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TERMS OF REFERENCE
Consultant – Behaviour Change Communication
CONTEXT
Americares India Foundation (AIF) is a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by urban poverty or disaster with life changing health programs, medicines and medical supplies.
AIF has been working to alleviate the effects of diabetes and hypertension among the underprivileged communities in Mumbai through our Mobile Health Centers (MHCs) for the past 17 years.From 2019 AIF implemented the Non-Communicable Diseases Intervention for Screening Health Access and Awareness (NC-DISHAA) program in the urban slums of Mumbai in partnership with MCGM. Through community outreach conducted by volunteers and referrals, the program promotes early identification, timely intervention, treatment adherence, and lifestyle modification to combat the rising cases of diabetes among urban poor. Through this outreach program 21,000 patients with diabetes have been identified.In the next phase of the project, AIF will focus on effective positive behavior change among those diagnosed with diabetes.
SCOPE OF WORK
To make a sustainable impact on the health of patients diagnosed with diabetes, AIF is designing an evidence-based Behavior Change Communication (BCC) strategy for the NCD program specifically for the target population in the communities we have been working with. The strategy focuses on four core components – Diet Modification, Regular Exercise, Adherence to Medication, and regular Doctor Consultation. The consultant will help develop and design the communication strategy thatwill be used as a foundational tool and will design content, create IEC materials, and build the capacity of the program team and health volunteers who work in the communities (Arogya Mitra).
OBJECTIVES
Support finalization, fine-tuning, and validation of the broad framework on behavioral change communication designed by AIF, taking into consideration the target audience, cultural context, and existing communication channels.
Identify key messages, tone of communication, communication channels, and platforms to disseminate information and foster behavior change, considering the unique needs and characteristics of the target community.
Assess the existing IECs, identify gaps, and design effective communication materials and activities that engage, inform, and motivate the target community to adopt healthier behaviors related to diabetes prevention and management.
Conduct field testing of communication material, and incorporate feedback, if any.
Capacity building of AIF program team for effective delivery of the content.
DELIVERABLES:
Develop a list of tools and activities required for achieving the BCC objectives.
Develop a timeline and implementation plan for the communication strategy rollout.
Develop capacity-building materials for the program team and health workers.
Design handbook for Arogya Mitras
ACTIVITIES
Project implementation
Literature review/Secondary research to gain an understanding of the topic and get insights about the target population from the AIF team.
A field visit and interaction with the community.
Review the draft project approach and fine-tune/modify it to achieve BCC objectives.
Key Messaging
Plan key messaging and tone of communication.
Build a content repository.
Communication Tools
Review the existing content and IECs developed by AIF.
Design/adapt the existing content into effective tools including print material, AVs and multimedia, and others.
To give technical inputs on the content/manner/tone of each communication channel, and material prepared.
To review and weigh content and presentation at every stage of IEC development, including field testing.
Capacity Building
Design learning modules on different topics – engagement activities, practical tips, experience sharing (challenges, enablers), and instructions for conducting each activity.
Capacity building of field staff and Arogya Mitras (AMs) and walk them through each of the activities with clear implementation instructions. Initial 3-5 days of training, followed by fortnightly discussions. The initial training period will be spread across three months.
Design a field handbook– a quick reference guide for the AMs.
Conduct refresher training twice a year. The first refresher will be done after three months of implementation and the second refresher will be done after 6 months of the first refresher.The third refresher will be done a year after conducting the second refresher.
CONSULTANT’S PROFILE
Agencies/Experts interested in undertaking this assignment should possess the following qualifications and provide the following materials:
Experience in developing, designing, and implementing behavior change communication strategies, preferably in the context of health promotion or NCD prevention.
Knowledge of the principles and best practices of social and behavior change communication (SBCC).
Strong creative and design capabilities to develop engaging communication materials.
Provide at least 3 samples of work involving BCC for health interventions.
Experience working in the target communities and fluent in Marathi.
Submit your proposal latest by 18th September 2023 before 17:00 hours IST.
For any queries, or sharing your proposal email, write to us at americaresindia.@americares.org
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