Data Visualisation RFP
About Afrobarometer
Afrobarometer (AB) is a pan-African, nonpartisan, nonprofit research network that measures the political, economic, and social atmosphere in African countries. Guided by the vision that African societies thrive when African voices count in public policy and development, AB provides high-quality data and analysis on citizens’ evaluations and experiences of democratic governance and quality of life. This is provided as a public benefit and is free to policy makers, policy advocates, civil society organisations, academics, news media, donors and investors, and ordinary Africans. Launched in 1999 in 12 countries, AB has conducted more than 350,000 interviews and is completing its ninth survey round, covering 40 countries, in early 2023.
Our surveys give voice to ordinary Africans in policy-making processes. Effective analysis and communication of survey findings are thus integral parts of AB’s work. In tandem with written publications, data visualisation plays an increasingly critical role in achieving our core objectives.
To ensure that our survey findings reach intended audiences in compelling, accessible, and usable formats, we intend to engage an agency to provide data visualisation services that place AB outputs at the cutting edge of digital-first communication.
Brief
Afrobarometer is looking for a data visualisation agency to create a wide range of compelling visuals, both static and interactive, based on analysis of AB data, including longitudinal data. The agency must possess creative and adaptive thinking skills, be resourceful, and have a passion for conveying a wide range of information, including complex analytic findings, through world-class visuals, both stand-alone and to accompany written publications. The successful agency will work closely with AB’s Communications and Analysis units to clearly and accurately communicate research findings through dashboards, data visualisations, interactive charts, graphs, and other tools. The objective is to produce engaging, innovative, and visually appealing content to communicate information in a memorable and easily accessible way.
Responsibilities:
- Collaborate with an AB team to convey key messages using cutting-edge data visualisation approaches, techniques, and methods for distribution across a variety of platforms, including the AB website, AB publications, and social media.
- Working with AB, analyse AB longitudinal data, identify “stories,” and tell them in various visualisation formats.
- Use quantitative and qualitative data to communicate compelling stories to diverse stakeholders.
- Communicate results through presentations, reports, tools, and data visualisations for stakeholders, internal staff, and publications.
- Build capacity of AB staff in data visualisation.
Required skill sets:
- Specialised skills in computer and information sciences, graphic design, statistics, and animation.
- Experience with data analysis and data visualisation using tools such as SAS, Excel, SPSS, and/or others.
- Ability to take complex information and large data sets and translate them for use in compelling graphic and interactive visualisations for the web and other media.
- Demonstrated ability to transform static content into dynamic, interactive products that help to bring stories to life.
- Demonstrated ability to create engaging and dynamic visual elements such as charts, bar graphs, infographics, dashboards, and reports that effectively communicate key messages to non-technical audiences.
- Experience using business intelligence visualisation tools such as Tableau, DOMO, Looker, Datorama, Qlik Sense, COGNOS, and/or Power BI.
- Strong analytical, numeracy, and design skills to produce visualisations that drive actionable business and policy decisions.
Qualifications and experience of your firm and team:
- 5+ years of relevant data visualisation experience
- Portfolio of work (with emphasis on data visualisation and graphic design)
- References or recommendation letters from at least three current or past clients (alternatively a past clients’ portfolio)
- Estimated costing
- Demonstrated knowledge, skills and competencies needed to provide the services
- Proof of registration with relevant regulator and/or Registrar-General’s Department or its equivalent
- Valid practice certifications or licence
- Any other relevant information can be provided.
Creative references
We are looking to create chart races, interactive maps, heat maps, dynamic histograms, etc. We currently create static data visualisation products and are looking to improve on this by creating content that is more dynamic and interactive. These data visualisation products should be able to live on our website (which uses a WordPress CMS) and our social media channels.
Below are creative references that reflect some of the types of outputs we are interested in producing:
https://flourish.studio/visualisations/bar-chart-race/
https://flourish.studio/blog/scrollytelling-flourish-sky-q-and-a/
https://flourish.studio/blog/audio-talkie-visualisation-data-stories/
Project timeline and outputs:
Two data products per month, starting in Q4 of 2023.
Budget:
Please provide us with a cost estimate based on the above brief.
Timeline:
This call for proposals opens on Friday, 14 July 2023 and will end on Thursday, 31 August 2023. The vendor selection process will begin thereafter.
Application process:
Interested service providers should submit an Expression of Interest indicating their relevant competence, evidence of creative work in data visualisation, two references, a proposed work plan and timeline, and a total estimated cost in USD by 31 August 2023 to: info@afrobarometer.org