Amref Health Africa – Medical Collaboration Committee (AMREF-CCM)

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Production of awareness raising and communication materials/tools about the importance of birth
registration in project intervention areas

1. Background and Context

The project “Children’s right to identity in Oromia” will be jointly realized by Amref Health Africa -
Medical Collaboration Committee (leader), here after referred to as “Amref-CCM”, and Doctors with
Africa, here after referred to as “CUAMM”. The project contributes to ensure children’s right to identity
in the most isolated and disadvantaged communities of the Oromia region.

Despite the creation of a law in 2012, a birth registration system hasn’t existed until 2016, when its
application has started. This situation has worsened the vulnerability of children, who without real
recognition of age and identity are exposed to the risks of early marriages and exploitation. The inability
of these children to define their age and thus to act according to their personal and civic status make
them even more vulnerable. Being registered at birth, represents the chance for the children to fulfill
capital needs such as the basic social services, protection, and nationality. Furthermore, registration is
essential for compiling statistics that are needed to develop policies and implement social services, such
as monitoring infant mortality, maternal health and gender equality.

It remains to be investigated whether gaps in awareness, lack of clarity about the registration process,
and individual perceptions may be contributory to this observed pattern. As result, it is difficult to design
and implement projects aimed at improving the rate of birth registration without clearly identifying the
information and communication gap to develop specifics awareness raising and communication
materials and tools about birth registration.

The project aims to raise awareness about the importance of birth registration in the selected 4 zones,
13 woredas and 334 kebeles through the following activities: creating information points at health
facilities (Hospitals, Health Centers and Health Posts); community awareness meetings; training sessions
and work shop for representatives of local authorities and leading figures of the communities such as
Kebele manager, teachers, HEWs, WDAs, health professionals, religious leaders, Haadha sinkee and Aba
geda and organizing information days and community dialogues sessions.

The awareness strategy is based on the coordination and harmonization of the process of registering
vital events, introducing a standardized and common approach in the target areas of intervention. In
addition, by strengthening the link between Vital Events Registration Agency (VERA) offices and Health
facilities, a common system for the registration of the vital events in the intervention areas will be built.

The awareness and communication materials and tools aims to achieve the following results:

 Improve gender sensitive responsiveness, attitudes and practices related to birth registration
and birth notification system by Health facilities staffs.
 Improve gender sensitive Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to birth registration by
targeted community.

2. Objective, purpose and expected results

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2.1. Overall objective

The overall objective of this awareness raising and information materials and tools is to:

 Ensure the right of minors to identity through interventions aimed at reaching the most isolated
and disadvantaged communities in Oromia Region

2.2. Specific objective

The Specific objective of this awareness raising and information material and tool is to:

 Increase the awareness around the importance of birth registrations and to strengthen the links
between the national registration system and the health sectors of the Oromia Regional State.

2.3. Expected outputs/Results

The Expected outputs/Results of this awareness raising and information material and tool are to:

 Increased community awareness concerning the importance of Birth Registration.

 Improved Birth Registration rates through the strengthening of the interoperability between the
Civil Registration System (CRVS) and the Health Sector in the target intervention areas.

3. Scope

People living in remote areas of the country and with different types of vulnerabilities have a right to
access all information relating to Right to Identity on an equal basis with others. Birth Registration
messages, whether they are related to its aims and/or the way to access to V.E.R.A. services should be
communicated in multiple formats and incorporate different dissemination methods. Depending on the
context, examples of this may include producing information in local language, in sign language for
hearing impaired people and simplified messaging such as pictograms and pictures, which are then
disseminated through workshops, dialogues, home and health centers visits and community awareness
raising activities. Simple questions can assist in evaluating whether further adaptation and/or targeted
approaches may be necessary to reach certain groups of persons with information:

 Who will be able to understand this information in its current form and in the local context?
 Who won’t be able to understand this information in its current form?
 Does the information reflect the needs of different people in the community according to a
gender and social inclusion analysis?
 What do persons from different context and socio-economic background think about the IEC
materials? Do they have any advice or feedback?
 How will the communication be disseminated? What groups will it reach? What groups won’t it
reach?
Type of
People who live People with People who are People lacking
vulnerability and People with
far from semi-nomadic economically agency or
Effective disabilities and People with.. People with..
VERA/Health or nomadic dependent or in power
Communication special needs
Centers way of life distress situation dependent
Methods
Radio

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Television

Mobile telephone
application messages
Audio Awareness
Vehicle campaign
Printed Materials:
Posters, billboards and
flyers (dependent upon
literacy)
Drama

Discussion groups

……

In close consultation with Amref-CCM, by following a participatory approach and involving an

appropriate representation of stakeholders from the target area, the consultant will develop specifics
IEC awareness and communication materials and tools. The awareness and communication materials
and tools may encompass: radio messages, television messages, mobile telephone application
messages, audio Awareness vehicle campaign, printed materials: Posters, billboards and flyers
(dependent upon literacy), drama, discussion groups. The action will be carried out in the context of
project called “Children’s right to identity” (Financed by AICS, the Italian Development Cooperation
Agency) aiming at assessing the information and communication gap to develop specifics community
awareness and communication materials and tools about birth registration and birth notification
systems for the selected 334 kebeles, 13 woredas of 4 zones of East Shewa, South West Shewa, Bale and
Guji, Oromia Region, Ethiopia.

