We’re looking for a Consultant to Develop an Advocacy Guide for NTDs Control and Elimination!

About Speak Up Africa:

Headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, Speak Up Africa is a communications and advocacy organization dedicated to catalyzing leadership, enabling policy change, and increasing awareness for sustainable development in Africa.

The success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has infused the continent with a new sense of vibrancy – from commercial promise to population increasingly connected – Africa’s pulse has quickened. In the new era of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Speak Up Africa strives to promote a shift in African leadership and accountability and create an enabling environment for sustainable change.

Duration of contract: 30 days

BACKGROUND

Every year, more than 170 000 people are killed by NTDs. Today, these dangerous and destructive diseases affect 1.58 billion people globally, 39% whom live in Africa. They immensely impact the life expectancy, education and economic opportunities of affected individuals and their communities. In an effort to raise the profile of NTDs and their burden at the national level, Speak Up Africa focuses on advocating for increased funding and stronger political commitment, and pushing forward the policies and interventions by demonstrating that NTD control and elimination are critical to the economic development of endemic countries. Speak Up Africa’s objective is to help provide the technical advice and advocacy tools necessary for affected countries to take full advantage of all the resources and funding available to reach the goal of NTD control and elimination in Africa.

Speak Up Africa is looking for a consultant to develop a guide including advocacy and resource mobilization guidance for technical implementers, as well as for local and national governments. The guide will include a number of best-practice case studies, key advocacy and resource mobilization messages, as well as a number of templates for communication.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the assignment is to provide countries affected by NTDs with a repository of advocacy tools to mobilize resources for NTD control and elimination.

The advocacy guide should be an easy and straightforward tool which support users’ advocacy efforts in the fight against NTDs in their own context. This will include the following resources for advocates and implementers at the country level:

• A technical implementers guide to advocating for increased NTD resources at country level. A guide specifically for technical implementers so they can effectively mobilize resources in their own countries. This resource will describe the roles, responsibilities and suggested actions for local and national governments; donors; private sector; academic/research institutions; professional associations and civil society.
• Traditional and innovative financing streams. This section will provide tools and resources that local and national governments can consider for resource mobilization. This includes easy-to-understand information on a variety of funding initiatives including advocating for NTD funding allocations within development bank financing structures, taxes, bonds as well as private sector financing platforms.
• Case studies, detailing specific country initiatives that have successfully mobilized resources in Africa and beyond.
• Key messages to mobilize domestic resources in affected countries.
• Templates for communication (Op-eds, press releases etc.).

EXPECTED ACTIVITIES

Under the overall guidance of Speak Up Africa’s Program Officer, the consultant will advise on the product positioning of the advocacy guide, develop and draft its content and produce the document.

Specifically, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Research
  • Compile existing content components for the guide from partners
  • Interview partners, collate input, research new content
• Analysis
  • Identify and present best practices
  • Select case studies detailing specific country initiatives
  • Extract summary recommendations
• Drafting
  • Propose a compelling name for the advocacy guide
  • Draft the guide in form of a report
  • Prepare guidelines on updating the guide on a regular basis
• Production
  • Prepare a high-quality and user-friendly report

DELIVERABLES

• A timeline of work and progress, including milestones.
• One well-written step-by-step guide explaining the tools and practices to be used for NTD advocacy for resource mobilization in endemic countries.
• The document is expected to include best practice cases, a final synthesis, and key recommendations.
• The guide will be prepared in English.

The consultant is expected to have a professional approach to time and deadlines.

REQUIREMENTS

• Education: A Master’s degree in political science, public health or economics.
• Experience: A minimum of seven years’ work experience in advocacy, policy making and/or research.
• Familiarity with the global public health sector, in particular in Africa.
• Proven analytical skills.
• Skills in conducting qualitative research.
• Fluency in English with excellent writing skills. Fluency in French is desired.
• A demonstrated publications record, covering research, policy and technical areas. The consultant must be able to work independently and as part of a team, have strong interpersonal skills and be able to identify, understand and accommodate the objectives of different stakeholders. The consultant should be able to plan and organize work and deliver outputs according to agreed milestones. 

The application deadline is Monday 8th January 2017.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Applicants that fulfil the above requirements are requested to submit a CV, a sample of previous work, proposed timeline for the consultancy and daily rate, and references by email to kadiatou.sylla@speakupafrica.org