The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Specialist

Requisition ID: req28694
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Sector: Health
Employment Category: Regular
Employment Type: Full-Time

Job Overview / Summary
HeRON Project Overview:

• USAID/FCDO Health Resilience of Northeast Nigeria (HeRON) is a health system strengthening project in Borno and Yobe states supports delivery of quality integrated primary healthcare, reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services, to improve evidence-based decision making, accountability at all levels of service delivery.
• IRC leads a consortium of humanitarian and development implementing partners (Action Against Hunger – AAH/ACF, Society for Family Health Nigeria).
• The Project team is working work alongside states and local government authorities, strengthening their capacity to effectively deliver quality integrated primary healthcare, reproductive, maternal, and newborn and child health and nutrition services.
• The vision for this project is to ensure integration into the health system framework of both states to support a health system strengthening approach.  HeRoN will thereby promote an adaptable health system strengthening approach through continuous engagement with the relevant stakeholders and refinement of support initiatives that will allow the program to implement initiatives across the health systems pillars.

Scope of Work

• The purpose of the assignment is to: Lead the development of a Social and Behavior Change Communication and Advocacy strategy to be adopted by the HERON Project, while equally supporting the States in improving their demand creation approach/strategies for healthcare services at the community level, aiming at promoting social change by positively influencing knowledge, attitudes, and social norms.
• This strategy would be used to enhance the capacity of HERON teams and the community structures such as the CHIPS to undertake awareness raising about key health and nutrition behaviors and the importance of seeking timely care. Ultimately, the SBCC strategy will aim to improve advocacy and mobilization for social action
• This position will run for 6 months.

Major Responsibilities

• In Collaboration with government and community stakeholders, conduct a formative assessment leading to the development of a SBCC strategy informed by insights, data, and evidence (this will include analysis of the situation prior to the setting, current situation, and challenges).
• Literature review on the current situation and concluded assessments of Social networks Analysis (SNA) and Political Economy Analysis (PEA) to better understand the major barriers and facilitators to social and behavior change issues that hinder or facilitate the demand for health services.
• Analysis of the findings to develop a clear vision of the SBCC strategy, challenges in the context and those affected by the challenges, contributing to behaviors, influencers, and entry points.
• Determining audiences making  categorization effective to understand the activities, channels, and messages that are most appropriate for a given socio-cultural context that best suits the various identified groups for impacts.
• Identify and develop a linkage with the objective to address individual level change and change within broader environmental and structural level.
• Identify Strategies to promote provider behavior improvement and improve the quality of client-health provider interactions, while strengthening linkages between communities and health facilities.
• Identify and embrace SBCC strategy aspects that promote inclusivity in health services access, especially for persons living with disabilities and other marginalized groups
• Support the consortium partners, LGAs and Health Facilities to implement the SBCC strategies developed.
• Develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan to compare the effects of program Vs its objectives and identify factors that contributed to or constrained the achievement of the SBCC goals.
• Conduct a dissemination workshops with partners and States/ LGAs stakeholders to present the developed SBCC strategies and engage the stakeholders on a roadmap for contextualization and implementation.

Coordination:

• Participate at program coordination meetings with consortium and implementing partners

Minimum / Key Deliverables: The post holder will expect to:

• Prepare and present an inception report to the HeRON team. The report demonstrating the understanding of the assignment and detail a breakdown of activities, timelines, and methodology/approach to be used.
• Undertake primary and secondary data collection through qualitative and quantitative approaches.
• Analyze and interpret data and thereafter prepare a draft of the desk reviews and share with the HeRON Team and the key stakeholders for review.
• Discuss any gaps in the draft with the HeRON Project team and come up with ways of addressing the gaps if any.
• Prepare SBCC strategy and advocacy, key messages, communication manuals, tools, and IEC materials
• Organize and conduct orientation training of trainers’ workshop in close liaison with the HeRON Team and submit corresponding training report.
• Prepare and submit SBCC MEAL plan and feedback channels
• The assignment will require travel to and possible staying in the target project locations in Northeast Nigeria.

Key Working Relationships
Position Reports to:

• Line Manager:  Deputy HeRoN Team Lead
• Dotted line/ Technical reporting: HeRON Consortium Team Lead

Position directly Supervises:

• N/A

Key Internal Contacts:

• Governance Manager and Senior Managers Consortium Finance

Key External Contacts:

• HeRON Implementing partners (Program Staffs)
• Ministry of Health, State Agencies, Local Government Health Authorities, HeRON Technical Staff seconded to MoH, Health Facility staffs, Community Leaders, and Members, CHIPs Networks, WDCs Members.

Qualifications

• The IRC is looking for an individual with substantial experience performing formative SBCC assessments, SBCC strategy and advocacy development assignments, as well as developing and technically supporting SBCC guidelines and implementation.
• Experience with country situations similar to that of Borno and Yobe States, working on similar projects.

Specifically, the successful candidate should have:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Behavior Change, Communications, Marketing, Social sciences.
• Master’s Degree is required.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience implementing SBCC programs or advising on social and behavior change interventions.
• Experience designing and conducting rapid formative SBCC research and MEAL related to social and behavior change.
• Excellent interpersonal skills required, including strong professional communication ability.
• Previous experience supporting the development of behavior change strategies, materials and campaigns that delivered quality results (Particularly working on SBCC strategies for health system strengthening projects).
• Advocacy and networking skills with a broad range of stakeholders including government and private Sectors, media companies, civil society, NGOs, and international cooperation.
• Openness to working collaboratively with a diverse team
• Experience working in a role to build capacity of others
• Strong written and spoken English ability
• Experience working in Borno and Yobe state, and conversant in local language is an advantage
• Previous experience in working out SBCC strategies for health system strengthening projects

Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies:

• Flexible, diplomatic and have ability and willingness towork under pressure of workloads
• A mature person of high professional discipline and moral integrity, proactive and able to work under stress as the situation may dictate.

Computer/Other Tech Requirements:

• Full professional competency in Windows, Microsoft Office Suite, and digital media

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.