Terms of Reference for a Consultancy
Update Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) materials for the Irish Aid funded Livelihoods, Innovation, Food Security and Entrepreneurship (LIFE) integrated programme and support with the creation of a wider SBCC Action plan for Concern Liberia.
Background
Concern Worldwide is a nongovernmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries. Concern’s integrated programming approach aims to tackle all dimensions of poverty, focusing on the overlapping areas of health, education and livelihoods while maintaining our response to emergencies. Concern fully integrates equality in all its work, with emphasis on a gender transformation.
Concern has been operational in Liberia since 1996 when it commenced its operations in emergency response, evolving over time into development activities in the sectors of Health, Education and Livelihoods, with an emphasis on gender equality. In recent years, Concern also responded to emergencies in Liberia including Ebola and the COVID-19 Pandemic. The LIFE programme is implemented Grand Bassa and Rivercess Counties and applies a food system for food security approach. Other programmes are currently implemented there and in Nimba, Lofa, Bong, and the non-urban parts of Montserrado.
Other programmes include WASH covering sanitation marketing and clean water supply, social and behaviour change components, gender equality, social inclusion, nutrition, climate smart and nutrition sensitive agriculture, Village Savings Loans and Associations (VSLAs) and home gardens in both rural and urban settings.
The five-year LIFE programmes is designed to promote sustainable agricultural practices linked to sound natural resource management and adoption of sustainable behaviours in health and agriculture to protect vulnerable populations from the social, health and economic shocks and stresses that underpin high levels of malnutrition. The program specifically targets high levels of malnutrition among children under five, high levels of food insecurity and poor dietary diversity, high burden of communicable diseases, poor WASH infrastructure and practices, weak or inaccessible markets, and low return on productive assets. It bolsters learning from previous programmes on the need to strengthen the market linkages aspect with a food systems lens, and the need to apply a very strong climate change focus to all the interventions working closely to strengthen the capacity of Liberian government and local NGO partners to achieve this.
Purpose of the Consultancy
The purpose of this consultancy is to prepare updated Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) materials for the Irish Aid LIFE grant and support with the creation of an SBCC Action plan for Concern Liberia. Components of the Action plan will then feed into our strategic business development work in future years. It is important that the behaviour change consultant demonstrate a comprehensive and up to date understanding of the political, geographical, environment, economic, social and cultural environment in Liberia. The consultancy will be carried out remotely with support from programme staff in Rivercess and Grand Bassa Counties to inform the design of the SBCC Action plan. The current programme team has nutrition, livelihoods and WASH experts but needs support to develop a more innovative National Level approach to SBCC in Liberia. If required, the consultant will work with a local SBCC consultant/company to develop the final materials.
The Terms of Reference is subject to change based on detailed consultations with the consultants regarding the best possible configuration of SBCC products or deliverables for the Concern portfolio. The Consultant should prepare an innovative SBCC package that provokes the listener to think about their behaviour.
Expected outputs
- SBCC Action plan for Concern Liberia.
The consultant will be expected to produce a concise SBCC Action plan for Concern Liberia after a final debrief and incorporation of Concern’s feedback that comprises:
- Inception report detailing methodology used to assess existing materials and their efficacy, data collection tools and sample size etc.
- An executive summary (max 2 pages) including key points related to the scope, methodology, results and SBCC strategic guidance and materials options.
- Main report with the following sections: Introduction, Scope of the Action plan, Methodology, Results and SBCC programming options and materials needed.
- A package of SBCC materials for Concern Liberia guided by the Action plan as detailed above under expected outputs.
- Health Promotion Unit in the Ministry of Health has approved some Concern messaging for radio. Review these, update and modernise while assuring they remain approved.
- Prepare new materials for approval by Health Promotion Unit in the Ministry of Health for radio for: locally affordable diet / changing the consumption of imported rice and recognising the quality of locally available foods from the perspective of nutrition and health.
- Prepare new materials for approval by Ministry of Agriculture or relevant Line Ministries for radio for: alternatives to slash and burn to clear land, promotion of climate smart agricultural practices.
- Prepare longer more detailed and entertaining content for VIAMO[1]: dialogues on climate smart agricultural practices, converting training modules into summaries that are communicated in an interesting way, dialogues on locally affordable diet and complementary feeding recipes communicated in an interesting entertaining way and all materials carefully considering a SBCC action plan and a robust gender lens/challenging stereo type in Liberia.
- Audio visual content for social media: videos of trainings, cooking demonstrations using a modern Liberian chief influencer.
