Company Profile

Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) is a not-for-profit company that helps transform cities to benefit the millions who lack access to water and sanitation.

We were created in 2005 as a response to the urban explosion that has left many cities unable to provide basic services, such as access to a toilet or drinking water, to low-income communities.

We work alongside local providers, enabling them to develop services, build infrastructure and attract funding so that they can reach low-income communities.

We work in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, supported by an office in the UK. As the urban specialist in water and sanitation, we are committed to sharing evidence and approaches so that our innovations can enable change around the world.

Since inception we have helped over 30 million people access improved water, sanitation and hygiene services.

To learn more about our values, please see www.wsup.com/about/work-with-us/

For more information about WSUP's vision and approach, see www.wsup.com

Job Description

Terms of Reference - End Term Evaluation for the Hygiene Behaviour Change Communication Campaign

Project: Building Urban Resilience to Covid-19, Hygiene & Behaviour Change Coalition

Evaluation component 1 of 2: Ghana
Pleasenote: this ToR will evaluate activities undertaken in Ghana. A separate and similar ToR will evaluate project activities undertaken in Kenya - Please contact jstokes@wsup.com for the linked evaluation ToR. Consultants may bid for this component only, or may present combined bids for both components.

Overview and Background
WSUP received funding from Unilever-DFID HBCC (Hygiene Behaviour Change Coalition) to drive hygiene behaviour change communication to the urban poor communities across three locations in Ghana: Kumasi, Accra and Tamale. The project aimed to support communities respond to the Covid-19 pandemic through a multi-pronged approach. WSUP implemented an extensive information and personal hygiene promotion campaign in communities and schools supported by the provision of handwashing infrastructure and relevant PPE.  

The initial phase of the project aimed to rapidly distribute messaging in support of the government’s actions for a wider reach of information dissemination and to stem the Covid-19 pandemic. The second phase aimed to work with relevant government institutions and community-based organisations to engage vulnerable urban communities and schools to promote effective hygiene. Messages were developed following a rapid assessment survey to understand the socio-demographic and health characteristics of target communities. Consultant support was brought in for both the design of promotional materials, and campaign management.

The Theory of Change is below. Note that this covers activities in both Ghana and Kenya; not all of the activities noted below were carried out in each country.

Campaign Approach
At a local level, the project focused on mass media, digital media and community level interpersonal campaigns across all project areas. WSUP executed a variety of messages in line with the Ghana Health Service approved guidelines. Messages covered issues of prevention, protection, safety, security and where to seek early support when showing signs and symptoms of Covid-19.

The messages were delivered through a variety of channels, including

1. Community info centres and mobile info vans
2. Messaging distributed in mosques and churches
3. Broadcasts in market centres and lorry parks.
4. Community radio stations and TV
5. Posters and out-of-home banners
6. Interpersonal campaigns in households, schools, mosques and churches

To ensure campaign consistency and access to hard-to-reach audiences, WSUP collaborated with the following partners to implement the noted activities:

• The Ghana Health Service: approval of initial campaign messaging and expertise in supporting radio campaigns
• Community Water and Sanitation Agency: expertise sharing, focused in particular on the Global Handwashing Day communications
• Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection/LEAP Secretariat: provided expertise in reaching vulnerable LEAP beneficiaries
• National Commission for Civic Education: delivery of information van campaigns
• Information Services Department: delivery of information van campaigns
• Accra Metropolitan Assembly: provided expertise and supported EHO campaigns
• Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly: provided expertise and supported EHO campaigns
• Tamale Municipal Assembly: provided expertise and supported EHO campaigns
• 15 additional municipal assemblies: provided expertise and supported EHO campaigns
• Community Based Organisations: delivered interpersonal campaigns
• Partner HBCC grantees: WaterAid Ghana: peer learning

These partnerships enabled the process of campaign messaging design and deployment to be as inclusive as possible, targeting specific people, such as persons with disabilities, marginalized groups and the elderly, leaving no one behind in the fight against the pandemic.

At a global level, all grantees of the HBCC initiative are supported and coordinated by Unilever who are developing and releasing Covid-enhanced versions of their most effective hygiene campaign materials such as: School of 5 and Mum’s Magic Hands.

Consultancy Support Required
Consultant  support is required across two activities. Firstly, an evaluation of the performance of the COVID-19 Hygiene Behaviour Change Campaign across three locations: Kumasi, Accra and Tamale. Secondly, and based on the findings of the evaluation, the development of municipal guidelines for public health messaging during an emergency response.

Purpose and Objectives

Objective 1: Evaluation of COVID-19 Hygiene Behaviour Change Campaign

The primary purpose of this evaluation is to assess the overall project performance of the COVID-19 Hygiene Behaviour Change Campaign and identify key lessons learned for the campaign and for future strategies. The evaluation should focus on the quality of the project as delivered and the primary outcomes the project generated, principally the changes in knowledge at the individual level generated by the messaging. While this process may give early indications of possible behaviour change, the evaluation is not expected to provide a full impact-level assessment of behavioural changes due to the difficulties of attribution.

The specific evaluation questions are as follows:

Acceptability of behaviour change campaign materials

• Appraise the quality of the various communications materials. Did some provide more compelling or memorable messages than others?
• Did messaging demonstrate a clear call to action?
• Was messaging under the project well-aligned and complementary to the national hygiene strategy and other major Covid-19 communications?

Campaign reach

• Appraise effectiveness of the various communications channels. Were some channels more trusted, credible or impactful than others?
• Assess the extent to which intended recipients recall receiving messages through different channels. Were some channels more likely to be overlooked or ignored?
• Assess the communications landscape during the project. What other messaging was being communicated at the time and at what frequencies? How did WSUP’s communication strategy compare?
• As an optional secondary objective of the evaluation: verify the reach of communication messages as reported through progress reports and defined in the project’s log frame. This would involve commenting on the validity of the reported figures and the underlying assumptions.

