Terms of reference (TOR) for the Production of a video Documentary

Introduction 

The Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations for Elections (CECOE) is a non-profit and non-governmental civil society organization with more than 175 member organizations. CECOE was licensed by the F.D.R.E. Authority for Civil Society Organizations (ACSO) in 2019 with registration number 4748 under the Civil Society Organizations Proclamation 1113/2019. 

CECOE was established with the aim of enhancing and coordinating the role of Ethiopian CSOs in election observation, voter education, preventing electoral conflicts, and providing capacity building and support for its member organizations. 

CECOE is a committed member of the East and Horn of Africa Election Observers Network (E-HORN), African Election Observers Network (AfEONet), a pan-African coordinating platform, and a founding member of the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM), which connects regional networks and individual monitoring organizations across more than 88 countries worldwide. 

CECOE is currently implementing a project titled ‘Enhancing the Participation of Women in Ethiopian Politics Balancing the Scales’, with financial support from the European Union and in partnership with the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), The project aims to produce TV documentaries showcasing best practices that encourage and inspire women’s political participation.

The overall Objective 

The project aims to produce and broadcast thematic documentaries that spotlight exemplary social practices, institutions, and personalities contributing to the creation of an enabling environment for women’s active participation in critical political and social decision-making processes. These documentaries aim to showcase best practices, inspire replication across various sectors, and motivate women to engage meaningfully in professional environments and political affairs. Furthermore, the documentaries will highlight historical figures such as queens, empresses, and women political activists to illustrate the enduring and impactful roles Ethiopian women have played beyond traditional domestic spheres. 

Scope of Work 

1. The scope of work involves conducting research and interviews with influential figures and institutions advancing women’s participation in decision-making processes. This includes developing detailed scripts and storyboards for each documentary obtaining filming permissions and location access and recruiting a professional film crew.
2. The production must ensure high-quality audio and video recording, editing footage with visual enhancements, and coordinating broadcasting with television stations.  The production company will manage project budget and expenses, establish timelines and milestones, prepare progress reports, document the production process, and engage stakeholders to ensure alignment with project objectives for enhancing women’s involvement in Ethiopian politics.
3. The production company should prepare the narration script and get approval from CECOE- communication and project team to use it for the film production. The company should use the feedback given by CECOE to further improve the quality of the work. Following the comments, the film company shall polish and prepare the final work accommodating the feedback. Shall deliver the final production in soft copy. 

Methodology 

CECOE intends to produce and broadcast two thematic documentaries to showcase best practices, and encourage their replication across various sectors. 

• The first documentary will focus on showcasing organizations that have become role-models in creating a work environment in which women can thrive professionally. 
• The second documentary will profile exemplary women role models who managed to overcome barriers and have meaningfully engaged in political affairs. It will also explore how they managed to overcome the barriers and create impact, in order to motivate more women to engage in politics. 
• The documentaries should embrace a diverse range of storytelling techniques, including personal anecdotes, historical narratives, and expert insights to create a multifaceted portrayal of women’s empowerment.
• Ensure visuals authentically represent the cultural context and diversity of women’s experiences in Ethiopia.
• Develop targeted distribution strategies to reach diverse audiences, including marginalized communities and youth, to maximize the documentaries’ impact.

Role and responsibilities 

The Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Will

1. oversee the project timeline, milestones, and budget, ensuring production stays on track. 
2. coordinate with the documentary production company to ensure deliverables meet the coalition’s expectations, and review and approve documentary concepts, scripts, and storyboards to align with the coalition’s stance on election integrity. 
3. ensure the content aligns with messaging and advocacy goals, it will assist connections with stakeholders, experts, and community members for input into the documentaries.
4. utilize the documentaries as advocacy tools to raise awareness about civic participation and free elections. 
5. develop distribution strategies to reach target audiences, and establish metrics for impact assessment on public perception, awareness, and engagement with electoral processes. 
6. ensure ethical standards in the documentaries, monitor production for integrity, and provide regular updates and reports on project progress to coalition members, stakeholders, and funders.

The production company will

1. Research, identify and conduct interviews with exemplary social practices, institutions, and personalities fostering women’s involvement in key decision-making processes, per the documentary themes.
2. Develop detailed scripts and storyboards for each of the documentaries, outlining key themes and narratives.
3. Secure necessary permissions and access to filming locations.
4. Recruit a professional film crew and talent for interviews. Arrange logistics for filming, including equipment rental and transportation.
5. Ensure high-quality audio and video recording during filming.
6. Edit and assemble footage to create compelling narratives for each documentary.
7. Incorporate graphics, animations, and other visual elements to enhance storytelling.
8. Fine-tune audio, color grading, and overall production quality.
9. Coordinate with selected television stations for scheduling and broadcasting of the documentaries.
10. Maintain detailed records of expenses related to production, post-production, and broadcasting.
11. Ensure efficient use of resources to stay within the allocated budget for the project.
12. Establish a clear timeline for each phase of the project, including pre-production, production, post-production, and broadcasting.
13. Define key milestones and deadlines to track progress and ensure timely delivery of the documentaries.
14. Prepare regular progress reports detailing accomplishments, challenges faced, and next steps.
15. Document the production process, including behind-the-scenes footage and interviews for promotional purposes.
16. Engage with relevant stakeholders, including CECOE leadership, film crew, television stations, and target audiences, to ensure alignment with project goals.

Qualifications 

• Demonstrated background of producing thematic documentaries focusing on social issues, women’s empowerment, or political engagement.
• Proficient in scriptwriting, filming, editing, and post-production tasks for documentaries.
• Impressive portfolio displaying previous documentary works.
• Strong dedication to promoting women’s empowerment.
• Upholds ethical standards in documentary production, ensuring accuracy, fairness, and sensitivity in portraying individuals and communities, especially concerning women’s engagement in politics.
• Efficient budget management skills.
• Experience in devising distribution strategies to amplify impact and engagement.
• Effective communication abilities to interact with stakeholders, project leaders, and film crews.
• Capable of introducing innovative storytelling methods, visual enhancements, and creative elements.

Deliverables 

1. Final Production of two 20-minute-long documentaries in Amharic with English subtitles, showcasing exemplary practices, institutions, and personalities fostering women’s involvement in decision-making processes. 
2. Ensure visibility on the final products including logos of CECOE, NIMD, and EU with their logos.
3. Pre-production deck 
4. facilitate PPM- for approval 
5. Post-production deck 
6. The raw footage used to produce the documentary
7. The narration text or/and the full script used for the production with photos extracted from the footage.

Budget and financial service 

An itemized estimated budget including VAT should be submitted by the interested parties along with the execution plan in separate documents so that all detailed costs of the consultancy must be presented in the financial proposal. The Payment will be made in favor of the client company after making necessary deduction of tax and VAT according to prevailing laws of the Ethiopian Government.

Intellectual Property 

All outputs produced in this action shall remain the property of CECOE who shall have exclusive rights over its use. 

Submission Procedure  

Interested parties including television stations capable of both producing and airing content, as well as production companies with expertise in documentary filmmaking, are invited to submit their detailed technical and financial proposals, including:

1. A cover letter expressing interest.
2. A brief concept of production in no more than five pages including the names of key persons with a short profile (within one page in addition)
3. A brief proposal outlining the approach and methodology to be used for the assignment.
4. Renewed business license, including VAT registration and Tin Number certificate 
5. A detailed budget including production and airing fees and any other expenses.