The SBCC Action plan and package of materials to be submitted to CD and PD Liberia for feedback and approval no later than 2 weeks after pre-testing by the in-country team.
Plan & Budget
Work plan
The consultant will complete the REMOTE work over a period of 30 days beginning with the date of signature of the contract and ending with the acceptance of the final report. Please see below proposed timeline to complete all tasks:
Context analysis steps
Duration
Dates
Responsibility
Preparation & Planning (Definition of SBCC Action plan scope, objectives and plan) including inception meeting with the team about the planning and logistics
2 days
October 5th and 6th
Consultant + Country team
Information Gathering and SBCC Action plan Drafting (Identification of key information sources, and desk review) and in person analysis (review and analysis of existing materials, community visits, stakeholder analysis to get advice on what works and good practices for Liberia & consultations with programme partners)
5 days
October 9th to 13th pending election situation and subject to change
Consultant + Country team
Meeting and presentation to the team of the review and the draft SBCC Action plan
½ day
16th of October
Consultant + Country team
Working session with the team to plan and agree what materials we need
½ day
16th of October
Consultant + Country team
Materials preparation supported by in-country staff will include the consultant working with an artist and acquiring full set of translation services into local Liberian English and Bassa for key materials.
9 days
October 17th – 27th
Consultant + Country team
In country staff pre-testing materials with Concern communities and Concern programmes team
5 days
October 30th – 3rd of November
Consultant + Country team
Present pre-test findings to Concern and share the plans to make changes
½ day workshop
November 6th
Consultant + Country team
Finalise materials
4 days
November 7th -10th
Consultant
Present final materials and launch the SBCC Campaigns with Concern and donor
½ day presentation workshop
13th of November
Consultant
Essential and Desirable Experience/Qualifications
The selected candidate will be an independent consultant or an affiliated group of consultants, with a track record of conducting SBCC action plan development in integrated livelihoods, WASH and health sectors in West Africa countries. Possible areas of expertise include social sciences, hygiene promotion and behaviour change communication, health research. The selected candidate will have to demonstrate understanding of SBCC design and methods with experience designing SBCC strategies. Experience in working/conducting consultancy in African urban contexts is essential.
Specific requirements:
- Experience working in Liberia is highly desirable.
- Willingness to adhere to Concern’s Code of Conduct (CCoC) with three Associated Policies; the Programme Participant Protection Policy (P4), the Child Safeguarding Policy and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy.
Reporting lines
The Consultant will report to Concern Liberia’s Country Director and will work closely with Programme Director, Livelihoods Coordinator, Programme Manager, Food Systems Lead, and the National Gender and Equality advisor with support as needed from the MEAL Adviser and MEAL coordinator, Nutrition Officer, Health coordinator, and rural area-based staff. Relevant technical staff from Concern Head Office will also input to the processes at different stages (design, analysis).
Annexes to be shared with the applicants:
- Code of Conduct (CCoC) with three Associated Policies; the Programme Participant Protection Policy (P4), the Child Safeguarding Policy and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy accessible
- Concern, 2010 – How Concern Understands Extreme Poverty
Annexes to be shared with the successful candidate:
- Concern Liberia Country Action plan and the LIFE Programme Proposal
VIAMO are a social enterprise that provide a free to air digital platform that rural programme participants can call into to hear trainings, messages, entertaining dialogues at no cost. It is a new tool that Concern is working with.
To be considered for this consultancy, applicants should submit the following required documents:
- Consultancy proposal which includes, at a minimum:
- Understanding of the TOR
- Profile of the consultant(s) including CV(s) & availability for this assignment
- SBCC design & methodology including for data collection and analysis.
- Proposed timeframe with dates
- Budget as per below narrative
- At least one example of previous work similar in topic or nature to the final deliverable for this TOR
The assignment is planned to start as soon as possible.
The total budget for the work will be negotiated with Concern and the lead consultant in compliance with Concern rules and regulations. All anticipated costs should be included and detailed in the budget. The consultant daily rate must be quoted in EURO. In accordance with Liberian revenue regulations, Concern will deduct 15% Withholding Tax (WHT) from this gross fee. Proposals submitted without a detailed budget will not be considered. If other expenses are anticipated, these must be approved by the Country Director in advance.
Proposals without a detailed budget will be disqualified from consideration. A complete budget includes all relevant line items by category, unit costs, number of units, unit definitions, and total cost, with explanations where necessary.
Please submit applications to the HR/Administrative officer at Concern Worldwide at:
Wellington Leama at: [email protected]
Copy Desk Officer at: [email protected]
Copy Country Director: [email protected]
By midday GMT 15th September 2023.
