Terms of Reference
External evaluation of a model behavior change communications campaign in rural Pangani District
Phase I and II (2009-2014)
1. Introduction
UZIKWASA is a civil society organization that has been unique in pioneering creative and innovative grass root interventions in Pangani district, Tanzania. The organization was established in 2004 to reach out, listen and encourage a voice amongst rural communities. It has grown organically in direct response to lessons learned along the way, grounded in the conviction that real and lasting change depends on commitment, ownership and self-reflection. It is this ethos that underlies UZIKWASA practice and approaches and which has molded the shape of its strategic vision. Having developed organically in response to identified needs, UZIKWASA, during the past five years strategic period (2009-2013) has been operating within the four integrated programme areas 1.HIV/AIDS, Gender and Transformative Leadership, 2. Culture; 3. Communication & Partnership Building and 4. Organizational Development & Sustainability.
2. Background
Rationale for a model rural behavior change intervention
In Tanzania with the start of the 1990’s, there was increasing communication on and about HIV/AIDS prevention, often with conflicting or confusing messages. However there was little broad political and multi-donor support for communications programming. Since 2000, the resources available for AIDS related communication have continued to grow as well as the media ‘noise’ around a range of HIV/AIDS issues. Resources and communications channels, however, do not mean that efforts were well crafted, delivered in an appropriate way or effective. And despite the fact that the majority of Tanzania’s population is rural, communication campaigns targeting rural communities specifically and issues that concern them specifically have been scarce.
Through its work in HIV/AIDS supporting Pangani communities in participatory HIV/AIDS action planning UZIKWASA learned about the importance of addressing the socio-cultural context and the need of making behavior change ‘community-owned’ and grounded in community priorities to avoid being inappropriate and transitory.
Developing a model rural behavior change campaign in Pangani District
Key values that have guided UZIKWASA’s work have been “Thinking deep, not wide with focus on one District” and “to recognize the interplay of multiple issues in program design” which enabled focus on underlying problems addressing the complexity of the socio-cultural context. Therefore a strong emphasis on context was the main rationale behind the UZIKWASA behaviour baseline study conducted in 2007 . Specific contextual drivers fuelling the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Pangani were identified from the study and subsequently informed the themes and content of the BCC campaign intervention which started in 2009. The nine priority themes of the campaign were divided into annual themes on which the campaign messages and program content were based. The overall approach has been to address each of the themes as deeply as possible, both in the packaging of the messages and their reflection of current lifestyles and behaviours within Pangani District and in the provision of opportunities for feedback and responses to the messages within the campaign.
Phase I of the intervention (2009-2011) focused primarily on establishing the campaign media and developing the communication ‘engine’. This included focus on conceptual planning, operations, technical and program personnel, administration and finance functions, content production, communication planning and implementation activities and the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation system. Campaign media were introduced in a staged manner starting with serialized Theatre for Development shows, Comic books, and posters, video and film and finally interactive radio programs including radio drama after establishment of UZIKWASA’s own radio station Pangani FM in May 2011. The intervention aims of phase I were:
Goal:
To contribute to an effective response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Pangani District through research, planning and implementation of a community based, interactive rural HIV/AIDS Communications/BCC Program
Purpose:
To develop an evidenced based framework for HIV/AIDS communication with clear community priorities and interventions that will build and maintain behavior change at individual, family, and village levels.
Outputs:
1. To develop a model communication/BCC program that builds effective community action against HIV/AIDS at individual, family, village, and ward levels through
a. An Annual Communication Plan that brings together the separate activities and themes in a common message and unified delivery using a full range of communications techniques, coordinated in planning and delivery, and includes evidence based re-focusing of priorities and interventions as the program evolves.
b. Strengthening existing community structures to enable long term efforts giving tasks and support to the Village or Ward Multi-sectoral AIDS Committees (VMACs and WMACs), especially in Community Leadership
c. Strengthening the organization to effectively manage, monitor and evaluate the process
Since 2011 UZIKWASA has been implementing the fully fledged campaign with the slogan ‘Banja Bas“ (Speak up) that encouraged communities to voice their concerns and interact with each other about the campaign themes through the campaign media and a range of coordinated participatory communication efforts.
