Job Announcement
What do parents and
caretakers of young children,
living in rural areas of the Lake Zone region,
think about nutrition and health? Why are some children suffering from stunting
(reduced growth/development) in Kigoma, Kagera, Mwanza, Geita, or Shinyanga?
If you
want to contribute to improving child health and if you have a real interest in
working closely with rural communities in the Lake Zone, there is a job
opportunity for you in our project.
Development Media International (DMI) is looking for exceptional persons with the required
skills, commitment and imagination for an ambitious project that will take
place in five Lake Zone regions.
DMI is a London based
organization that uses mass media to change behaviours and to improve public
health in developing countries (www.developmentmedia.net). DMI carried out the first scientific study (a randomised
controlled trial) in Burkina Faso, to determine whether lives can be saved by
mass media campaigns. The scientific model developed by DMI/LSHTM predicts that
media campaigns could reduce child mortality in many low-income countries by
around 20%.
Based on a rigorous understanding of socio-cultural realities of rural
women and men, DMI will develop radio spots and entertaining radio programmes
that convince people to adopt healthy behaviours.
During and
at the end of the project, in partnership with other research/survey
organisations, the team will be able to evaluate whether the intervention
succeeded in saving children’s lives and improving their health.
DMI’s media campaign will consist of 60-second radio spots and
interactive radio programmes, broadcast several times a week. New spots communicating
different health messages will be produced each month.
These radio spots will be produced in Swahili, on the basis of applied research.
The research team will collect, analyse, and present key data on socio-cultural
aspects related to infant nutrition and on any barriers to behavior change. This
data will be used to develop and produce radio spots and programmes.
These are temporary positions starting March
2016 until 30 June 2016, with possibility of extension. The following job positions will be available:
SENIOR
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH CONSULTANT (male/female)
Overview
of Tasks and Responsibilities
The researcher’s mission will be to
lead and conduct applied research. This will consist of:
·
Regularly (several weeks) conduct research in rural areas on a series of
infant health/nutrition topics in order to present information for the team
tasked with radio spot production.
·
Prepare draft report of findings from formative research.
·
Obtain all necessary ethical and administrative approvals to conduct
field research.
·
Plan and coordinate research trips, managing budgets and field
operations and supervising the work of junior researchers.
·
Synthesize and present the research results in a concise manner to the
production team and make recommendations for the health message design in spots.
·
Closely
collaborate with the production team and contribute to the preparation of radio
spots and programmes.
·
Co-ordinate
and participate pre-testing of spots and oversee the monitoring of broadcasts by
our partner radio stations.
·
Assist DMI
with liaising and correspondence with the Ministry of Health in Dar, our
funders, the technical advisory committee, our partner radio network, and other
NGOs working in Tanzania.
·
Work
closely with and report to DMI’s Research Manager and Creative Director in
London.
·
Keep
abreast of developments in the field of maternal and child health
internationally and in Tanzania, to ensure our team stays up-to-date on
relevant topics.
·
Contribute
to the design and oversight of quantitative health surveys.
·
Assist
with other tasks as required.
Qualifications
and experience :
·
A Master’s degree in social sciences or
related discipline (for example, public health, anthropology, sociology,
geography).
·
Post-university
experience in qualitative/action research.
·
Experience
with the context of rural women, work in rural communities, and conducting
focus groups with women in Tanzania.
·
Swahili (speaking
Lake Zone languages, such as Sukuma or Haya, will be a plus).
·
English:
reading, writing and speaking.
·
Experience
with multidisciplinary teams.
JUNIOR
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH CONSULTANT (male/female)
Overview
of Tasks and Responsibilities
The researcher’s mission will be to
conduct applied research. This will consist of:
•
Regularly (several weeks) conduct research in rural areas on a series of
infant health/nutrition topics in order to present information for the team tasked
with radio spot production.
•
Assist the Senior
Qualitative Researcher with preparing for research trips.
•
Synthesize and
present the research results in a concise manner to the production team and
make recommendations for the health message design in spots.
•
Closely
collaborate with the production team and contribute to the preparation of radio
spots and programmes.
•
Co-ordinate
and participate in pre-testing of spots and oversee the monitoring of
broadcasts by our partner radio stations.
•
Work
closely with the Senior Qualitative Researcher and DMI staff in Mwanza.
•
Assist with other tasks as required.
Qualifications
and experience:
•
A first degree in
social sciences or related discipline (for example, public health,
anthropology, sociology, geography) ;
•
Post-university experience in
qualitative/action research ;
•
Experience with the context of rural
women, work in rural
communities, and conducting focus groups with women in Tanzania ;
•
Swahili (speaking Lake Zone languages,
such as Sukuma or Haya, will be a plus) ;
•
English: reading, writing and speaking.
•
Experience with multidisciplinary teams.
For All
Positions: Skills and Personal Motivation:
v
A
thorough understanding and a keen interest in the health and lives of women and
children across Tanzania ;
v
A capacity to carry
out multiple field trips (over three weeks consecutively) to work with rural
communities ;
v
A talent to innovate and adapt
research skills in the context of a mass media project where respecting deadlines
is equally important as the quality of the research activities ;
v
Exceptional skills in
analysis and writing clear and concise reports.
Interested
persons are requested to send their application to DMI (Tanzania@dmiafrica.net): these positions are open until filled. Only short-listed
candidates will be contacted. Electronic files are preferred, but applications
can also be submitted at the ASTUTE office, situated
in Isamilo (Plot No. 136, Block D) at the former CARE office compound during
office hours. The complete job profile can be obtained online at www.developmentmedia.net/jobs.html.
An
application consists of:
1.
a Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages) ;
2. a personal motivation letter (maximum 1 page) indicating which
position you are applying for, why you are interested, and why you would be a
suitable candidate ;
3. your answer to the following question (maximum 1 page) :
« In considering the mission and objectives of the ASTUTE/DMI
project in Tanzania, describe an innovative approach, methodology and tools to
find key information in a rural area of Tanzania. You have one week to spend in
the field and need to find answers to the following questions:
Ø
how do women and men perceive health
and nutrition ;
Ø the distribution of roles and responsibilities in relation to
health and nutrition practices for young children ;
Ø the principal obstacles to improved health and nutrition practices,
and the strategies that can overcome these obstacles. »