Winrock International: Behaviour Change Agent

Winrock International a US based international non-governmental organization is empowering cocoa households with opportunities and education solutions (ECHOES) programme in Ghana. Under the ECHOES programme Winrock international is expanding learning opportunities for target community members in its operational areas. The organization has established community learning centres where teachers will be trained in basic computer literacy and skills. As part of the community capacity building.

Job Description

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is currently funding the Ghana WASH Project which aims to maximise health impacts in five regions of Ghana including Greater Accra, Volta, Eastern, Central and Western. The immediate goal of the project is to improve the access to safe and adequate water supply and basic sanitation facilities infrastructure for households, clinics, and schools and promote complementary hygiene practices to maximise the health impact form this improved infrastructure. Relief International is the main implementer and has sub-contracted Winrock International to assist with the capacity building of Local Non-Governmental Organizations (LNGOs) and lead the strategic behavior change interventions

In order to achieve this goal the Ghana WASH Project team focuses on the following objectives:

Objective 1: Increase access to improved water and sanitation infrastructure for individual households, communities, schools, and clinics in the target areas

Objective 2: Assist in developing innovative modes of establishing new infrastructure

Objective 3: Improve the capacity of small grant recipients to mobilize community members to actively participate in: (a) the improvement and maintenance of water and sanitation infrastructure; and (b) local official bodies that provides support for these efforts

Objective 4: Support development of behaviors that result in: (a) water and sanitation (WASH) infrastructure that is well-utilized by target communities; and (b) increased adoption of complementary hygiene behaviors that will reduce water-borne diseases

Objective 5: Manage existing partnerships and potentially develop new partnerships with private sector and/or voluntary organizations committed to achieving the same results

Under Ghana WASH, Winrock International is seeking a Behaviour Change Agent to implement a comprehensive behaviour change program around health/hygiene promotion and access to safe water and sanitation practices in specified districts with Eastern, Volta, and Greater Accra regions of Ghana.

He/she will be expected to work with a team of Water and Sanitation experts to ensure a well coordinated effort. She/he will be in charge of capacity building of local NGO’s (LNGOs) by training them on advocacy, leadership, civic engagement. community entry and mobilization, community profile analysis, community action plan development, hygiene promotion, social marketing, CLTS, and safe water and sanitation practices.

These LNGOs will then be training and transferring knowledge to communities to carry out and adopt behaviour change in water, sanitation and hygiene practices. She/he will be expected to provide support to the LNGOs and monitor and their progress on behavior change activities with local communities.

Terms of Reference:
Behavior Change Agent, Ghana WASH project
Reports to: Winrock DCOP/Behavior Change Specialist, Ghana WASH project

Responsibilities include:

Assist in conducting baseline assessments of target communities in conjunction with WASH team members and consultants
Assist the DCOP/Behavior Change Specialist and consultants with the development of training materials for local NGOs
Capacity building for local NGOs through training and on-going support
Oversee LNGOs formation of WatSan committees at the community level
Assist LNGOs to conduct community profile analysis
Ensure that communities are implementing their action plans and practices
Interact with District Assemblies and Environmental Health Associates to assist them in supporting the water and sanitation behavior change activities at the community level
Participate in frequent experience sharing workshops with regional and district level stakeholders including CWSA, DWSTs and other stakeholders in BCP and CLTS
Provide input into Small Grants facility policy and Small Grants manual with regard to behaviour change, mobilization and social marketing
Continually measure progress for behaviour change and benchmark progress
Conduct monitoring & evaluation activities and collect data based upon performance targets. Ensure that local NGOs are implementing these targets in their project plans for achieving water and sanitation behavior change in schools and communities
Prepare monthly reports for the DCOP/Behavior Change Specialist
Represent the project as designated for Behavior Change
Able to travel extensively within the specified districts and regions
Required Skills or Experience

Five to seven years experience in rural development with a focus on water resource management, sanitation, health and hygiene promotion
Knowledge of CLTS, SLTS, and community based approaches to behaviour change and factors leading to sustainable change
An understanding of and experience utilizing participatory training methods required
Education in the social or developmental sciences with training in water and sanitation practices

How To Apply

Please submit your cover letter, CV and three contactable references to: [email protected] by COB