International Individual Consultant to upgrade the community sensitization and training manual of the VUP programme in Rwanda

The purpose of the assignment is to develop Community Sensitisation materials which will be used by LODA and its partners to sensitise community members targeted by VUP, who will be mainly the beneficiaries of the VUP safety net component.

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Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of the assignment is to develop Community Sensitisation materials which will be used by LODA and its partners to sensitise community members targeted by VUP, who will be mainly the beneficiaries of the VUP safety net component.

The work has three primary objectives:

1. To review and update the existing revised community sensitisation manual to include current thinking on community sensitisation and behaviour change management from the new sector strategy for 2018-2023. 
2. To develop a roll-out strategy and workplan to operationalise the manual
3. To develop a training programme and supporting training materials for LODA staff who will subsequently deliver training to end users

Assignment Tasks

The design of the manual will require consultations of all social protection stakeholders at national and decentralized level.

Data collection to inform the design will be implemented in selected geographic locations including those areas where the current manual was piloted.

The analysis will focus on establishing ways how the operationalisation of the community awareness mechanisms can tap on the existing opportunity of VUP proximity case workers at local levels.

Specific objectives:

1. Review the existing community sensitisation and training manual modules to understand their relevance in the current context of VUP and social protection in general
2. Develop the revised community sensitisation and training manual that is aligned to the current VUP programme design and other social protection community-based behaviour change management requirements.
3. Carry out an intensive training of LODA/VUP staff and district directors of social development as lead trainers to build their capacities
4. Development of the implementation plan to operationalize the manual

Methodology Approach

The consultant will be expected to undertake a series of activities to implement deliverables under this TOR, including:  

1. Conduct a Literature Review

    

   This will include as a minimum a review of the existing manual in terms of its design and content, plus consideration of VUP Programme Document, Graduation Strategy, Ubudehe Programme Document, VUP component manuals, relevant national strategies as well as policies, operational guidelines and communication/sensitization materials of other programmes being delivered at the community level which may impact on VUP’s community sensitisation strategy.

    

   The consultant will also draw on international experiences of similar activities in programmes elsewhere are assess the extent to which the approaches may be suitable for Rwanda  

    

2. Carry out consultations and field visits

The consultant will identify relevant key informants in:

• LODA, MINALOC, within other Government institutions delivering community level programmes which require community sensitisation,
• Within Local Government (Districts sectors, cells and potentially at village level),
• Within NGOs working within the Social Protection sector and particularly those working at the community level
• Development partners;
• Potentially meetings with VUP beneficiaries (this will be agreed during the inception phase)

The consultant will hold individual and group meetings to identify the current status of community sensitisation in VUP and other programmes operating at the community level and will use these meetings together with qualitative data collection tools to identify

• Which approaches are most effective, barriers and challenges in delivering community sensitisation.
• Current levels of knowledge and capacity to deliver community sensitisation messages. 

• Dissemination entry points out of VUP programme that are available at community level.

   

1. Develop the revised community sensitisation and training manual

Based on the critical review of the existing manual, the consultant will develop a revised community sensitisation and training manual that is adapted to the initiatives and programmes already in place. The consultant will develop a business case to guide VUP in incrementally working towards strengthening community awareness of their VUP entitlements and other behavioural change messages relevant for their resilience creation.  The business plan is to include proposal on the most appropriate dissemination channels at community level, within the scope of the VUP programme and propose additional entry points for manual dissemination through other channels-programmes available at community level.

The consultant will present the revised manual, dissemination strategies and training materials to the Social Protection Sector Working Group

1. Intensive training of LODA/VUP staff and district directors of social development as lead trainers

The training of LODA /VUP team and the district directors of social development will include testing of the approved manual in two locations with the help of a small team to better understand its applicability to the local community context and to help the trained team to acquire practical training skills. The consultant will return after (3 months) to evaluate the effectiveness of the training and manual, re-train and update the manual accordingly.  Evaluation will comprise some adjustments from the manual on the experiences generated form the wide scale of by the lead trainers and self-assessment of the trainees and the trainers.

1. Develop an implementation strategy and plan for the approved manual:

Once the manual is finalized, the consultant will be expected to develop an implementation plan which at least:

• Outlines the actions, inputs and adjustments progressively required to implement the proposed manual and dissemination strategies

• Spells out the financial resources required to implement the manual.

   

Expected Deliverables

The following deliverables are required

1. An Inception Report to be delivered after 2 weeks of the assignment which will cover

   1. Findings from the literature review
   2. A proposed table of contents of the revised Community Sensitisation Manual
   3. A detailed timebound workplan showing how the assignment will be delivered within the time allotted
   4. A list of institutions and people to be consulted during the assignment

   5. Qualitative data collection tools

       

2. Presentation on the findings from the inception phase

   1. Include the analysis of data collected during key informant interviews, focus group discussions and analysis of the qualitative and quantitative data collected

   2. The presentation should include challenges and a causal analysis and strengths identified which could be replicated as “best practice”

       

3. A revised Community Sensitisation Manual

   1. The manual will be produced in English, in Word using Arial 12 point font, ensuring all tables and diagrams are referenced

   2. The revised manual will include the proposal on the visual presentation of the contents, including graphs and illustrations

       

       

4. A roll-out strategy and timebound plan for operationalising the Manual

   1. The roll out strategy will include the assignment of roles and responsibilities and a detailed description of activities to be carried out and when;
   2. The roll out strategy should include an indicative budget

1. Training materials, including

   1. A training syllabus including training objectives for each session
   2. Slides for use by the trainers
   3. Training notes for use by the trainers

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

Education

MA degree or equivalent in Social Development, Communications, Gender and Development Studies, Public Health, Economics, Sociology or other relevant fields

Years of relevant experience

At least 15 years with proven experience in the fields of social protection, social development, social mobilization and communication for development, and research

Good understanding of Rwandan context an asset, in particular of social protection sector in Rwanda

Experience in the design of training programmes including training of trainers

Experience in training manual/module development

Strong analytical and writing skills

Ability to produce deliverables in due time and with quality standards

Fluency in written and oral English - French will be an added asset

Strong interpersonal and communication skills

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable).  Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

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