Demand Creation Consultant at Malaria Consortium

Malaria remains a significant global health challenge, particularly in sub- Saharan Africa. In 2022, there were an estimated 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 deaths, primarily among children under five. Furthermore, progress toward malaria elimination has slowed in recent years and new tools and strategies are needed to accelerate efforts. One recent development is the introduction of two malaria vaccines, RTS,S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M, which the WHO has recommended for widespread use in moderate and high transmission settings. Currently, twelve countries have introduced malaria vaccines as part of their childhood immunization programs and Nigeria initiated malaria vaccine delivery in November 2024. Despite introduction of these vaccines, the most effective delivery method remains unclear. In many African regions malaria transmission is seasonal, and to effectively reduce malaria in these settings it is crucial to provide protection within the peak transmission season.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Demand Creation Consultant

Location: Kebbi
Employment Type: Contract

Purpose of the Assignment

• The purpose of the assignment is to support MC in the conduct of community-level demand creation before and during peak malaria season (SMC season) to boost malaria vaccination uptake.

Scope of Assignment

• Social and Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) is key to the effective implementation of the hybrid model of malaria vaccine delivery in highly seasonal malaria transmission settings.

Technical assistance is required to support the project with the development of an SBCC strategy suitable for the context of the LGAs in which the project will be implemented in Kebbi state. This would involve a range of activities:

• Conducting a detailed situation analysis identifying the:
  • Challenges to be addressed and the context of the challenge(s)
  • Persons affected by the challenge(s)
  • The behaviors contributing to the challenge(s); contextual factors influencing the behaviors
• Determining the programmme theory to base the SBCC strategy
• Audience profiling to identify potential priority groups to be targeted with the SBCC strategy
• Assessing the communication needs and resources to determine strategic approaches. This will include but not limited to planning for engagement activities, development of SBCC materials and tools, facilitation, capacity building of SBCC related personnel.
• Positioning of the SBCC strategy. This involves having an identity for the SBCC strategy which is based on identification of a central theme for the SBCC strategy in the project implementation. This would form the basis of message development and creative implementation of SBCC activities.
• Development of a detailed implementation plan. This entails defining who, what, when and how to deploy the SBCC strategy to be deployed for the project.
• Development and implementation of the SBCC strategy monitoring and evaluation plan

Specific Objectives

• Develop inception report detailing the process of conducting SBCC strategy for the project, including methodology to be used, SBCC implementation plan, M&E plan etc and timelines for accomplishing the tasks
• Develop and submit SBCC strategy
• Develop and submit a detailed SBCC Implementation Plan
• Develop and submit a SBCC Monitoring & Evaluation Plan
• Support the development of SBCC materials
• Train SBCC personnel (CDDs etc)
• Provide technical support for all SBCC activities implemented in the Project
• Monitoring and evaluation reports submitted
• Develop Final SBCC report
• Develop Consultancy report

Expected Output / Deliverables

• Inception report
• SBCC Strategy
• SBCC Implementation Plan
• M&E Plan
• All SBCC materials developed
• Training report
• Implementation of SBCC activities
• Implementation report
• M&E reports submitted
• Final SBCC report submitted
• Consultancy report submitted

Qualifications

• An Advanced Degree in Communication, Development Communication, Health Promotion, Public Health, Social Sciences, or related field and at least 8 years post-graduation.
• Proven experience (minimum 5 years) in social and behavior change communication, preferably in the context of health promotion campaigns.
• Familiarity with the cultural context and preferences of the target population.
• Familiarity with the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) and malaria programs
• Proven experience in writing reports for public health programs or projects in Nigeria or similar developing country context
• For this position, previous working experience with MC is a added advantages.

Type of Personnel Required:

• Proven experience in managing public health programmes or projects in
• Demonstrated ability to monitor, supervise, and train in health service programmes
• Excellent leadership qualities.
• Experience with a flexible approach to managing and prioritizing significant workloads and multiple tasks, in a fast-paced environment, with tight deadlines is required.
• Demonstrated ability to monitor, supervise, and facilitate trainings.
• Strong representational skills and ability to interface with multiple stakeholders, representatives, and partners (including representatives of government agencies) in a professional manner on an ongoing basis.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively under pressure and to prioritize competing demands.
• Strategic, analytical and decision-making skills.
• Excellent technical writing and oral presentation skills are highly desired.
• Excellent experience in using Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience of proactively identifying and addressing bottlenecks/issues desired.

Application Closing Date
17th April, 2025.