Search for Common Ground lance un appel à consultation “Development of Youth Engagement Online Game – Tunisia” عودة إلى الفرص

Search in Tunisia

Search for Common Ground (Search)’s mission in Tunisia is to promote a culture of dialogue and diversity through the involvement of all parts of society while building their capacities. Search works in Tunisia to help members of Tunisian society to address conflicts and differences constructively through cooperation and dialogue. Search-Tunisia works across multiple channels, mainly with youth, CSOs, media actors, security forces, and local authorities to build the capacity of individuals and institutions to address challenges including differences and acting on common points. Through this approach and partnerships, Search-Tunisia has four main strategic objectives: (i) promoting peace education; (ii) fostering non-violent social dialogue; (iii) enhancing participatory and inclusive governance; and (iv) transforming violent extremism. More information about our Tunisia program can be found here.

Project Summary

Search-Tunisia is currently implementing in partnership with FHI360 the USAID-funded Ma3an program, which aims to increase the capacity of communities to withstand political, social, and economic stresses and shocks by achieving the objectives of: 1) strengthened community resilience, 2) mitigated community vulnerabilities, and 3) improved capacity of Tunisian partners to sustain and replicate the model. Ma3an will spur 30 of Tunisia’s most vulnerable communities to action and generate sustainable resources for development in areas that are vulnerable to instability. Together with USAID-Tunisia’s programs in accountability, decentralization, and youth entrepreneurship (i.e., TADAEEM and Mashrou3i), Ma3an will consolidate democratic progress while fostering social cohesion in target areas.

About the Consultancy

As part of the Ma3an program, Search-Tunisia aims to engage Tunisian youth in real-world peacebuilding and civic engagement action, as well as to create a broad network of engaged youth across the Ma3an communities. To achieve this objective, Search will create a web- and social media-based game (tentative working name “Ma3an Challenge”), which will engage youth in digital campaigns with real-world activities that they can complete in their local communities. The Ma3an Challenge will be implemented through a combined mobile website and social media format, leveraging the advantages of both systems to produce a platform that is widely accessible across mobile and computer operating systems and scalable for increased reach and impact. The game will be based on a player’s accomplishment of different levels of challenges by (1) Completing real-world peacebuilding actions following challenge instructions and (2) Creating related media content (pictures, videos) and disseminating it on social media to induce social transformation.

Search-Tunisia seeks to procure the services of an external media and web development company who will work closely with the Ma3an team to:

• Organize and conduct a market consultation with youth to inform game and platform design;
• Develop and manage all components of the online gaming platform, which should include a smartphone-friendly website and linked social media pages;
• Develop, implement, and manage a communication and social media strategy, including the game’s visual and graphic identity and all media content associated with it;
• Insure, provide and supervise ads campaigns (Facebook Ads, Google AdWords…) for the digital content and links leading to the platform / game to target the criteria of the Ma3an Challenge potential players followed by Monitoring and Evaluation monthly Report. (For whole duration of contract)
• Monitor online engagement with the platform and collect quantitative and qualitative data on reach, engagement trends, and impact on youth to adapt the game as needed.

To inform platform development, the external media company will conduct a market consultation aimed at understanding the use of social media and technology among Tunisian youth aged 18-35, as well as their values and motivation for online and offline engagement. The consultation will also gather pre-launch input and feedback on the structure of the gaming platform and its communication and visual elements. The market consultation should use a mixed methods approach based on a quantitative survey and qualitative small group consultations with youth from select Ma3an target communities. As part of the consultation, the external media company should also conduct desk-based research on regional and global best practices in the development of similar platforms/games for youth engagement and take into account Search’s experience both in Tunisia and globally in engaging youth, including through innovative media.

The game’s challenges will be designed through a participatory process that involves youth directly and will take initially the form of a creative workshop(s) organized and facilitated by the Ma3an team, in which the external media company will participate. This event will also provide an opportunity for the company to gather youth’s input and feedback on platform design, communication, and branding identity ideas.

The process of developing, implementing, managing, and monitoring the gaming platform and its associated communication and social media strategy will be led by the external company in close collaboration with the Ma3an team in order to constantly ensure alignment with the Ma3an project’s objectives and values.

The selection of target communities where the company should conduct the market consultation will be provided by the Ma3an team. The company’s team will report to the Ma3an Challenge Coordinator and work closely with the Search Media & Communications Officer, the Ma3an Communication Advisor, the Ma3an Vulnerabilities Mitigation team, and the Search-Ma3an Team Leader. This consultancy will last approximately 9 months, from August 2019 to May 2020, with the possibility to be extended based on need.

