Nafasi ya kazi :- Terms of Reference to Develop Social Behavior Change (SBC) Strategy  for The VOICES Project at CRS November 2024

Catholic Relief Services

Terms of Reference to Develop Social Behavior Change (SBC) Strategy  for The VOICES Project-Tanzania (Kigoma)

1. Introduction

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and its country-based partners Caritas Kigoma in Tanzania and Caritas Kasama in Zambia will implement the Vitalizing Opportunities in Circular Economy and Sustainable Solutions in Lake Tanganyika (VOICES) project to improve water quality in the basin of Lake Tanganyika through sustainable and inclusive economic practices. VOICES will support communities in Kigoma Region in Tanzania and in Mpulungu Region in Zambia to increase knowledge of the potential benefits of the circular economy among policymakers, businesses, consumers, and civil society, VOICES will reflect the diversity of the population with activities specific to each stakeholder, and by validating inclusive CE models in different local conditions. Through a Circular Economy Challenge Fund (CECF), VOICES will identify promising CE businesses, provide co-investment funds and critical technical assistance to help launch these businesses, and link them to Financial Service Providers for further scaling. These CE businesses will reduce waste, strengthen government capacity, improve livelihoods and entrepreneurship opportunities for young people, women and diverse community members, and improve the health of communities who live along the shores of Lake Tanganyika.

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CRS will target the most successful of these businesses for expansion and replication in new areas to ensure scalability. CRS will prioritize waste reduction strategies and activities. Through an inclusive MSD approach, young people, adolescent girls and young women, women and men will have equitable opportunities to participate in CE businesses that are responsive to community needs and are tailored to regional and local job opportunities. VOICES will increase awareness of innovative approaches to community reduction of waste, improve the enabling environment for municipal waste management, increase education on CE practices and manage an innovative market systems development approach to invest in and test sustainable, scalable, profitable CE businesses that create local jobs and empower young people and women. VOICES will support the objectives of the TAKIWAMA project, building upon successes from other projects in the area. CRS will collaborate with ongoing projects in Tanzania and Zambia and advance cross- border knowledge sharing among countries that border the lake. Through VOICES, CRS will develop transparent, participatory mechanisms in design and implementation of activities to build trust among local stakeholders and optimize collaboration among other ongoing development initiatives in the lake basin.

Overall Project Objective: Improving water quality in the basin of Lake Tanganyika through sustainable and inclusive economic practices.

Specific Objective 1: Knowledge of the potential benefits of the circular economy among policymakers, businesses, consumers, and civil society (which represents the population in all its diversity) is increased and applied in the different fields of activity specific to each stakeholder.

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Specific Objective 2: Inclusive circular economy models are tested and validated in different local conditions.

Project Outputs

Output 1.1: Organize training and awareness-raising campaigns regarding circular economy practices

Strategy: VOICES will implement tailored, proven CRS strategies to engage and influence consumers, government, the private sector, and civil society to increase their capacity to develop, organize and implement CE practices with their constituents and within their communities to tackle priority water quality strategies. VOICES will promote a “Circular Knowledge” strategy, supporting existing multistakeholder platforms, robust data systems and participatory community forums to disseminate knowledge on the circular economy among policy makers, consumers, civil society and the private sector. CRS will raise awareness on the daily reality of women and young people, identifying and addressing their unique challenges in fully participating in CE activities, work to ensure equitable provision of opportunities and resources including information and training, and promote more meaningful leadership and participation of these groups. CRS will also disseminate evidence that gender-responsive interventions produce more sustainable outcomes

Output 1.2: Develop Actions to support key stakeholders

Strategies: CRS will work across stakeholder groups to develop and execute strategies to address key waste management issues and support knowledge management and CE strategies to reduce or mitigate the effects of waste.

Output 2.1: Projects that use the circular economy approach are being developed in the solid waste and natural resources sectors

Strategy: CRS will identify existing activities to support MSMEs in the target geographies and build the capacity of MSMEs to develop business strategies, plans and operations for sustainable consumption and production. CRS will work with farmer and fisher groups, CBOs, SMEs, cooperatives, women- and youth-led CSOs to develop CE business plans that limit waste and consumption, decrease negative impact from waste pollution and improve natural resource management on the watershed. In Tanzania, CRS will collaborate with Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA), Small Industries Development Organization and the Tanzania Industrial Research and Development Organization to advance CE projects; in Zambia, CRS will partner with the Ministry for Small and Medium Enterprises, Mpulungu Chamber of Commerce and Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC). As noted above, VOICES will prioritize solid waste and natural resources businesses. VOICES will tailor all curricula to be gender responsive and youth friendly, to ensure they meet the unique needs and challenges of those groups.

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Output 2.2: Business ideas from the most profitable projects are presented to financial institutions or scaled up

Strategy: CRS will support private sector stakeholders to enhance access to financing for SMEs that focus on CE approaches. Based on its extensive experience designing and managing investment and challenge funds across East Africa, CRS will establish the Circular Economy Challenge Fund (CECF), distributing €1.2 million through three funding windows to promote innovative models to environmental stewardship, test and scale effective CE businesses, facilitate start-ups and growth of profitable enterprises, create jobs and incentivize private sector and community engagement in CE activities. Through the CECF, CRS will invest in projects that deliver sustainable economic and environmental impact in the lake zone and have the potential to be scaled and replicated. Through the CECF, CRS will de-risk these innovative business models, enabling them to be more financially sustainable and lay a foundation for business growth.

2. Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this consultant service is to design and develop a SBC strategy aiming to increase knowledge of the potential benefits of the circular economy and practices among policymakers, businesses, consumers, and civil society in the different fields of activity specific to each stakeholder. The strategy will address the norms, myths, power dynamics, social influences, economic factors and policy environment that influence various population groups to adopt CE practices to control and manage pollution. Strategy development should consider the viewpoint of multiple stakeholders including project participants and should be done through a gender lens.

Consultant is needed to work closely with CRS and Caritas staff in Tanzania to design and develop a strategy, content, educational materials, activities, and outcome monitoring that tailored to various targeted audience. The products will be developed through an iterative process that will include several rounds of development, field testing, and revision.

3. Objectives of the assignment

The objective of the consultancy is to design and develop an SBC strategy for the VOICES project, based on the insights from baseline findings, barrier analysis, in depths market analysis, previous   research and the predefined specific Behavior Change Objectives to each targeted audience to increase awareness, knowledge, and practices of circular economy to control and manage solid waste the resulted to reduction of pollution in Lake Tanganyika. The SBC will be rolled out in Tanzania Kigoma (Kigoma MC, Kigoma DC targeting different population groups and contexts. The specific objectives including the following components:

• Use baseline findings, in-depth analysis, and barrier analysis reports to priorities  key behaviors to be promoted, primary and supporting audiences for the strategy, barriers to and facilitators for improved behaviors
• Develop SBC farmwork
• Define the key behavioral outcomes that will be monitored to assess the strategy’s effectiveness among targeted audience
• Identify key message themes and communication platforms/channels that are relevant and impactful for reaching targeted audience.
• Develop and validate content and campaign materials for multi-media platforms (printing and media).
• Outline a detailed step-by-step plan for implementing the SBC strategy, including timelines, roles and responsibilities
• Develop M&E strategy to inform the outcomes of the SC strategy over time
• Develop a full SBC strategy document and relevant materials and tools

4. Main Task for the Consultant

The consultant will be supported by the CRS Project PM and staff in Tanzania and Zambia Project coordinator and SBC technical advisor to conduct the assignment.  Specific activities include the following:

1. Review documents, secondary data including baseline findings and barrier analysis report
2. Develop an SBC Strategy framework in consultation with project staff, partners, and other key stakeholders including project participants
3. Develop key message themes and identify communication platforms/channels that are relevant and impactful for reaching targeted audience.
4. Develop and test content and campaign materials for multi-media platforms (printing and media).
5. Develop SBC implementation and M&E plan
6. Prepare a full SBC strategy document and relevant materials and tools
7. Deliverables

The key deliverables of the assignment will include.

• SBC framework
• Key message themes and communication platforms/channels that are relevant and impactful for reaching targeted audience.
• SBC implementation and M&E plan
• Full SBC strategy document and relevant materials and implementation tools

6. Requirements of the consultant

It is expected that the consultant will have the following qualifications and experience:

• Demonstrated experience in designing evidence-based SBC strategies and programs, preferably in the environment conservation or circular economy initiatives in Tanzania

• Qualitative/participatory research and analysis skills.
• Experience with using research data to target messages to different primary and secondary audiences through appropriate platforms and channels
• Familiarity with and ability to adapt pre-testing and communication planning tools
• Strong familiarity with the circular economy concept, principle and practices
• Strong familiarity with environmental challenges and existing strategies addressing water pollution in Lake Tanganyika
• Excellent communication, writing, and organizational skills

7. Major Activities and Timeline

The assignment is expected to be completed in 90 days after signing the contract. The tentative timeline is December 2024 to February 2025. 

Interested candidates are requested to submit their application including a technical proposal not exceeding ten pages and a budget in Tanzania Shillings detailing the following:

• Technical Proposal: Provide technical approaches, capability of the consultancy and execution timeline.
• Financial proposal: Include all proposed costs in local currency (i.e. consultation fees as well as operational costs in well stipulated manner.
• Registration certificate/license copy
• TIN certificate copy, Confirm EFD receipt
• A sample report of related previous work

1. Submission of Proposals

The proposal to be sent to the e‐mailed to reach the undersigned shared out to:

Country Manager

Catholic Relief Services – Tanzania Program

E-mail; [email protected]

Note: Please indicate “Expression of Interest for Consultancy Service Development of Social Behavior Change (SBC) Strategy for The VOICES Project-Tanzania (Kigoma).” Bid written in English addressed to the attention of the CRS / Tanzania Program Country Manager must be submitted to the above e-mail address on or before 2^nd December 2024 at 5:00 P.M

Award of Consultancy

CRS will evaluate the proposals and award the assignment based on technical and financial feasibility. CRS reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal received without giving reasons and is not bound to accept the lowest, the highest or any bidder. Only the successful applicant will be contacted. CRS does not charge any fees from applicants for any recruitment.  Further, CRS has not retained any agent regarding this assignment. You are advised that this RFP does not constitute in any way a commitment on the part of CRS/Tanzania or its agents, for any service requested.