Call for Consultant of Media Engagement for eYAA: Cohort 5 Regional Capacity Building Workshop 

BACKGROUND 

The ASEAN Foundation and Maybank Foundation established eMpowering Youths Across ASEAN (eYAA) on 8 August 2018 as a flagship programme to harness the region's youth potential for social innovation and community development. This strategic partnership aligns with ASEAN's commitment to fostering youth leadership and cross-cultural understanding whilst addressing pressing socio-economic challenges. The initiative emphasises capacity building, regional cooperation and sustainable solutions that empower young people to become catalysts for positive change in their communities.  

Throughout four successful cohorts, eYAA has empowered 382 youth volunteers who have conceptualised and implemented transformative projects across the region. These initiatives have directly benefited more than 89,400 community members through sustainable, youth-led interventions in education, environmental conservation, healthcare access and livelihood enhancement. Each project reflects the programme's core principles of inclusivity, innovation and impact, whilst strengthening the bonds between participating countries and cultivating a sense of shared ASEAN identity among the youth volunteers. 

Cohort 5 represents the next evolution of this impactful programme, with the Regional Capacity Building Workshop serving as a critical preparatory milestone for all participants. Scheduled for 19-21 July 2025 in Bangkok, this workshop will equip selected Youth Volunteers and their partner organisations with the knowledge, networks and practical skills essential for successful project implementation. Professional media engagement is crucial to amplify these efforts, inspire wider youth participation and document best practices for future replication. The media campaign will also showcase ASEAN's commitment to sustainable development and highlight the tangible outcomes of regional cooperation in addressing common challenges through youth empowerment.   

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

In collaboration with the Senior Project Officer and Communications Consultant for eYAA, and under the guidance of the Head of Strategic Planning and Business Development and Head of Communications at the ASEAN Foundation, the consultant will be expected to undertake the following assignments:  

• Organise an onsite press conference during the Regional Capacity Building Workshop of eMpowering Youths Across ASEAN: Cohort 5 in Bangkok, Thailand.  
• Develop one press release in English and its translation into Khmer, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese highlighting the Regional Capacity Building Workshop and the regional partnership between ASEAN Foundation and Maybank Foundation. The press release will have, among others, quotes from the two organisations and testimonials from youth volunteers, alumni and representatives of CSOs.  
• Disseminate the press release to media outlets in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam.  
• Provide a FAQ guide related to the orientation workshop to respond to questions from the media.  

EXPECTED OUTPUT 

• Workplan;  
• A list of recommended prominent media outlets in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam, categorised by media type, pinpointing each outlet’s primary focus areas, and including an estimated audience reach or reader demographics.;  
• Press release draft in English, Khmer, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese;  
• Press release dissemination in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam;  
• A press conference in the Regional Capacity Building Workshop event, involving local and international media based in Bangkok;  
• A media brief and FAQ guide for all spokespersons from ASEAN Foundation and Maybank to respond to the questions from the media;  
• A final report, which for each article details its audience reach and PR value, specifying whether the PR value is calculated using a recognised standard such as Advertising Value Equivalency (AVE) or via a more qualitative assessment of media impact.  

EXPECTED OUTCOME 

At least 50 printed and online media clippings from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam generated.  

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS 

All information pertaining to this project belongs to the ASEAN Foundation, which the consultant may come into contact within the performance of his/her, and duties under this assignment shall remain the property of the ASEAN Foundation. ASEAN Foundation shall have exclusive rights over their use. Except for the purposes of this assignment, the information shall not be disclosed to the public nor used in whatever without written permission of the ASEAN Foundation in line with the national and International Copyright Laws applicable.   

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED 

• A professional Public Relations Agency/Consultant with a minimum of five years of relevant experience, and with a proven portfolio of successful media campaigns for social initiatives or youth empowerment;  
• Experienced in working/engaging with the ASEAN Entities is preferred;  
• Has good media networks on project sites;  
• Has good knowledge of social projects;  
• Possess good flexibility in receiving last-minute changes and requests from ASEAN Foundation and its partners;  
• Able to work under pressure and meet tight timelines without affecting the quality of the work results;  
• Able to translate press releases into Khmer, Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese, sufficient to produce accurate and culturally appropriate drafts.  

APPLICATION PROCEDURE 

Any eligible organisation and/or professional keen to apply for this opportunity is required to send the following documents:   

• Organisation/agency/company profile;  
• Organisation/agency/company portfolio of similar work;  
• A service quotation.  

All required documents must be emailed between 16 June and 22 June 2025, with the deadline on 22 June 2025 by 23:59 GMT+7. Please use the subject line “eYAA5 – Media Engagement” and send to [email protected] and CC [email protected]. To obtain the project timeline and other detailed information, please download the tender document from this https://bit.ly/MedEng-ConsCo5-RFQ