Recruitment of a consultant to update and refine the advocacy and resource mobilization guide for NTD Program Managers in Africa.

Background
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a group of 21 parasitic, viral and bacterial diseases for which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.5 billion people required treatment in 2023. In Africa, these diseases affect almost 40% of the population, mainly in rural areas and marginalized communities. Despite this, NTDs suffer from a severe lack of funding and prioritization at both the global and national
levels.
Kikundi is a Community of Practice for NTD Program Managers across Africa. Implemented by the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Rwanda and the University of Washington (UW) in the United States with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Kikundi’s objectives are to:
1. Increase the skills, knowledge, and confidence of NTD Program Managers in Africa for evidence-based decision making and leadership.
2. Strengthen the long-term capacity to meet NTD Program Manager needs through technical, scientific and administrative support.
3. Improve collaboration & knowledge sharing amongst Kikundi members, accelerating progress towards national NTD benchmarks.
4. Provide comprehensive professional development opportunities of Kikundi members.
5. Mobilize Kikundi members in advocating for the technical and financial support needed to achieve WHO 2030 targets and national goals.
Speak Up Africa is an African organization committed to building an Africa where growth and sustainable development are driven by African citizens themselves. We unite, inspire, and advocate. With a focus on strategic communications, policies, and advocacy, we are dedicated to helping African leaders and citizens actively participate in identifying and developing solutions to address major challenges on our continent such as malaria, NTDs, vaccination, sanitation, gender equality, and global health research and development.

Consultancy Objectives
Speak Up Africa and Kikundi are seeking a consultant to lead the process of updating and refining an existing advocacy and resource mobilization guide for Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) for NTD Program Managers. This guide will strengthen NTD Program Managers’ capacities to implement effective advocacy and resource mobilization strategies in their countries.

The specific objectives are:
1) Lead stakeholder consultations:
- Facilitate structured discussions with the Kikundi secretariat and leadership council
- Conduct needs assessment surveys with NTD Program Managers
- Document and analyze feedback from all stakeholder groups

2) Conduct comprehensive research:
- Review current advocacy and resource mobilization best practices
- Analyze existing tools and materials in the NTD sector

3) Develop and refine content:
- Update the guide's structure and content based on consultation findings
- Incorporate practical tools, templates, and worksheets
- Create step-by-step guidance for developing advocacy strategies
- Include monitoring and evaluation frameworks

4) Document success stories:
- Identify and analyze successful advocacy campaigns
- Develop detailed case studies highlighting best practices
- Include practical lessons learned and replicable strategies

5) Ensure quality and accessibility:
- Collaborate with graphic designers on visual presentation
- Create supplementary materials as needed

Deliverables + Timeline
Inception Phase (Due March 21st, 2025):
- Detailed work plan and methodology
- Stakeholder consultation framework
- Research strategy and tools

Research and Consultation (Due April 21st, 2025):
- Comprehensive stakeholder consultation report
- Annotated resource inventory
- Gap analysis report

Content Development:
- First draft (May 15th, 2025)
- Second draft incorporating feedback (June 1st, 2025)
- Final version with all elements (June 16th, 2025)

Qualifications and experience
The consultant must have the following qualifications and experience:
- At least 8 years of experience in public health advocacy and domestic resource mobilization strategies.
- Demonstrable knowledge of the public health, and ideally the NTD, landscape in Africa.
- Proven experience developing educational guides.
- Strong writing and editing skills and ability to synthesize and communicate information.
- Ability to work independently and deliver high quality work to tight deadlines.