Consultancy: Development of Thematic Communication Strategies for Kajiado, Narok and Taita Taveta Counties at SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

Job Description

About Integrated & Climate Smart Innovations for Agro-Pastoralist Economies and Landscapes Kenya’s ASAL project

SNV Kenya (SNV) and Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) - in collaboration with County Governments - are implementing the Integrated & Climate Smart Innovations for Agro-Pastoralist Economies and Landscapes Kenya’s ASAL project (ICSIAPL) project which is implemented under the EU Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture (DeSIRA) action. The project’s lifetime is from 1st January 2021 – 31st December 2023. The project works in the Counties of Narok, Kajiado and Taita Taveta and is funded by the European Union and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

a) Objectives

The project’s overall objective is to improve livelihoods of agro-pastoralists communities (including women and youth) through improved forage production and livestock husbandry, building on commercialization of climate smart innovations and sustainable landscape management in Taita Taveta, Kajiado and Narok counties. The project has three specific objectives:

• To increase resilience of agro-pastoralists and SMEs against climate shocks by upscaling of appropriate grazing and feeding innovations.
• To increase capacity of county governments to implement climate resilient integrated landscape management strategies and plans to support agro-pastoralist communities.
• To improve capacity of county governments to develop local strategies/frameworks for drought resilient sector development compliant with national policies.

b)   Current context

SNV through the ICSIAPL project carried out gap analysis on integrated landscape management and drought feeding strategies in the three project counties in June 2021. The analysis sought to assess gaps that exists in coordination and implementation of integrated landscape management activities both at landscape and county leadership levels. Study findings indicate existence of inadequate methods of information dissemination regarding drought early warning, grazing management and landscape level restoration activities.

Linking these strategies to commercialization, policies and climate change requires even a more structured instrument for information dissemination methods. Public awareness, advocacy and coordination among stakeholders is quite paramount in furtherance of behaviour change that will drive adoption of climate smart innovations and landscape level regeneration and investments towards sustainable production.

Currently, counties have made progress in adopting digital communication travels, whether by email, WhatsApp, or other social media platforms. In addition, Vernacular radio broadcasting are also in use for sending messages to remote agro-pastoralist areas. These stations have presence in all the counties.

c). Project communication and visibility Strategy

At the stage of project approval, SNV developed a communication and visibility strategy that covers several audiences: Government of Kenya, other NGOs and projects, and donors. This is intended to provide guidance in developing county-based strategies as it is important to align but not necessarily cascading as the county level strategies will be required to exist post the project life.

The purpose of Communications strategy

This request for consultancy is to develop a communications strategy that is tailor made to counties to be able to send harmonised and targeted messages to the stakeholders and communities in various areas of development but more focused to innovations in forage production, livestock husbandry, landscape restoration and grazing management strategies and policies. The strategy shall also cover issues related to behaviour change and climate change adaptation.

In principle, the communications strategy seeks to:

• Harmonise existing communication strategies, approaches, messaging tools at the counties
• Ensure gender and social inclusion in the communication strategies, approaches and messaging tools. Develop a resource plan for strategy implementation with proposed key activities, tools of delivery
• Develop and test communication strategy implementation plan with tools and techniques for monitoring.
• Embed mechanisms feedback handling

The proposed activities are intended to assist the project and for sustainability- the counties to communicate the following key aspects:

• Awareness creation for community behaviour change
• Impact of innovations for the purpose of adoption and policy influence.
• Lessons learnt
• Enhance upscaling of certain innovations, technologies
• Awareness creation on innovations in forage management and ILM.
• Participation of women and youth in forage value chain, ILM & policy development
• Strategies for communicating with communities with mid- level education.
• Targeted messaging addressing mitigation and adaption to climate change
• Develop Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) materials

Methodology:

The consultant is required to propose an appropriate methodology to carry out strategy development. At the minimum, the methodology should be participatory and consider:

• Stakeholder analysis
• Situational analysis
• Audience mapping
• Strategic communication objectives
• Positioning of key themes
• In addition, the consultant will work closely with the county department responsible for communication to build capacity of counties in development of communication and dissemination strategies to strengthen county communications, information dissemination and awareness creation for the key themes:  grazing and drought feeding innovations & strategies and Integrated Landscape Management (ILM), climate smart agriculture and adaption to climate change