Monitoring and Evaluation
“Tracking behaviour change in action” has been a priority of phase two in order to fully understand, monitor and document behavior change through an integrated process and impact monitoring system with an interlinked process and behavioral impact framework
Intervention aims of Phase II were adapted as follows:
Goal
To contribute to sustainable behaviour change at individual, family and household levels through an improved evidenced based model rural behaviour change campaign in Pangani District.
Purpose
To facilitate responsible socio-cultural behaviours with regards to sexual behaviours , gender justice and leadership based on previous lessons learned.
Outputs
1. An improved dynamic communications campaign intervention with synergistic media integrated with process and impact monitoring consisting of:
a. Theatre For Development shows, Mobile Video shows, comic books, posters, interactive community radio programs including radio drama.
b. A longitudinal monitoring database for impact assessment on attitudes related to ten priority campaign themes guided by key indicators for attitudinal and behavioural change.
c. A package of impact and process documentations (good practice) and scientific publications produced and widely disseminated and shared.
2. Pangani FM an integral M&E tool for the entire UZIKWASA program
3. Partnerships built in support of campaign theme operationalization
At the purpose level the three behaviour objectives further defined expected behaviour impact for the period:
1.To discourage irresponsible sexual behavior among Pangani communities
2. To promote gender justice at individual, family and community level
3. To strengthen local leadership to commit themselves and be accountable to their community (see Phase 2 behavioural log frame for more details)
Key for impact tracking has been a community diary study which has been running parallel to the BCC intervention aiming at monitoring attitudinal and behavioral trends over time. Other monitoring tools have been used for triangulation purposes and to meet the quantitative needs of the funders. These include Serial Participatory Action Research (SPAR) which provides additional quantitative data to monitor particular indicators stipulated in the behavioral log frame for Phase 2 of the intervention. A case study database provides further (more anecdotal) information about attitudinal trends. Pangani FM community radio plays a central role in the collection of community feedback through phone calls, SMS and Focus Group Discussions with listener groups.
3. Assignment
The consultant is expected to carry out an overall assessment on BCC program performance since its inception in 2009 with particular emphasis on:
i. The extent to which set programme behavioral and process objectives have been achieved
ii. The relevance of the intervention design and content to influence social dynamics and reflect changing community needs over the course of the BCC intervention.
iii. Documenting key lessons and recommendations from the approaches adopted
• Comprehensive multimedia communication campaign with integrated message design and multiple exposure targeting the entire community
• Impact tracking through community diary study triangulated with SPAR and case study collection
• Using community radio as a monitoring tool
iv. The potential for replication in similar rural settings
4. Methodology
.
• The consultant will be expected to develop the methodology, including the development of a purposive framework for identifying individuals to be interviewed, that best reflects the needs of this evaluation and once familiar with the project. However, it is expected that this work will involve the following:
o Initial desk review of UZIKWASA documentation
o Field visits to UZIKWASA and target communities
o Observation of UZIKWASA media activities including radio, theatre for development, mobile video shows, radio listener groups
o Observation of UZIKWASA monitoring activities including phone-ins, SPAR activities and visits to community-based journalists
o Participation in UZIKWASA team meetings as appropriate
o Telephone or email interviews
Time schedule: Flexible planning of assignment. Deadline for submission of final evaluation report is August 15, 2014
5. Consultant:
The Consultant is expected to have the following qualifications and experience:
o A doctoral degree in health related social science is a strong preference, a masters degree a minimum requirement
• At least 7-10 years experience working in field of sexual and reproductive health
• Experience in project and programme evaluation
• Knowledge of and skills in qualitative research
• Knowledge of Tanzanian national HIV/AIDS policy
• Fluency in English and Kiswahili
6. Consultant’s expressed interest:
The application should be supported by the documents listed below and be submitted to uzikwasa@uzikwasa.or.tz copied to mamaveratz@gmail.com by March 10th 2014:
• A letter that states relevant experience and capability
• CV
• A short proposal that describes how the consultant will respond to the requested task. The proposal should include particularly a description of the intended methodology, time line and required resources.
External evaluation of a rural behaviour change communication intervention in coastal Tanzania
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