NDI Nigeria Request for Application (RFA) Democracy Corner Project at National Democratic Institute

I. Introduction 

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) invites proposals from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organisations (CSO) to build, launch, and manage the Democracy Corner - a new platform for engaging Nigerian citizens with their democracy. The Democracy Corner platform will serve as an online civic and voter education engagement tool to promote non-partisan conversations around Nigeria’s democracy, inform citizens about their rights, and inform citizens about ways to hold elected officials accountable for their performance in office. This platform can help respond to the decline in Nigerians’ trust in and satisfaction with democracy and the fairness of elections since 2015, as illustrated in a 2019 survey by International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). The survey found that 58 percent of Nigerians are unsatisfied with Nigeria’s democracy. To help bridge this gap ahead of the 2023 elections, NDI is calling for applications from interested civil society organisations (CSOs) to partner on creating the National Democracy Corner Platform, which will launch in October 2021 for use in the Anambra gubernatorial election as a pilot. Based on this pilot experience, the platform will be further developed and enhanced for citizen engagement ahead of the 2023 general election. Democracy Corner is a project under the Sustaining Electoral Engagement for Democracy (SEED) program. The SEED program seeks to advance and deepen the commitment and inclusion of Nigerian citizens and civil society in support of credible elections and democratic progress in the country. The SEED program is implemented through the Consortium for Election and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), with two other partners, IFES and Search for Common Ground.

Goal: The goal of the Democracy Corner platform is to increase civic education, citizens’ trust, and citizen engagement in the next 2023 general elections and beyond. 

Project Timeline: September 15, 2021 – November, 30 2021. Applicants should propose the number of months they would need to conduct their project activities.

II. Project Description: 

In order to create the Democracy Corner, NDI will work with a civic education and tech-driven partner in Nigeria to hold a series of strategic planning sessions to design the platform and develop a communication and socialisation plan. NDI and the partner will discuss the platform’s main objectives and key themes to address through its contents, as well as target audiences and proven methods to reach these audiences. The communication and socialization plan will use the ACADA (Assessment, Communication Analysis, Design, Action) communication model which is an evidence-based process that utilizes a mix of communication tools, channels, and approaches to facilitate participation and engagement with citizens for positive social and behaviour change. The partner will collaboratively create innovative methods to engage citizens in interactive ways. The platform may feature civic education games, interactive forums where citizens can discuss their ideas and hopes for the elections and post-election period, virtual candidate debates, and trackers looking at elected officials’ performance on key policy priorities. To increase public interest and use of the platform, the Democracy Corner partner will engage high profile Nigerians including prominent comedians, governance and human rights experts, activists, youth influencers, and other public figures through a variety of content and on the platform. The partner will ensure the platform’s audio and visual content is made available in English and local languages and is in accessible formats for persons with disabilities (PWD). The platform will aim to serve as an inclusive, accessible, and sustainable marketplace of ideas relevant for citizens of diverse backgrounds and the project will achieve these through deliberate targeting of members of the marginalised groups (women, youth, PWD).

Experience has shown over time that forums and activities can also drive traffic to online platforms like Democracy Corner. Based on the foregoing, NDI’s partner on the Democracy Corner project will be required to demonstrate how they will leverage existing platforms like television and radio programs, annual discussions forums etc to drive traffic to the Democracy Corner Platform. The partner will be required to demonstrate how they would build and sustain partnerships with diverse organisations to drive traffic to Democracy Corner. Based on the above, applicants should propose strategies and activities to fulfil the objectives of that role and contribute to the broader goal of the Democracy Corner Platform. While the goal of Democracy Corner is to increase civic education, citizens' trust and engagement in the next 2023 general elections and beyond, this phase of the project will lay the foundation by building the platform and relevant partnerships that will be further developed in successive years. 

III. AWARDS

NDI plans to issue an award for up to $40,000 through a competitive selection process to one NGO. Applicants’ proposed budgets do not need to meet this ceiling if the activities can be realized with less than the maximum amount stated. Cost competitiveness and value for money will be factored into the selection process. Additionally, the proposed budget cannot include: subgrants to other organizations, micro-loans, or contingencies. All costs must be budgeted directly, in the NDI proposed format (see section VI below) and have explanatory budget notes. Overall budget application should not exceed $40,000.  

IV. Implementation Timeline 

The implementation timeline for the Democracy Corner project is September 15, 2021 to November 30, 2021. 

Partners Eligibility Criteria: 

Applicants should be registered NGOs with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). They must have expertise in civic technology, civic education and information and communications technology. They must be interested in implementing civic and voter education across different states. They must be interested in using technology for advocacy on civic and voter education initiatives. They should have experience in youth-related programs. 

Applicants must be non-partisan and free of any conflict of interest related to partisan competition in the elections or national or local administration of the elections, must be firmly independent, objective in their approaches, unbiased and able to work with all stakeholders in the electoral process. Applicants should have a demonstrated interest in Nigeria’s electoral and governance processes and have a wide range of NGO broad networks, as well as demonstrated capacity in engaging the media and high-level influencers. Applicants must demonstrate thorough financial management, monitoring and evaluation, internal control systems, policies and procedures that comply with established US and Nigeria Government standards, laws and regulations. 

