Website WateraidZambia WaterAid Zambia
WaterAid Zambia’s mission is to transform the lives of the poorest and most marginalized people by improving access to safe water, adequate sanitation and hygiene. WaterAid has earned a worldwide reputation for long-term effectiveness, innovation, partnerships, and thought-leadership in the WASH sector. WaterAid Zambia currently implements WASH projects in Southern, Lusaka, Luapula and Western Provinces as well as advocacy for WASH with the national government and other stakeholders.
About the project
WaterAid recognizes that provision of WASH facilities as part of the Covid-19 response is not enough for the adoption of sustainable preventive behaviours. Therefore, it plans to support strategic promotion of hygiene for lasting behavior change among community members, schools and healthcare workers in the targeted communities through a campaign called ‘Kutuba Campaign’. While WaterAid has identified six key hygiene behaviors as its primary focus, it also takes into consideration other context-specific hygiene behaviors in its implementation. The Hygiene Behavior Change Coalition (HBCC) project will therefore focus on multiple hygiene behaviors based on the context, setting and target audience. Learning from previous interventions, the following may be considered although this may be altered depending on FR findings; Handwashing with soap and water at critical moments – primary behaviours, maintaining social/physical distance, Respiratory hygiene, Use of safe water (source/household water treatment), Food hygiene (where prioritized) and Use of a clean toilet (Where applicable)
The project’s overall objective
The purpose for the assignment is to develop a formative research assessment that will lead to the development of a comprehensive hygiene behaviours change promotional package and strategy for modifying the Kutuba Campaign under the HBCC project to be implemented in the six (6) targeted districts. This is in line with one key result areas for the project on improved hygiene behaviours in targeted communities including the health care facilities and schools. This result area focusses on practicing handwashing with soap and water at all critical times and other context-specific hygiene behaviours in relation to health professionals and maternal and child health. The formative research will be carried out in 3 of the six target districts (Mwandi, Monze and Samfya).
Key questions to be answered by the formative research:
The formative research is a backbone of the assignment therefore; the consultant will develop tools that will help to generate answers for the following questions:
Prevalent hygiene practices: What are the prevalent level of understanding, and hygiene practices (observed) among healthcare workers, school pupils, cleaners and mothers / guardians on key hygiene aspects that are linked with child health in different setting (all key behaviours in selected districts)? What behaviour change products (linking with all behaviours) are available in the healthcare, schools and HHs settings to practice routine behaviours?
Underlying reasons and barriers for hygiene practices: Why are healthcare workers, mothers / guardians, pupils practising good/adverse hygiene practices (all key behaviours)? What are the current physical, social, cultural, biological and attitudinal challenges/barriers to practising key hygiene behaviours?
Hygiene motives: What are the motivational drivers and key motivates for communities, schools and health workers including cleaners, teachers, pupils and mothers/guardians to practice good hygiene behaviours (all key behaviours)?
Hygiene barriers: what are the current barriers for health workers and community people to perform key hygiene practices?
Variation in behaviours: What are the traditionally routed social, cultural practices among different ethnic and religious groups (target population) relating to key behaviours? Are there any key differences in social norms among target population residing in different geographic locations?
Priority behaviours: What are the key hygiene behaviours that should be prioritized for addressing through the initiative, with a view to scaling up? (prioritize key behaviours and clear rationale should be given)
Motivational themes: What are the key motivational themes that programme should use to improve the key prioritized hygiene behaviours? (should be justified with motives for all key behaviours)
Touch points: what are key touch points to reach with the target groups through the hygiene intervention?
Disease burden: What are commonly reported diseases in the healthcare settings? What are the current health problems experienced by expectant women, recently delivered mothers, newborns and under-five children in the 3 districts? What are common beliefs and responses (care-seeking behaviour) associated with these problems by school going pupils and community members? What are the perceived understanding about the common diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, undernutrition and fever (sepsis), covid-19 and its prevention practices among mothers/guardians?
