Terms of Reference for the Development of Communications Tools for Training and Advocacy.

1.0 About ActionAid

ActionAid International Kenya (AAIK) is a non-partisan, non-religious development organization that has been working in Kenya since 1972 to end poverty and injustices. ActionAid International Kenya is among the leading anti-poverty agencies in Kenya having a presence in 16 counties working directly with over one million people living in poverty and exclusion.

We are unapologetic in advancing Women’s Rights and ensuring that Women Living in Poverty and Exclusion are at the centre of our work. AAIK commit to working with Women, Children, and Young people living in poverty and exclusion to claim and realize their constitutional rights through working within three main pillars of the Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA); empowerment, solidarity, and campaigning.

AAIK is committed to undertaking all its work in a manner which does not put children or vulnerable adults at risk. All contractors and Consultants etc., are informed of their contractual and moral responsibilities to safeguard children, young people, and vulnerable adults in all areas of ActionAid’s work.

2.0 Context and Background

ActionAid in partnership with Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP), Taylors of Harrogate and Lavazza Pro is working with Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), tea companies, development organizations and County governments to implement the Empowering Tea Communities project in Kenya in 3 tea growing counties namely: Murang’a, Nakuru and Meru counties. The project targets smallholder tea farmers and informal workers with a goal of promoting their rights to decent work, freedom from violence, access to basic essential services and improved financial livelihood options for the tea communities. The project targets to deliver on five main outcomes related to:

1. Promoting respect and protection of human rights.
2. Fostering an enabling environment for empowering women and girls to realize their right to freedom from violence.
3. Improving access to gender-responsive public services for Smallholder Farmers (SHF) and informal workers in the tea sector.
4. Improving the financial livelihood of smallholder farmers and informal workers; and
5. Developing a sustainable model for scale-up for successful sustainability of established results.

3.0 Rationale

Smallholder farmers and informal workers, especially women workers, in the Kenyan tea industry are vulnerable to low incomes, as well as poor working conditions due to the informal nature of their employment. Workers are typically hired by farmers on a casual basis without formal contracts. These informal employment arrangements and the seasonality of available work mean these workers lack job security, living incomes and access to basic services and entitlements such as medical care, safe housing and education. They are largely ‘invisible’ in the international tea supply chain and their rights, both as workers and as citizens, are therefore overlooked. Rates of violence against women tea workers and farmers are high, because of weak institutional policies and structural issues such as poverty and cultural attitudes which normalize violence against women and girls. Further, Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response services are largely inadequate and justice services are inaccessible for survivors. Instances of child labor are also common and are further hindering the realization of the right to education, which is critical in promoting access to gender-responsive services for the tea communities.

The Empowering Tea Communities project has conducted four policy reviews and studies. This includes a review of key laws and policies touching on the tea sector and legislation touching on sexual and gender-based violence prevention in Kenya. Further, the project conducted a study on the prevalence of child labor, mapping of public services, and study on the audit of women’s land rights in the 3 project sites. The project intends to use findings from the policy reviews and the studies to develop targeted communication materials for training, communication, and advocacy targeting informal workers, smallholder farmers, and key stakeholders in the tea communities including collection center committees, community leaders, religious leaders, and policy actors.

4.0 Scope of the assignment

The assignment will develop communication tools for training, communication, and advocacy targeting workers, smallholder farmers, and key stakeholders in the tea communities including collection center committees, community leaders, religious leaders, and policy actors. Key tools to be developed will include:

1. 4 Policy briefs on gaps identified from key laws touching on the tea sector with a focus on findings and recommendations of 4 research studies conducted under the empowering tea communities project:

• Policy review of key laws touching on the tea sector
• Policy review on laws touching on Violence Against Women and Girls
• Child labour study report
• Women Land ownership rights survey report

1. 360 Charts and diagrams to be divided into 18 groups per area – The combination of charts and diagrams will be used by groups and ToTs for training purposes to simplify the findings of the 4 reports highlighted above and the message in the policy briefs to the communities in the 3 project areas.
2. 300 Posters to be distributed at key points within the communities in the 3 project sites – on different laws and policies to be distributed across the community with sensitisation messages on violations identified through the 4 research studies conducted by AAIK in the tea communities.

5.0 Call for expression of interest.

AAIK is looking for a consultant to undertake and deliver on the task highlighted in section 4.0 of this ToR.

5.1 Management of the Consultancy

The overall guidance and supervision of the assignment will be provided by AAIK in collaboration with the Programme Management Team from AAUK, ETP, and KTDA. The overall accountability rests with the Programs and Strategy Lead at ActionAid International Kenya. The consultant(s) will work closely with the Project Manager of the project, AAIK Communications Lead, MEL Coordinator, and Project Officers, with the guidance of the Programme Manager for Resilient Livelihoods and Emergencies and the Programme Manager for Women’s Rights and Governance.

