Request for Quotation (RFQ) for Street Theater for COVID -19Vaccine Uptake and Malaria Prevention across the 15 counties

About the Organization

Breakthrough ACTION Liberia is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) flagship integrated Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Project led by Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP). The project is collaborating with the Ministry of Health (MOH) at the national, subnational levels, and complementing the interventions of other relevant USAID partners, to implement high-quality social and behavior change activities in Liberian that will result in improved demand and use of health services for malaria, maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH), nutrition, family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH), Adolescent health; and water and sanitation, hygiene (WASH), as well as inform communities to engage in behaviors to prevent zoonotic and non-zoonotic infections in line with the Global Health Security Agenda, including COVID-19. This project will develop and improve the effectiveness of SBC within the USAID Health Portfolio to achieve better sustainable health outcomes.

Job description

Breakthrough ACTION Liberia is therefore seeking the services of interested institutions, agency or group engaging into performing Arts and Culture to implement Street Theater Performances during the period including; September 20, through October 30, 2022.

Specifically, for this activity, Breakthrough ACTION Liberia will work with existing health structures (County and District Health Teams, Health Promotion Focal Persons, Malaria Focal Persons, Community Health Focal Persons, and Child Survival Focal Persons) and artists to host street theater performances in market settings. The street theater performances will promote consistent use of ITNs as a safe and effective malaria prevention method. This special- micro campaign will focus on counteracting rumors that ITNs are harmful (infested with diseases such as COVID-19) by promoting ITNs as a safe and effective malaria prevention method, especially among priority audiences (e.g. pregnant women, school children, adolescents). The theater performances will also include key details on COVID-19 vaccines, COVID-19 prevention, malaria prevention, and information on distribution sites for COVID-19 vaccines and ITNs.

The performances will include interactive and participatory activities (e.g. school going children present during performances will be asked to read a pledge to use an ITN every night). These activities will take place across the entire country. Bumper stickers, which will be distributed following the performances, will serve as visual reminders to use ITNs everywhere and every night. Radio spots aired on community radio will focus on net use to improve recall of key messages promoted via the street performances.

Aims:

• Engage community members in dialogue about COVID-19 and malaria prevention (specifically bed net use)
• Surface key issues that may be affecting health behaviors
• Highlight what language people already use to describe the health issue.
• Provide accurate information that can then be used to inform decision-making
• Address rumors, concerns, misinformation, fears, and other attitudinal issues that may be preventing communities for practices priority health behaviors
• Support in promoting malaria prevention and COVID-19 vaccine uptake.
• Each performance should include minimally these 4 elements: 1) capture attention, 2) communicate the issue, 4) present a call to action, and 5) connect community members to services.
• Selected institution to conduct two (2) days of performances per county. We will also have 1 day in Monrovia. Each day should include 3-5 performances/ locations per day. Locations will be selected alongside the county health team.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Confirmation of interest and availability in supporting this effort
• Previous experience/ expertise in this area
• Explanation of their approach
• Proposed schedule/ travel plan
• Breakdown of all costs
• Confirmation that we will have an opportunity to provide input/ feedback on messages communicated during the performances
• Confirmation that a central MOH and BA person will be able to provide oversight and monitoring for all performances
• Submit final report on your activities Anticipated timelines are below and specific to each cluster. We want all activities completed by October 31, 2022.
• Montserrado/ Margibi Cluster. Proposed dates: To be arranged. (Including 3 activity days & 1 travel day/ prep day
• Western Cluster/ Central Cluster (Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Bong, Nimba, Lofa). Proposed dates: To be arranged (14 activity days & 2 travel days)
• South East Cluster (River Cess, Sinoe, Grand Kru, Maryland, River Gee, Grand Gedeh). Proposed dates: To be arrange soon: (14 activity days & 3 travel days)

All potential vendors must be registered and tax compliant as per the Government of Liberia regulations and have the skills and capacity to deliver the required service.