ACTIONAID NIGERIA: RE-ADVERTISEMENT: CONSULTANT VIDEOGRAPHER FOR EVALUATIVE DOCUMENTARY OF WVL-N PROJECT IN CROSS RIVER STATE

1. Background:

The Women’s Voice, and Leadership Nigerian (WVL-N) project is a five-year project funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) that aims to promote gender equality and women’s rights in Nigeria.

The project focuses on supporting Local Women’s Right Organizations (LWROs) and movements in their efforts to advance women’s empowerment, gender equality, and social justice. It provides funding and capacity-building support to these organizations, enabling them to better advocate for women’s rights, amplify women’s voices, and address issues related to gender-based discrimination and violence.

Through the WVL Nigeria project, LWROs and activists receives grants and technical assistance to implement programs and campaigns aimed at creating positive change within their communities and the country. The project centers on areas such as women’s economic empowerment, women’s political participation, ending gender-based violence, and promoting access to healthcare and education for women and girls. The project has re-defined the narratives of donor funding by establishing partnership with 100 plus Women-led organisations who have the privilege of accessing funds which allows them the flexibility of implementing their respective core mandates.

This intervention is designed to respond to the challenges faced by Local Women’s Rights Organisations in Nigeria through provision of multiple layers of funding and targeted/tailored capacity building. Additionally, the project supports feminist platforms at the state and federal levels for more effective networking and greater cohesiveness in the advancement of women and girls right. The project is being implemented in 6 states and the FCT spread across all 6 geo-political zones of Nigeria. Besides the 6 states, the project’s multiple layers of funding allow reach to other states. The main goal of the WVL-N project is to Increase enjoyment of human rights by women and girls and the advancement of gender equality in Nigeria. 

Achievement of the project objectives was dependent on the realisation of these expected results:

• Improved management and sustainability of local women’s rights organization in Nigeria.
• Enhanced delivery of programming and advocacy to advance gender equality by local women’s rights organizations in Nigeria.
• Increased effectiveness of sub-national, national, and regional women’s rights platforms, networks, and alliances to affect policy, legal and social change in Nigeria.

The WVL Nigeria project work in collaboration with various stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society organizations, and international partners, to maximize its impact and contribute to sustainable change in the country.

As the project phases out, it is important that the impact of the project and LWROs work in the focus states is documented in documentary style format. The documented stories/impact will be used in developing communication materials and support ActionAid fundraising in the future.

2. Target audience/s

The target audience for the stories of change documentation are the women led organisation/ CSOs, community-based organizations, National Networks and Movements CBOs in this state, project beneficiaries, key communities, state and National stakeholders, relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, donors, and public.

The documentation should help the audience to:

See that the WVL-N project has contributed towards the improved institutional capabilities of LWROs to strategically design, implement and manage actions on GBV for vulnerable women and girls in the project states. That the high rate of SGBV, political and leadership exclusion, economic injustice, and socio-cultural norms prevalent in these states are reduced to the barest minimum with stories to back it up. That beneficiaries were selected based on need and vulnerability status through a transparent process that promotes community participation and ownership.

Believe that the WVL-N project built and strengthened the capacity of relevant community structures, such as the women peer education programmes, Village Savings and Loan Scheme, Community Response Team, girls gender clubs etc. Who have been empowered to challenge negative socio-cultural norms and practices that violate women’s rights. That men’s groups that work to influence and change men’s orientation on protection of women’s rights and encourage positive masculinity. By addressing the challenges of knowledge and competency gaps to coordinate and manage issues in the state and at community level.

Do compel them (the audience) to share the stories of change for dissemination. The content should also help, show case state and national level impact to state and national government,

inspire the audience existing and potential donors to support the scale up of the interventions as well as encourage stakeholders to share the content as a best practice.

3. Tone and Style

The video will tell the stories of the impact of the WVL-N project on communities, state and National Level and the role the 15 Partners played in optimizing its benefits in target LGAs.

The interviews should:

• be filmed in the community environs.
• be personal, conversational in tone (not formal, serious, or rigid)
• be largely accompanied by B-Roll footage that corresponds to what the interviewee is speaking about (i.e., limited ‘talking head’)
• include some emotional reaction and/or personal reflection on the process that led to the result rather than just objective narration of technical details.

The documentary should tell a compelling and complete story by triangulating interviews of right bearers, community and state level stakeholders while focusing on the issues, stories of change and impacts of the project.

