Introduction and Background
Empowerment, Voice and Accountability for Better Health and Nutrition (EVA-BHN) is a four-year project funded by UK Department for International Development (DFID) as part of its assistance to Government of Pakistan. A Consortium of three organisations lead by GRM Futures Group is implementing the project. Centre for Communication Programs Pakistan (hereafter Center) is one of the Consortium members responsible for undertaking a set of communication and media focused interventions to help achieve project’s goals of increased empowerment, amplified voices and greater accountability for better health and nutrition. The project is implemented in two provinces of Pakistan, namely in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Center works at scale through partnerships with existing and potential networks, application of all forms of media and engagement of informal community-based structures to empower communities. The ultimate goal is to empower communities to confront communication challenges, effect change and improve accountability at different levels. Religious scholars and religious institutions that are spread all over Pakistan remains an unexplored resource for instigating this social change among men. People generally look up to religious leaders for guidance on a range of issues, including those that pertain to health and wellbeing. Given the influence of religion in Pakistani society, ulama have been successfully engaged in recent past as one of the communication channels for influencing social norms and changing individual behaviours.
Center will engage religious leaders in 12 project districts of both Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces for influencing especially males towards increasing knowledge on mother and child health and nutrition issues. For reaching out religious leaders, an engagement strategy has been designed based on consultation with leading religious leaders of national level and review of available literature on involvement of religious leaders in development programs and projects at national level and across the globe. One of the key activity of this engagement will be development of communication material for religious leaders at the district level.
Objectives:
Following are specific objectives of the support needed from the consultant for religious leader’s engagement activities
- Develop a sermon on different themes related to mother and child health in context of EVA BHN project;
- Support in conducting individual meetings with religious leaders in the project districts; and
- Provide technical guidance in reviewing communication material developed for religious leaders.
Scope:
The scope of consultant’s work is given below:
The consultant will develop sermon on the given topics pertaining to mother, child health and nutrition issue. The content will primarily refer to Islamic teachings that support project’s objective and reinforce its messages. The project team will ensure that the material is error free and has non-controversial contents. This material will help in generating support for project activities.
- Support for meetings with religious leaders at districts:
The consultant will provide support, in consultation with members of National Council of Religious Leaders, for organizing and conducting individual meetings with mapped religious leaders in the project districts. The purpose of these meetings is to gain support of the religious leaders at the district and union council level for disseminating EVA BHN messages through Friday sermons.
- Review of Communication Material Developed:
The consultant will also extend technical guidance through reviewing communication material developed for religious leaders which includes handbook, sermons, posters and other resources. The consultant will share his findings and recommendations to the project team and also present these in the meeting of National Council of Religious Leaders.
Major Deliverables:
Following are the major deliverables:
- Developed and finalized sermon on the given subject
- Report of Individual meetings with religious leaders
- Written recommendations after review of developed communication material/toolkit
Timeframe:
June, 2015 – December 2015.
Reporting:
Senior Policy and Media Advisor EVA BHN will give technical supervision whereas Center’s senior management will provide administrative oversight.