Terms of Reference (revised version 24 Augustus 2012 correction on description of deliverables)

Transcription

1 Open call for tender 9 July 2012 Terms of Reference (revised version 24 Augustus 2012 correction on description of deliverables) Communication Best Practices for Renewable Energies (RE COMMUNICATE) Scoping Study IEA Implementing Agreement on Renewable Energy Technology Deployment (IEA RETD) retd.org RE COMMUNICATE 1/13

2 Contents Contents...2 Acronyms...3 Introduction to IEA s Implementing Agreement on Renewable Energy Technology Deployment (IEA RETD) The Terms of Reference Background of the project Objectives of the project Scope of work Geographical scope Target Audience Topics and communication techniques Deliverables Project tasks Reporting requirements Qualifications and budget Evaluation criteria General provisions Application process...13 Annexes /13 RE COMMUNICATE

3 Acronyms ExCo Executive Committee of the IEA RETD IB Implementing Body IEA International Energy Agency PSG Project Steering Group OA Operating Agent RET Renewable Energy Technology IEA RETD IEA Implementing Agreement on Renewable Energy Technology Deployment ToR Terms of Reference Introduction to IEA s Implementing Agreement on Renewable Energy Technology Deployment (IEA RETD) The IEA RETD was officially launched in September 2005 with five founding members. Current members of the IEA RETD are Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, and United Kingdom. The IEA RETD s mandate is to address cross cutting issues influencing the deployment of renewable energy and act as a vehicle to accelerate the market introduction and deployment of renewable energy technologies. More information on the IEA RETD can be found on the organisation s homepage retd.org. IEA RETD Vision Significantly higher utilisation of renewable energy technologies will result from international cooperation encouraging more effective, efficient and rapid deployment. IEA RETD Mission The IEA RETD will act as a catalyst for an increased rate of renewable energy technologies deployment, by: proposing solutions and options to maximise (1) the share of renewable energy technologies in the global, regional, and national energy systems, and (2) the contribution renewables can make to climate change mitigation, security of energy supply and economic growth, and providing recommendations on how to overcome barriers and means for significant increased renewable energy deployment. IEA RETD objectives The IEA RETD objectives are to provide ways and means for an accelerated deployment and commercialization of renewable energy, by: 1. Empowering energy policy makers and energy market actors through the provision of information and tools: to make transparent and demonstrate the impact of renewable energy action and inaction RE COMMUNICATE 3/13

4 to facilitate and show the best practice measures to provide solutions for levelling the playing field between renewable energy and other energy technologies to make transparent the market frameworks for renewable energy, including infrastructure and cross border trade 2. Demonstrating the benefits of involving private and public stakeholders in the accelerated deployment of renewable energy technologies, by: enhancing stakeholder dialogue implementing effective communication and outreach activities. 4/13 RE COMMUNICATE

5 1 The Terms of Reference The Terms of Reference (ToR) for this project specify the objectives of the solicited project and outline the project tasks envisioned by the IEA RETD Executive Committee. Tenderers are asked to elaborate on how the objectives of the study are best achieved and to propose additional tasks or modifications of the envisioned tasks, if deemed necessary to improve project deliverables. 1.1 Background of the project An identified barrier to the widespread use of renewable energy technologies (RET) is the (mis ) perception in the public, at a political level and within the industry sector about the benefits, opportunities and capabilities of RET. One reason is that the communication of the RE sector may not be convincing enough. In November 2011 IEA RETD organised a workshop in Berlin that discussed the topics of sending clear messages, and getting the RE cost perception right. One of the conclusions was that renewables need a better positioning, which could be achieved through improved communication. 1 On 30 March 2012 a mini workshop was organised in Paris by IEA RETD together with REN21 and communication experts. Views on communication/marketing techniques, messages, and possible follow up actions were discussed. Based on this input the IEA RETD Executive Committee decided to commission a scoping study shall have an analytical focus and give answers to the questions: What successful communication strategies have been applied both for RE and (comparable) non RE related issues in various countries? What lessons can be learned and how could RETD facilitate in this process? 1.2 Objectives of the project The objective of this scoping study is to provide ideas and techniques on how the benefits of renewable energies can be better communicated to and by policy makers, decision makers and where appropriate other stakeholders. Effective communication strategies will help policy makers to accelerate the deployment of RE. The project has the overall goal to contribute to the creation of a realistic, positive, constructive image and environment for renewable energy among the key stakeholders and the general public, based on factual information; it will create awareness and understanding, break misconceptions and drive public support in favour of renewable energies. The discussion triggered by the project could potentially later on lead to a more comprehensive approach of a communication strategy for RE. It will also help to give inspiration and tools on how to better counter negative messages regarding RE. 1 See workshop conclusions RE COMMUNICATE 5/13