Accessibility and inclusion

• Did WSUP take appropriate steps to identify vulnerable groups and ensure that messaging was inclusive?
• Were messages appropriate for vulnerable groups within society, including low-income urban residents, those with physical disabilities, those with hearing and vision impairments, marginalized groups and the elderly?
• Were messages appropriate for those most vulnerable to Covid-19, including those with disabilities, the elderly, and those living with underlying conditions?
• Did messaging channels succeed in reaching the most vulnerable?

Effectiveness

• Did recipients understand the messaging? How did ease of understanding compare to other materials being distributed at the time?
• Were intended recipients able to recall key components of the communication materials?
• Were intended recipients able to recall where they learned these key components?
• Assess recipient attitudes towards the key behaviours in the communication materials following the project. How serious a risk do they consider Covid-19 to be? To what extent do they consider these behaviours important in mitigating that risk?

Project delivery and coordination

• What was the level of coordination between key actors and how could it have been improved?
• What were the key challenges that arose during the project implementation and how could these have been mitigated?
• What lessons can be learnt in relation to project delivery and coordination and how they can be integrated into WSUP programmes?
• Assess how the COVID-19 response project contributed to the achievement of national and county response priorities as reflected in the response plan.

Future pandemic preparedness

• Assess whether project activities are likely to continue beyond the support received in the period of intervention.
• Has the project assisted municipal assemblies in considering their long-term response to the pandemic? Are they preparing for future service delivery disruptions?
• Has the project left municipal assemblies better-positioned to communicate positive / recommeneded hygiene behaviours – during the ongoing pandemic?

Objective 1: Evaluation methodology
The following are key data collection methods to be considered in undertaking this evaluation (not exhaustive):

• Review and analysis of project documents from Ghana Health Service, Municipal Assemblies in Accra, Tamale and Kumasi, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Unilever, and any other response documents from key partners
• Meetings/discussions/interviews with key team members at WSUP Secretariat and Country level
• Meetings/discussions/interviews with key authorities and key implementation partners listed above
• Focus group discussions and key informant interviews with key user groups who might be expected to have received messaging.
• Household Surveys should be considered where an appropriate sampling methodology is able to locate those who are likely to have received messaging, but are not a firm requirement of the evaluation.

Objective 2: Development of guidelines for municipality on emergency response public health messaging
The consultant is required to collaborate with Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Accra Metropolitan Assembly and Tamale Metropolitan Assembly in order to understand their procedures for emergency public health messaging, including allocation of resources and teams involved. This should take into consideration any existing emergency response messaging plans and how these were operationalised during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Combining this information with the findings from the evaluation, and closely engaging with the municipality throughout, the consultant will produce three revised sets of public health messaging guidelines for future emergency response for each Metropolitan Assembly. These guidelines should be short, concise and engaging, and the consultant is encouraged to consult with a media agency for production of the guidelines. Whilst these will be three sets of guidelines one per city, each of the guidelines should be similar in scope and process, with only minor tailoring to geographic location and municipality size.

Required Deliverables
The  expected outputs and deliverables are listed below:

1. An inception presentation demonstrating understanding of the assignment
2. An evaluation design methodology that satisfactorily demonstrates how the project will be evaluated
3. A timetable for the evaluation exercise
4. Well written project evaluation report
5. Guidelines for municipality on emergency response public health messaging (tailored to each municipality where required).

Consultancy period
The  evaluation is expected to take an estimated maximum period of  six weeks between 15th March 2021 and 23rd April 2021.

Table 2:  Milestones/Deliverables with Dates

The consultant should expect to be asked to respond to one round of comments and questions on draft documents before acceptance by WSUP of final versions.

Reporting and Liaison
The Task Manager for this work will be Jonathan Stokes, WSUP Monitoring & Evaluation Manager. The Consultant will also be expected to liaise closely at the design stage and subsequently with other key personnel in WSUP, including Sam Drabble (Head of Evaluation, Research and Learning) and Tara Vernon (Project Controller) in the UK; and with Anthony Addae (Project Manager and Monitoring & Evaluation Lead) and Frank Kettey (Country Programme Manager) in Ghana.  

We again note this TOR relates to the Ghana component of the Project; that a parallel TOR is being released for the Kenya component; and that bidders can submit single or combined bids for one or both components. If the work is commissioned separately, the consultant will be expected to liaise with the evaluator in Kenya to coordinate approaches where useful and feasible, facilitated through WSUP. The Consultant shall work directly with the Project Lead and shall report to the WSUP Country Programme Manager on contractual issues.

Contract Terms and Condition
A standard WSUP service agreement format will be used, subject to the supplier’s agreement with the terms and conditions.

Budget
The total budget for this work is GBP 17,000 (currently equivalent to GHS 137,400) inclusive of all applicable fees and taxes.

Payment Schedule
The payment schedule will be as follows

• 40% on contract signature
• 60% on delivery of an acceptable final report and acceptable municipal guidelines

Required Skills or Experience

Consultant Profile

To achieve efficiency and objectivity in this process, WSUP seeks to engage a Consultant with the following profile:

1. Demonstrated knowledge and experiences in evaluating complex public health interventions and behaviour change or hygiene education campaigns.
2. Ability to manage a potentially large-scale and complex evaluation and research process, including remote data collection
3. Experience in managing data and information systems capable of handling large datasets for monitoring and evaluation purposes
4. Extensive experience in communications, public relations, marketing, or relevant Social Sciences.
5. Experience in developing emergency communications guidelines or large-scale messaging strategies on behalf of a large private sector entity or government department.
6. Experience collaborating with high-level government stakeholders and/or private sector senior management.