Style

• The video should not be heavily styled but clear and simple in its filming and editing techniques.
• There should be close-ups and reaction shots of different community members during community activities (with a higher focus on women and girls,)
• There should be footage of the community’s daily life and environs incorporated into the video to add context.
• Where National and state level stakeholders are interviewed, relevant B-roll footages relating to the context should be used.

Tone

• The tone of the video should be light, not formal, and rigid. It should be positive and upbeat.
• The video should be inspiring stories about women and girls and the issues they confront in relation to SGBV, political participation, economic empowerment and the role played by the WVL-N project in enhancing its rights to stand up against these practices at state and community level.
• Please note that it is not about ActionAid, hence the video should focus on people’s stories, changes, and impact (with ActionAid perhaps playing a facilitating role).

4. Technical compatibility and deliverables

All content should be shot in 16:9 aspect ratios. Standard Definition (SD) footage should be in PAL format, High Definition (HD) footage should be at 50i or 25p frame rates. If there are operational reasons for using any other format, please agree this in advance with ActionAid Nigeria’s Communications Unit.

5. Rushes: Consultants for each state will make available to ActionAid Nigeria rushes and master tapes of this project on a hard drive (1 TB) as well as make all reasonable efforts to safeguard the rushes and tapes. In the event of loss of the tapes or damage to them, compensation by you to ActionAid will be limited to no more than a refund of the part of the fee already paid. All outputs for this production belong to ActionAid Nigeria and cannot be used for commercial or any personal purposes.

6. Content Gathering Guide

ActionAid’s general guide for case studies collection of stories of change:

• Interview a range of people involved in the programme to create a well-rounded selection of stories including partner CEOs and staff.
• Interview the groups which ActionAid works on behalf of: In this case members of communities, community stakeholders and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
• Please ensure that the case studies you take link to the tangible elements of the service areas of the programme. Case studies for a high value audience are strongest when they focus on services delivered, impact and outcomes.

It is also useful to think of it in terms of a story with three parts:

• Issue – what were the challenges before the programme?
• Action – what did the programme do to tackle it? What actions was taken?
• Impact – what changed in the life of the beneficiaries or communities?

The content should generally highlight: 

1. Programmes which include prevention & response to SGBV, political exclusion/participation, economic injustice, and empowerment, Sexual and Reproductive Health in these states. And the preceding impacts, achievements and stories from the project geared towards changes in lives of the programme beneficiaries.
2. Improved livelihood for women and girls in communities.
3. Programme sustainability after the phase out of the WVL-N project
4. Community members (especially women and girls) increased knowledge on their rights and demanding for it.
5. Increased capacity of relevant of LWROs, government institutions, community and religious leaders, clan heads etc in coordinating and responding to demands of the community.

7 Deliverables

Specific Outputs

1. Consultants will submit a video documentation of programme stories of impact with subtitles, rushes, quality action pictures which have been professionally edited.
2. The Videographer-Consultants will provide ActionAid with all rushes/raw footage and case studies collected as separate materials from the completed documentary.
3. Consultants for each state will submit a long video 20-25mins. This must be a fair mix from the list of interviewees provided and from all programme locations.
4. Consultants will also submit a short video 10-15mins summarizing the whole project and 3 – 4 3mins short videos, focusing on key areas of intervention.
5. S/He will be working with ActionAid staff/partner to capture suitable photos.
6. Consultant should be based in Cross River state or it’s environs for easy access to beneficiaries and to cut transportation cost as budget is captures within state engagement.

8. Competencies

    Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity, professional and ethical standards.
• Showcase valuable experience of at least 7-10 years in delivering documentaries around women rights or development projects.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

   Functional Competencies:

• Communication, interpersonal and professional skills required for collaboration with Government agencies as well as various community and state stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritize work and produce the required outputs in the given timeline.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent video editing and presentation skills.
• Excellent computer skills
• Must be result-oriented, a team player, exhibiting high levels of enthusiasm, tact, diplomacy, and integrity.
• Must be familiar with the development sector with an experience in producing impact stories at community level.
• Must be able to submit a technical proposal, and work plan for the documentary.

9. Education:

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, Theatre Art, Development Studies, or related field. Professional courses in videography and development management will be an added advantage.

10. Experience:

The consultant is expected to have the following qualifications:

• Background knowledge of the state and the ability to speak common/local language of the state which the assessment will be conducted in.
• Hands on experience producing similar documentation.
• Experience of working in poor, rural communities of Nigeria
• Understanding and experience of working with state and non-state actors (at all levels)
• Knowledge of local governance and poverty contextual issues (desirable)
• The individual’s or his/her organisation’s work responds to the needs and interests of poor and marginalised women, girls and people living with disabilities and other forms of diversity.
• Evidence of having undertaken similar assignments in the past
• Should be available within one week of consultancy offer.

