Save the Children Malawi is currently accepting applications for a Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Lead for an anticipated USAID-funded Community Development Funds Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) in Malawi. This 5-year activity will be flexible and adaptable in order to improve food and nutrition security and resilience among ultra-poor and chronically vulnerable households and communities.
The SBC Manager will oversee the design, planning, and implementation of SBC activities. S/he will be responsible for supporting SBC interventions across the activity by playing a lead role in guiding formative research; developing a SBC strategy and implementation plan; supporting the development, testing and production of tools and job aids; and monitoring the progress of activities to ensure a consistent and coherent execution of interventions. Effective engagement of communities is central to SBC in order to address community priorities, to help prioritize behaviors and address harmful social and gender norms for solutions that last. The SBC Manager identify theory and evidence-based strategies, including interpersonal communication (IPC), participatory small group, household and community mobilization, to reduce social and behavioral risk factors that lead to adverse health, livelihoods and resilience outcomes. They will provide capacity strengthening in SBC approaches as they pertain to nutrition, health, livelihoods, gender norm-change, and resilience-building objectives at the individual, household, community and system levels; and ensure institutionalization and sustainability of the program’s SBC strategy and approaches. This position will work closely with all technical advisors, particularly with the Gender, Youth, and Social Dynamics Lead, and the Food Security Technical Coordinator to identify the most vulnerable audiences; and ensure quality implementation of cross-cutting SBC approaches to reach and improve nutrition, health, livelihoods and resilience outcomes. The position will be based within project headquarters in the South, with local travel and travel to Lilongwe required. This position is employed by Save the Children and seconded to the project team.
Guide the SBC components of program implementation (90%)
- Develop and implement SBC–related qualitative and qualitative formative research together with MEAL team to inform the SBC strategy development (such as Action Media, Trials of improved Practices, etc.)
- Lead SBC strategy development and provide technical guidance and coordination for the participatory design and implementation, particularly at household and community levels (includes: IPC, mass and social media- community mobilization and advocacy; capacity strengthening; monitoring and learning).
- Provide technical guidance for the development, adaptation, field testing, and effective use of state of-the art SBC approaches, materials, tools and job aids in support of improved outcomes in nutrition, health, livelihoods and resilience outcomes nutrition, MCH, livelihoods and resilience-building.
- Train/ mentor team members on the implementation of the strategy, approaches, tools, and job aids.
- Support development of effective SBC M&E indicators and evaluation designs.
- Support capacity strengthening and strategies to improve community-led advocacy and community mobilization in support of addressing the nutrition, health, health, livelihoods and resilience needs of the poorest and most vulnerable, and gender norm change.
- Foster and maintain effective, professional relationships with a broad range of community, public, and private sector counterparts.
- Ensure the timely and quality completion of all relevant program deliverables and reporting.
- Participate in annual work planning, review and other program meetings as appropriate.
Support the documentation and dissemination of program learning (10%)
- Provide high-quality secretariat support to the program’s relevant knowledge hub.
- Document SBC and community mobilization approaches, successes and challenges to support programmatic and sector-wide learning.
- Generate timely information regarding SBC strategy effectiveness, feeding this information into collaborating, learning and adapting (CLA) processes and leading necessary adjustments.
- Contribute to collaboration and linkage planning to ensure that SBC approaches incorporate the broad range of external actors and their activities/ impacts.
- A minimum of seven years of progressively increasing technical responsibility leading to a senior level of expertise in SBC is required.
- Strong level of technical and/ or managerial knowledge, skills, and experience to direct the operational activities of a unit or team, or provide technical advice, guidance, and management related to various size programs, grants, or projects.
- Demonstrated skills in SBC strategy development, preferably for integrated programming across several health and development areas
- Experience in applying a range of SBC approaches that address change in social and gender norms and structures as well as individual behaviors, and that go beyond messaging to catalyzing community action.
- Strong preference for someone familiar with local cultural practices, social networks, and gender and age dynamics.
- Conceptual and research skills, with ability to think strategically.
- Proven ability to develop effective working relationships with all levels of internal and external clients, particularly USAID, government counterparts at all levels, local organizations, private sector counterparts, and program partners.
- Management, communication and organizational skills (attention to detail is required); flexibility and capacity to multi-task.
- Excellent written communication, knowledge management and documentation skills required.
- Professional level proficiency in spoken and written English is required; Malawian candidates preferred.
Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of innovative SBC approaches, including effective use of digital and mHealth approaches for SBC preferred.
- Participatory facilitation skills for group discussions and (community) dialogue preferred.
- Experience designing, conducting or collaborating with formative research, as it pertains to developing SBC strategies, approaches and materials preferred.