TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)
Documentary Production — FCAP Graduated Communities Impact Documentation
Spark Microgrants | Eastern and Northern Uganda
1.0 Introduction
Spark Microgrants is a non-profit organization with a vision: “A world where everybody lives with dignity and determines their own positive future”. For over a decade, Spark has improved the lives of more than one million people across Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Malawi, and Ghana by pioneering a 100% village-driven approach to community development that places decision-making power directly in the hands of those most affected by poverty.
At the core of its work is the Facilitated Collective Action Process (FCAP), a two-year program that combines inclusive village planning with direct cash grants, empowering communities to identify priorities, implement locally driven projects, and build sustainable savings groups. This cost-effective approach has delivered long-lasting improvements in household incomes, savings, women's leadership, and community resilience.
Having operated in Uganda for a number of years across the Eastern and Northern regions, Spark Microgrants seeks to commission a high-quality documentary to capture the lasting impact of the FCAP in communities that graduated from the program 2–10 years ago, sharing
2.0 Purpose and Objectives
The primary purpose of this documentary is to demonstrate the enduring, community-led impact of the Spark FCAP model beyond the formal program period, told through the authentic voices and lived experiences of graduated community members in Eastern, Northern & West Nile regions of Uganda. The specific objectives of this assignment are:
- To document the long term social, economic, and civic changes resulting from the FCAP graduated, fragile and conflict affected communities, including improvements in livelihoods, community cohesion, leadership, and engagement with local government.
- To identify communities and individuals that exemplify strong, sustained outcomes and surface the conditions and choices that enabled their success.
- To capture compelling individual success stories such as changes in livelihoods, household assets, savings, leadership, food security, and community cohesion, as told directly by participants.
- To Produce a high-quality documentary and supporting communication materials to increase the visibility of the FCAP model and its long-term impact, support donor engagement, advocacy, resource mobilization, and promotion of the FCAP model in Uganda and other Spark-supported countries.
- To develop a communications archive comprising raw footage, photographs, case studies, and interview transcripts for future storytelling and knowledge management.
3.0 Scope of Work
The selected consultant(s) or production team will travel to identified FCAP-graduated communities across Eastern, Northern & West Nile regions of Uganda to conduct field research, interviews, and filming. The assignment encompasses the following:
3.1 Pre-Production
- Review of Spark Microgrants' FCAP model documentation, community records, impact reports, and annual reports to identify the strongest candidate communities and individual participants for profiling across Eastern and Northern Uganda.
- Development of a production concept note, interview guide, filming schedule, and field logistics plan in close consultation with Spark Microgrants staff and Uganda country team.
- Coordination with Spark's field facilitators to arrange community access, participant identification, and scheduling.
3.2 Field Production
- Travel to selected communities in Eastern, Northern & West Nile (specifically: Bidi Bidi under Yumbe district - WestNile, Gulu district - Northern-Ug, and Bulambuli - Eastern-Ug) to conduct on-site filming and participant interviews. We target to visit 5 Villages in both Eastern-Ug and Northern-Ug respectively and 10 Villages in Bulambuli. Final list of villages to be visited shall be discussed at inception
- Individual Level: Conduct in-depth, consent-based interviews with individual FCAP participants, village savings group members, community leaders, women leaders, local government (District level) representatives, and Spark Microgrants Uganda staff.
- Community Level: Capture high-quality footage of community spaces, village projects, savings group meetings, agricultural or livelihood activities, and daily life that illustrate the Spark model's two pillars: Durable Livelihoods and Collective Action/Agency.
- Document a minimum of five individual success stories across at least three communities, targeting diverse experiences including women's leadership, household economic progress, and community infrastructure.
- Photograph key participants, project sites, and community activities in accordance with Spark's visual communication guidelines and ethical storytelling principles.
3.3 Post-Production
- Edit and produce a main documentary of 30 to 40 minutes in length, suitable for donor presentations, events, and online platforms.
- Produce three to five short-form video segments of 3 to 5 minutes each, featuring individual community or participant stories for digital and social media distribution.
- Deliver a minimum of twenty high-resolution, edited, and captioned photographs per community visited.
- Provide full interview transcripts, raw footage files, and a written summary fieldwork report.
4.0 Key Deliverables
The consultant(s) selected to undertake this project would be expected to deliver the following;
4.1 Main Documentary Film
A 30 to 40 minute documentary film weaving together stories from multiple communities and participants, anchored in the narrative of Spark's FCAP model and its vision of self-determined, village-driven change. The film must be produced in English with subtitles, quality should be excellent, with good audio and strong visuals to support the work [delivered in HD format (minimum 1920x1080, 25fps, 50Mbps)], and suitable for broadcast, event screening, and online distribution. A clean version without lower-thirds or embedded graphics should be provided alongside the final edited version. The Spark microgrants logo will remain a dominant and constant factor in all scenes and shots within the documentary with the end of the video providing information on how to contact Spark microgrants
4.2 Short-Form Community Stories
Three to five standalone mini-documentaries of 3 to 5 minutes each, profiling individual communities or participants. These must be self-contained and optimized for social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp, with English subtitles on all content.
