Consultant Services for a Comic Conversational Community Social Accountability Community Booklet

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
(INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT)

Country : Zambia
Name of the institution : Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR)
Name of the Project : Voice and Accountability Project
Assignment Title : Consultant Service for a Comic Conversational Community Social
Accountability Booklet
Accountability Community Booklet
Reference No. : ZM – CSPR – 475047 – CS – INDV

Background:

The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR)is a civil society national network committed to amplifying the voices of the marginalized in the fight against poverty in Zambia. Since its establishment in 2000, CSPR has played a critical role in ensuring that civil society actively participates in the development and monitoring of the National Development Plans (NDPs) aimed at poverty reduction.

In collaboration with the Partnership for Transparency (PTF), CSPR is currently implementing a project titled “Voice and Accountability: Community Empowerment for Improved Local Service Delivery in Zambia (V and A project),” funded by the Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF) and managed by the World Bank. This four-year project (2021-2025) focuses on enhancing community engagement and accountability in the education sector, specifically targeting primary and secondary education services.

1. About the project:

The project’s mission is to empower citizens to actively participate in local governance and education service delivery. It aims to foster communication between local authorities and community members regarding the quality of education services.
a) Components of the project:
(i) Community Awareness: Educating citizens on their rights and responsibilities regarding educational services. This is aimed at enhancing community awareness of the education services provided through primary and secondary schools and to improve their capacity to engage with school management and local authorities in the targeted districts.
(ii) Community Engagement: Facilitating dialogue between community members, school management, and local authorities to improve service delivery. And empower communities to monitor education service delivery and to increase community participation in a dialogue with school management and local authorities to improve service delivery
(iii) Project Management and Learning: Overseeing the project implementation while also promoting knowledge dissemination and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices. And support the implementing agency’s capacity to manage and carry out day-to-day project activities, monitor implementation of activities and results, coordinate with relevant stakeholders, and disseminate project-level knowledge to the public.

2. Project objectives:

The primary objective of the V and A project is to bolster community awareness and participation in service delivery, leading to improved accountability in the education sector within nine selected districts from both Eastern and Western provinces in Zambia.

3. Objective of the consultancy:

As part of the project implementation, CSPR would like to recruit a consultant to support strengthen community appreciation of social accountability mechanisms for enhancing awareness and dialogue on service delivery issues. The objective of the consultancy is to develop a simplified conversational booklet on social accountability for quality public service delivery. The booklet is intended to convey complex information on social accountability at the community level in a user-friendly and participatory manner to ensure inclusion, understanding of approach and adoption.
Images and graphics are essential elements of your visual communication material, as they can enhance your message, illustrate your points, or support your data. Images and graphics can be photos, icons, illustrations, charts, diagrams, and or infographics.

4. Specific tasks and responsibilities:

4.1 Content Assessment: Review the zero draft visual communication booklet for clarity, relevance, and engagement level.
4.2 Simplification Strategy: Simplifying and translating in Lozi and Chewa language, concepts, and develop visual illustrations while maintaining the core content of the manual.
4.3 Design Recommendations: Propose visual communication booklet design elements that enhance reader engagement, including illustrations, humour, and interactive components that enhance message understanding and appreciation where applicable.
4.4 Iteration of Content: Revise the booklet based on approved design recommendation, aligned with target audience
4.5 Validation of revised draft: Present the revised draft illustrated visual communication booklet for validation with key stakeholders including local authorities, community members, school administrators, and the PTF.
4.6 Final Presentation: Present the final comic booklet to CSPR and the PTF for approval and potential/actual mass printing and distribution.

5. Deliverables:

• A Final and simplified typesetted comic conversational community social accountability booklet.
• A translated version in two languages: Lozi and Chewa.
• All deliverables should be closed on or before 11th April 2025.

6. Required qualifications:

I. Must be in possession of a relevant Social Sciences Degree (or equivalent) as a minimum academic qualification.
II. Expertise in communication design, particularly for educational materials with credible referencing
III. Strong understanding of general social accountability processes and community engagement/participation.
IV. Experience in working with civil society organizations in Zambia or similar contexts.
V. Experience in simplification of Public Policy Documents with bias to the education sector
VI. Must be an effective facilitator and communicator with excellent writing skills
VII. Should be able to demonstrate past competency and experience in the production of at least three projects of similar work.

7. Requirements and application process

Interested and eligible consultant/s can apply for the assignment by submitting their Expression of Interest (with financial proposal), Resume and at least one sample to the following address Civil Society Poverty Reduction (CSPR) Plot No. 406, Kudu Road, Kabulonga, P.O. Box 51459, Lusaka, Zambia and [email protected] for clarity you contact the +260977962461

Application (in the main body of the email) should also include the following statement from the consultant:

Certification:

I, the undersigned, certify that,

a) To the best of my knowledge and understanding, this resume submitted correctly describes me, my qualifications and my experience.
b) I accept that any false data or omission that may be contained in this resume and its annexes may be a justifiable element for disqualification.
c) Supporting documentation of the accreditations speaks to my experience.

8. Submission details (Application deadline):

Interested consultants should submit a proposal detailing their approach, relevant experience, and a financial bid by 10th March, 2025.

Zero tolerance to corruption:

CSPR practices zero tolerance to bribery and corruption as guided by its Anti-Corruption Policy. We therefore expect all applicants to comply with all anti- corruption laws.

To learn more about our work, visit www.csprzambia.org