6 1.3 Scope of work Geographical scope In general policy instruments for the IEA RETD member countries are in focus although examples and cases also of other relevant countries (e.g. US, Italy, Spain, China, Brazil) can be given to illustrate challenges and solutions Target Audience The target audience includes policy makers on supra national and national level, RE initiatives, NGOs and RE industry decision makers as well as their respective communication experts Topics and communication techniques The main focus is on renewable energies but communication experiences and techniques that were successfully applied in other areas and that could potentially be transferred to the RE sector should be explained as well. Communication techniques should go beyond large marketing campaigns (although discussing them as well) and include e.g. the possibilities that are offered by conferences, websites, social networks, newsletters, blogs, events, inclusion of experts or renowned persons etc. 1.4 Deliverables The project will deliver: A report that gives a comprehensive overview and analysis of communication techniques and experiences that can be used to communicate the benefits of and information about renewable energies. The report should be written in a style and format that is suitable for policy makers and industry decision makers, highlighting key messages and considerations, with more detailed background information in specific sections or annexes. Two workshops to discuss the experiences and project findings among policy makers and communication experts. A PowerPoint presentation will summarise the methodology and key findings. A 1 2 page Policy Paper for decision makers. For the detailed deliverables please see the description of the tasks in chapter 2. 2 Project tasks Task 1: Workshop by and for communication experts of IEA RETD governmental organisations The objective of this task is the research and exchange of national experiences with communication on renewable energy (or similar topics as for instance acceptance campaigns) and definition of scope. In general communication efforts need to be (or are) adapted to national or regional requirements. Therefore it is proposed to invite communication experts from the IEA RETDcountries primarily from energy ministries or agencies to a workshop. 6/13 RE COMMUNICATE

7 The country representatives will present their experiences and examples of communication activities including their ex post assessments. Potential differences by target group or topic should be explained. Countries that cannot participate are asked to send their information prior to the meeting. The IB will present potentially successful, potentially new ways of communication (via blogs, social networks, events etc.) that may be useful to be further explored. Examples and general pros and cons will be given. The IB will need some days to prepare this information based on its own experience and desk research. The special requirements of the stakeholders will be discussed in order to well focus the further research of Task 2. Notes: This workshop can be potentially aligned with the communication workshops the IEA Secretariat has organised for the Implementing Agreements. It may make sense to also invite some other RE related organisations but this will be discussed in the inception phase. The workshop will be organised by the IB but with the support of the OA regarding logistics (venue, follow up to invitations, etc.). It is estimated that this phase will cover about 15% of the budget. Deliverables: Organisation of workshop (invitations, programme) and preparation of workshop materials A powerpoint presentation to be used during the workshop for guiding the discussion Long list of successful communication activities (incl. ex post assessments) and Specific requirements for Task 2 Workshop meeting minutes Task 2: Communication Techniques Case studies The objective of this task is to systematically evaluate the country input from the workshop, and to conduct a comparative analysis on the communication instruments and strategies used in IEA RETD countries. To do so the IB shall further describe and research 1 3 successful RE communication activities per country that had a measurable impact using as basis the cases presented at the workshop. Further interviews with stakeholders and desk research will provide additional ideas and opinions of the situation of RE communication and potential improvements. It may be necessary to also analyse differences in the energy sectors. Differences between countries may be described on a high level. It is not the intention to derive concrete recommendations per country but to rather collect examples and explain why they were successful (if some nonsuccessful communication activities are available, they may be briefly described as well). Furthermore, the IB shall research and describe successful communication techniques for a topic comparable to RE, i.e. topics that require a certain (sometimes technical) knowledge, e.g. complex issues like health, retirement provisions, etc.). The aim is to educate the target group, i.e. the RE sector, in those techniques and making them aware of their possibilities. Short SWOT analyses may help to understand the effects that communication techniques can have. RE COMMUNICATE 7/13

