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Background:

The Government of Tanzania led by Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MOHCDGEC) and other partners including UNICEF have continued to support various WASH sector prevention and response interventions for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) related outbreaks, including cholera since August 2015. Among these efforts include the Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) interventions that have contributed significantly in improving best practices that prevent both acute diarrhoea and cholera diseases.

 

Regardless these efforts however; there remains sporadic outbreaks in some parts of the country that points out to the need of clear reflection and comprehensive review of different approaches used for both prevention and response, especially the effectiveness of prepositioned IEC materials. 

 

The SBCC initiatives have been coordinated by the National Social Mobilization Sub-committee under the overall leadership of the National Task Force led by MOHCDGEC – HPS to mobilize communities in promoting personal hygiene, use of safe water and good sanitation. This has been an integral part for prevention and sets out to promote safe, healthy and protective behaviours; create demand for social services; and facilitate communication mechanisms between communities and providers for improvement of service provision.

 

Specific efforts have been also put in using  multiple channels to disseminate information and engage communities in prevention through TV/Radio spots, theatre plays, radio announcements, airing animated cholera video (story of cholera) through local video halls (Bandas), use of flip charts and other  IEC materials in all hotspots.

Major IEC materials that had been disseminated in 2015 outbreakincluded the use of a flip chart distributed to the community level health workers in more than 55 hotspot districts across 16 regions in mainland and Zanzibar. The Story of Cholera film developed and disseminated nationally through 7 major TV stations and electronic messaging via WhatsApp and on Social Media. At community level more than 7,000 DVDs of The Story of Cholera were distributed to Video Bandas and libraries through the Tanzania Video and Library Association (TVLA) in different hotspot regions.

 

These similar efforts and more have continued to be implemented to date with no intensive assessed and review to determine its effectiveness in deferent regions as part of prevention and effective response.

 

In order to strengthen these strategies, especially using contextualized IEC materials that respond to area specific problems, the Health promotion Unit led by MOHCDGEC in collaboration with UNICEF sees a need for joint review of what has worked well and what did not during the recent outbreaks - to identify key lessons and focus areas for the follow-on intervention. This review will be coupled with comprehensive review of prepositioned IEC materials and messages that are being disseminated in different hotspots. 

Justification:

The review of SBCC strategies, IEC materials/messages used during recent past outbreaks response, aims to generate strategic recommendations that will not only strengthen SBCC approaches especially for prevention, but also help to gauge the effectiveness of various intervention, including identifying more effective high impact channels which could be maximized and prioritized in absence of resources for replication of the full range of interventions. The review of existing IEC materials will moreover help to contextualize and harmonize key messages that respond to respective WASH challenges for different hotspots. 

Purpose of the Assignment

To review SBCC approaches, strategies, key channels/messages and effectiveness of the IEC materials used for cholera prevention and response since 2015 outbreak. This aims to help in generating recommendations that will guide and informmore strategic preparedness plan and updating of context based IEC/BCC materials to respond respective behavior drivers according to different hotspots.   

Specific Objectives

Key objectives of this assignment include;

1. To review SBCC approaches and channels used for promotion of WASH priority behaviours during the past and recent cholera outbreaks, and to understand their effectiveness for prevention and response both at national, subnational and community level.
2. To review all IEC/BCC materials developed and disseminated with the support of UNICEF and other key partners including flip charts, leaflets, DVDs and fliers; and  to understand their appropriateness to addressing the different contexts of hotspot areas.
3. To generate recommendations that will guide and inform appropriate mix of SBCC approaches that promote community engagement and based that to update / design context based IEC materials that respond to respective behaviour drivers and characteristics of different hotspots.
4. To conduct a capacity gap analysis of key mobilizers and generate recommendations for longer-term plan to train/orient existing community structures/networks
5. To inform a framework in designing and implementing respective SBCC strategy/preparedness and response plan for Cholera as well as strengthening community centred capacity in prevention interventions across the country.
6. To harmonize standardised materials and messages used by different key partners
7. Specific Tasks

1. Conducting rapid assessment of emergency SBCC response through;

• Mapping of all SBCC strategies undertaken since 2015
• Mapping of all National and subnational channels and existing community structures/networks mobilized during the past outbreaks as well as potential ones especially in hotspots and analyse their capacity for community engagement and hygiene promotion for both prevention and response.
• Undertake mapping and inventory of all the print and audio/visual materials used by key partners during previous cholera outbreak and develop a key database of materials that can be, adapted and used during future outbreaks and as part of prevention efforts.
• Identify an appropriate mechanism for monitoring and evaluation of SBCC initiatives.

2. Conduct a comprehensive review of cholera/hygiene promotion IEC / Job aides including the Flipchart for social mobilisers, leaflets, posters and DVD and determine how the key messages contained therein best fit or are contextualized for the various audiences/locations.