Official transport shall be used where possible, and/or travel expenses reimbursed based on actual and realistic costs. However, the consultant shall seek consent from AAIK, before incurring travel expense(s), if not provided with official transport. Accommodation shall be provided by AAIK at the venues of the assignment.

5.3 Expected Timeframe

The assignment is expected to be carried out within a period of 12 weeks starting from 14th October 2024. The timelines will be as follows but timeframes can be slightly adjusted where need be.

Deliverable Timelines

1.Inception report To be submitted by 18th October 2024

2. Initial draft of comms tools To be submitted by 25th October 2024

3. Feedback on comms tools from partners including 4 rounds of reviews) To be completed by 18th November 2024

4.Validation of comms tools To be done by 25th November 2024

5Publication of approved comms tools To be done by 4th December 2024

5.3 Expected deliverables.

The Consultant will be required to submit the following:

1. An inception report: The consultant will share the inception report that details the study design (rationale, methodology), tools, and a detailed work plan to be approved by AAIK.
2. Designing messages for advocacy in line with the policy review reports.
3. A range of communication tools:
4. 4 Policy briefs on gaps identified from key laws touching on the tea sector with a focus on findings of 4 research studies conducted under the empowering tea community’s project:

• Policy review of key laws touching on the tea sector
• Policy review on laws touching on Violence Against Women and Girls
• Child labour study report
• Women land ownership rights survey report

Each policy brief will be specific to each report listed above and will be presented as evidence to policymakers to inform improvements in the implementation and amendment of different legislation touching on the tea sector.

b) 360 Charts and diagrams to be divided into all the 54 groups in the 3 sites for ToTs training – These are IEC materials for civic education to simplify the findings of the 4 reports highlighted above and the message in the policy briefs which will inform community advocacy and petitions to policymakers for improvements in tea sector legislation.

c) Posters to be distributed at key points within the community in the 3 areas (100 per area)- Posters on different laws and policies to be distributed across the community with sensitisation messages on violations identified through the 4 research studies conducted by AAIK in the tea communities.

4. Validation workshop: Hold a validation meeting for the draft communication tools with relevant project partners to ensure that they are practical, effective, and convenient for use by different groups in the target communities we are working within the 3 project areas.

5. Provide an opportunity for at least 4 rounds of reviews to be conducted by the different partners in the project before finalisation of the tools.

6. Final package of communication tools described in the deliverables above.

7. The raw data (all transcripts, quantitative data, and data collection tools) must be handed over to ActionAid together with the communication tools. Where photos are included, these should be provided to ActionAid in high-resolution JPEG format.

6.0 Consultant qualifications

AAIK is looking for a consultant with the following key knowledge, skills, and expertise:

• A master’s degree or work experience in media, journalism, and communications-related studies.
• At least 5 years of experience in media, conducting research, developing digital content, and publications.
• Demonstrable expertise and experience in covering content on women’s and girl’s rights, GBV and gender equality, human rights-based approaches, and a good understanding of the tea sector.
• Experience working on conception, design, packaging, production, and dissemination of communication products to a variety of audiences and understanding of channels of dissemination.
• Experience in various forms of communications production and marketing, such as publications, Internet communication strategies, and campaigning.
• Strong translation skills and evidence of producing clear, concise, and high-quality content materials in English and Kiswahili.
• Demonstrable knowledge and skills in the development and use of digital data collection methods and tools for data collection and analysis.
• Evidence of the use of ethical considerations and methodological measures that respect the rights of all stakeholders.
• Evidence of successfully designing and managing large-scale, rigorous, and robust coms tools development processes.
• Experience working on a similar assignment in the non-profit sector is desirable.
• Excellent facilitation skills.
• Proficient in English and Swahili.

7 .0 Bid’s document and timeframe

1. All bids submitted shall be assumed valid for 90 days. However, the delivery period for this consultancy shall be 42 days. The consultant shall submit an expression of interest capturing the following details:

• Curriculum Vitae and a letter of interest briefly describing his/her understanding of the task, experience, and qualifications to work and deliver on the assignment.
• Technical proposal (not exceeding 5 pages): The technical proposal should reflect the consultant’s understanding of the task and how he/she intends to satisfactorily deliver on the task/ methodology. The applicant will provide a detailed work plan of specific activities and a timetable for carrying out the assignment.
• A separate financial proposal highlighting technical fees including withholding tax, mode of payment, and any other relevant details.
• Copies of two previous works – RELATED to this task.
• Two referees that can certify that the consultant has in the past successfully undertaken and delivered a similar assignment.