V. Application Process: 

Interested applicants should develop a full proposal not exceeding ten (10) pages and based on the following structure: 

A) Problem Statement and Background (1 page) 

The background should depict Nigerians' perceptions and level of satisfaction with democracy. It should also include relevant analysis on why citizens’ trust and engagement in conversations around Nigeria’s democracy have declined since 2015. Applicants should attempt to link the effect of inadequate national conversations with Nigeria’s present political and socio-economic challenges such as declining societal values and norms, insecurity, electoral violence and fraud, inadequate accountability in governance processes etc. Please identify the specific gaps that exist and briefly explain how the proposed activities will meet or fill the gaps and contribute to longer term impacts of civic education advancement. The background should describe the implication of the current COVID-19 pandemic for project objectives.

B) Project Activities/Description (5 pages) 

1. Building and maintaining the Democracy Corner Online Platform: Applicants should propose activities that will lead to the creation of the Democracy Corner, and describe how activities will support the enhancement of civic and voter education amongst citizens within the country. The applicant will be responsible for developing and maintaining this platform, including moderating citizens' conversations on Nigeria’s democracy. The partners should itemise and explain the social interactive features that will be used in promoting civic education and advancing national conversations on the Democracy Corner Online Platform. The partner should demonstrate how they will collect, review and provide a weekly analysis on citizens’ use of the platform based on Google  analytics. The applicants should also demonstrate how they would consult critical stakeholders and incorporate their ideas in creating the Democracy Corner Platform. The applicant should provide a mechanism in maintaining the platform. For example, updating content and addressing technical issues. The applicants should also demonstrate how the interests and issues concerning marginalized groups like women, youth and PWDs will be projected on Democracy Corner. This should include but not be limited to special features to ensure participation for PWDs.

2. Partnership with existing online platforms and forums: The applicants should demonstrate how Democracy Corner will partner with other existing platforms that align with its value proposition such as promoting non-partisan conversations around Nigeria democracy, informing citizens about their rights and holding elected officials accountable. The partners should itemise possible online platforms (blogs, websites, tv shows, radio shows, etc.) for strategic partnership and explain the nature of such partnerships and the value for Democracy Corner. There are a number of forums across Nigeria like The Platform that seek to advance civic and voter education. These forums are veritable platforms for increasing citizens' knowledge of their rights and roles in Nigeria's democracy. These forums provide a unique opportunity to not only advance the issues being promoted by Democracy Corner but to drive traffic to the platform itself. Applicants are expected to demonstrate how they will identify the most vibrant of these platforms and propose strategic partnerships or collaborations with Democracy Corner in ways that expand followership on the platform, especially during its engagements around the November 6, 2021 governorship election in Anambra state. 

3. Sustainability Plan: Applicants should demonstrate how Democracy Corner can become a robust and sustainable platform for national conversations beyond the initial pilot phase, for further development ahead of 2023, and what features of the platform will ensure even longer-term value to continue benefiting citizen engagement. 

C) OrganizationalCapacity: This section should provide information about the organization and past relevant experience that make the organization a competitive partner for the project, including but not limited to: 

• Organizational structure (core staff, staff size, composition and contact details of board of directors) 

• Previous experience with civic education programming initiatives;

• Experience with developing and implementing external communication and outreach programs, including press and stakeholder outreach, traditional and social media and other communications;

• Expertise and experience working with media, celebrities, high level government officials e.t.c

• Information about the applicant financial management policies that would ensure grant funds from NDI are utilized in accordance with USAID financial standards. Successful applicants will complete a pre-award questionnaire form provided by NDI. 

 VI. Evaluation Criteria 

Below is the criteria with which applications will be evaluated. 

ProjectActivities/Description (40points) 

• The degree to which the applicant demonstrates capacity to build and maintain an engaging and user-friendly Democracy Corner platform;

• The creativity of the proposed features  of the Democracy Corner platform;

• The degree to which the applicant demonstrates capacity to build and sustain strategic partnerships with other platforms or civic education forums that will help strengthen Democracy Corner;

• The degree to which the applicant is able to demonstrate sustainability of the platform;

Organizational Capacity (30 points) 

• The strength of the organization’s proposed key staff who will work on the Democracy Corner project, and the degree to which the application demonstrates the staff’s relevant past work experience and skills necessary to successfully implement the proposed activities. 

• The strength of the organization’s proposed key staff who will work on the Democracy Corner project, and the degree to which the application demonstrates the staff’s relevant past work experience and skills necessary to successfully implement the proposed activities. 

Budget (30 points) 

• The budget falls under the $40,000 ceiling.

• The degree to which the applicant can produce a budget that reflects cost reasonableness, effectiveness and consistency.

• The budget notes clearly provides justification and necessary connection between the budget and project activities. 

VII. Submission Format 

VIII. About NDI 

NDI is a nonpartisan, non-governmental organization that responds to the worldwide quest for popular civic participation, open and competitive political systems, and representative and accountable government. Since its founding in 1983, NDI and its local partners have worked to establish and strengthen democratic institutions and practices by building political and civic organizations, safeguarding elections and promoting citizen participation, openness and accountability in government. You can learn more about the Institute on our website, www.ndi.org.