Deadline: 05-Aug-2025
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has issued a call for proposals to hire a firm to implement community-based Pot Song performances. This initiative supports the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) in helping coastal communities, especially women, build resilience to climate change-induced salinity, which affects their livelihoods and access to safe water.
This effort combines UNDP resources with co-financing from the GoB to overcome barriers—informational, technical, financial, and institutional—faced by vulnerable communities in Khulna and Satkhira. It focuses on implementing resilient livelihood strategies and sustainable drinking water solutions.
The main goal is to design and deliver culturally relevant Pot Song theatre performances that raise awareness of climate risks and adaptation strategies. These performances aim to promote behavior change, gender equality, and social inclusion. The firm will develop engaging scripts, train local theatre groups with a focus on involving women and youth, and conduct 101 Pot Song shows in the targeted areas.
The performances will address themes such as climate change impacts like salinity and water crises, sustainable livelihoods including crab farming and aquageoponics, and water management techniques like rainwater harvesting. They will also highlight gender equality and early warning systems.
The project targets several barriers. It seeks to address low awareness and limited technical or financial capacities that prevent small-scale farmers and fishers from adopting resilient livelihoods. It also aims to improve community knowledge of water security solutions in the face of increasing salinity, particularly focusing on the burdens faced by women and girls. Community involvement and government co-management will help sustain water systems after the project ends.
Additionally, the project strengthens the technical and coordination capacities of two ministries—the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and the Local Government Division. It promotes knowledge sharing and builds frameworks for scaling up successful water and livelihood solutions.
The project duration is six months, scheduled from August 2025 to January 2026.
Eligible firms must have at least four years of experience organizing theatre or Pot Song performances, particularly in climate-vulnerable coastal areas. They must have carried out at least three behavior change campaigns and have three years of experience working with youth and women on climate and gender-related initiatives.
Firms should also demonstrate experience with donor or UN-funded awareness projects, particularly in producing Pot Song or similar outreach materials. Required documents include trade license, VAT, and TIN certificates, six months of bank statements and a recent bank solvency certificate, a Pot Song script, and a technical proposal.
The team lead must hold at least a bachelor’s or diploma in dramatics, development, economics, sociology, or related fields, with 10 years of relevant experience, including three years of working on youth-focused campaigns. Scriptwriters must hold a graduate or diploma degree in fields such as Drama, Fine Arts, or Anthropology, with experience in developing at least three Bangla-language theatre scripts or Pot Song performances.
For more information, visit UNDP.