Scope of work:

The consultant will work closely with the SNV communications officer, County Technical Advisors, and the selected County representatives to develop specific county communication strategies and Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) materials. The specific activities to be carried out by the consultant will include but not limited to:

• Desk review of the existing communication strategies of the project and the selected counties and advise on their effectiveness and or point out the gaps.
• Develop the strategies where one does not exist or advise on changes to the existing one to focus on awareness creation regarding grazing and drought feeding innovations and strategies and ILM.
• Enhance the capacity of selected county staff on the process of participatory development of a communication strategy and action plan.
• Designing of Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) materials (videos/documentaries, policy briefs, success stories/cases, flyers, radio talk shows etc) as per the target   group (community and county level) for awareness creation on grazing and drought feeding innovations and ILM. – These will be determined as per the strategy developed and agreed. Consultant is however advised to quote on individual cost of the items for later consideration.
• Support in the development of evidence-based communication papers which include dissemination of best practices and lessons learned in ILM for policy development from ICSIAPL and other similar projects
• Through a participatory approach, validate the developed strategy with the aim of it being adopted for implementation together with other stakeholders involved.
• Propose an implementation plan attached to the strategies developed for the publicity of the SBCC materials

Deliverables:

• A detailed workplan for the delivery of the assignment
• Inception report on the finding of the status of the communication strategies for each county and the proposed amendments.
• Three county specific communication strategies covering the scope of grazing and feed innovations, integrated landscape management and drought feeding strategies policy development. A gender lens needs to be considered.
• Proposed county specific implementation and dissemination plan of the strategy and materials developed respectively.
• Designing of SBCC materials for awareness creation targeted at adoption and policy influencing for different audiences identified
• County specific Reports on communication interventions and results from awareness creation on ILM and evidenced based policy influencing.   

Specifically:

• Task 1: Delivery of the inception report, to include workplan (Within the first month)
• Task 2: Delivery of the developed strategies with proposed implementation plans (Within month 2 & 3 respectively)
• Task 3: Validation of the strategy, and development of draft materials (Month 4 & 5 respectively)
• Task 4: Feedback on materials, corrections, and finalisation (Month 6 & 7)
• Task 5: Delivery of the materials to SNV & the counties. Closure of the assignment (Month 8)  

Qualifications and Experience:

ICSIAPL is looking for a firm with proven experience (over 5 years) in development sector communication and has capacity/ technical expertise in but not limited to the following:

• Master’s in communications, public relations, or related discipline
• Training and experience in communications for development is an added advantage
• Experience in participatory development of communication and information dissemination strategies with government / non-governmental or community institutions
• Experience working in Arid and semi-Arid areas in a similar assignment
• Experience in dealing with County governments, Community organisations on use of natural resources and Landscape Management Participatory approaches with a focus to, ASALs,
• Experience in development of communication materials   for awareness creation (documentaries/ videos, case studies, policy briefs) focusing in development sector on results /evidence-based reporting.
• Knowledge /Experience in documenting integrated landscape/rangeland management including development of land use plans and grazing agreements
• Ability to organize and conduct trainings and technical workshops related to the sustainable use and protection of natural resources, livestock and or research
• Proven ability for team-working and multi-tasking; great facilitation, presentation, communication, and computational skills; resourcefulness, attention to details and client orientation.
• Understanding and experience in gender and youth mainstreaming is necessary.
• Proven writing and analytical skills; ability to initiate innovative approaches and originality at work; sound conceptual

Additional Information Required:

The following is required from the consultancy firm in response to these terms of reference as a basis for evaluation and selection of the suitable consultant:

• A technical and financial proposal
• A tentative work plan of the planned activities; including proposed number of days.
• CV(s) of the firms lead consultant and support or technical staff/consultant to be engaged
• Reference list of previous consultancies and relevant report and share samples of similar communication materials

Duration:  

• The assignment is expected to run for a period 40 days maximum, spread over a period of 8 months, with payments to be spread through the period based on delivery of tasks accomplished.
• SNV will provide the successful consultant with logistical support while on field assignments, subject to prior approval of the workplan.