CONSULTANCY TO SUPPORT ADVOCACY AND DOMESTIC RESOURCE MOBILIZATION EFFORTS FOR NTD CONTROL AND ELIMINATION

Background

Neglected tropical diseases, also known as NTDs, are destructive, dangerous, and communicable diseases that affect more than 1.5 billion people globally. In Africa, almost all countries (47 out of 54) are endemic for at least one NTD, and over 600 million people require treatment for NTDs. Yet only 0.6% of global healthcare funding goes to controlling NTDs.

Speak Up Africa has set out to alleviate suffering from NTDs by galvanizing action among policymakers, civil society organizations and citizens. We also work closely with the Ministries of Health in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger and Senegal and the WHO Regional Office for Africa’s Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN) to build sustained leadership, mobilize foreign and domestic resources, and improve the use of NTD data for decision making.

Building on its experience, Speak Up Africa is planning to implement a project to strengthen national efforts around NTD control and elimination in Ethiopia and Kenya. Speak Up Africa is looking for a focal point in Kenya to support the institutional communications, champions, and storytelling and media engagement component.

ABOUT SPEAK UP AFRICA

Speak Up Africa is an African-led, Africa-based organization working with leaders and change-makers in Africa and beyond to solve our continent’s pressing sustainable development challenges. We convene, enable and advocate. Focusing on strategic communications, policy, and advocacy, we are dedicated to supporting African leaders and citizens to take an active role in identifying and developing solutions to tackle the challenges facing our continent — including malaria, NTDs, immunization, sanitation, gender equality and global health research and development.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

This project will run for two (2) years in 04 target countries: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Senegal, from January 2024 to March 2025.

The aim of this project is to catalyze strategic communication and efforts to support the mobilization of national resources in CIFF’s target countries for the fight against and elimination of NTDs.

Roles and Responsibilities

The focal point is called upon to provide technical and organizational support to Speak Up Africa in the country in carrying out all tasks relating to the management of the project and the achievement of the general objective through these two (02) axes:

Project Management: Act as the project’s focal point and main liaison with the National NTD Control Program. Identify key partners and support the mobilization of governmental and non-governmental partners to achieve the initiative’s results, in line with its logical framework. Monitor the activities to be implemented under the project and carry out substantial reviews of the deliverables to be submitted. Prepare and/or contribute to workshops, meetings and major events aimed at sharing experience in the country concerned. Carry out any other tasks relating to the initiative assigned by Speak Up Africa. Submit annual narrative reports Sharing financial supporting documents at least 10 days after end of activity. Hold regular coordination meetings with Speak Up Africa (bi-monthly coordination meetings and progress update calls); Organize bi-monthly project follow-up meetings with National NTD program staff; Participate regularly in National NTD program staff coordination meetings. Partnership Building and Strategic Communications: Support the creation of a strong network of 5 champions in Kenya including government and private sector stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers to champion NTD prevention, treatment, and elimination; Support the development of a comprehensive engagement strategy for the national champions network, to include comms activation plan for the year, detailing the timeline for editorial pieces, media opportunities and video publishing; Support the generation of stories from Kenya, documenting the impact of investments in NTD control and elimination interventions to further boost the increase in coverage of NTD-related issues; Provide media opportunities to identified champions to build popular support for NTD goals, and to motivate specific target audiences, including opinion-makers and public; and private sector leaders, to make NTD programmatic goals their priority and take the requested actions; Support the production of one video and photobank showcasing focus countries’ stories and urging for increased investments; Collaborate with Speak Up Africa’s communications department on the development; of communications materials and the national communications plan.

DELIVERABLES

Video and a photobank production by a local consultant Organize a coordination meeting with the Champions and different stakeholders Roll out and follow up the champion’s engagement plan Secure Media opportunity for the champion Minutes of coordination meetings held with partners Activity reports and end of mission report.

Requested Profile

Education: master’s degree in social sciences or equivalent. Experience: A minimum of 5 years’ work experience in public health, communications, or project management. Expertise in global public health, particularly in Africa. Analytical skills. Qualitative research skills. The Focal Point should be able to plan and organize his/her work and deliver results according to agreed milestones.