8 The IB shall conduct a number of additional stakeholder interviews from RE related organisations (IRENA, IEA, REEEP, REN21, NGOs, RE industry associations and companies) to explore their views and experiences, and to find relevant case studies. The focus should be on campaigns/techniques that: Are/were mainly government driven since the project s target group are mainly policy makers. This means that especially public entities like ministries and energy agencies should be interviewed and their campaigns investigated. However, certain RE associations or RE companies may be potentially included in the scope as well to also get the industry s input. Are/were not too cost intensive (due to general budget constraints that limit both governments and industry). Where possible quantifications of the results from case studies should be given. It is estimated that Task 2 will cover about 50% of the budget. Deliverables: A draft (short) report, summarising the findings of Task 1 and 2, that will be sent to the workshop participants. Task 3: Conclusions and Recommendations In this task the conclusions and recommendations of the study will be derived by assessing the results of Task 1 and 2. The do s and don ts and lessons learned from the country cases shall be described. It shall be concluded which forms/techniques of communication can best reach the main target group (policy makers) and which ones may be better to reach other stakeholders (like industry decision makers) and/or the general public. A discussion of options on how IEA RETD and its member countries could follow up on this project shall be included. It is estimated that this task will cover about 10% of the budget. Deliverables: Draft report with conclusions and recommendations for policy makers and market actors. Presentation on the overall findings of the project (to be used in workshop of Task 4). Task 4: Stakeholder Workshop and Communication Stakeholder workshop A second workshop shall be organised at the end of the project to present and discuss the results, and get further ideas for a potential follow up project. For this workshop the list of invitees will be larger: Communication experts from e.g. ministries and energy agencies, as well as representatives from other RE stakeholders like IEA RED, REN21, IRENA, NGOs, RE industry etc. The input and conclusions from this workshop shall be included in the report. The OA will support with the logistics of the workshop organisation (venue, follow up to invitations, etc.). Communication of results The IB shall develop a brief communication plan that indicates how the results of the project can be utilised to influence the target audience after project completion. This includes a two page 8/13 RE COMMUNICATE

9 policy paper and a PowerPoint presentation with the project s main approach, findings and recommendations including back up slides. It is estimated that this task will cover about 25% of the budget. Deliverables: Invitations to the workshop (supported by the OA) Workshop meeting minutes Brief communication and follow up plan for the project o List of stakeholders that should receive the report o List of potential events where the project can be presented Final report Powerpoint presentation on the overall findings of the project Text for a two page policy paper. 3 Reporting requirements The project will be carried out in close co operation with the Project Steering Group (PSG). Draft reports according to the expected tasks and deliverables defined above must be submitted by the IB to the Operating Agent (OA) for review and feedback by the PSG. The PSG consists of both IEA RETD representatives and international energy experts and is supported by the Operating Agent of the IEA RETD. The IB must deliver all reports in English, including an inception report after the project contract being signed and within the timeframe indicated below. The share of different tasks in total project budget expressed as percentages in these terms of reference are indicative. The PSG Chairperson, at the proposal of the IB and the IEA RETD s Operating Agent, can re allocate the resources available from one task to another as deemed necessary. Progress reports must be delivered to the IEA RETD Operating Agent every three months after the completion of the first phase until the project is completed. The progress reports are intended to provide the PSG and the IEA RETD ExCo members with an update on the progress of the report, both in terms of costs and status of project milestones. The reports shall clearly indicate the methodology used and the results of each task, as well as the resources used for the execution of work (budget vs. actual). RE COMMUNICATE 9/13

