Strategically document and disseminate UNICEF’s evidence on social norms around diet and body image study

Dear suppliers:

We hereby communicate that we have extended the deadline for submission of proposals until January 10, 2023. Before 23:59 Panama time.

Strategically document and disseminate UNICEF’s evidence on social norms around diet and body image study

1.           Background

UNICEF promotes the rights and welfare of all children and adolescents in everything we do. Together with our allies, we work in 190 countries and territories to transform this commitment into practical actions that benefit all children, especially focusing our efforts on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded, worldwide. The UNICEF Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office (LACRO) is based in Panama, operating in 36 countries and territories, covered by 24 country offices. UNICEF works to put the rights and well-being of the most disadvantaged children at the heart of the social, political, and economic agenda. For more information about UNICEF and its work. (www.unicef.org/lac).

The prevalence of overweight, including obesity, among children and adolescents, is increasing almost everywhere; and now affects both urban children and the rural poor. Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) faces some of the highest rates of childhood overweight in the world. Compared to the world average of 5.6 per cent, 7.5 per cent of children under five in the LAC region have overweight. The situation is worse among older children. Around 30 per cent of 5 to 19-year-olds living in the region are now estimated to be affected by overweight and/or obesity, far higher than the world average of 18 per cent. Childhood overweight impacts children ́s immediate physical and emotional well-being; increases the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) later in life; and carries heavy societal and economic consequences for the individual, families, and their communities.

Social norms as the unspoken rules of behaviour and attitudes around eating and body image include understanding what people normally eat, how they talk about and conceptualize health, nutrition, and body image and the context of their social and economic environments that also impact what is accessible, affordable, and aspirational in communities. This is important because looking at social norms enables researchers and decision-makers to better understand people’s experiences of nutrition and how they make decisions, which can inform how to improve population health.

UNICEF’s work to prevent childhood overweight and obesity and to foster a healthy and sustainable food system includes the generation of evidence and research, the formulation of policy recommendations, the implementation of initiatives and the promotion of public policies that guarantee the children’s right to health and nutrition. In 2022, UNICEF LACRO supported a study on social norms on diet and body image. In follow up to this study, UNICEF LACRO is looking for an institutional consultancy team to analyse the main results and recommendations of a study carried out in Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico on social norms around diet and body image and based on this analysis prepare and publish one scientific manuscript in a public health or nutrition peer-reviewed journal.

PURPOSE:

Under the overall supervision of the Regional Nutrition Specialist and in close collaboration with the Corporate Alliances Specialist, the institutional consultancy team will be requested to produce one scientific manuscript about the study on social norms around diet and body image carried out in Colombia,

Guatemala and Mexico. The manuscript should be submitted and published in a relevant peer-reviewed journal. These publications will support region-wide advocacy for the development and enforcement of effective policies that will enable healthier food environments for children and their families.

2.           Solicitation

2.1       The purpose of this Request for Proposals for Services (“RFPS”) is to invite proposals for the   "Approach and guidance development to engage with  cities committed to improve urban food environments and prevent childhood overweight and obesity in Latin America and the Caribbean detailed in the Terms of Reference/Statement of Work attached at Annex B].

2.2       This RFPS document is comprised of the following:

• This document
• The UNICEF General Terms and Conditions of Contract (Services) which are attached as Annex A
• The full Terms of Reference/Statement of work attached at Annex B
• MDM Vendor Template Annex C
• Online registration to UNGM -United Nations Global Market – link: https://www.ungm.org/Account/Registration

2.3    This RFPS is an invitation to treat and shall not be construed as an offer capable of being accepted or as creating any contractual, other legal or restitution rights.  No binding contract, including a process contract or other understanding or arrangement, will exist between the Proposer and UNICEF and nothing in or in connection with this RFPS shall give rise to any liability on the part of UNICEF unless and until a contract is signed by UNICEF and the successful Proposer.

PART II – PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCESS

1.           Proposal Submission Schedule

CONTRACTUAL PROCESS

The schedule of the contractual process is as follows:

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE:

1.    Send Proposal: 17.11.2022

2.     Questions and Answer if necessary: Until November 25st, 2022 before 23:59 (Panama Time)

3.     Consolidates Q & A posted in UNGM: November 28, 2022.

4.     Deadline for Proposals: December 06th, 2022 before 23:59 (Panama Time)

5.     Proposals Review: December 7th –12nd, 2022. approximately

6.     Award Notice sent and posted in UNGM: December 13th,2022. approximately

7.     Contract begins December 16d, 2022 approximately.

1. Acknowledgement of receipt of RFPS.  Proposers are requested to inform UNICEF as soon as possible send it through UNGM platform and if you prefer you can also send by email to at lacro-ops@unicef.or

IMPORTANT: PROPOSALS ARE NOT TO BE SENT TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS STATED ABOVE – ANY PROPOSALS SENT TO THE ABOVE EMAIL ADDRESS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

1. Questions from Proposers.  Proposers are required to submit any questions in respect of this RFPS by UNGM platform. And if you prefer you can also send by email at LACRO-OPS@UNICEF.ORG   

The deadline for receipt of any questions is 28th November,2022 BEFORE 23:59 PANAMA TIME.

IMPORTANT: PROPOSALS ARE NOT TO BE SENT TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS STATED ABOVE – ANY PROPOSALS SENT TO THE ABOVE EMAIL ADDRESS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

Proposers are required to keep all questions as clear and concise as possible.  

Proposers are also expected to immediately notify UNICEF in writing of any ambiguities, errors, omissions, discrepancies, inconsistencies, or other faults in any part of the RFPS, providing full details. Proposers will not benefit from such ambiguities, errors, omissions, discrepancies, inconsistencies, or other faults. 

UNICEF will compile the questions received. UNICEF may, at its discretion, at once copy any anonymized question and its reply to all other invited Proposers and/or post these on the UNICEF website and/or respond to the question at a bid conference. After any such bid conference, a Questions and Answers document may be prepared and posted on the UNICEF website.

1.4     Amendments to RFPS Documents.  At any time prior to the Submission Deadline, UNICEF may, for any reason, whether at its own initiative or in response to a clarification requested by a prospective Proposer, modify the RFPS documents by amendment. If the RFPS was available publicly online, amendments will also be posted publicly online. Further, all prospective Proposers that have received the RFPS documents directly from UNICEF will be notified in writing of all amendments to the RFPS documents. In order to afford prospective Proposers reasonable time in which to take the amendment into account in preparing their Proposals, UNICEF may, at its sole discretion, extend the Submission Deadline.

1.5    Bid conference.  A bid conference will NOT be held.

1.6     Submission Deadline.  The deadline for submission of proposals is as follows:

No later than 23:59 Panama time of December 06, 2022. Send it through the UNGM platform, see attached e-submissions instruction to bidders. And if you prefer you can also send by email at LACROBIDS@UNICEF.ORG - with reference LRPS-2022-9179533.

Any proposals received by UNICEF after the Submission Deadline will be rejected.