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Social Behavior Change and Communication Consultancy

Scope of work

• The primary goal of this consultancy is to secure a highly qualified Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) consultant (S). Tasked with leading the development and execution of a robust SBCC strategy for the Girls Improving Resilience through Livelihoods and Health (GIRL-H) program across Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria, the consultant aims to enhance the well-being of adolescent girls, boys, and young women by increasing their access to skills, knowledge, health resources, formal education, and economic opportunities.

Under the direct supervision of the program Implementation lead and in collaboration with country managers, the consultant will undertake various tasks outlined in this concise Scope of Work.

Needs Assessment and Analysis.

• The consultant will conduct a comprehensive assessment to precisely identify the specific social behavior changes the program aims to address. This will involve conducting formative research to gain insights into the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of the target audience. The assessment will also include a thorough review of existing data and relevant research about the specific challenges faced by adolescent girls, boys, and young women in the program’s context. The findings will serve as a foundation to inform the development of an effective SBCC strategy.
• The consultant will develop a tailored SBCC strategy aligned with program goals, identifying key messages, channels, and materials for behavior change. They will ensure a comprehensive approach covering both individual and community-level interventions. The strategy should, be informed by the needs assessment and should outline clear objectives, target audiences, key messages, communication channels, feedback adaptation, monitoring, scalable approaches, and suggested activities aimed at driving social and behavioral change at different levels.
• The consultant will offer training and support to program staff and partners, focusing on enhancing their skills and understanding of Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) techniques and principles. The goal is to strengthen the capacity of local partners, ensuring the sustainability of SBCC efforts even after the consultant’s tenure. This comprehensive approach aims to empower the program’s stakeholders to effectively continue and expand SBCC initiatives independently.

SBCC Strategy Development

Campaign design and Implementation

• The consultant will be responsible for developing engaging and culturally sensitive communication campaigns to foster positive behavior change. This will involve identifying key messages that align with the program’s objectives and are relevant to adolescent girls, boys, and young women in the three countries. The consultant will select suitable communication channels and create diverse information, education and communication materials, including posters, brochures, videos, and various digital assets.
  These materials will be designed with innovation and creativity to ensure their impact and resonance with the target audience. Age-appropriateness will be a crucial consideration, ensuring that the key messages are delivered in a language and format that effectively resonates with the target audience. The consultant will be instrumental in infusing innovation and creativity into the campaigns, leveraging their knowledge and skills to ensure their relevance and impact. They will stay updated on the latest trends and best practices in social and behavior change communication (SBCC) to ensure the campaigns are dynamic and effective. Additionally, the consultant will also conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to identify key stakeholders, influencers, and existing SBCC efforts in each country. This will facilitate collaboration and alignment with relevant partners, maximizing the impact of the campaigns by leveraging existing networks and resources.

Capacity Building.

Community Engagement

• The consultant will collaborate closely with local partners, community leaders, influencers, and stakeholders, seeking their support and active participation in Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) initiatives. The consultant will organize a range of community events, including workshops, focus group discussions, and meetings, fostering dialogue to gather valuable insights and feedback while simultaneously raising awareness about the program’s objectives. This strategic approach aims to ensure robust community involvement and support for effective SBCC implementation.
• Draft a TOR to a selection of different champions such as social media influencers, male champions, and media firms.
• The consultant will work closely with the GIRL-H Program Team to create a compelling and engaging creative country-specific concept for the SBCC campaigns. This concept will serve as the foundation for all campaign materials and activities to support the rollout of the SBCC campaigns. This should include developing the campaign creative concept, writing the scripts, developing storyboards, designing materials to creatively convey the key message, pretesting messages/materials, preparing and implementing a comprehensive media plan, developing the social media calendar, and proposing monitoring and evaluation approaches for the campaign.
• The consultant will support the M&E team in identifying relevant indicators and setting measurable targets for the campaign. They will conduct regular reviews and analyze data to assess the effectiveness of the strategy and adjust as needed. Working closely with the M&E team, the consultant will ensure the campaign aligns with goals and objectives and enhances its impact. Their involvement in monitoring and evaluation will ensure the campaign remains evidence-based and continuously improves to achieve behavior change outcomes.

Reporting:

The consultant will work closely with the GIRL-H Program Management Unit, and the communications team and report to the Program Director.