Existing communication channels: What are the current communication strategies used within the health sector, education sector and communities to reach the target groups? Are there any hygiene promotion activities being delivered through routine immunization, social mobilization/ mass media or other avenues? Is any hygiene promotion package available?
Potential communication channels: What local communication channels exist? Are pregnant women, school children, mothers and guardians exposed to and aware of those channels? What type of communication channel (interpersonal, group, event) do pregnant women and mothers prefer? What channels are likely to be trusted for hygiene/health messages? Is routine sessions during the continuum of pregnancy an acceptable and desired interpersonal communication channel for hygiene promotion? Are there any media (FM/TV) active in the district through which hygiene messages can be promoted? What would be the appropriate means of communication for hygiene promotion?
Scope of Work/Key activities
1. To design formative research tools in line with this concept in close coordination with WaterAid Zambia
2. To conduct a formative research and produce a report.
3. To present findings and recommendations of the formative research, the lead researcher will participate in the creative process for the development of the hygiene behaviour change package and strategy.
Key Outputs/Deliverables
1. Work with WaterAid Zambia in discussions following award of contract, clear work plan indicating key outputs, allocated time and budget
2. Produce Inception Report
3. Develop Formative Research data collection tools
4. Data collection (including engaging and training of data collectors)
5. Data analysis following data collection
6. Formative research report
7. Presentation slides and dissemination workshop for the formative research as part of the creative process
Time frame
This consultancy work is expected to be completed within 6 weeks including preparation, fieldwork, sharing preliminary findings, report writing, and dissemination of the findings.
Proposed budget breakdown
The consulting firm will provide an estimated, realistic and itemized budget in order to produce the expected outputs.
Sample size and sampling framework:
- The richness of the information will determine the sample size. Purposive sampling strategy will be considered at first level to include different variability (such as geography/settlements, service provision, social-cultural diversity, ethnicity, etc) and once those criteria are defined and met, the simple random sampling methodology will be used to select the specific healthcare facilities, schools and communities/HHs. The consulting firm/Individual need to suggest the sample size and sampling framework which will be discussed and agreed only among the selected parties.
Stakeholder involvement
The key stakeholders are women of reproductive age both young and old who have children aged less than five years; their spouses; key influencers of norms and practices among women with children aged less than five; community members; healthcare workers (both medical and non-medical); traditional and opinion leaders in the communities; non-governmental organizations implementing similar and related interventions; service providers at the district, county and sub county health and community development teams;
Skills and competencies of the consultant or consulting team
- Postgraduate qualifications in social sciences research; public health (health promotion) or Behaviour change communication and use of qualitative research methods at least 8 years of relevant experience (Team leader);
- Basic training and senior level experience in conducting formative research using qualitative methods
- Demonstrated experience of conducting similar assessment or work including program formative assessment to inform hygiene behaviour change interventions including hygiene in communities and healthcare facilities in the last three years
- Demonstration of experience as lead person/s of using qualitative research methods
- Lead person to have experience in design of behaviour change communication interventions in the area of hygiene and WASH in general
- Excellent communication and good report writing skills, especially ability to write very well in English.
- Excellent knowledge of issues in WASH (focusing on hygiene behaviour change) and health behaviour change programming in Zambia
- Timely delivery of expected outputs from assessment
- Knowledge and experience of using statistical packages for analysis of data
Application process and submission
Interested candidates will be expected to provide the following documentation:
- Detailed response to ToRs, with specific focus addressing the purpose and objectives of the assignment, methodology to be used and key selection criteria.
- Initial work plan based on methodology outlined.
- Company profile or CV including a minimum of 3 references
- Detailed budget breakdown based on expected daily rates and initial work plan.
Technical and financial proposals in PDF format to be submitted as separate documents. The deadline for submission of both technical and financial proposal is 26th June 2020. Proposals should be submitted electronically by emailing to [email protected].
Before submission of your application please request for the full terms of reference from [email protected].