International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) Recruitment 2019 for Social and Behaviour Change Communications Advisor (SBCC)

WISH has big ambitions to deliver high quality sexual and reproductive health services to some of the most underserved communities across Africa and South Asia. To achieve our goals, we need to use innovative and evidence-based approaches to influence behaviours and change social norms about the use of family planning and other sexual health services.

The role of the Social and Behaviour Change Communications advisor is to support the development and implementation of strategic communications strategies that will ensure that marginalised women and men, adolescent girls and boys have the knowledge and community support to make informed sexual health decisions and access services. The SBCC Advisor will working in close partnership with mass media content development partners, and clinical service delivery teams in up to 7 countries.

JOB PURPOSE

The post holder will lead the SBCC components of a multi-country, DFID-funded integrated Family Planning and Reproductive Health programme. The SBCC Advisor will provide technical support to programme partners, including IPPF Member Associations, in the design, implementation and coordination of rights-based SBCC activities to achieve programme goals.

KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical leadership

Responsible for providing technical leadership across select programme focal-countries, and implementing partners in the development and implementation of locally appropriate SBCC strategies for of policy and technical guidance to implementing partners to ensure quality of community and individual choice as well as the alignment of priorities.

• Coordinate the implementation of targeted formative research amongst priority groups, including amongst rural, poor communities with limited access to sexual and reproductive health services, in focal countries in order to generate behavioural insights and inform SBCC interventions.

• Support partners in programme focal-countries to develop coordinated, evidence-based SBCC strategies and plans that are solidly grounded on behavioural theory and formative research, for implementation across the lifetime of the project. Plans will incorporate a combination of approaches (mass media, community mobilisation, and interpersonal communication).

• Support program staff and partners to implement, monitor and evaluate SBCC plans. This will involve providing remote support to country teams; condictung visits to focal-countries to provide direct technical capacity building support; and organising targed training for SBCC staff – including through webinars and project workshops.

• Quiality assure programme materials developed by country teams and programme partners and third party proiders as required, to ensure that they are rights-based, of quality, and aligned with messaging frameworks and strategies.

• Ensure coordination between project partners, including mass media partners, multiple local clinical service delivery teams, and third party providers to ensure aligned integrated approaches.

• Present and promote project approach at local, national and international meetings

• Lead efforts to stay on top of latest thinking on SBCC and health seeking behaviors from an international perspective that can be applied locally

Management Support

• Develop effective relationships with global consortium partners and IPPF Member Associations including project coordination and performance management.

• Work closely with senior level consortium partners to conceptualize, design and implement global and in-country sbcc plans and processes.

• Work with M&E staff to design and implement strategies to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of SBCC/health communications and programming;

• Strengthen the capacity of national members and local partners in the design, implementation and monitoring of SBCC/Health communications;

• Drive effective communication and collaboration between consortium partners and Member Associations, including regular meetings.

• Ensure knowledge sharing and learning and oversee the development of syntheses and dissemination of lessons learnt from the project between consortium partners and national organisations

• Represent IPPF and consortium partners at relevant at national and specific programme meetings.
• Lead initiatives to strengthen organisational capacity on SBCC within IPPF.
• Produce and edit documents, work plans, reports, and presentations;

Other

• To ensure gender is effectively mainstreamed within the remit of the post and in line with IPPF’s Gender Equality Policy.
• To build and maintain positive relationships with all members of staff, and contacts within and outside the Federation.
• To become familiar with the Federation’s Health and Safety Programme and Guidelines for using Visual Display Units. To do everything possible to ensure a healthy and safe working environment, including following instructions and guidance.
• To undertake such other reasonable duties as may be requested from time to time.
• The candidate must demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to safeguarding in local and international context and demonstrate a willingness to sign and adhere to IPPF’s Code of Conduct and Safeguarding Policies

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Education & Qualifications

• SBCC technical expert with an advanced degree ((M.A., MHS, MPH) in public health, communications, social sciences, anthropology, behaviorial economics advertising or a related area with significant public health and/or communication experience in family planning / sexual and reproductive health.

PROVEN ABILITY

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in developing, implementing, overseeing and evaluating SBC programs, campaigns, health promotion interventions, or relevant platforms and tools for effective SBCC programming including gender responsive messaging and advertising principles.

• Deep understanding and innovative application of Social and Behavior Change (SBC); State-of-the-art knowledge about health SBCC; Sound knowledge of relevant SBC and Social Change theories; Sound understanding of new design thinking tools/approaches.

• Demonstrated experience working in partnership with international donors and agencies on social behavior change communication programs (using multiple health topics, multiple sectors, multiple communication mediums)

• Experience implementating and designing SBCC programs aimed at improved health objectives, including community-based SBCC interventions i.e social mobilisation
• Experience of managing a multi-country SBCC project is essential.
• Experience working on, and knowledge of, family planning and sexual and reproductive health is highly desirable
• SBCC management in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia regions.
• Experience working with mass media partners is desirable.
• Experience providing capacity building support to partners
• Experience of integrated SBCC/ Human centred design, behavioural economics

SKILLS

• Ability to think strategically at a high level
• Abiily to work collaboratively with internal stakeholders and external partners
• An empowering approach to capacity building and a strong commitment to supporting others to learn and grow their skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a proven ability to influence and negotiate.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong leadership skills including the ability to effectively engage a range of stakeholders.
• Excellent staff and team management skills – including global / virtual management.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Excellent SBCC project management
• Excellent budget management skills.
• Excellent time management skills to meet tight deadlines.
• Fluent English essential. French / Arabic desirable.
• Excellent IT skills.

PERSONAL COMPETENCE

• Willing to travel internationally – about 40 days a year.
• Cultural sensitivity.
• Supportive of a woman’s right to choose and to have access to safe abortion services.

About the Organization

“Women’s Integrated Sexual Health” (WISH2ACTION) is IPPFs new flagship health programme to transform the lives of millions of women and girls. Funded by DFID WISH2ACTION will provide integrated and holistic healthcare to 2.2m additional users of contraception across 16 countries in Africa and South Asia from 2018-2021.

Through a consortium of five internationally recognised organisations and 10 IPPF Member Associations led by IPPF the WISH2ACTION programme will provide a comprehensive, integrated approach to ensure equitable access to family planning and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The programme will prioritise the most underserved women and girls, particularly youth under 20, the very poor, and marginalized populations (including people with disability, people displaced or affected by humanitarian crisis, and people living in hard-to-reach areas).

For more details, please visit our microsite: http://green-park-jobs.co.uk/ippf/index.php

How To Apply