Ubongo is a Pan-African social enterprise that leverages the power of entertainment, the reach of mass media, and the insights of kid-centered design, to bring effective, localized learning to African families at low cost and massive scale. We entertain kids to learn and love learning: building brains, and building change.

Ubongo seeks an experienced Behaviour Change Communication Consultant with experience working in mass communications and marketing in the context of the international development sector, to help develop a communication strategy to promote Ubongo’s New Show.

About the show:

Nuzo and Namia are 7-year-old twins who live with their parents. They share a very strong bond with their grandmother who has always told them stories of her adventures as a “traveler”, however, they live far from her. When their grandmother passes away, their parents decide to move into their grandmother’s house to help them cope with the loss. Inside the house, the twins discover a magic bookshelf. The magic shelf has different storybooks that magically pull them in and take them to a different country in Africa in each episode. Through their adventures with a magical creature found in these books (Bubelang), they learn about different cultures and character strengths, while developing their reading and listening comprehension skills.

Important show themes :

• The New show raises awareness of neurodiversity - that all brains work differently and celebrating the differences in people
• It is very literacy focused to help build kids' comprehension skills.
• The show is inclusive of learning through play and encourages parents to join in playing with their kids.
• Each episode will represent different countries and teach them about different cultures.

Deliverables:

• Organize and conduct interviews and focus group research with parents in key markets: ability to organize and conduct research in local languages
• Develop marketing messaging and guidelines based on research and user test it in key markets.
• Use learning and insights to create a communications framework/strategy targeted at for with consideration to different platforms - social media, TV, radio, WhatsApp, sms.
• Provide a detailed report on all work done and all materials developed in an editable format.

Timelines: The assignment should be completed within 4 weeks.

Key Activities

• Determine the method for involving stakeholders
• Write a short summary of analyses and build consumer profiles
• Define a theory and the target audiences
• Develop communication objectives
• Select strategic approaches
• Identify the most important advantages and supports
• Design core messages
• Test messages in key markets

Relevant experience and skills

• The consultant should have:

1. Developed at least 2 communication strategies in a Pan-African context that are relevant to the deliverables above.
2. At Least 5 years experience of working with partner organizations (NGOs or local government).
3. Demonstrable experience in developing impactful behavioral change communication tools and materials.
4. Excellent project management skills.
5. Excellent oral and written communication skills.
6. Experience in Human Centered Design and other user-centered approaches is strongly preferred.
7. Ability to work independently as well as in cooperation with a multicultural team.
8. Ability to think creatively and strategically.

Proposal

Given the information above, share a project plan and budget that demonstrates how you would go about delivering on the deliverables’.

Submit your technical and financial proposal to: melissa@ubongo.org by March 10th, 2023 at 10AM.

Only proposals will be considered. No CV submitted will be put into consideration for this tendering process.

Please include your tentative budget in your proposal.

Technical proposal

• Objective - Define goals and outcomes
• Methodology and Approach - How do you plan to involve stakeholders in different markets and what information will you be researching
• Work Plan - Break down of timelines and goals
• Monitoring and evaluation plan - How will you plan to test the designed messages and determine whether they are successful or not
• Qualifications - Detail your relevant experience and skills addressing each of the eight points stated in the ‘Relevant Experience and Skills’ section above, including creativity and impact in previous communication work
• Three client references for relevant assignments.

Financial proposal

• Total fees plus a breakdown
• Structure (e.g. daily, deliverable-based, etc)
• Fixed costs
• Reimbursable expenses