Deliverables

• A comprehensive needs assessment report
• Engaging SBCC campaigns and materials.
• Design the campaign plan.
• Develop the pretesting materials including the moderator guide and questions and lead the pretesting of the campaign materials.
• Review and comment on all relevant plans including media plan, program Website, social media calendar, communication plan, etc.

Training materials and capacity-building documentation

• Support the M&E team in identifying relevant indicators to this campaign and assist in setting the targets.
• Regular Progress report
• TORS and scope of works used to engage the different stakeholders and partners (Male champions, s, social media influencers, media agencies)
• Develop a robust monitoring and evaluation framework with clear metrics and indicators.
• Develop a robust monitoring and evaluation framework with clear metrics and indicators.

Technical expertise, skills, and knowledge

• Master’s degree in social and behavioral science, Public Relations, Communication, Journalism, or a related field.
• 10- 15 years of work experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating social and behavior change campaigns and interventions in Kenya and Uganda or Nigeria
• Experience in developing behavioral change communication tools and materials.
• A strong grasp of the cultural and societal dynamics of the target population and a sensitivity to gender-specific issues, particularly those affecting youth, especially women.
• Solid skills in data analysis, synthesis, reporting, and presentation
• Excellent command of English.

Proposal requirements

The consultant will submit both a technical and a financial proposal (of not more than 10 pages) that includes the following:

Technical proposal:

• Demonstration of the consultants’ understanding of the terms of reference. This will be included as an interpretation of the consultant’s understanding of the requirements of this assignment rather than a summary or re-statement of the terms of reference.
• A clear and detailed work plan with dates and deliverables specified.

Financial proposal:

• An itemized and detailed budget, indicating the unit costs for consultancy fees as well as, separately, administrative and support costs such as travel, accommodation, and office support such as stationary. Please note that Mercy Corps will not provide transport, meals, and accommodation to the consultant or research assistants during the consultancy period.
• All costs must be expressed in USD.

References:

• Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of representatives of two organizations that will act as professional referees; these must be persons of managerial responsibility at the level where such reviews as these can be authorized.

Vendor Information to be submitted.

• Evidence of similar work conducted.
• Concept note of not more than five pages.
• Budget summary of total cost

Duration:

• The consultant’s engagement will 4 months ( January -April 2024 )with the possibility of extension based on performance and program needs.

TECHNICAL AREAS

Relevant Experience: (Score 30 Marks)

• Demonstrated expertise in conducting comprehensive social behavior change assessments, particularly in the context of youth livelihood programs.
• Understanding of the cultural, social, and economic dynamics that influence behavior change in the program’s target regions.
• Previous experience in identifying and selecting sectors for scaling and expansion.
• Strong research capabilities, including desk research for target countries, qualitative research methodologies, and data analysis.

Strong Organizational capacity and technical know-how (Score 30 Marks)

• Demonstrated expertise in needs assessment to identify the most effective approaches for social behavior change activities relevant to the program’s target demographics.
• Skilled in fostering collaborative approaches with diverse stakeholders in the intervention design process.
• Ability to utilize a range of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to inform the SBCC strategy

Innovation and Strong Technical details (Score 20 Marks)

• Demonstrated innovation and creativity in identifying gaps and opportunities within chosen approaches, proposing practical interventions for sustainable employment opportunities.
• Strategic mindset to develop a comprehensive strategy outlining proposed interventions, including a clear implementation roadmap.
• Exhibit innovation in identifying key areas for behavior change communication.
• Ability to adapt and align the strategy to local contexts and changing program needs.

Market Systems Assessment Consultant

Scope of Work

GIRL-H has been implemented in Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria with participants transitioning and supported on different pathways of growth/success. This was done using a response from Matching Interest to Work (MiW) assessment that was administered to all participants. Now the program is planning for bridge funding which has three main pillars, hence the program plans to engage a consultant to support a market assessment focused on the below:

• Sector Scan and Selection: In this phase, the consultant’s objective will identify the sectors most suitable for scaling and expanding livelihood opportunities (both waged employment and entrepreneurship) for GIRL-H participants in the three implementation countries. In coordination with the Mercy Corps, they will develop a sector selection criterion and facilitate the selection of the highest potential sectors. This assessment should consider the historical efforts of the program, the characteristics of the youth it has engaged, and the market environments in which it operates. The outcome of this exercise will be a shortlist of 2 to 4 sectors with the highest potential for generating employment opportunities for GIRL-H beneficiaries per country.
• Sector Assessments: Following the sector selection, the consultant will conduct a detailed analysis of each chosen sector to identify existing gaps and opportunities within these sectors, examine the factors hindering their optimal performance, and explore the capacities, constraints, and incentives of various market actors with the goal of identifying intervention areas for the program. We anticipate that this exercise will generate clear, practical interventions and approaches for the program aimed at enhancing the sector ecosystem to provide sustainable employment opportunities.
• Partner Mapping: As part of the sector assessments, the consultant will map out key market actors and identify potential partnership opportunities aligned with the proposed sector-specific interventions.

Consultant activities and deliverables in line with the objectives and scope of work above:

• Conduct desk research for each of the target countries
• Conduct a minimum of 5 – 7 Key Informant Interviews (KII) per country, including GIRL-H staff, key partners, private sector stakeholders and other system actors.
• Organize at least two–three Focus Group Sessions (FGD) with GIRL-H participants across the three countries to capture their needs, aspirations, and insights, amplifying the youth’s voices.
• Facilitate co-design session(s) with the GIRL-H team and partner organizations to brainstorm and co-create intervention ideas.
• Present a comprehensive strategy that clearly outlines proposed interventions along with a clear implementation roadmap to guide the team in implementing these interventions.

The Consultant will be responsible for delivering the following:

• A preliminary sector scan analysis (includes a sector selection matrix and a preliminary short list of potential sectors to be agreed upon with the program team
• A 15 – 20-page market assessment report for each country that includes (but is not limited to) sector selection recommendations, proposed intervention design and implementation plan
• A partner map of high potential partners in each of the countries that the program can engage in the delivery of the respective interventions.

Reporting:

• The consultant will work closely with the GIRL-H Program Management Unit and report to the Program Director.

The Consultant will work closely with:

• Program performance quality manager, Country program managers, Youth Employment technical support unit team

Payment Terms:

• The consultant should submit an invoice(s) at an agreed-upon cadence based on milestones agreed upon during contracting. Mercy Corps will only pay for services provided. Please note: Mercy Corps will deduct the relevant taxes in line with tax laws as applicable).

Qualifications, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in economics, business management, business administration innovation, project planning and management, public policy and administration, or any other business-related fields.
• At least 10 years of related professional experience, of which at least three will have been with a private sector entity, public-private sector engagement, or a social enterprise.
• Demonstrated experience with market systems assessments and designing private sector development activities (required)
• 5 years of demonstrable experience in market facilitation, supporting systemic change, and promoting business or market/economic development. At least three years will have been with a private sector organization.
• Demonstrated skills in building partnerships between the private sector and development actors.
• Experience working in at least one of the implementation countries (preferred)
• Fluency in spoken and written English required

Vendor Information to be submitted.

• Evidence of similar work conducted.
• Concept note of not more than five pages.
• Budget summary of total cost

TECHNICAL AREAS

Relevant Experience: (Score 30 Marks)

• Demonstrated expertise in conducting comprehensive market assessments, particularly in the context of youth livelihood programs.
• Proven track record of successful sector scans, sector assessments, and partner mapping in multiple countries
• Previous experience in identifying and selecting sectors for scaling and expansion.
• Strong research capabilities, including desk research for target countries, qualitative research methodologies, and data analysis.

Strong Organizational capacity and technical know-how: (Score 30 Marks)

• Demonstrated expertise in facilitating co-design sessions with program teams and partner organizations to brainstorm and co-create intervention ideas.
• Skilled in fostering collaborative approaches with diverse stakeholders in the intervention design process.

Innovation and Strong Technical details: (Score 20 Marks)

• Demonstrated innovation and creativity in identifying gaps and opportunities within chosen sectors, proposing practical interventions for sustainable employment opportunities
• Strategic mindset to develop a comprehensive strategy outlining proposed interventions, including a clear implementation roadmap.
• Ability to align interventions with the historical efforts of the program, characteristics of the youth participants, and market environments.

Method of Application

Interested candidates should submit their applications to tenders.mck@mercycorps.org by 8th of December 2023.