COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST - PACE PROGRAM

DURATION : 30 days

REPORTING LINE : Senior Technical Advisor / Task Force Team

SCOPE :National

SCOPE OF THE CONSULTANCY

Despite the gains being made in preventing and treating HIV infections, access to HIV services among children and adolescents remains a challenge. While 38% of eligible adults are on ART, only 24% of children have been initiated on this life saving medication. Adolescents are even more affected with an estimated 2.1 million adolescents living with HIV globally, 85% of these in sub-Saharan Africa. Access to HIV services among adolescents is even worse and in Africa, HIV is now the leading cause of death in this age group. It is only among the adolescent where the HIV deaths are not decreasing. While sub-Saharan Africa bears the greatest brunt of pediatric HIV infections, access to HIV services here are hampered by several factors including late presentation to health facilities, limited access to pediatric HIV services, delayed diagnosis, limited and complex drug regimen, health care provider incompetence and lack of confidence to care for children among others.

In February 2015, NASCOP rolled out comprehensive job aids for ART providers comprising flow charts to support the service provider to provide HIV services. A gap still exists in tools that serve as prompts for health workers to integrate HIV into general pediatric services as well as in tools that promote treatment literacy for the child and adolescent infected with HIV as well as their caregivers. Tools for treatment literacy would potentially improve the patient engagement in their care, promote retention and improve outcomes.

In line with NASCOP’s priorities, University of Maryland will support NASCOP to develop standard operating procedures that are not already contained in the Job AIDS targeting the service provider; age-appropriate treatment literacy material for children and adolescents and educational material to support the caregiver.

GOALS

In collaboration with relevant stakeholders this exercise seeks to develop appropriate presentation of a tool kit and treatment literacy materials that is user oriented, with a relevant format and visual aids, that enables the service provider or care giver to deliver services with ease and confidence. The consultant will make recommendations, coaching or input on specific content to showcase information consistently and professionally.

OVERVIEW OF THE COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANCY

The communications consultant is critical to provide input into development of age-appropriate platforms of communicating critical adherence, treatment support and disclosure messages to children and adolescents. Additionally, s/he will provide advice in the most effective communication platforms for delivery of health care worker tool kit to improve pediatric HIV care and treatment along the continuum of care.

SPECIFIC PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

· Communications advice for age- appropriate treatment literacy material to support , general HIV information ,adherence and disclosure& stigma for HIV infected children;

· Provide technical assistance in development of treatment literacy material in age-appropriate platforms;

· Participation in workshops with content experts and design age appropriate treatment literacy material for children and job-aids for health care workers;

· Participate in the post-pilot review of health care worker job aids and treatment literacy material ;

· Work closely with m-health developer for electronic or mobile phone platform for adolescent treatment literacy, adherence support and educational material; health care worker support materials; clinical care delivery systems support messaging – appointments reminders etc.;Provide final versions of treatment literacy material and health care worker job aids for publication.

Methodology

The exercise will be conducted through a participatory approach in which all leads on the project are included in the process. It should consist of a thorough review of treatment literacy material and health care worker job aids content. The communication specialist will analyze the way language is used and determine the communication channels that are open. S/he will then outline a strategy to implement these communication channels.

Final Product

The consultant will provide a final version soft copy of design of treatment literacy material and health care worker job aids for publication.

Time frame for consultancy

The consultancy should be conducted for 30 working days.

Profile of the consultancy

The Consultant/ Firm must have:

University degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations and/or Communications Design, or equivalent professional work experience in the communications area, combined with a university degree in a related field.

Experience working in communications, print media, or interactive digital media.

Understands and is competent in communication design. This may include designing and editing photos/videos/graphics that will accompany educational material.

Demonstrated research, planning, communication and writing skills.

Graphic design capabilities are an asset.

HOW TO APPLY:

Applying for the Consultancy

Consultant/ Firm must submit:

A cover letter expressing their interest

Detailed CVs of the personnel having previous experience of working in this area

Samples of two communication consultancies previously carried outShort listed consultant/ firm will be asked to appear in an interview.

All proposals must be submitted by 24 July 2015 on following address:hr@mgickenya.org