Call for Tenders: Implementation of the DRC Phone Survey 2025

1. Scope of procurement

1.1 Contracting authority

Flowminder Foundation (Stiftelsen Flowminder) is a non-profit organisation based in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in Sweden and the UK. Using mobile operator, geospatial and survey data, our focus is on improving the wellbeing of vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries, at scale. Using big data innovation, we provide information and capacity strengthening to governments, mobile network operators, national and international agencies and researchers in those countries for humanitarian and development purposes.

1.2.2. Detailed characteristics

The survey design will be drafted by Flowminder and finalised in collaboration with the contractor. The contractor will be responsible for:

• Translations of the questionnaire to French and Swahili
• Questionnaire programming in CATI software (provided by the contractor)
• Interviewer recruitment, organising and conducting 2 full days of training (in French or local languages), coordination and management of interviewers
• Provision of general interviewing guidelines and specific guidelines for the survey
• Advise on technical details of data flows from survey invitation to participation
• Conducting 100 pilot interviews and proposing and implementing adaptations to the programmed questionnaire based on pilot feedback, subject to Flowminder’s review and approval
• Full data collection via telephone interviews (CATI): record, validate, edit data
• Internal data quality monitoring and assurance of the data collection process
• Procurement from mobile network operators and transfer of incentives in the form of airtime credit to survey participants (1 USD per participant)
• Performing initial data cleaning in accordance with Flowminder's documented instructions, including the application of variable and value labels
• Delivery of a technical report that evaluates the data collection process and data quality, as well as response rates.
• Secure transfer of data and associated metadata to Flowminder upon completion of data processing activities
• All processing activities will be carried out solely on behalf of and under the documented instructions of Flowminder, the data controller, in accordance with Article 28 of the EU and UK GDPR

Coverage

Geographic coverage will include selected areas in the provinces of Ituri, Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu. The details of the sampling approach will be shared with the contractor before finalising the contract.

Sampling

The target net sample size is n = 2,500 respondents with completed interviews. It is planned to combine two sampling approaches:

The Flowminder team will identify mobile phone subscribers to be included in the sample, based on analysis of accessible CDR data, for which the mobile network operators will provide the phone numbers so respondents can be contacted for participation in the survey. Alternatively, the operators will send out messages to identified subscribers to invite them to participate in the survey

Flowminder will ask the operators to send out messages in select areas (tower bursts) to subscribers connected to cells in those areas, inviting them to participate in the survey, who will then consent via a USSD, text, etc.
In summary, we will provide the required samples of mobile phone numbers to be contacted through its cooperation with the mobile network operators. Gross sample size will factor in expected response rates, and will be adapted (increased) if required.

Questionnaire

The source questionnaire will be provided by us in English. Translation of the questionnaire to French and Swahili will be required and needs to be implemented or facilitated by the contractor. Questionnaire programming will need to accommodate complex filters and various question types. We need to approve the final version of the questionnaire as programmed. The questionnaire will at maximum include four open ended questions. Interview duration is expected to be on average 10-12 minutes. An interviewer questionnaire of up to five questions will also be included.

Training of interviewers

Comprehensive training of all interviewers needs to be implemented (at least 2 full days), covering use of the survey software and related hardware, as well as the survey questionnaire and logic, informed consent, data privacy, and relevant concepts to be captured (e.g. place of residence). If the security and public health situation allow it, in-person training should be done for all interviewers. One of our team members will join and assist in the training sessions, and cover GDPR data protection standards (via online connection).

Pilot interviews

Testing of the questionnaire needs to be undertaken: at least 100 pilot interviews need to be conducted, followed by revisions of the questionnaires and debriefing of interviewers.

Duration of data collection

The full survey is expected to take six weeks and is scheduled to start in August 2025. Data collection has to be completed by October.

Monitoring

During data collection, daily update reports must be sent to us. Agreed indicators have to be monitored and communicated to us. Preliminary datasets (all calls placed) have to be shared every three days. Call-backs to 10% of respondents must be implemented for quality assurance following an agreed protocol.

Data Cleaning

The contractor is responsible for initial data cleaning of the raw data. This includes at least the following:

• All variables and all categories of variables need to consistently numbered and named
• Missing values must be consistently coded to missing
• Duplicate cases must be removed or flagged for removal
• Inconsistent responses given by respondents must be checked, and corrected where possible
• Responses to open questions in the form of text entries in languages other than English must be translated to English
• Data cleaning needs to be implemented via a well-structured and commented syntax file, so that the cleaning steps are transparent and can be reproduced
• The encryption-protected dataset shall be sent in Stata format (.dta) or Stata-readable format. The contractor is solely responsible for procuring suitable software and/or the programming of their existing systems to achieve these data cleaning and transfer standards.

Metadata

As part of the data collection, the following metadata fields need to be automatically collected and stored:

• call ID
• number prefix
• sampling group
• timestamp start of call
• timestamp end of call
• call outcome (as defined per AAPOR standards)
• timestamp start of interview
• timestamp end of interview
• interviewer ID

In addition to the dataset of complete and partial interviews, a (separate) complete dataset of all call attempts must be delivered in Stata format (.dta) or Stata-readable format.

Cooperation and reporting

The contractor will work closely with our Senior Statistician and Data Analyst throughout all phases of the survey, and will report milestones and deliverables. Regular updates to our team on progress of preparation and data collection, including agreed control indicators, are required.

1.3. Place of performance

Bidders must be established in DRC (preferred), in the EU, the UK or in a country recognised by the European Commission as providing an adequate level of data protection. Preference will be given to contractors based in the DRC with demonstrated contextual knowledge.

Following completion of data collection, the data and associated metadata will be transferred to Flowminder in the EU and the UK. A Data Processing Agreement will be concluded to govern the processing and transfer of personal data, and compliance with the EU GDPR and UK GDPR will be a mandatory requirement.

2. Form and content of tenders

Bidders are requested to submit:

• narrative proposals, including
  • an organisational profile, including country offices where relevant
  • annual revenue of the organisation
  • details of technical capacities (e.g. phone lab and equipment), number of available interviewers, and number of total staff
  • detailed evidence of prior comparable or related work, particularly on research surveys or related surveys for international organisations
  • interviewer handbooks or related standards for interviewer conduct
  • evidence of expertise in and, if applicable, active software licenses for software used for questionnaire programming and data collection
  • evidence of expertise in and, if applicable, active software licenses for statistical software used for data management and data cleaning (Stata, SPSS, R, etc.)
  • evidence of capacity to handle complex survey designs, including filters and branching, various question types, restricted values and consistency checks, multi-language surveys, etc.
  • evidence of expertise in data management.
• a detailed budget, with cost categories and budget lines, including at a minimum:
  • direct staff costs for setup and coordination
  • direct costs for equipment
  • direct costs for licenses (e.g. software)
  • costs of translation of questionnaires and text responses
  • interviewer training costs
  • interviewer staff costs
  • travel costs, if applicable
  • direct costs of airtime/SIM cards for calls and interviews
  • overhead costs (max 5%)
  • tax, if applicable.

Note that any indirect costs need to be covered by overhead costs, no other indirect costs will be considered or compensated for.

3. Evaluation of tenders and award

Tenders will be evaluated for completeness, technical expertise, acquired experience and reference work in the required areas of work, plausibility of budget positions and the overall volume of the submitted tender. The award will follow the method of best price-quality ratio.

Shortlisted bidders will be required to complete a GDPR due diligence questionnaire as part of the evaluation process, to confirm their capacity to act as a data processor in accordance with the EU and UK GDPR.