Request for proposals: Track 1.5 Digital Engagements with Sudanese Citizens on Peace and Political Priorities

Request for Proposals

United States Institute of Peace

Track 1.5 Digital Engagements with Sudanese Citizens on Peace and Political Priorities

Virtual

Release Date: July 15, 2024

RFP Due Date: 5:00 pm EST on August 5, 2024

Refer Questions to:

Submit Proposals to:

Ben Clarick

Ben Clarick

bclarick@usip.org

bclarick@usip.org 

Pertinent responses will be made available to all offerors by e-mail. No inquiries will be accepted after specified time and date.

The response must be submitted by time and date listed above to be considered.

USIP has prepared an assessment required with the submission of your proposal. Please email Ben Clarick @Bclarick@usip.org for a copy of the assessment "Requesting RFP Assessment” in the subject line

 Introduction and Background

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is a national, nonpartisan, independent institute, founded by Congress and dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical, and essential for the United States and global security. In conflict zones abroad, the Institute works with local partners to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict. For more information, please visit http://www.usip.org.

For over twenty years, USIP has worked to build an inclusive peace in Sudan through expert advice and training.  As part of its programming since the outbreak of the war in Sudan in April 2023, the Sudan program has sought to map out, in collaboration with a broad range of Sudanese civil society, activists, experts and analysts, potential future scenarios for the war in Sudan, to help positively influence the trajectory of the conflict. Through this initiative, USIP is using technology to further engage with a wide range of Sudanese civic actors.

Purpose of the RFP

USIP is seeking an organization to utilize or develop a digital engagement platform to engage with Sudanese civic actors. The digital engagement platform should allow USIP to engage tens of thousands of Sudanese civic actors at once. Through the platform, USIP Sudanese civic actors should be able to express recommendations, priorities, questions, and other short form statements and should be able to view and express agreement, disagreement or neutrality (i.e. up-vote) on statements made by other Sudanese citizens. The platform should collate and identify Sudanese areas of consensus and areas of disagreement for USIP.

The offeror should have prior experience working with political and international stakeholders and using a similar platform analysis. The offeror should not only be able to develop the platform but also provide insight on using the platform, including information on issues and questions that are effective and those that are not.

This RFP will be managed in two phases. USIP will issue a contract for a first phase to further develop the concept, planning, and timelines and hold a first digital engagement. USIP may select multiple vendors for the first phase. USIP will issue a second contract for the implementation of the digital engagements, including the AI analysis. Selection for the first phase does not guarantee a contract in the second phase.

 

• Scope of Work
• Background

USIP is working in partnership with the Office of Sudan and South Sudan Affairs at the U.S. Department of State to convene a series of Track 1.5 Dialogues with Sudanese citizens. These dialogues are designed inform peace and political processes and support those mediating and facilitating talks by identifying citizen priorities, perspectives and views on issues, including area of consensus and areas of disagreement. As part of this program, USIP seeks to engage with a wider population in a fully digital platform. USIP is also seeking to develop a mechanism to enable live feedback and input from Sudanese citizens to ensure that peace and political processes are more responsive to their needs and priorities.

Project Goals and Objectives

The goal of the project is to utilize a digital engagement platform that can host digital “conversations” with Sudanese citizens. The platform will allow Sudanese civilians to express recommendations, priorities, questions, and other short form statemen