• Conduct a capacity gap at all levels and generate recommendations for a longer-term plan to train/orient existing community structures on the basics of cholera prevention and key messages for general hygiene promotion as part of resilience building/response sustainability.
• Conduct a stakeholder’s workshop to generate ideas of different SBCC initiatives that are being carried in different locations especially in hot spot areas and how these IEC materials are effective in different locations. The workshop will also aim in joint review/discuss what worked well and what didn’t during the recent outbreak to identify key lessons and focus areas for the follow-on activities.

5. Define updated context based and harmonized IEC/BCC messages

• Prepare a formative report from the assessments and workshop to inform the effectiveness of the various intervention, key gaps and challenges. The report should especially identify more effective channels which could be maximized and prioritized in absence of resources for replication of the full range of interventions.

7. Develop/update SBCC strategic action plan for Cholera preparedness and response based on the findings.

2. Methodology

• The consultants will work under the leadership of the MOHCDGEC Health Promotion Unit and with the technical support from UNICEF C4D specialist –WASH.
• The consultant will take inception meeting with UNICEF and MOHCDGEC Health Promotion Unit as well as all relevant departments, sections, Ministries and IPs prior commencing the assessment activities.
•  The consultants will undertake a through desk review of SBCC interventions, prepositioned IEC materials, Channels, existing community structures and their capacity, and develop an inception report and summary brief prior the field visit to hotspot areas and stakeholders workshop.
• The assignment requires at least two field trips in different hotspot zones to undertake qualitative SBCC assessment by discussing with respective IPs, and actors at various level including community members. All observed SBCC initiative and available IEC materials should be captured in the final report.
• The consultant with the support from the MOHCDGEC Health Promotion Unit will prepare a debriefing session to officials/community members in the areas visited
• With the support from the MOHCDGEC - HPS the consultants will organize a stakeholders workshop that would bring key implementers engaged in WASH/SBCC interventions at national and sub national levels
• The consultants with the support from MOHCDGEC - HPS team is expected identify a local team to work with in the chosen specific localities.
• Timelines and milestones for individual activities should be finalized between UNICEF, MOHCDGEC - HPS and the selected consultant before the consultant undertake the field work.

3. Expected Deliverables

• Phase I:

1. Presentation of an inception report with comprehensive desk review, description of proposed plan of work, outputs and work plan timeline.

• Phase II:

2. Mapping matrix of SBCC approaches and existing IEC/BCC materials with report on respective gaps and recommended actions.
3. Key database of materials that can be prepositioned, adapted and used during future outbreaks as part of prevention efforts
4. Submission of draft report to MOHCDGEC - HPS management and UNICEF for inputs and approval. The report should entail key findings and recommendations generated from the review process, field visit and stakeholders workshop.   
5. Final report with overall recommendations to strengthen appropriate mix of SBCC approaches at all levels

• Phase III:

5. Revised SBBC in cholera preparedness and response plan
6. Updated and harmonized content for IEC/BCC materials
7. SBBC cholera preparedness and response plan presented to MOHCDGEC Management  and

UNICEF for inputs and approval

 

4. Reporting

Reporting requirements for this assignment is as follows:

• Inception report at the first phase of assignment (within 2 weeks of signing the contract)
• Comprehensive review of SBCC and Mapping matrix of existing IEC/BCC materials with gap and recommended action (within 2 months of signing the contract)
• Final Comprehensive report with overall recommendations (within  3 months of signing the contract)
• Revised SBBC in cholera preparedness and response plan (within 4 months of signing the contract)
• Updated and harmonized content for IEC/BCC materials(within 4 months of signing the contract)
• Expected Qualifications and Requirement
• Advanced university degree in communication, Social/Behaviour Change Communication and/or sociology,  anthropology and related social science
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive work experience in programme communication/C4D/SBCC, with strong experience in outbreak/risk communication, community health and social mobilization. Experience working in SBCC within Tanzania with extensive knowledge in developmentof Information, Education and health Communication (IEC) materials is an asset.

• Experience necessary in creative, strategic communication design and media/materials development (mobile phones, print and/or television). This includes pre-testing and production of communications materials.

• Experience with the design and implementation of qualitative anthropological/sociological research and /or communication monitoring and evaluation.
• Extensive experience working in development programs with government , UN and other international organizations in Tanzania is highly desirable;

• Fluency in English and Kiswahili language skills;

6. General Conditions: Procedures and Logistics

• Provide an all-inclusive cost in the financial proposal including travel cost to undertake field activities
• The level of payment will be determined by the profile of the proposed consultant(s) and financial proposals. Payments will be made upon submission and acceptance of specified deliverables and submission of invoices
• The selected consultant will discuss with UNICEF technical and financial staff and MOHCDGEC - HPS to plan the final scope of work and develop and negotiate the final contract.
• UNICEF in collaboration with MOHCDGEC - HPS reserve the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.

The proposed payment schedule is as follows

• 20% on submission and approval of inception report
• 50% on submission of second phase deliverables
• 30% on submission and approval of final phase deliverables

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