10 Milestones for the project The following milestones are foreseen for the completion of the above mentioned tasks: July 9, 2012 September 7, 2012 September 19 September 24 October/early November 2012 Publication of tender Deadline submission of proposals Decision of the Project Steering Group to award the project Contract signed, start of project 1. Workshop November 15 Draft deliverables of task 1 December 15 Draft deliverables Task 2 January 15 Draft deliverables Task 3 January/February Workshop February 28, 2013 Draft deliverables Task 4 March 15, 2013 Final deliverables (report, power point presentation, policy paper) 4 Qualifications and budget The tenderers qualifications are described under chapter 5 Evaluation Criteria. The proposal shall include: A technical proposal, written in English of no more than 20 pages, excluding the three annexes; Annexes: o o o Project team members CVs with a description of experience related to the research areas, including references (maximum two pages per person) and how these relate to the requirements in this Terms of Reference; A reference list with a description of 5 to 10 related projects (project name, client, narrative description, date, size, etc.); The project budget including time and task allocation for each team member in a document separate from the technical proposal. The budget proposal for the project must be in Euros. The offer should be exclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT) or similar taxes. The offer should contain a breakdown of persons days over tasks and experts (with tariffs), and any non personnel costs as well as I and indicative budget for the workshop travel expenses to venues in Europe. The indicative project budget is 40,000 excluding travel expenses to the workshops. 10/13 RE COMMUNICATE

11 The IB/consortium needs to have thorough knowledge of communication techniques but also general RE/energy knowledge and experience (to avoid that the PSG needs to educate the IB on energy issues). It is the clear intention to tap into the knowledge of communication or marketing companies even though those may usually not participate in this kind of project. Any change to both the composition of the team, and the relative contribution of the team members during the execution of the project, requires approval by the PSG. The technical proposal should address clearly and in sufficient depth the points that are subject to the evaluation criteria against which the proposal will be evaluated. Simply repeating the statement contained in the terms of reference is not sufficient. In order to facilitate the evaluation of proposals, IEA RETD requests that tenderers address and present topics in the order of the evaluation criteria under the same headings. To avoid duplication, tenderers may refer to different sections of their proposals by identifying the specific paragraph and page number where the subject topic has already been addressed. A single company/firm or a consortium of companies is eligible for this study. Consortium bids must identify a Project Leader, who will be the contact for the Project Authority throughout the study and will be responsible for managing the Consortium and for submitting various deliverables of the study on behalf of the Consortium. Payments will be made to the company of the Project Lead, which will be responsible for allocating the payment between consortium members. 5 Evaluation criteria The project proposal will be evaluated on the following criteria: 1. Approach/methodology/vision: Thorough understanding of the importance and objectives of the project, approach and methodology to meet each element of the proposed tasks, recognition of possible problems and proposed solutions; includes innovative aspects, i.e. ideas, proposals and aspects that were either not mentioned in the ToR and that can increase the value of the deliverables. 2. Project Management: Consistent, feasible and coherent work plan: scheduling of deliverables and necessary sub steps; quality control, contingency plan, organization of tasks and suitability of each team members assigned to each task; readability of project proposal, adherence to above mentioned proposal requirements and quality of English language; 3. Experience: Significant and recent knowledge and experience of the company/consortium and the proposed team members in the topical area of this tender and in providing advice and reporting on issues related to renewable and conventional energy, policies and programs including presentations to international audiences. This criterion includes direct access to cost data and industry insight as well as knowledge of policy measures for the technologies and countries in scope. Significant means a minimum of 5 reports/projects; recent means in the last 5 years. Dates of completion are required. Bidders shall include (a) only projects that were undertaken by the proposed team members and (b) a brief explanation briefly how that reference/project is relevant to RE COMMUNICATE 11/13

