Program Officer, Real Man Challenge

Job Overview:

The Program Officer will be crucial in reviewing program content and branding, recruiting and scheduling the design research activities in Mexico to support the adaptation of the violence prevention program: The Real Man Challenge (RMC). RMC aims to create small behavioral and social norms change across many men through the use of exclusive WhatsApp groups. The RMC targets the root causes of intimate partner violence by affirming healthy male identity and encouraging men to practice positive behaviors with their partners across the following topics: emotional regulation, communication, consensual sex and shared financial control. Beyond WhatsApp messages, hosts will also share video, audio and other multimedia content that may provide opportunities to generate conversation among group participants that produce behavioral or social norms change. These characteristics - especially the group nature, social accountability and its interactivity - are the reason why the WhatsApp intervention offers the potential to generate larger impact.

RMC has been previously piloted and tested in Liberia and Uganda. This next phase of work will use a human centered design process to lightly test the program in Colombia and Mexico. The goal of this testing is to understand which aspects of the program may need adaptation when scaling beyond Peru. We are planning to speak initially with around 15 men to receive their first impressions on our content, and then to engage with 5-15 men for 2 weeks to do a small testing of the content with their friends. The research officer will give us feedback on the content, help us identify and connect us with the men, observe the dual chats and then support synthesis.

• The program officer in Mexico will work in close collaboration with the rest of the team in Peru and alongside the Airbel Impact Lab, the IRC’s Research and Innovation arm, with their Product Design lead to test the developed content with a small sample of men in Mexico.
• The work will include reviewing content fit for Mexico and making suggestions, recruiting men to participate in research and a small pilot of the messages as well as participating in synthesis.
• This role will be a full time position for 1 month.

Major Responsibilities:

The program officer will be an integral part of generating understanding of necessary adaptation activities .

• The program officer will be responsible for reviewing messages, program branding and all content to assess its readiness for Mexico and make suggestions. (3-4 days)
• The program officer will be responsible for recruiting and scheduling around 15 men to participate in in depth interviews or focus groups who fit specific demographic profiles. This qualitative design research in each country will test language, content and branding. (3 days)
• The program officer  will also need to recruit two “hosts” of message groups who will spend 60+ minutes a day  for two weeks moderating the RMC groups, and sharing  challenges with men. (5 days)
• The program officer will then need to support the synthesis of the research and any follow-up. ( 2 days)