of the report.  

1. Questionnaire 

The selected firm will draft the initial draft public opinion survey questionnaires in English and will  translate it into Tunisian Arabic. The Arabic and English versions must be submitted for DI approval. The approved questionnaires will be pre‐tested in at least 20 pilot interviews in rural and urban areas by  engaging experienced interviewers of the Firm. The questionnaires will be further scrutinized and  modified based on the pre‐test in the field. The final questionnaire needs to be approved by DI. Smartphones or tablets should be used for conducting the survey using a recognized online survey 

platform and should capture GPS locations of the respondents, length of interviews, etc. Costs  associated with the technology needed by the firm to conduct the survey (e.g., phones, tablets)  should be included in the cost proposal if not part of the standard price.  

1. Staffing 

The contractor will assign a project manager with extensive experience working with international  organizations and implement and serve as a primary point of contact for this project and provide a  list of other staff that will be involved in this survey with their qualifications. Prior to the  administration of the survey, the contractor will, in conjunction with DI, provide training to its survey 

team and share its training materials with DI. The contractor will share the contact information of its  field staff with DI so that DI staff is able to conduct spot-check and participate in backchecking of the completed surveys. The contractor will also share the fieldwork schedule, which entails date, time, location, and sampling points to be visited during fieldwork. 

1. Administration 

Prior to administration, the contractor will submit a detailed workplan so that DI will be able to identify  exactly when and where the survey fieldwork will be conducted. Bidders should fully explain quality  controls, including the percentage of back‐checks and the method by which such checks are conducted. Fieldwork of the survey must be completed within 21 days or less (including the weekend) cleaning,  analysis and reporting must be completed within 12 calendar days or less after completion of the  fieldwork. Comprehensive quality control measures should be employed throughout each step of the  survey process.  

1. Functions and Responsibilities of the Firm 
2. Develop survey sample design that will be representative (statistically significant) by governorate. 2. Translate, format and pre‐test survey questionnaires. Finalize survey questionnaire based on findings  of pretest.  
3. Recruit managerial and supervisory field staff with appropriate qualifications and knowledge and impart  training of the managerial and supervisory staff prior to their assignment in the field. 4. Recruit field enumerators with appropriate qualifications and conduct necessary training of the enumerators. 
4. Firm will provide all training modules for enumerators and field level supervisors at least one week  prior of the training for DI’s approval. DI will monitor all trainings.  
5. Devise monitoring procedures of field enumeration and operations as well as for solving problems that  may hinder or undermine the quality of the field enumeration. 
6. Implement international-standard quality control protocols at the data collection, supervisorial and data  entry/processing stages. This includes back-checking/validation of a minimum of 10% of interviews. 8. Develop a coding scheme, code, procedure for entry and cleaning of data for the survey. 9. Prepare electronic data file (in SPSS .sav format), topline results and cross tabulations in excel (.xlsx).

III. Expected Deliverables 

1. A detailed report including methodology and sampling plan in .docx format. 
2. Field procedure and detailed schedule for data collection through face-to-face interview. 3. Procedure for data entry, quality control and editing. 
3. Raw data in SPSS format and excel format. 
4. Frequency report and standard cross tabulations in excel format.  
5. A full methodology report that includes, at minimum, field dates, response and non-response bias  and abandonment, final sampling report, final average interview length, interviewer training report,  validation rates and methods, weighting schemes and problems encountered during the study, with  corrections/recommendations for future studies. 
6. Provide GPS location points (longitude and latitude) of interviews in excel format.  