4.3 Photography
A minimum of twenty high-resolution photographs, edited and captioned per community visited, delivered as color-corrected JPEG files alongside original RAW or DNG files. All images must be shot in landscape orientation, individually captioned with subject names, location, date, and contextual description, and organized in thematic albums. Spark Microgrants shall retain worldwide copyright or exclusive license of a minimum of ten years. No unsharp mask to be applied.
4.4 Written Case Studies
A minimum of five written case studies (approximately 600 to 800 words each) profiling individual participants and their trajectories since FCAP graduation, emphasizing the two pillars of Durable Livelihoods and Collective Action. Case studies will be drafted by the consultant and finalized collaboratively with Spark Microgrants communications staff, in accessible English that centers community voice and dignity.
4.5 Documentation Archive
Full copies of all raw camera files (synced with audio), interview recordings, signed consent forms, interview transcripts, and a detailed fieldwork report covering all participants interviewed, communities visited, and relevant contextual observations.
5.0 Technical Specifications
All video content must meet the following minimum standards:
- Format: HD 1920x1080, 25fps, minimum 50Mbps
- Slow motion footage to be shot at appropriate higher frame rate
- Audio: Clear, clean audio, fully synced, with no background distortion
- Subtitles: English subtitles required on all final video outputs
- Delivery: All content delivered digitally within five working days of the final day of field production via a secure file-sharing platform agreed with Spark Microgrants
- Copyright: Spark Microgrants retains worldwide rights to all edited and raw video and photography outputs
- The Spark Microgrants logo must remain visible and consistent throughout all video outputs, with contact information featured at the close of the documentary
6.0 Roles and Responsibilities
Spark Microgrants
- Provide the consultant(s) with relevant FCAP background documentation, community records, and prior impact data.
- Facilitate introductions to Uganda field staff, community leaders, and identified participants.
- Provide periodic review and timely feedback on draft outputs at agreed milestones.
- Retain final editorial review to ensure accuracy of organizational representation and alignment with Spark's visual identity and values.
Consultant(s) / Production Team
- Lead all aspects of production planning, community access logistics, filming, editing, and delivery.
- Maintain proactive and regular communication with Spark Microgrants throughout the assignment.
- Deliver all outputs on time and to the technical standards specified in this TOR.
- Provide Spark with a complete archive of all raw materials and consent documentation upon project completion.
- The consultant is responsible for their own travel, accommodation, and per diems as detailed in the financial proposal
Spark Uganda Field Team / Local Partners
- Support logistics for community access and participant mobilization in Eastern and Northern Uganda.
- Provide contextual knowledge and language interpretation where necessary.
- Assist in scheduling and coordinating interviews, village visits, and filming sessions.
- Spark will provide a single point of contact (Winston) for all communications, who will ensure feedback on draft deliverables is provided within stipulated working days per each stage of the project.
7.0 Required Qualifications and Experience
Spark Microgrants is seeking highly qualified individuals or production teams with the following credentials:
- Minimum of five years of demonstrated experience in documentary filmmaking, videography, cinematography, and community-level storytelling, preferably in social change, community development, or international development contexts.
- Proven experience producing documentary content for NGOs, social enterprises, or international development organizations. Prior experience working in Uganda or East Africa is a strong advantage.
- Exceptional storytelling, scriptwriting, documentary writing, and interviewing skills, with the ability to draw out nuanced, authentic accounts from rural community participants.
- Technical proficiency in HD video production, field audio recording, color grading, and post-production editing.
- Experience conducting sensitive, ethical interviews with community participants from rural and low-literacy backgrounds.
- Demonstrated understanding of informed consent, safeguarding, and ethical visual representation in development communications.
- Ability to work independently and professionally in field conditions with limited infrastructure.
- Fluency in English required; proficiency in Luganda, Lusoga, Acholi, Lugbarai, or other relevant Ugandan languages is a significant advantage.
8.0 Technical Proposal Requirements
Interested consultants or production teams should submit a technical proposal including:
- A brief interpretation of this TOR demonstrating understanding of the Spark FCAP model and the assignment's objectives
- A creative concept note describing the proposed documentary narrative, visual style, and approach to community storytelling. Bidders should include a list of their primary equipment (cameras, audio recorders, lighting).
- A detailed work plan and production schedule with clear timelines
- Links or samples of at least two to three relevant past documentary productions
- At least three professional references from previous clients, preferably from NGO or development sector commissions
- A financial proposal with a detailed budget breakdown for the following phases: Pre-production, Field Production, Post-Production, and Delivery
Bidders must demonstrate professional competency through their submissions. Past work samples, references, and evidence of ethical production practice will be weighted in the selection process.
9.0 Submission of Applications
Applications should be submitted to winston@sparkmicrogrants.org
no later than Friday 17th July 2026. For inquiries or further information about Spark Microgrants and the FCAP model, please visit
www.sparkmicrogrants.org or contact winston@sparkmicrogrants.org.
Spark Microgrants is an equal opportunity organization and encourages applications from diverse candidates, including women filmmakers, persons with disabilities, and candidates with lived experience in the communities we serve.
Click the link below to view the detailed Terms of Reference (ToR), scope of work & deliverables:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GgNlpa38O-E81za_6YWQoJmUqdZDHSco/view?usp=sharing
