Terms of Reference for a documentary on Mine to Market

About Oxfam and Oxfam in Kenya

Oxfam is an international confederation of 21 organizations working in over 60 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice around the world. Oxfam works with communities and local partners before, during, and after crises to build their resilience, save lives, and together address the root causes of conflict and disaster. Oxfam’s work also aims at helping people and communities affected by disasters develop core competencies to strengthen their resilience and continue to reorient the humanitarian system towards local leadership. Follow us on https://kenya.oxfam.org/ for what we do.

Brief Background

Under the Natural resources pillar, Kenya Program is currently implementing the Power of Voices Partnership FAIR for ALL project which aims to achieve fundamental, systemic change through a paradigm shift in the roles of the state and the market. This means moving away from the dominance of the market and towards more responsive and responsible states, citizens, companies, and investors. It requires challenging vested interests, tackling power imbalances and helping to build new economic models and principles that put people and the planet before profit.

The project seeks to ensure that communities (with a key focus on grassroot women) from Taita Taveta, Turkana and Kwale counties where gemstones, gold and mineral sands respectively are mined, fully benefit from the sector’s value chain and have the space to meaningfully engage private sector and government in securing benefits from these resources. The project activities are based on strengthening the capacity of communities and civil Society organizations (CSOs) to meaningfully engage private sector players in the mining sector and holding the government to account on the governance of the sector, revenue raising, allocation and utilization as well as maximize their public engagement in realization of their rights throughout the value chain. This also entails considering land, human rights, and environmental issues throughout the value chain.

Oxfam supported women artisanal miners in the three counties but particularly in Taita Taveta by linking them to markets. This documentary will seek to demonstrate the following:

• The barriers women face in the mining sector whilst depending on small-scale mining as a source of livelihood.
• The value-add and impact of linking women miners to markets.
• The potential of as economic and political actors in the mining sector.

Scope of work

 Produce a 5 Minute Documentary Video:

• Produce a video highlighting the experiences of grassroots women involved in the gemstone mining in Taita Taveta, including their challenges and successes in accessing markets.
• The video should be filmed in Kiswahili or the local language(s) the contributors are comfortable with.
• The production team is responsible for sourcing a local fixer and/or translator if needed.
• The video must be fully English-subtitled.

Adherence to Ethical Standards:

• The filming crew must adhere to Oxfam’s ethical guidelines, including obtaining correctly filled consent forms for every person filmed. These consent forms must be handed over to Oxfam along with the final products.
• The crew must respect cultural and religious diversity throughout the filming process.

Produce at Least 30 High-Quality Still Photos:

• Capture impactful images of the women miners, community interactions, and the local environment.
• Each photo must be properly captioned, with the image maker’s full name indicated.
• Ensure informed consent is obtained and documented.
• Ensure respect for cultural and religious sensitivities is maintained during the photography sessions.

Diverse Subject Representation:

• Select subjects that reflect the diversity of the community, including different age groups, roles in the mining process, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Focus on female contributors, with special attention to those who have shown resilience in overcoming challenges related to mining and market access.

 Day-in-the-Life Footage:

• Follow selected subjects through a day in their lives, documenting their involvement in mining activities and the impact of these activities on their families and communities.
• Highlight how they are navigating challenges within the mining sector, particularly in accessing markets and advocating for their rights.

 Human-Interest Story for Website:

• Develop one compelling human-interest story that captures the experiences of a woman miner or a group of women, focusing on their journey from mining to market.
• This story should be crafted for Oxfam’s website, emphasizing the personal and communal impact of the FAIR for ALL project.

 Quote-Graphics:

• Create at least 3 quote-graphics that feature powerful messages or quotes from the women miners about their experiences in the gemstone value chain.
• Ensure the accompanying images are of high quality and effectively convey the intended message.

Location

Taita Taveta County.

Expected timeline.

• The contractor shall commence work as soon as possible, immediately upon signing the contract.
• A detailed timeline, work plan, and draft outline should be submitted within one day of signing a binding service contract and work be progressively delivered as urgently as would be practically possible.
• A detailed budget and shooting schedule should be provided before commencing filming.
• The rough cut of every phase of the documentary should be provided to Oxfam media lead, and program managers for review.
• All documents and materials remain the property of Oxfam.

