83462189 Consultancy Service for Impact Reporting on the AU Bingwa At Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Africa CDC is an autonomous health institution of the AU established in 2017 to support public health initiatives of Member States and strengthen the capacity of their public health institutions, to detect, prevent, control as part of its public health emergency response to disease threats. Over the past six years, Africa CDC has fostered trust and confidence across the continent. The organisation has played a pivotal role in safeguarding Africa’s public health during the COVID-19 pandemic through providing strategic directions, building capacity and capability of public health institutions, and supporting Member States in training and deploying health-care workers on preparedness and response to disease threats and outbreaks.

Among Africa CDC’s COVID-19 response efforts is the AU Bingwa COVID-19 Vaccination initiative, which was launched by the African Union on 7 April 2022. The Initiative aimed to establish a network of young vaccination advocates or Bingwas (Swahili word for “champions”) to accelerate the uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations across the African continent. The Bingwa initiative was based on proven research evidence and best practices that have demonstrated significant success in accelerating vaccination uptake. The sensitization campaigns held by Bingwas aimed to tackle the two main barriers to vaccine uptake: vaccine hesitancy and last mile access. They used a variety of online and offline platforms to champion and communicate context-specific messages, provided mobile vaccinations, and worked closely with influencers and community leaders to encourage vaccinations.

Under the initiative, more than 200 Bingwas were recruited, trained and deployed to advocate for and mobilize their friends, families and communities to get vaccinated against COVID-19. In person campaigns were held in eight AU member states (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo) and an additional 250 in 25 AU member states were trained on mobilization and social and behavioral change methodologies.

With the end of the COVID-19 as a global health emergency, the mandate of AU Bingwas has been expanded to other health security challenges across the continent. However, prior to the design and roll out of the second and expanded phase of the AU Bingwa Initiative, the Africa CDC plans to systematically document the impact of and identify the lessons learned from the AU Bingwa COVID-19 Vaccination initiative.

In this regard, the GIZ SCPRA project seeks to support our partner the Africa CDC through the procurement of a consultant to produce an impact report providing a comprehensive view of the AU Bingwa initiative. The objective of this consultancy is to study and produce an impact report on the AU Bingwa COVID-19 Vaccination initiative using a mixed method approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative data collection and data analysis methods. This shall be done in close consultation with Africa CDC, especially the Senior Technical Officer for Strategic Programs of Africa CDC, and the GIZ SCPRA project.

Period of assignment: five months from 30 April 2024 to 30 September 2024

Qualifications of short-term expert

• Education/training (2.1.1): Advanced university degree (Master) in Public Health, Development Communications, Media, or Development Studies.
• Language (2.1.2): C1-level language proficiency in English.
• General professional experience (2.1.3): 05 years of professional experience in Communications, Research and/or Knowledge Management at African institution or intergovernmental setting. Experience in these areas at regional, continental, and international levels is prioritised, particularly with AU or UN agencies.
• Specific professional experience (2.1.4):
  • 05 years’ experience in storytelling and impact reporting of which at least 3 years are in the international development sector.
  • Extensive experience with qualitative and quantitative research methods and analysis.
  • Experience in program implementation and data management.
• Regional experience (2.1.6): 5 years’ experience in working with Africa-focused/based institutions and understanding the political and social climates on the continent is required.
• Development cooperation (DC) experience (2.1.7): Strong knowledge of development cooperation on the African continent and youth engagement in public health on the African continent.
• Other (2.1.8):
  • Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate technical information clearly and concisely, particularly in writing.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to work with stakeholders at various levels.