Scope of Work

The scope of work of this consultancy includes the following activities:

Market Consultation

I.Organize and conduct a market consultation(s) with Tunisian youth ages 18-35 to inform the game and platform design process. The market consultation will look at: (1) Access to and use of social media among young people in select Ma3an target communities; (2) The level and form of youth engagement in social media and civic life, including motivations for engagement; (3) The motivations and values that drive young people to engage in online networks and social life. The market consultation will also gather pre-launch input on the company’s initial proposed structures of the gaming platform and its communication and visual elements. It should use a mixed methods approach based on a quantitative survey and qualitative small group consultations with youth from select Ma3an target communities indicated by the Ma3an team. The specific number of consultations will be determined in collaboration with the Ma3an team during the development of the inception report. The market consultation will include the following deliverables:

• An inception report detailing methodology, sampling techniques, timeline, outline of final report, and data collection tools, including survey questionnaire and small group consultation guide; (within 1 week of signature of contract)
• A short report (maximum 5 pages) detailing preliminary findings that emerged from data collection; (within 5 weeks of signature of contract)
• A final report (maximum 20 pages) that details findings from data collection and includes a desk-based review of regional and global best practices in the development of similar platforms/games for civic engagement. (Within 7 weeks of signature of contract)

Online Gaming Platform Development and Management

• Develop a smartphone-friendly gaming platform that aligns with the objectives and game specifications provided by the Ma3an team. This task includes all technical and visual steps necessary for the creation of this platform, including the purchase of a dedicated web domain that is licensed to the Ma3an project, creation of a tailored Content Management System licensed to the Ma3an project (or one of its implementers), and the development of all technical and visual aspects of the website structure, CMS, interface, and functioning in line with the creative and conceptual objectives of the Ma3an Challenge. (Within 12 weeks of signature of contract)
• Ensure that the website design and functioning is based on the findings of the market consultation an in line with the creative and conceptual objectives set by the Ma3an team.
• Ensure full integration of the website with Ma3an Challenge social media pages, with the aim of creating an entertaining player experience that smoothly connects social media pages to the website and vice-versa. (Within 12 weeks of signature of contract)
• Manage the website and its interface throughout all phases of the Ma3an Challenge implementation (launch, challenge roll-out, challenge validation, player scoring, and player level management, etc.) in close collaboration with the Ma3an Challenge Coordinator. (For whole duration of contract)
• Ensure maintenance of the website as needed, troubleshoot any technical problems arising with the platform, and provide regular technical assistance as needed to both the Ma3an team and players. (For whole duration of contract)

Communication and Social Media Strategy Development and Implementation

• Develop a specific communication and social media strategy for the Ma3an Challenge in alignment with the objectives and guidelines provided by the Ma3an team and (where possible and appropriate) with the Ma3an communication strategy.
• Implement the Ma3an Challenge communication and social media strategy, providing adequate human and technical resources and ensuring regular coordination with the Ma3an team. (For whole duration of contract)
• Insure, provide and supervise ads campaigns (Facebook Ads, Google AdWords…) for the digital content and links leading to the platform / game to target the criteria of the Ma3an Challenge potential players followed by Monitoring and Evaluation monthly Report. (For whole duration of contract)

Social Media Community Management

• Create and manage the Ma3an Challenge social media profiles in line with the communication and social media strategy, celebrating players’ achievements, tracking challenge accomplishments, uploading produced content on the main Ma3an Challenge social media pages and ensuring that it is appealing for the target audience and encourages engagement. (For whole duration of contract)
• Interact with the players and the audience following the guidelines set by the Ma3an Challenge communication and social media strategy and the Ma3an team. (For whole duration of contract)
• Co-plan and adhere to the social media strategy and calendar. (For whole duration of contract)

Media Content Production

• Produce all video and photo content related to the Ma3an Challenge, including stills for social media profiles, video features on players/challenges, interviews with players or other related stakeholders,
  challenge summaries, and all promotional video-photo materials as needed. (For whole duration of contract)

Graphic Identity and Visual Elements Production

• Design all graphic elements related to the Ma3an Challenge, including the logo and brand identity (aligned as needed with the Ma3an visual identity), infographics and motion graphics for the website and social media, as well as all graphic elements of produced promotional content. (Within 15 weeks of signature of the contract)

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Analyze social media and website analytics to monitor online engagement with the platform, referring to available data such as the numbers of registered players, challenges accomplished, content uploaded, likes, shares, comments, as well as other data that would allow to identify champions, understand public reception of the challenges/platform, embracement of values and spirit behind the Ma3an Challenge, etc.; (For whole duration of contract)
• Conduct regular online surveys with a sample of players/non-players to understand the dynamics behind engagement (or lack thereof) in the Ma3an Challenge, and the impact of the Ma3an Challenge platform on players and their attitude toward civic engagement; (For whole duration of contract)
• Provide regular monthly M&E reports and M&E digital ads to the Ma3an team including the above-mentioned data, as well as data on any other indicators deemed relevant by the Ma3an Challenge team (For whole duration of contract)

Deliverables & Payment Schedule

The following deliverables and payment structure are expected from this consultancy. Due dates in the table below are approximate and subject to change based on the actual date of signature of contract:

N.B.: ALL DELIVERABLES SHOULD BE SUBMITTED IN ENGLISH AND ARABIC. 

Contract Duration, Remuneration, and Supervision

The external media company will report directly and work closely with Ma3an Challenge Coordinator, the Search-Tunisia DM&E team, the Search-Ma3an Team Leader.

The remuneration of the external media company is competitive and will be determined based on the technical and financial proposal of the proposed consultants, as well as their previous experience and ability to conduct the desired Scope of Work. The external media company will be hired for a period of nine (9) months, with possibility of extension based on need.