Request for Proposal: Research Agency Formative Research Study- Technology Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV)

Who We Are

Girl Effect is an international non-profit that connects girls to the resources and support she needs to overcome barriers, see themselves differently and unleash their full potential. We believe that the most powerful force to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty is GIRLS. When you connect GIRLS to what they need, unleash the limits communities set for them, and change how girls see themselves- they change the world. That’s the Girl Effect.

Our approach redefines what girls think they can and should do. We do this by building digital and media technologies that girls want, trust and need. From chatbots and applications to chat shows and TV dramas, our approach uses modern technologies to reach girls where they are today.  

Our reach is 23 million and counting. 

We are girl centered. We engage girls through evidence based social and behavior change.  We meet girls where they are today, in the spaces, on the platforms and channels they trust and love. We work with governments to transform systems to work for HER. 

We reach girls worldwide, where they are—online and offline—to support them at critical moments in life when they need to make choices about their health, education, and economic future. 

We use our expertise in behavior change science to motivate and equip girls with information and support to help them see a different future for themselves, act on those choices, and drive greater demand for the opportunities and services available to them. 

Chhaa Jaa in India, Tujibebe in Tanzania, Yegna in Ethiopia - are some of our youth brands. They exist across multiple channels - digital ( Meta, Google and other SM platforms), TV, radio, print and offline. Where required and relevant, we also use white label brands for specific campaigns. 

Girl Effect in India

In 2019, Girl Effect launched Chhaa Jaa, a digital-first youth programme that helps girls in India build the confidence to make choices and changes in their lives - from accessing information about her body and services around her, to negotiating about education choices or whether to use contraception. Chhaa Jaa was designed keeping in mind adolescent girls between 17-19 years, currently in higher education, and accessible online via mobile – whether girls own or borrow a mobile phone. 

Over the last four years, we have invested in setting up key online assets and infrastructure that can be leveraged to deliver programmes under a range of thematics for older adolescent girls. We have built a multi-product digital ecosystem of products - across ‘broadcast’ and ‘interactive’ features - that are social media-based and available to girls whenever they need it. 

This includes:

• Inspiring and enabling social and behavior change content on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube through Chaajaa
• A chatbot on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp that allows girls to explore taboo topics in a safe 1:1 space and nudges them to connect her with health services called Bol Behen
• And a website aggregating youth-friendly services and is updated regularly with blog content.
• A girls-only Facebook group to experience social support and a sense of community Called BAK BAK Gang 

Background

In India, increased internet and social media use has led to a rise in Technology-facilitated GBV (TFGBV). Cyber crimes against women increased by 11% in 2022, with significant rises in incidents involving transmission and publication of sexually explicit material.  Limited digital literacy and increased online activity puts adolescents at greater risk of online GBV. According to a recent study, 15% of adolescents had faced at least one incident related to online sexual abuse or exploitation. 

TFGBV reinforces traditional gender roles; it is an extension of offline inequity, where the same inequalities that expose girls to offline violence also affect them online. This underscores the importance of not only responding to TFGBV and its consequences but also preventing it at a primary level. Prevention can be achieved by educating girls about online GBV, its various forms, impacts, and how to report it. Equally important is educating boys about TFGBV and their role in preventing its perpetration. This approach provides an opportunity to address gender inequalities early, teaching both girls and boys about violence, harmful gender norms, and their roles in promoting gender equity, both online and offline.

To tackle the growing concern around TFGBV, Girl Effect seeks to develop a transformative intervention that will work with girls, boys and communities to address and alter the underlying gender norms and power dynamics that contribute to TFGBV. The program includes digital and offline components as well as a range of strategies with the ultimate aim of creating a more equitable, safe, and supportive online environment for girls in India.

Objectives

Through this program, Girl Effect aims to empower women and girls to learn, lead, and thrive in the digital world free from harassment and technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Key objectives include: 

1. Enable Safe Digital Access for Girls: Equip adolescent girls and young women with digital literacy skills and knowledge of their rights.
2. Increase Awareness of TFGBV: Build awareness and knowledge among girls, boys, parents, educators and community members on TFGBV and ensure their active participation in mitigating risks.
3. Facilitate linkages to support services:  Facilitate and enable service access through collaborations and partnerships with community-based organisations, government, police, legal and support services that have already established support systems and resources for survivors of online harassment and abuse.

The Scope

In doing so, Girl Effect is looking to commission a research agency to conduct the formative research to inform the impact strategy and creative approach towards the aforementioned objectives using robust qualitative research. The agency would be responsible for: 

Expert Consultations

• Conducting key informant interviews and expert consultations with specialists in gender and gender-based violence (GBV), as well as with police, legal professionals, girls, and parents, to gain insights into Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) in India
• Identifying organizations engaged in addressing TFGBV and conducting remote consultations with them to assess digital safety and literacy concerns among adolescents in India
• Reviewing the programs implemented by these organizations and analyzing their approaches through a gender-transformative lens.
• Analyzing and compiling data from expert consultations, key informant interviews, and program reviews conducted with TFGBV experts, organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.