12 the ToR, in terms of data, experience, similar conditions, transferable knowledge, deliverables, etc. The latter point may be shown in a table format. Experience of PSG members with the bidder and/or proposed team members will be considered in the evaluation. Price per person days: The total price per person days of the proposal, including any travel and subsistence costs. The contract will be awarded according to the criteria given above, on the basis of the most advantageous tender. A maximum of 5 points can be awarded for each of the three technical criteria for a total of maximum 15 points per proposal. Only bids that have reached a total score of a minimum of 9 and a minimum score of 3 for each criterion will be taken into consideration for awarding the contract. The points are given according to the following scheme: 0 points: no information; 1 point: poor; 2 points: fair; 3 points: good; 4 points: very good; 5: excellent. Half points may be given to rank proposals among each other. The assessment will be based on each tenderer s bid, potentially supplemented with a telephone interview by the Project Steering Group. All the information will be assessed in the light of the criteria set out in these Terms of Reference. 6 General provisions The Implementing Body (IB) is expected to interact closely with the Operating Agent (OA) and Project Steering Group (PSG) throughout the project. The OA/PSG will provide support with coordination of the project as well available material relevant to the completion of the project. The standard procedures and contract for external Contractors to the IEA RETD will be utilised for this project (see Annexes). The proposed time schedule shall not be revised by the contractor without the approval of the PSG. The Implementing Body will take responsibility for its own schedule within the time frame proposed. The Stichting Foundation Renewable Energy Technology Deployment (the IEA RETD Foundation) acts as the legal entity that is responsible for the operation of the IEA Renewable Energy Technology Deployment Implementing Agreement, in accordance with the Implementing Agreement, the annual Programme of Work and Budget; and for the implementation of decisions of the Executive Committee of the IEA RETD. The IEA RETD Foundation will be the formal contracting party for the Implementing Body. The bureau of the IEA RETD Foundation is managed by Ecofys Netherlands B.V., under the responsibility of David de Jager, Operating Agent. 12/13 RE COMMUNICATE

13 7 Application process The deadline for submission of proposals is: Friday, 7 September 2012, at 12:00 noon (Central European Time). Proposals must be submitted by e mail to the following e mail address: IEA_RETD@ecofys.com (IEA_RETD@ecofys.com) with RE COMMUNICATE in the subject line and to the attention of Kristian Petrick on behalf of the Operating Agent of IEA RETD. For any additional inquiries regarding the project or application process, please contact the Operating Agent at the e mail address mentioned above with copy to Kristian.petrick@allgreenenergies.org. Annexes ANNEX I IEA IMPLEMENTING AGREEMENT FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT Available at retd.org under About IEA RETD Documents or via the direct link: retd.org/wp content/uploads/2011/09/retd IA Text.pdf ANNEX II ORDER OF BUSINESS IN THE IEA RETD IMPLEMENTING PLAN (UPDATE JANUARY 2010) Available at retd.org under About IEA RETD Documents or via the direct link: retd.org/wp content/uploads/2011/09/retd Order of business public.pdf ANNEX III TEMPLATE FOR IEA RETD INCEPTION AND PROGRESS REPORTS Available at retd.org under About IEA RETD Documents or via the direct link: retd.org/wp content/uploads/2011/09/retd project monitoring template pdf ANNEX IV TEMPLATE FOR IEA RETD FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Available at retd.org under About IEA RETD Documents or via the direct link: retd.org/wp content/uploads/2012/03/retd project financial statement.xls ANNEX V EXAMPLE OF AN IEA RETD CONTRACT retd.org/wp content/uploads/2012/03/retd contract EXAMPLE.pdf RE COMMUNICATE 13/13