4. Target audiences

The key stakeholders are Amref Health Africa - Medical Collaboration Committee (AMREF-CCM), Doctors
with Africa CUAMM, the Regional Bureau of VERA, the Regional Health Bureau, the Regional Bureaus of
Finance, four (4) zones of East Shewa, South West Shewa, Bale and Guji, Oromia Region the community
and health facilities in all selected thirteen (13) districts/woredas. Health facilities, VERA Offices, Women
Development Army (WDAs) and Health Extension Workers (HEWs), Children and their families will be
involved in the awareness raising events. This awareness raising and communication materials/tools aim
at increasing the awareness around the importance of birth registration in the selected kebeles and
improving birth registration rates by strengthening the interoperability between the civil birth
registration system and the health sector in the intervention areas. The table depicted below shows the
districts/woredas that the project targeted.

Table 1: List of woredas in 4 zones of East Shewa, South West Shewa, Bale and Guji in Oromia Region

S. N Districts/Woredas Zones in oromia

1 Fantalle East Shewa Zone
2 Boset
3 Lome
4 Wolisso rural South West Shewa zone
5 Goro
6 Ameya
7 Seden Soddo
8 Meda Wolabo Bale zone
9 Liben Guji zone
10 Negelle

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11 Goro-Dolla
12 Waderra
13 Adolla

5. Responsibilities and deliverables of the Consultant

 Submit work plan (can mention in technical proposal),

 The consultant team will support the project on Children’s Right to Identity, by assessing and
identifying the information and communication gap in relation to birth registration and birth
notification system. The initial study will consider the type of communication tool and the
information-communication gap to be bridged during the following workshop, based on the
needs expressed by the beneficiaries of the activity themselves.
 Facilitate workshop with the concerned government authorities (VERA and Health offices) to
design and select the most suitable and gender and social inclusion sensitive community
awareness raising and communication materials/tools through an inclusive and participatory
methodology. The cost for workshop will be covered by Amref-CCM,
 Develop the most suitable and gender sensitive community awareness raising and
communication materials/tools in local language (English and Afaan Oromo), in sign language
for hearing impaired people and simplified messaging such as pictograms and pictures,
 This material will be accompanied by guidelines to compensate for the high turnover of VERA
representatives and to facilitate the registration itself afterwards,
 Submit the first draft of the awareness and communication materials/tools for feedbacks.
Meanwhile these tools shall be tested by the participants themselves on the population to
verify their effectiveness,
 Submit the final draft by incorporating the feedback,
 After the creation and adoption of the awareness-raising tools, the consortium will organize a
meeting in its intervention areas for a total of 3 meetings and the participants will be 98 VERA
government authorities (49M and 49F) at both zonal and district level to train them on the use
of such material. The consultant will facilitate the conduct of these “Training or Trainers” to
facilitate the understanding and the use of the communication and awareness materials by
the local stakeholders in charge of the dissemination of it in the communities. The cost for
workshop will be covered by Amref-CCM.

6. Responsibility of AMREF-CCM

 Select and assign consultant,

 Assign expert or responsible person who will coordinate the development of community
awareness raising and communication materials/tools
 Follow up the development of community awareness raising and communication materials/
tools,
 Facilitate feedback and comments from stakeholders and partners,
 Check the process in consultation with selected consultant,
 Participate in meeting with consultants and the team when needed,
 Allocate budget for community awareness and communication materials/tools,
 Coordinate the scheduling and management of the different workshops.

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7. Commencement date & Period of implementation

The submission of the developed community awareness raising and communication materials/tools is
expected within 40 working days from the agreement signed between the consultant and Amref-CCM.
The period of implementation of the contract will be established according to the agreed work plan
which should indicate the timing required to do the research on types of material to be developed, the
workshop with the higher level officials to define best means of communication, the reshaping of
materials according to feedback obtained from workshop and the training sessions for officials from
each zone. Amref-CCM expects the consultant to conclude each part within 40 working days from the
commencement.

8. Requirements

The consultancy biding for the contract should qualify the following requirements:

 At least University degree in communication, social studies and gender or related fields;
 At least 5 years of relevant work experience;
 Work experience on the development of community awareness and communication
materials/tools is preferred,
 A renewed Consultancy license,
 ToT or VAT registered

9. Payment Modality and Taxation

The consultant will receive the total payment for the service, as per the contract signed between two
parties upon the completion of the development of community awareness and communication
materials and tools under the scope and term of reference (ToR) and submission of the materials and
tools. Taxation applied as per the rule and regulations set by the federal government.

10. How to apply

Qualified and interested applicants are invited to send their technical and financial proposals and all
legal/registration documents via email to nikita.pironti@amref.it mentioning “Birth Registration –
awareness raising and communication materials and tools” on or before February 24th, 2022. All the
documentation must be in English.