Dipstick Research with Target Audience in Delhi and Mumbai 

• Conducting primary research through on-the-ground data collection with adolescent girls and boys (aged 18-24) to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and experiences related to technology facilitated gender based violence  (TFGBV).
• Conducting primary research with parents of young girls (aged 9-17) through on-the-ground data collection to understand their awareness of TFGBV among adolescent girls, and their attitudes and practices when girls experience TFGBV and knowledge of solutions/ resources they can access.
• Undertaking comprehensive data analysis and reporting on the findings from primary research conducted with adolescent girls, boys, and parents of young girls.

The suggested areas of enquiry for undertaking the dipstick research are: 

1. The current level of knowledge and perceptions among adolescent girls, boys and parents of young girls on technology facilitated gender based violence 
2. Attitudes towards technology facilitated gender-based violence among adolescent girls, boys and parents of young girls 
3. Experiences and measures taken by adolescent girls on technology facilitated gender based violence 
4. Barriers and motivations to seek services and redressal mechanisms when faced with issues of digital safety and/or technology facilitated gender based violence among adolescents 
5. Existing gaps in seeking services and redressal mechanisms when faced with issues of digital safety and/or technology facilitated gender based violence among adolescents 

The final output includes a consolidated report on findings from both expert consultations and dipstick research with adolescents and parents of young girls 

Deliverables 

The agency would also be responsible for: 

• Providing a robust qualitative methodology for the primary research to be conducted in a quick turnaround time
• Gaining ethical approval for this study from the required bodies 
• Advising on sample design within specification and agreeing on final design with Girl Effect 
• Recruiting communities and participants according to the provided purposive sampling criteria 
• Piloting of tools and refined tools, including debriefing and working sessions with Girl Effect to refine and finalize the data collection tools before the research
• Obtaining informed consent from all participants 
• Managing all data collection on-field with support from the Girl Effect team 
• Ensuring quality control and data management 
• Full data analysis 
• Full transcription of all qualitative data 
• Final report answering the research questions 
• To ensure all work is conducted according to the Girl Effect Girl Safeguarding Policy and an agreed safeguarding agreement 
• A final debrief session  with Girl Effect to present learnings from the final report 
• Girl Effect will be responsible for the final sign-off of all steps involved in the above process

 Project Timelines 

 

Publishing Request for Proposal	6th February
Proposal Submission	17th February
Final Decision on Agency	24th February
Contracting, Safeguarding & Onboarding	1st March
Tool Development, Recruitment & Setup	10th March
Data Collection (Expert Consultations + Primary Research)	20th March
Final Report	1st April
Debrief with Girl Effect team	25th March

Key Considerations

• We expect the data collection for both the expert consultations and dipstick research be done simultaneously, please ensure the team’s capacity to undertake these activities in the given time frame 
• Girl Effect team members accompany the research team in on-ground research activities or be part of expert consultations. Please mention if you have any concerns about this. You may set the maximum number of members allowed per session.
• Key safeguarding processes and considerations will be separately detailed out, should you be selected for this proposal.
• Timelines are fixed, therefore please commit only if this scope of work is achievable.
• Multiple phases of the project may need to overlap. 
• We are happy to support you in speeding up the processes on our end.  

Who You Are

Skills Experience and Expertise:

• Extensive experience in designing and conducting qualitative research, ideally with a gender and sexual and reproductive health focus
• Experience delivering research with innovative approaches and/or comparative studies.  
• Capacity to deliver all areas expected of this research, from design through recruiting and training researchers to leading the data collection process in target field locations, ensuring quality assurance that aligns with research ethics principles, and delivering high-quality reporting.
• Experience conducting sensitive research with hard-to-reach, most vulnerable populations
• Experience in interviewing minors and adolescents and safeguarding policies and procedures
• Excellent and demonstrated understanding of Child Protection/ Safeguarding and ethical issues in research
• Excellent fieldwork supervision and data quality control strategies
• Ability to conduct a risk assessment and mitigation plans for research
• A fieldwork team of female and male qualitative interviewers for interviews with young women and men 
• Proven record of effectively managing relationships with research partners
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstration of effectively managing relationships with research partners
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstration of effectively managing relationships with research partners
• Exceptional communication and organisation skills
• Ability to respond to comments and questions in a timely, appropriate manner
• Experience in delivering outputs on time and budget
• Ability to write clearly and concisely in English
• The reputation of the responding agencies and any previous experience in similar surveys/research will also be considered.

