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The Government of Tanzania’s Productive Social Safety Net (PSSN) program is a key national strategy for operationalizing social protection in Tanzania.  Implemented under the auspices of the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF), the objective of PSSN is to improve access to income earning opportunities and socio-economic services for targeted poor households while enhancing and protecting the human capital of their children.  Some 5,180,940 direct beneficiaries (56% female) are targeted with combined and integrated interventions that include cash transfers and support to livelihoods enhancement.  Rolled out in stages since the project’s initiation in 2012, PSSN now covers targeted poor households in all 187 districts of Tanzania, on mainland as well as Unguja and Pemba islands.  In 2025 the Government of Tanzania is implementing the final year of the second 5-year phase of PSSN while preparing to launch a third phase (PSSN III) in early 2026.

Stawisha Maisha (SM) is PSSN’s flagship intervention aiming to reduce nutritional stunting among children in beneficiary households through improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices.  A peer-led group membership-based social behavioral change initiative, Stawisha Maisha is a capacity-building initiative with a strong focus on pathways to change: developing mothers’ and other primary caregivers’ sense of self-efficacy, knowledge, peer support and group affiliation, self-confidence, aspiration, practical skills and motivation to adopt and sustain basic feeding practices that can transform the nutritional status of children in households experiencing severe resource scarcity.  The main behavioural objectives at the outcome level relate to maternal nutrition, exclusive and continuing breast feeding, optimal introduction of supplementary feeding and balanced dietary diversity.  An initial pilot project to test the peer group design and key methodologies was implemented in 2018-19 in two districts (Mbeya DC and Kazkazini B, Unguja), evaluation of which found significant increases in participants’ knowledge on key feeding practices.  Stawisha Maisha’s novel (for PSSN) SBC methodologies were shown to have high appeal for beneficiaries, resulting in observably greater participant engagement than conventional IEC methods PSSN had more regularly employed.  The review noted increased self-confidence and self-efficacy among pilot participants, including toward strengthening family goals and aspirations for child development.  The long gap between sessions was noted as a design weakness, as was reliance on a moderate level of literacy and some weakness in the targeting of participants.  The conclusions of the pilot review recommended a national scaling up of the initiative on a more intensive and more strategically targeted model as PSSN’s main strategy for improving maternal nutrition and infant and young in the beneficiary households. A new design for greatly expanded coverage that put programme cost at the center while still retaining key elements tested in the pilot was developed for the national scale-up.  A weekly radio programme sits at the center of the new design, with the peer-led group structure now organized around members coming together to listen to the weekly broadcast and discuss related issues.  Using entertaining content to engage participants, the magazine-style radio programme embeds a variety of methodological approaches designed to influence social norms and individual behavior to promote adoption of nutrition behaviors that reduce and prevent stunting.  Following the design process, a comprehensive costing analysis was carried out with UNICEF support to explore and clarify the value proposition in financial terms. With .  government funds were subsequently committed to roll out a first wave covering a total of 18 nutrition-vulnerable districts, mainly in Rukwa, Ruvuma, and Geita regions. With the government’s significant investment in scaling up Stawisha Maisha comes a concomitant need for reliable independent impact assessment.  UNICEF stepped up to meet this need with support for a high-quality impact evaluation.  Baseline survey data were collected from 2,250 PSSN beneficiary households in 150 villages, including anthropometric measurement of U5 children as well as household surveys and qualitative data collected through focus groups and individual interviews. In 2023-24 one thousand seven hundred and thirty five (1,735) Stawisha Maisha Groups were formed in 800 villages across the 18 districts, comprising a total enrolled membership of some 28,000 mothers and other caregivers from PSSN-assisted households.  For the first six months the content for 26 thirty-minute magazine-style programmes has been developed and produced, comprising a serial drama and a variety of complementary features ranging from jingles to vox pop segments.  Short training videos were produced to double as mobile-phone-based aide memoire for the three key field activities carried out by TASAF cadres.  A USSD-based system was developed to capture group attendance data and solicit participant opinions about the radio programme.  Radio equipment was procured and a basic group toolkit comprising simple print materials (launch poster and stickers, attendance register, radio operation manual, membership cards, attendance award stickers) was developed and produced

How can you make a difference? 

The primary objective is to provide unprecedented support to TASAF in solidifying the progress achieved in both scaling up and fully integrating Stawisha Maisha into the PSSN program at this critical juncture of national transition. The timely completion of this assignment is necessary to guide Stawisha Maisha through the final, decisive stages of complete integration – a rare opportunity to ensure its long-term sustainability and formal institutionalization within Tanzania's social protection framework.  The  secondary objective is to revolutionize PSSN's utilization of radio and other remote communication channels, dramatically enhancing beneficiary engagement nationwide. This innovative approach aims to significantly increase knowledge of optimal nutrition practices and catalyse positive behaviour and social change across all program regions, ensuring consistent national implementation standards at a scale and depth previously unattainable.

Specific Tasks

1. Technical support in training and overseeing more than 26 SM radio episodes - that is content development with creative team to ensure effective use of designated SBC methodologies in SM radio programming.

2. Design system and develop tools and guidance for collation and analysis of USSD data prompted by radio programme messages as well as train TASAF SM Task Force members (10)

3. Provide technical leadership for expanded use of radio and other forms of remote communication with beneficiaries in support of both behavioral and PSSN programme IEC objectives in 20 regions and more than 80 districts/villages

4. In collaboration with TASAF Communication Specialist and Stawisha Maisha Task Force members design and develop activities and materials to promote visibility and consolidate support for Stawisha Maisha among both internal and external audiences.

5. Document the lessons and best practices learned in a social safety net program in promoting linkages of social protection and nutrition as one of parenting programs.

For more information on this consultancy, click here

PAYMENT SCHEDULE.   TOR Stawisha Maisha 2025 upload.docx

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/output is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. 

ASSESSMENT / SELECTION PROCESS AND METHODS  

Evaluations: The applicant should submit both technical and financial proposals which clearly stipulate how the work will be conducted. The Financial Proposal should include all costs of this assignment including fee, travel costs, accommodation as UNICEF will not pay any DSA.  

Proposals will be both technically and financially evaluated. The technical part will carry a weight of 75%, in which the consultant will put clear his/her technical approach to ensure quality attainment of each deliverable and the consultancy in totality. The financial part will take 25% showing the proposed budget breakdown of consultancy cost for each deliverable (fees, travel, and accommodation) and eventual total consultancy cost.  

 LOCATION, DURATION & LOGISTIC  

The consultant will be working remotely with scheduled trips to 2 international travels in August 2025. The assignment will involve travels to the fields to support implementation of activities. It is estimated that the consultant will travel the 3 specific sites in either Geita, Dodoma, Ruvuma, Mbeya and Rukwa I5 August 2025will spend 4 days per trip on average.  The consultancy is expected to start on (15 July 2025) until (30 December 2025).

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

1. Communication, including social and behaviour communication, branding and public relations.
2. Demonstrated leadership in designing SBC radio programs and community lead initiatives in developing country context, preferably in Africa region.
3. MA degree in a related subject area such as communication, anthropology, community psychology, social marketing, instructional design; interdisciplinary work is especially relevant
4. At least 5 years’ research experience related to strategic communication, including experience designing, implementation and monitoring of broader national SBC radio programs interventions; experience using qualitative methods in large-scale complex research designs especially relevant
5. Strong conceptual, writing and analytic skills. At least 10 years’ experience developing creative concepts and supervising creative production
6. Experience of working within the framework of social protection programmes preferred.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).   

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.