Radio Producer/Agency at John Snow Inc.

The USAID SAFE: Supporting an AIDS-Free Era Program (USAID SAFE) works to reduce HIV mortality, morbidity, and transmission, while improving nutrition outcomes and family planning integration. USAID SAFE works with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ), private sector actors, and civil society institutions at the national, provincial, district and community levels to increase access to ART for HIV positive adults and children, reduce the incidence of new infections, improve Nutritional Assessment, Counseling and Services (NACS), family planning services, cervical cancer screening, voluntary medical male circumcision and increase the capacity of local health institutions to better serve affected populations.

The program operates in Central, Copperbelt and Northwestern Provinces and is implemented by John Snow, Inc. (JSI) in partnership with Abt Associates, Inc. (Abt), mothers2mothers (m2m), and the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) for a period of five years from 2017 to 2022.

To increase the uptake of HIV services in the provinces of implementation, the Program aims to develop a series of mass communication messages targeted at the various groups who most require the services provided. The first of these messages will be a series of radio programmes on topics such as HIV testing and self-testing, early infant diagnosis, ART initiation and retention on treatment, viral load suppression and testing, cervical cancer, and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, among other topics.

The programmes will be a combination of pre-recorded segments, and discussion programmes to allow the general public to discourse about the issues and address their questions and concerns.

Objectives of the consultancy

• To raise awareness of HIV testing services offered in public health facilities.
• To improve uptake of the HIV testing services offered in public health facilities.
• To provide accurate information on HIV, ARVs, family planning, VMMC, nutrition for people living with HIV, cervical cancer screening, and dispel myths that may still exist.

USAID SAFE will assume the radio producer/agency has all the necessary equipment to complete the assignment.

The radio producer/agency will be based in Lusaka, Zambia.

The consultancy will take 30 days.

Key tasks

• To produce 36 radio programmes and public service announcements (PSAs) for the USAID SAFE programme.
• To provide technical oversight and direction on the quality of the radio programmes; programmes should be completed to a professional standard.
• To record pre-recorded inserts for the radio programmes in a sound-proof studio.
• To record high-quality pre-recorded segments on-location as required.
• To edit and finalise pre-recorded programmes and prepare them for broadcast.
• To identify radio stations that will broadcast the programmes.
• To liaise with radio stations on requirements for broadcast of all programmes, as required.
• To work with subject matter specialists in three provinces: Central, Copperbelt, and Northwestern.
• To advise on clarity of radio scripts.

The radio producer/agency will produce the radio content as follows:

• Twenty 30-minute programmes (20 minutes of topical discussion, 10 minutes questions/phone-in comments)
• Six 15-minute pre-recorded programmes
• Ten 30-second PSAs

Selection Criteria:

The radio producer/agency will be selected on the assessment of Technical & Financial proposals.

Technical proposal should include:

• Demonstrated work in the development sector
• Demonstrable expertise on health issues, especially HIV
• Track record in radio, both live programmes and pre-recorded programmes for the development sector.
• Expression of interest outlining how the agency or radio consultant meets the selection criteria and their understanding of the TOR.
• Dedicated team members having relevant experience with names and CVs.
• Organizational profile containing evidence of the work done in this area.
• A proposed methodology and work plan with time frame.

Financial proposal should include:

• Itemized fees
• Production costs
• Administrative costs including all taxes applicable and valid tax exemption certificate
• Meal and incidental costs when working in Central, Copperbelt and Northwestern Provinces.

Travel expenses to the three provinces shall be met by USAID SAFE.
Accommodation expenses in the three provinces shall be met by USAID SAFE.

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