Proposal Submission

Interested agencies are asked to submit the following to support their candidature (Max 10 pages):

Technical Proposal:

• Your understanding of the brief and why you feel you are well-placed to advise us on this
• Credentials - Please showcase any previous work that you consider relevant to what we are trying to achieve, how we approach our work, and the audience we cater to. Describe the qualifications, experience, and capabilities of the firm or consultant in providing the requested services (CV/Profile).
• Initial considerations and first draft proposal for the design to be discussed and finalised with the client. This should include suggested methodology, sample size and locations with a work plan. This should also include the data analysis framework as well as details of the team. 
• Workplan with clear timelines
• Reference -  Provide at least three references for similar contracts with a description of the service provided, the value of the contract, and the contract periods of performance

In their technical proposal, the bidder must demonstrate an understanding of the requirements described in the RFP and demonstrate how the bidder will meet the requirements of the evaluation criteria.  The technical proposal must be at most ten pages.

Financial Proposal:

• A breakdown of the financial proposal in INR  indicating the daily rate for each of the proposed experts, time input, and all applicable reimbursable expenses
• All applicable taxes should be quoted separately.

Technical and Financial proposals will need to be submitted as separate documents. Financial bids will not be opened until the technical evaluation and only for those proposals deemed qualified and responsive. The Proposals shall be prepared in English Language.

GE is not liable for any cost incurred during the award/contract preparation, submission, or negotiation of the award/contract. All submitted documentation and/or materials shall become and remain the property of GE.

The proposal's VALIDITY shall be 90 days from the bid closure date.

Evaluation Criteria

The criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are listed below.

Technical Evaluation:

• A well-written capability statement clearly outlines your experience in delivering the Scope of Work and how you meet the ‘Who You Are’ requirements above - 20%
• An initial proposal for design (to be finessed with the GE team upon contracting) - 20%
• Ability to achieve project goals/deliverables, i.e., does the proposal have strong feasibility in moving forward with the critical deliverables on schedule? -10%
• Demonstrate geographic experience in India (Delhi and Mumbai) - 10%
• Clear and Concise Profile/CV demonstrating relevant expertise - 10%
• Evidence of a minimum of three contactable references - 10%

Financial Evaluation:

• Value for money/proposed budget breakdown - 20%

Procurement Timeframe

• Terms of reference published: 6th February 2025 
• Deadline for Questions/Clarifications:  10th February 2025
• Deadline for responses from GE: 13th February 2025
• Proposal submission: 17th February 2025

Ethics 

• The successful agency must adhere to Girl Effect protocols and safeguarding measures during all stages of research. This will ensure all girls’ participation will be conducted safely and securely. 
• Ethical approval must be submitted to the relevant ethical board to ensure the research takes place with the proper permissions. 
• Consent must be obtained from girls with consent forms that clearly state that at any time, research participants are free to decide to leave the research should they feel a reason to do so. 
• Care also should be taken by the successful agency to maintain the confidentiality of the information provided by the respondents during the community. Informed voluntary consent should be taken before starting from the community, and parent/caregiver consent should be obtained for a minor.  If an individual refuses to participate, they should not be compelled to participate or demoralized by any means. These cases will be treated as no-response under this survey.  The research team must all undergo safeguarding training per Girl Effect’s safeguarding procedures and sign the Girl Effect safeguarding policy. 
• All data must be stored in password-protected electronic files and shared with Girl Effect via a  secure file transfer protocol (FTP)

Questions/Clarifications

If you have any questions about this RFP, please email suppliers@girleffect.org by 10th February 2025.  All questions will be answered and shared through an FAQ.

How to Apply

Please submit proposals, as described above, to Girl Effect’s procurement team (suppliers@girleffect.org) by the 17th of February  2025. Please mark your email with the subject line, ‘‘Formative Research Study: TFGBV -India.’

Tax

Girl Effect India is obliged by the Indian tax authorities to ensure all taxes are charged where applicable. Applicants are advised to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their tax position regarding provisions to Indian tax legislation when developing their proposals.

Copyright

All materials/documents arising from this consultancy work shall remain the property of Girl Effect.

Disclaimer

GE reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party. GE shall inform ONLY successful applicant(s). The process of negotiation and signing of the contract with the successful applicant(s) will follow. 

Please note: We will evaluate only proposals submitted following the application process outlined in the RFP and using our specified email address (suppliers@girleffect.org).

Safeguarding

You may be required to undertake safeguarding checks. Shortlisted consultants will be assessed on our organisational values at the interview stage. The successful consultant will be expected to adhere to our safeguarding policy. We encourage you to read and understand our safeguarding policy, the executive summary of which can be found here. We have zero tolerance for violence against children, beneficiaries, and staff. 

Equal Opportunities 

Girl Effect Services is committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity, or expression. We are proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace. 

We are committed to building an increasingly representative organisation that works extensively with the communities we serve. To this end, due regard will be paid to procuring consultancy service organisations and individuals with diverse professional, academic and cultural backgrounds.