Deadline: 10 March 2017
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is currently seeking proposals for Development of an Advocacy and Communication Strategy on ending child marriage in Zambia.
The four-year advocacy and communication strategy will target national level actors such as policy makers, NGOs, religious leaders and traditional leaders for its advocacy activities and at sub-national levels will target boys and girls, mothers and fathers, and influential community members – such as traditional and religious leaders – with appropriate C4D approaches. The strategy will support GRZ efforts of delaying the age of child marriage through the Ministry of Gender, which is coordinating the government-led End Child Marriage campaign. It is envisaged that this strategy will provide direction for the efforts of various stakeholders, such as civil society, community based organizations, and traditional leaders on engaging with communities around the drivers and vulnerabilities that lead to child marriage.
The overall objective of the assignment is to develop a four-year advocacy and communication strategy and plan with an M&E framework, which clearly lays out the strategic approach and communication framework. This strategy will address the beliefs, behaviors, knowledge, and norms which contribute to children’s vulnerability to child marriage. Innovative approaches to support a new and different narrative around child marriage are required. It is expected that social marketing techniques, the use of positive role models and stories, as well as other C4D approaches such as social change communication and social mobilization will be used. The strategy will require articulating communications channels that are relevant and accessible to children and families living in modern urban areas as well as those in traditional rural areas.
Specific Tasks
The key assignments are as follows:
- Conduct review of relevant literature on studies/research reports related to child marriage in Zambia
- Conduct analysis of the key audiences and relevant communication channels, to identify target audiences and the most appropriate avenues to which to reach them through advocacy and communications
- Develop a communications strategy and plan based on the dynamics leading to child marriage in Zambia and the key messages through which this narrative will be disseminated to the identified national level and district stakeholders to reach a common approach in addressing child marriage
- Design an advocacy strategy to target both national and sub-national stakeholders in understanding and taking action toward delaying the age of marriage
- Develop an implementation plan with indicative budgets and an M&E framework. This is a key deliverable for the assignment
Eligibility Criteria
- This assignment will require the services of a firm/institution with relevant experience in undertaking similar assignments.
- The team leader will require an advanced degree in communications or social marketing and will have at least 8 years’ experience developing advocacy and communications strategies related to social issues. Experience in designing social and behavior change interventions will be an added advantage.
- Samples of communication strategies developed arising from similar previous work to accompany the technical proposal will be required.
How to Apply
Proposals must be submitted in a prescribed format via post.
Eligible Country: Zambia
For more information, please visit Request for Proposals.