REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP): “RISK COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (RCCE)”

Organization: EpiC Thailand Project, Family Health International (FHI 360)

Issue Date: 19 December 2024

Response Deadline: 03 January 2025

Background

Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) is an eight-year (2019–2027) global health initiative project funded by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The project receives Global Health Security (GHS) funding to strengthen global, regional, and local public health systems to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to infectious diseases, building on broad experience and existing capabilities that align with GHS priorities, National Action Plans for Health Security (NAPHS), and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) goals. EpiC is led by FHI 360 and draws upon local, regional, and international resource partners to provide technical assistance, as well as global resource partners who bring unique capacities. The EpiC project delivers high-quality technical assistance at the community, facility, district, regional and national levels, and builds relationships with relevant partners working to address health security issues.

The project receives Global Health Security (GHS) funding to strengthen global, regional, and local public health systems to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to infectious diseases, building on broad experience and existing capabilities that align with GHS priorities, National Action Plans for Health Security (NAPHS), and USAID. The Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) consortium is well positioned to support the Government of Thailand and USAID to mitigate the impact of these priority public health challenges by providing targeted technical assistance to fortify areas identified by the USAID Mission in Thailand. There are three main objectives for the GHS EpiC Thailand workplan:

1. Zoonotic Diseases: Strengthen the integrated surveillance program for the priority zoonotic diseases in the high priority areas
2. Surveillance: Enhance early infectious diseases detection, notification and outbreak and pandemic preparedness and response by leveraging existing infrastructures
3. Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE): Strengthen the local RCCE capabilities for outbreak and pandemic preparedness response.

Purpose and details of works

EpiC Thailand is seeking a vendor to carry out Task 3 activities of the EpiC Thailand GHS implementation plan. This task involves strengthening local Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) capabilities for outbreak and pandemic preparedness response. The vendor will also collaborate with government agencies, organizations, and institutions that have an important role in the response to GHS in Thailand. The vendor is required to complete the following tasks:

1. Develop and field formative a baseline Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) to assess community threat perceptions, attitudes, intentions and practices on selected samples/sites in the two identified priority provinces.

   • A vendor will work closely with the Coordinating Unit for One Health (CUOH), established by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), and relevant local partners to design and conduct a formative knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) survey to assess community threat perceptions, attitudes, intentions, practices and cultural considerations in two provinces in Central/Eastern Thailand where there is extensive swine production and mixed agricultural production. Large fruit bat colonies exist in this province where Nipah virus has been previously identified. Fruit bat foraging areas overlap with pig production sites, and the Buddhist temple that harbors bat populations is a local site of worship and a tourist attraction. A local health promotion clinic, directly opposite a large fruit bat roost, was the site for human community surveillance of people living or working close to bat roosts. The survey results will highlight different risks and will be analyzed to identify the factors contributing to these risk drivers.
     The outcomes of this survey will be used to inform and shape the design of future RCCE Interventions. The sample population for the survey will be determined in collaboration with CUOH and provincial authorities but will likely include samples of vulnerable populations and those determined to be community leaders in affecting and promoting behavior change and addressing misinformation.
   • Expected deliverables/ activities:

   1. Prepare research proposal, questionnaire, or including discussion guides for the survey, informed consent forms, information sheets to submit IRB. The inclusion of a gender/sex perspective in the research ensures that the research and interventions promote gender equity.

   2. Invite relevant experts to be part of the study and review the study tools.

   3. Scoping visits of the study sites and request for the approval from provincial health office and local authorities.

   4. Submit and obtain IRB approval.

   5. Field data collection in two provinces.

   6. Data collection in fields of selected two provinces

   • Quantitative Survey: (sample size for quantitative survey = 400 participants/ province = 800 participants in total
   • Qualitative Data collection: In-depth Interview (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)

   7. Develop a manuscript of the results

2. Design evidence-based RCCE intervention for outbreak and pandemic preparedness response.

   • Community engagement is a critical pillar in the success of outbreak and pandemic preparedness response as it builds trust, combats misinformation, provides preparedness education, and facilitates the compliance with and adoption of preventive measures and health guidelines. Vendor will bring extensive risk communication and community engagement experience to support CUOH and Bureau of Risk Communication and Health Behavior Development (BRCHBD) in designing and conducting a participatory collaborative workshop to introduce and design RCCE interventions as an essential component of public health threats’ response within the 7-1-7 framework. The design will include the scope, strategies, tactics, plans and materials/tools required to effectively engage communities on risk communications.
   • Expected deliverables/ activities:

3. Designing and conducting participatory collaborative workshops by engaging communities on risk communications concept and introduce RCCE intervention. The workshops should be separated between a) government staff and b) community members. Target attendees can be estimated around 100 persons (should organize 2 workshops)/ province x 2 provinces = 200 persons

• Animal and human health authorities from central, provincial, and district levels (at least 20 persons/ province)

• Local authorities (at least 10 persons/ province)

• Village health volunteers (animals and human) (at least 15 persons/ province)

• Relevant stakeholders, including CSOs (at least 5 persons/ province)

• Community members (around 30 persons/ province)

  2. Design innovative RCCE intervention.

  3. Development of communication materials (materials/ videos) for the innovative RCCE intervention.

  • Pre-test of the tools
  • Translations of the materials from English to Thai and other languages in case of having migrant population

1. Prepare communities for the workshops and intervention

2. Activity report

3. Design RCCE Simulation Exercise (SimEx) in identified priority provinces.

• Simulation Exercises (SimEx) are a proactive approach to ensure readiness for future pandemics by revealing vulnerabilities, training personnel, testing coordination, and optimizing response strategies. SimEx involves hypothetical or real-time simulations of infectious disease outbreaks to assess the effectiveness of public health systems, emergency responses, and communication structures. A vendor will assist the CUOH and BRCHBD in developing the design and operational plan of a SimEx to test and validate RCCE interventions for pandemic preparedness. The SimEx results will stimulate increased communication and coordination among involved partners which will ultimately strengthen multisectoral collaboration.
• Expected deliverables/ activities:

1. Design an operational plan of a SimEx to test and validate RCCE interventions for pandemic preparedness.

2. Stimulate increased communication and coordination among involved partners which will ultimately strengthen multisectoral collaboration to initiate flow of communication.

3. Technical report of the SimEx initiative plan and strategies.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation: Develop a plan to monitor the activities progress and to evaluate its effectiveness.

Timeline

All of the aforementioned tasks must be finalized and completed by September 30, 2025.

Vendor requirement

1. The vendor must be registered as legal entity according to Thai laws and its office must be located in Thailand.
2. The vendor must possess technical knowledge of health-related communication strategies and demonstrate past experiences in producing communication materials related to public health and vaccination issues.
3. The vendor must have knowledge and understanding of the media consumption habits of the target population in the three southern border provinces of Thailand.

Evaluation

Evaluation will be based on the past experiences, technical and management ability to complete the service, and price.