Deliverables

The video production company will provide:

• Final Cut of one story of 5 minutes (with subtitles) as:
  • Exported 4K 3840×2160 high-bitrate (1520Mbps) video file encoded using H264 compression in MP4 format with square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan, and stereo AAC audio compression at 128kbps or equivalent.
• Properly filled consent forms for ALL subjects. (Consents can also be obtained audio-visually with clear voice and depicted subtitle of the consenting conversation)
• At least 30 High-quality photographs/stills on the subject matter described in the preceding sections above.
• At least one captivating human-interest story/blog of approximately 800 words possibly.
• Photos must be delivered in a Hi-Res format e.g. (JPEG or equivalent of at least 10Mbs per photo) and fulfil the following additional usability criteria: – photographed from a variety of angles (e.g., wide, and medium shots, close-up) Photos should also always depict clear donor/Oxfam and partners where possible and speak to the context of the project.
• At least three quote-graphics as detailed in the scope of work.
• Properly filled consent forms for ALL photography subjects, including separate forms for each child whenever involved. (Consent could also be obtained audio-visually where groups of people are involved)
• Upload all clean copies of the film.
• Upload all b-rolls.

Requirements

• The media company/consultant should have the following items, skills, and competencies Proven track record of content production for journalistic purposes in print, or TV – with attention to compelling storytelling.
• Access to the highest quality filming, light, sound, and editing equipment.
• Ability to operate under strict time limits and apply high production and technical standards to maintain a high level of professionalism.
• Ability to communicate and conduct interviews in English and a local language.
• Track record of successful materials filmed in the region and/or on similar topics would be an asset.
• Should have a computer with video editing software like Adobe CS pro, Final cut, or any relevant software.
• A strong command of the English language and can operate on emails and share folders.
• Should have valid registration certificates with the relevant authorities.

Reservation and Confidentiality

• Oxfam reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/output is incomplete, not delivered, or for failure to meet deadlines.
• In the event of the producer ending the contract before delivering all agreed upon products, a portion of the payments shall be returned to the Oxfam Office.
• The contractor undertakes to maintain confidentiality on all information that is not in the public domain and shall not be involved in another assignment that represents a conflict of interest to the prevailing assignment.
• The Contractor shall undertake to refrain from promoting any political or religious beliefs in the filming movie which is the subject of this contract.

Duration of the assignment

• The assignment is expected to take approximately 30 calendar days from the date of signing the contract.

Contractual arrangements and supervision

The service will be hired under Oxfam terms of the contract and supervised by the Oxfam media lead solely to deliver the above outputs, within the agreed time frame.

Oxfam as the client shall provide the necessary support to the consultants/service provider to execute the assignment during the consultancy. These shall include:

• Access to relevant project documents necessary for the execution of the duties under this consultancy; Contact details of relevant people to be interviewed.
• No equipment will be purchased or provided by the Oxfam office.
• Any equipment needed to complete this assignment will be provided by the service provider.
• Tax and VAT arrangements – Oxfam will deduct withholding tax from the consultancy fees which will be in conformity with the prevailing government rates and submit the same to the Government of Kenya.
• The consultant will be entitled to a copy of the tax submission certificate on request. Application Procedure Interested agency is expected to send samples of previous work and experience of conducting similar tasks.

Logistics and accommodation

The filming firm shall bear all the logistics and upkeep related costs.

The consultant should send a financial proposal and budget. Your proposal should contain:

1. A creative brief of your approach to the work.
2. Your proposal should be sent by email under the subject line ‘Mine-to-Market documentary’ to KPConsultancyServices@oxfam.org.uk not later than 26th November 2024.

How to apply

Application Process:

Interested applicants should submit their proposals, including a detailed financial proposal and samples of previous relevant work, via email to KPConsultancyServices@oxfam.org.uk. The subject line should read “Mine-to-Market documentary.” Proposals must be received within 14 days from the date of this notice. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.