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Uganda is one of the over 190 countries and territories around the world where we work to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease, and discrimination place in a child’s path.Together with the Government of Uganda and partners we work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, the objectives of the Uganda National Development Plan, and the planned outcomes of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework.
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Under the supervision of the Moroto Zonal Office Chief, and in close co-ordination with the Zonal Office programme staff, the Country Office Nutrition unit, and C4D unit, the consultant will utilize the integrated approach for C4D interventions to fast-track planning, implementation, monitoring and documentation of C4D interventions, with particular emphasis on the community-based and facility-based health and nutrition communication interventions. The consultant will find and establish stronger C4D linkages between the interventions embedded in the three communication strategies (The Uganda Nutrition Advocacy & Communication Strategy, the NIECD and Adolescent Girls’ C4D strategies) to further engage communities, sub national level leadership and development partners, for C4D implementation. The consultant will support the development and implementation of work plans (aligned to the activities in the CSD Nutrition and C4D RWPs) with the district local governments and technical planning committees in tandem with the District Development Plans. The consultant will support capacity strengthening capacities of the Zonal Office staff, districts and PCA Partners, as well as support supervision and monitoring of actions implemented in the frame of the UNICEF rolling work-plans. The consultant will participate in the documentation and dissemination of C4D results at sub-national level.
Justification:
Terms of Reference for a consultant to provide Communication for Development(C4D) technical support in Karamoja region (Moroto Zonal Office). The three thematic programmes Development supported by C4D include Child Survival and Development (CSD), Basic Education and Adolescent (BEAD) and Child Protection, under two programs of Early Childhood Development and Adolescent development.
Communication is essential for Human Development and is central to empowering people to engage in dialogues and negotiations, to understand and decide on issues that affect them most, in their own context. It also plays a powerful role in addressing barriers and shaping demand for and adoption of preventive and promotive practices related to Health and Nutrition [1,2]. UNICEF Uganda engages Communication for Development (C4D) as a cross- cutting strategy to shift attitudes and behaviors of those who have influence on the wellbeing of children, their families and communities [3].
C4D is defined as a systematic planned and evidence-based strategic approach to promote positive and measurable behavioral and social change. In their own environments, communities and decision makers are engaged at local, national and regional levels in dialogue. These dialogues aim at promoting, developing and implementing policies, programmes and interventions that enhance the quality of life for all and strengthening their capacity to identify their own development needs, assess available options, and take agreed action, to improve their lives. These communities then assess the impact of their actions, and agree again, on how to address any remaining gaps [4,5]. UNICEF C4D’s design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation framework uses the Social Ecological Model (SEM) to identify opportunities and entry points for interventions that promote individual behavioural and broader social changes, and link behavioural and social change strategies with efforts to strengthen environmental and community support and participation.
In Uganda, as a strategy, C4D is pivotal for programming across the different sectors. Key communication messages and motivation in support of various programme areas have been shared widely with communities through various channels of communication including mass media, social media, community media and interpersonal communication. Notably, in collaboration with the Government of Uganda and other development partners, C4D programming has been integrated through two programmes namely: The National Integrated Early Childhood Development (NIECD) and Adolescent Girls’ Development. These in part promote the adoption of the evidence based 22 Key Family Care Practices (KFCPs) and address related underlying social and cultural norms. The KFCPs are commonly practiced behaviors at household and community level that impact on child survival, growth and development or on the causes of morbidity and mortality in children. For example, 35.2% of the children under five years in Karamoja are estimated to be stunted, and only 7.7% of households have fixed places for hand washing. Also, the Net Attendance Ratio (percentage of the school-age population that attends primary or secondary school) in primary schools stands at 37.2% in primary schools, and at 3.4% in secondary schools. A total of 16.5 % of the children have their births registered, with a birth registration certificate in place, while 23.6% of girls between the age of 15-19 years have begun child bearing [6]. All these affect children’s wellbeing and potential for development. Therefore, successful improvement in these indicators will in part depend on establishing effective communication programming to support social and behavior change at household and community levels.
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