Below is the description and list of deliverables 

• Inception Report (set1): which contains a comprehensive and time bounded work plan identifying the  roles of each team member carrying out the survey and the different phases of the survey and detailed  methodology (including the description of the methodologies and tools to be used in the survey including  the exact sample size details and questionnaire) and annotated outline of the final report, to be submitted  within 10 days of signing the contract. 
• Draft Pilot Survey Report: which contains the issues identified and how they should be addressed  during the full-scale survey, including the inputs and comments of stakeholders from the validation  workshop, to be submitted within 15 days of signing the contract. 
• Draft Full-Scale Survey Report: the report consists primarily of the survey results with  recommendations, to be submitted within 40 days of contract signing, considering 21 days of field work. • Raw Data in SPSS format and excel format. 
• Validation meeting 
• Final Survey Report: divided into two sections: the survey report, which contains input from the  validation meeting and all survey data and information, and the final report. 

The report will contribute to the identification of the list of thematic issues. 

The final report must be submitted in hard copy (printed in color and signed) and electronically, including all data  used in a separate appendix to be submitted within 45 days of contract signing. 

1. Materials and support to be provided by DI 
2. Sample design assistance, as needed. 
3. Advice in interview training, as needed. 
4. Field visit and spot-check feedback continuously.  
5. Deliverables and Due Dates: 

Upon award of a subcontract, DI and the contractor will agree on a schedule for deliverables, however DI  anticipates awarding a contract for opinion survey by May 31, 2023, so fieldwork can commence soon after  that and must be completed before June 26,2023 The deliverables are intended as evidence or confirmation  that the activities have been successfully completed. All the deliverables must be submitted to and approved by DI before payment will be processed.

1. Inspection and Acceptance: 

DI will inspect from time to time the services being performed to determine whether the activities are being performed in a satisfactory manner, and that all equipment or supplies are of acceptable quality and  standards. This could include accompanying interviewers on pre-tests, review and observation of quality  control protocols and analysis/quality control of data files. The contractor shall be responsible for any  countermeasures or corrective action, within the scope of this RFP, which may be required by DI. 

VII. Submission: 

Responses to this RFP should be provided to DI in electronic form and should be in English (document not  to exceed 15 pages, excluding past performance) all elements of the project design: the sample design, cost  in Tunisian Dinars, and relevant experience: 

1. Description of the Sample 

Description of the sample as described above. 

1. Cost 

Cost (in Tunisian Dinars) should be itemized for each survey. The budget proposal should include an active Excel sheet that consists of a budget breakdown, budget notes, formula and calculation. All calculation errors in the pricing sheet are subject to correction.( see Annex1) 

1. Past experience 

Relevant past experience to include: 

1) examples of similar projects; 

2) list of clients, with an emphasis on international quantitative and qualitative projects; 3) contact information for at least three previous clients to be contacted as references. 

VIII. Timeline: 

The work intended to be performed is extremely time sensitive. Therefore, responses should be submitted no later than May 24, 2023 16:00 Tunis time. 

SPOT 2: Regional Public Opinion Survey 

All articles of SPOT 2 remain the same as SPOT 1 (National Public Opinion Survey) except the following:  

Questionnaire:  

The regional public opinion survey questionnaires will be drafted according to the results of SPOT 1. The  firm will draft the questionnaire in English and translate it into Tunisian Arabic. The Arabic and English versions must be submitted for DI approval. The approved questionnaires will be pre‐tested in at least 20  pilot interviews in rural and urban areas by engaging experienced interviewers of the Firm. The questionnaires  will be further scrutinized and modified based on the pre‐test in the field. The final questionnaire needs to  be approved by DI. Smartphones or tablets should be used for conducting the survey using a recognized  online survey platform. It will enable the firm to capture the GPS locations of the respondents, length of  interviews etc. Costs associated with the technology needed by the firm to conduct the survey (e.g., phones,  tablets) should be included in the cost proposal if not part of the standard price.

1. Deliverables and Due Dates: 

Upon award of a subcontract, DI and the contractor will agree on a schedule for deliverables, however, fieldwork can commence soon after that and must be completed before July 21,2023 The deliverables are intended as evidence or confirmation that the activities have been successfully completed. All the deliverables  must be submitted to and approved by DI before payment will be processed. 

If you have any questions regarding this request for quotations, please forward them to infotun@democracyinternational.com