11. Assignment Location and Timeline

The assignment will require a consultant based/lives in the state of the project intervention, to cover stories of at least 15 partners, their stakeholders, and the communities they work in. MDAs, community leaders as well as community structures in Cross River state will also be considered. It is estimated that consultant will spend at most 10 full days or less in the field. (exclusive of travel days) with 2 reporting days. Field visit for state is slated to commence between 1st January 2024. First draft video for all state should be submitted latest on or before 15th February 2024 and final video submitted latest 22nd February 2024 or as agreed with ActionAid team.

12. Work Arrangement & Reporting Lines

Consultants will be expected to provide their own work equipment in line with the stated camera specifications. The consultant is also expected to provide his/her feeding and accommodation for them and their team.

ActionAid Nigeria will provide a list of interviewees and videographers will be required to carter for his/her travels to the project states, accommodation, transportation and per diem as these are all factored in the cost provided by the consultant.

Consultants in his/her work, will be accountable directly to ActionAid Nigeria’s Women’s Right Manager and Communications Officer.

13. Consent & Child Protection Policy: 

Consent Guideline

It is essential that we are to be able to demonstrate that all contributors (non-ActionAid staff) have given informed consent for their names, images, and stories to be used. Ideally this should be written consent. A sample consent forms, for individual and a group, are included with this TOR and a final consent form will be provided by ActionAid prior to the first content-gathering trip.

If it is not possible to get written permission (e.g., the situation doesn’t allow, the contributor is not literate) please get a verbal consent on video camera – please include the explanation and request as well as the contributor’s consent.

If the contributor is under the age of 18, written or on-camera verbal consent must be provided by a parent or legal guardian.

If written or video consent is not given by the contributors and handed over to ActionAid, we will be unable to use the case study.

Child Protection Policy

The following guidelines are in line with our Child Protection policy:

• When filming a child, the child’s best interests should always be the primary consideration.
• Never photograph a child with the intent to shame, humiliate or degrade them, or perpetrate any form of emotional abuse.
• Children should never be depicted in erotic, seductive, provocative poses, or context (even if illustrating trafficking of girls, for instance).
• Ensure that all children represented in images are suitably dressed. We should never use images of nude children, children that appear to be wearing no clothes or children in transparent clothes. We should also never blur nude areas or use props to cover areas that are not clothed.
• The caption of an image of a child should never include the child’s full name (Exception: Child Sponsorship material targeted directly to child sponsors.) We should also never disclose personal details, email, postal address, and telephone numbers other than if these details have been knowingly and openly provided by the child themself (See section on Consent Form) and the child is aware that these will be provided with the images.
• Try to show children in their context, showing the reality of their lives, the environments in which they live and the circumstances that make them vulnerable.
• Where possible, show children as active and resourceful. Where relevant, include families, parents, or carers.
• Where possible, show how ActionAid works with children, rather than showing them as alone and vulnerable.

14.  SHEA and Safeguarding

ActionAid is committed to preventing any form of sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse (including child abuse and adult at-risk abuse) and responding robustly when these harms take place in line with our zero-tolerance approach to Safeguarding concerns.

15. Terms of Payment

Consultantsshall be responsible for his/her tax and other statutory obligations.  ActionAid shall however deduct the statutory 5% WithHolding Tax (WHT) for individuals and 10% WHT for Corporates and remit same to relevant authority. The Consultant should provide AAN his/her Tax Identification Number (TIN) for the purposes of remittance.

16. Availability

Consultants will support AAN as agreed in this EOI and as subsequently agreed between S(he), Women’s Right Manager, Communications Officer, or any other person authorised to negotiate with him/her on behalf of the organisation. S(he) is therefore to indicate availability within specified timeframe stated in this EOI.

17. Submission 

Interested applicants should submit a 3–4-page technical proposal detailing:

1. Personal or organisational profile/Resume
2. A detailed budget (with logistics cost inclusive)
3. A weekly workplan for days of shoot.
4. Links of previous works

Applications must be submitted electronically in one Microsoft Word file to:  Procurement.Nigeria@actionaid.org Consultants should identify on the subject line the state they are submitting for e.g: Cross River State: Videographer for WVL-N project Evaluative Documentary. 

Applications should be submitted not later than Monday 27th November 2023. Failure to adhere to instructions on submissions could invalidate your application.

     Only awarded applicants will be contacted for interview.