EOI for Individual Consultancy to Develop a Smart Communication Strategy & Action Plan 85 views

Country: The Gambia

Issued Date: 21^st October 2026

Project Title: Gambia Inclusive Resilient Agriculture Value Chain Development Project

Procurement Method: Individual Consultant (IC)

Project ID No: P173070

Assignment Title: Recruitment of Individual Consultant to Develop a Smart Communication Strategy & Action Plan for the Department of Cooperative Development under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security, republic of The Gambia.

Reference No: GM-CPCU-CS-CQS

The Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) is a five-year project financed by a US$40 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank, under an agreement with the Government of The Gambia. Part of the grant proceeds will be used to finance the recruitment of a consultant to develop a smart, modern communication strategy and action plan for the Department of Cooperative Development under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security of the Republic of The Gambia.

 Introduction and Background

• The Department of Cooperative Development (DoCD) is the statutory institution mandated to register, regulate, supervise, and support cooperative sector in The Gambia.
• Initially the services of the department are centralised, due to directives from the Cooperative Policy, decentralisation of cooperative services becomes essential, resulting to the establishment of 4 regional cooperative directorates, namely, NBR, CRR, URR & LRR.  In addition, the department currently has more than eight hundred registered societies.
• To improve operational efficiency and strengthen cooperative governance, across cooperative fraternity and stakeholders, DoCD through support from the GIRAV Project anticipates to develop communication strategy that will improve service delivery, strengthen regulatory oversight, and provide reliable communication mechanism for planning and decision-making. The strategy will support the complete lifecycle of cooperative management while enabling secure digital services for cooperatives and other stakeholders.
• The assignment contributes to the GIRAV Project’s institutional strengthening and communication strategy transformation agenda by modernizing cooperative administration through a secure, scalable, and sustainable strategy solution.
• In a nutshell, a smart communication strategy is needed to raise public awareness, improve digital outreach, digitize information sharing for cooperatives, and strengthen stakeholder engagement.

2. Objectives of the Assignment

• Assess current communication gaps within the Department and local cooperative unions.
• Raising awareness on the Cooperative Development services locally and internationally.
• Design a comprehensive, multi-channel “smart” communication strategy (integrating digital tools, social media, and traditional outreach).
• Formulate a costed, time-bound action plan with clear implementation, monitoring and evaluation framework

. Scope of Work

• Phase 1: Desk Review and Situational Analysis
  • Review existing institutional documents, policies, and reports.
  • Conduct stakeholder interviews with cooperative members, staff, and government partners.
• Phase 2: Strategy Development
  • Define communication objectives, target audiences (e.g., farmers, youth groups, credit unions), and core messaging.
  • Propose smart/digital tools (SMS platforms, social media, database updates) for efficient outreach.
  • Develop a plan for monitoring and evaluating utilisation and implementation of actions by the intended users.

• Phase 3: Action Plan and Validation
  • Draft a costed action plan detailing activities, timelines, budgets, and responsibilities.
  • Facilitate a stakeholder validation workshop to present the draft strategy.
  • Submit the final strategy and action plan in hard and soft copies

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be obtain requesting from this address: bubacarr.jallow@girav.cpcu.gm

The GIRAV Project now invites eligible Consulting firms or Individual (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.

 Required Experience

 It is expected that local companies as well as individuals can pool expertise under one Proposal and undertake this assignment. If an International Company decides to tender for this assignment, they shall partner with a local company or with local consultant(s) and demonstrate how tasks will be split between the international company and the local expertise. The company/consultant (s) should:

1 Have at least five (5) years of progressively advanced experience in strategic communications, public advocacy, which must include developing communications and advocacy strategies at the local and national/international level.

2 Demonstrate prior experience in developing a communication strategy, ideally in the development context.

3 Have relevant experience in working with government and/or international organizations on consultancy assignments, especially in strategic communications planning.

4 master’s degree in communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or Development Studies.

5 Strong knowledge of the Gambian socio-economic landscape and rural outreach methods.

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” February 2025 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.  [If applicable, insert the following additional text:] In addition, please refer to the following specific information on conflict of interest related to this assignment: of the Procurement Regulations of the World bank.

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Selection method set out in the Procurement Regulations.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 09:00 to 16:00 hours.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail bubacarr.jallow@girav.cpcu.gm by Friday 6^th November 2026 before the closed of works.

Attn: Project Cordinator

GIRAV Project

Tel: +220 833400094

E-mail: mamouralieu.jagne@cpcu.gm