Social and Behaviour Change and Communication Officer (6 Positions)

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) FOR SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE AND COMMUNICATION OFFICER (SBCCO)

INTRODUCTION 

Willows International Tanzania (WIT) works in close collaboration with the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar (RGoZ), through the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other relevant Government structures, to strengthen and institutionalize sustainable, government-owned health systems that contribute to improved health outcomes across Zanzibar.

WIT’s support is anchored within Zanzibar’s national Community Based Health Program (CBHP), with particular emphasis on strengthening the systems, structures, capacities, and approaches required to translate national health policies and strategies into effective, responsive, and people-centered services at community level and bridging with health facility setting. These include Community Health Workers (CHWs), Field-Based Supervisors (FBS), Health Facility Governing Committees (HFGCs), and other community and health-system structures that promote effective service delivery, supportive supervision, governance, accountability, and stronger linkages between communities and health facilities.

A central component of WIT’s approach is Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC), recognizing that the availability of quality health services alone does not necessarily translate into their timely and appropriate utilization. WIT therefore supports Government efforts to better understand and address the behavioural, social, informational, and service-related barriers that influence health-seeking practices, while strengthening knowledge, informed decision-making, demand for services, community participation, and supportive social environments.

Through integrated SBCC and community-based approaches, WIT supports systematic identification and prioritization of clients, individualized counselling and information, timely referral, and customized followup to facilitate appropriate and sustained utilization of quality Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) services. Priority areas include Antenatal Care (ANC), access to a broad Family Planning (FP) method mix, health facility delivery, Comprehensive Post-Abortion Care (cPAC), Postpartum FP (PPFP), Postnatal Care (PNC), and other high-impact interventions and services.

WIT further promotes the use of evidence, community insights, program data, and continuous learning to inform the design, implementation, monitoring, and adaptation of SBCC interventions. This includes appropriate audience segmentation, development and use of context-responsive communication approaches and tools, community engagement and advocacy, capacity strengthening of frontline teams, and continuous assessment of barriers, behaviours, service uptake, and program performance. Through these efforts, WIT aims to support the Government in institutionalizing effective SBCC and demandgeneration approaches within the national CBHP, strengthening the connection between communities and quality health services, and contributing to sustained improvements in health-seeking behaviours, service utilization, and health outcomes across Zanzibar, ensuring that no one is left behind.

SCOPE OF THE PROGRAM  

The WIT Zanzibar Program supports the Government to strengthen, institutionalize, and scale sustainable, evidence-informed and high-impact health interventions, with particular emphasis on integrated SBCC, demand generation, community engagement, and strengthened linkages to quality health services, contributing to improved service utilization and health outcomes across Zanzibar.

POSITION SUMMARY 

WIT seeks to recruit dynamic, results-oriented, and experienced Social and Behaviour Change Communication Officers (SBCCOs) to provide technical and operational leadership for the effective implementation of integrated SBCC, demand-generation, community engagement, and related national CBHP interventions across assigned districts in Zanzibar. Working closely with the WIT Program team, Government counterparts, CHWs, FBS, HFGCs, and other relevant stakeholders, the SBCCOs will support the translation of program strategies and evidence into context-responsive interventions that address barriers to health-seeking behaviours, strengthen informed demand for quality RMNCAH services, and improve linkages between communities and health facilities.

The SBCCOs will provide day-to-day technical guidance, mentorship, and implementation support to field teams, ensuring that SBCC approaches, tools, and activities are appropriately understood, consistently applied, effectively monitored, and continuously improved. Particular emphasis will be placed on audience segmentation, individualized client engagement and follow-up, community mobilization, advocacy, referral and service linkages, capacity strengthening, and the use of program data and community insights to inform implementation and improvement.

The incumbents will also support effective planning, coordination, monitoring, documentation, learning, and reporting at district level, proactively identifying implementation gaps and facilitating timely corrective actions to ensure that agreed program objectives, deliverables, and milestones are achieved to the required quality and within established timelines. The SBCCOs will be based in Zanzibar and report directly to the Program Officer, while working collaboratively across the wider WIT Program and with relevant Government and community structures.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Generally, Under the overall technical leadership and supervision of the Program Officer, and working closely with the wider WIT Program team, the SBCCO will be responsible for the following:

1. SBCC Strategy and Technical Implementation: Provide technical leadership and support for the design, adaptation, implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of integrated SBCC and demand-generation interventions within the national CBHP framework, ensuring that approaches are evidence-informed, context-responsive, and focused on measurable behavioural and serviceutilization outcomes.
2. Audience Segmentation and Client-Centered Approaches: Support the systematic identification and segmentation of priority populations and translate behavioural, social, and program insights into appropriate SBCC approaches, messages, tools, campaigns, and individualized interventions that respond to the specific needs and barriers of different population groups.
3. Community Engagement, Advocacy and Demand Generation: Strengthen community engagement, social mobilization, and advocacy approaches that promote informed health seeking behaviours, create and sustain demand for quality RMNCAH services, foster supportive social environments, and strengthen linkages between communities and health facilities.
4. Field-Team Capacity Strengthening and Supportive Supervision: Provide ongoing technical guidance, training, mentorship, and supportive supervision to CHWs, FBS, and other relevant frontline teams to strengthen their capacity to effectively implement SBCC interventions, engage clients and communities, facilitate appropriate referrals and follow-up, and use approved program tools and approaches consistently and effectively.
5. District-Level Program Coordination and Performance: Coordinate and support effective planning and implementation of program activities within assigned districts; track agreed objectives, activities, deliverables, milestones, and quality standards; proactively identify implementation bottlenecks and emerging priorities; and facilitate timely corrective actions to sustain program performance and results.
6. Monitoring, Evidence, Learning and Adaptation: Work closely with the Program Officer and other team members to monitor implementation quality and results, support appropriate data collection and analysis, document lessons learned, best practices, client and community feedback, and emerging opportunities, and use this evidence to continuously strengthen SBCC strategies and program implementation.
7. Government and Stakeholder Coordination: Establish and maintain effective professional relationships with relevant Government structures, implementing partners, community structures, and other stakeholders; facilitate appropriate coordination, information sharing, and stakeholder participation; and represent WIT professionally in relevant meetings, technical engagements, and program forums as assigned.
8. Documentation, Reporting and Organizational Accountability: Ensure timely and high-quality documentation and reporting of program implementation, achievements, challenges, and recommended actions; uphold WIT’s values, standards, and management guidance; contribute positively to teamwork and organizational learning; and undertake other complementary responsibilities assigned by the Supervisor or WIT Management in support of program objectives.

CORE REQUIREMENTS AND COMPETENCIES

The successful candidate should demonstrate a strong combination of relevant public health and SBCC expertise, community-based programming experience, analytical capability, and the interpersonal and implementation competencies required to deliver results effectively within a multidisciplinary and Government-supported environment.

1. Relevant Professional Background: Relevant academic and professional background in Public Health, Health Promotion, SBCC, Community Development, Communication for Development, Social Sciences, or another closely related field, with demonstrated experience in community-based public health programming.
2. SBCC and Demand-Generation Expertise: Demonstrated experience in designing, implementing, monitoring, and improving SBCC, health promotion, community engagement, advocacy, and demand-generation interventions, particularly those aimed at addressing behavioural and social barriers and increasing appropriate utilization of community- and facility-based health services.
3. Community Health and RMNCAH Experience: Strong understanding of community health programming and experience working with RMNCAH interventions, including FP and other highimpact maternal and child health services. Experience with advocacy and demand generation for priority interventions, including LAPM, cPAC, and related RMNCAH services, will be an added advantage.
4. Evidence-Informed SBCC and Program Improvement: Demonstrated ability to use program data, formative and implementation research, community insights, behavioural evidence, and implementation experience to identify barriers and opportunities, segment priority audiences, inform appropriate interventions, and continuously improve SBCC strategies and program performance.
5. Capacity Strengthening and Knowledge Translation: Demonstrated experience in developing practical SBCC, training, and implementation materials and in facilitating training, mentorship, and experiential learning for frontline teams and other stakeholders. Ability to translate complex technical information into clear, practical, and audience-appropriate communication and guidance is essential.
6. Government, Community and Stakeholder Engagement: Demonstrated ability to establish and sustain effective professional relationships and work collaboratively with Government institutions, community structures, implementing partners, frontline teams, and other relevant stakeholders. Previous experience working within the Zanzibar public health and community context will be an added advantage.
7. Professional and Interpersonal Competencies: Strong results orientation, analytical and problemsolving ability, sound judgement, adaptability, initiative, teamwork, and ability to manage competing priorities. The candidate should demonstrate high standards of integrity and professionalism; strong facilitation, interpersonal, presentation, and professional writing skills; and fluency in both English and Kiswahili.

How to apply

Interested and suitably qualified candidates should submit a cover letter explaining their motivation to work with Willows International, together with an updated CV and contact details for three professional references.

The cover letter should be addressed to: 

Country Director,

P O Box 2098,

Unguja, Zanzibar, Tanzania. 

WIT is an equal opportunity employer, and suitably qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applications should be submitted by email no later than close of business on Tuesday, 25 August 2026 to [email protected] and copied to [email protected]. 

Applicants should clearly indicate the title of the position they are applying for in the email subject line.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.