Application Process 

Interested consultants should submit electronic copy of all documents listed below in one folder to ekumalija@globalcommunities.org by July 9th, 2025.

1. Application letter
2. Technical proposal outlining approach, methodology and timeline for curriculum design
3. Financial proposal with breakdown of fees and expected expenses
4. Updated CV showcasing relevant qualifications, experience, and expertise in curriculum development
5. Sample work- At least one example of previous curriculum development that demonstrates expertise
6. Contact information for two references

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted

Location of Work

The consultant will do this work in Tanzania, with flexibility for remote work where appropriate. The assignment will involve travel to Mara, Dodoma, and Iringa regions for field engagement, curriculum piloting, and validation workshops with GOT stakeholders.

Travel and associated costs will be supported by Global Communities in accordance with project guidelines.

Background Information

Global Communities (GC), in partnership with Kivulini (a women’s rights organization) and the Government of Tanzania (GOT), is implementing the Engaging Fathers for Effective Child Nutrition and Development, Violence Against Women and Children Prevention project in Tanzania (referred to as the EFFECTS Plus project). The project has an implementation and research arm and is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) through the What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls consortium. The EFFECTS Plus project aims to promote nurturing care practices, improve child dietary diversity, reduce Intimate Partner violence (IPV) and violence against children (VAC) and influence policy and behavioral changes related to IPV/VAC. This initiative builds on the evidence and success of the earlier EFFECTS randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in the Mara region, Tanzania, and seeks to scale proven gender-transformative parenting interventions.

The EFFECTS community-based cluster RCT (2018–2021) demonstrated that bundled parenting and nutrition interventions for couples significantly improved child nutrition, development, and women’s empowerment. A surprising but promising outcome was a reduction in IPV among participating couples, demonstrating potential for scalable solutions. RCT also highlighted the effectiveness of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in delivering gender-transformative curricula through peer groups and home visits.

 EFFECTS Plus will strengthen this approach by adapting and refining the structured curriculum that bundles nutrition and parenting behavior change interventions and, expand the original intervention package by increasing the number and depth of parenting sessions, integrating gender-transformative content, and incorporating specific IPV and VAC prevention components in line with priorities set out in GOT’s National Plan of Action to End Violence Against Women and Children (NPA-VAWC II) and, the National Multisectoral Nutrition Action Plan (NMNAPII).  

The EFFECTS Plus implementation and research consortiums propose implementing the intervention and testing its effectiveness through a stepped-wedge cluster RCT design. This design will sequentially roll out the intervention to different villages in two phases/cohorts.

About THE CONSULTANCY

This consultancy seeks an experienced curriculum design professional to lead the adaptation, refinement, and packaging of a comprehensive child centered gender transformative curriculum that integrates child nutrition, parenting, early childhood development, VAC and IPV prevention with a strong focus on gender-transformative approaches. The Curriculum Design Consultant will play a central role in ensuring that the EFFECTS Plus intervention is contextually grounded, technically sound, and ready for national scale-up through government systems.

The consultant will be responsible for reviewing and enhancing the existing original EFFECTS curriculum to strengthen its impact on violence prevention and promote positive parenting, shared caregiving, gender equitable decision making and healthier family relationships.

The role requires deep expertise in curriculum design, knowledge of adult learning and behavior change methodologies, experience on IPV and VAC prevention and experience working with CHWs and local governments.

Scope of Work

The consultant will carry out a range of interrelated tasks aimed at producing a high-quality child centered gender transformative curriculum package that is ready for field implementation, validation, and government endorsement.

Curriculum review and adaptation

The consultant will begin by reviewing the existing EFFECTS curriculum and other related program materials, reports, RCT manuscripts and research findings. This review together with formative research findings will identify content gaps, opportunities for improvement, and areas where VAC, violence against women prevention, and parenting components can be strengthened. The consultant will then lead a collaborative adaptation process with EFFECTS PLUS project team (both intervention and research team) and government representatives to refine the curriculum and ensure the curriculum reflects both local realities and global best practices in integrated gender transformative parenting, nutrition, child development and violence prevention programming.

Session Design

The consultant will facilitate three workshops with the Ministry of Health (MOH)/Human Resource development and training department, the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups (MOCDGWSG), the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG), EFFECTS plus team and other stakeholders to co-adapt and enhance the EFFECTS group-based gender transformative and nurturing care curriculum to strengthen the prevention of IPV and VAC. The curriculum will first be developed in English then translated into Swahili. These workshops will be used to collect ideas and recommendations from GOT, feedback and validate the curriculum.

Using a structured approach, the consultant will develop trainers’ guide, CHWs/facilitator detailed session guides, play and communication activity guide and CHWs/facilitator flip chart for three key audience groups: fathers’ peer groups, mothers’ peer groups, and joint couples’ sessions. Each session will include lesson plans, specific objectives, duration, facilitator guidance, participatory exercises, take-home actions and commitments. The sessions will address key themes such as infant and young child feeding (IYCF), food access, WASH, responsive caregiving, stress management, positive discipline, communication, decision making, conflict resolution, IPV and VAC prevention and healthy relationships. In the father’s sessions particular emphasis will be placed on deepening IPV transformative approach, addressing gender norms, shared decision-making, and fostering non-violent conflict resolution. The curriculum will also encourage positive masculinity and equitable caregiving practices.

Training and delivery tools

The consultant will produce user-friendly facilitator guides, session flipcharts, play and communication activity guides and visual aids to support delivery by CHWs. These tools will be designed for low-literacy audiences using methods that encourage critical reflection, dialogue, and behavior change. The consultant will also incorporate teaching methodology and tools for problem-solving, storytelling, and commitment-setting to promote ownership and action among group participants.

Curriculum validation and completion

Working closely with EFFECTS Plus project team, Formative research consultant, and government stakeholders, the consultant will collect and synthesize findings from formative assessment to make final revisions of the curriculum before translation and broader implementation.

Adapt curriculum after cohort 1

The consultant will be rehired and collaborate with EFFECTS Plus project team and research consortium to use the feedback and learnings generated after cohort one to refine and enhance the curriculum as needed.

Deliverables

The consultant will be responsible for producing the following outputs:

1. Inception Report – A detailed work plan outlining the consultant’s methodology, timeline, stakeholder engagement approach, and deliverables.
2. Curriculum Assessment Report – A brief report summarizing findings from the review of existing materials, research findings and identifying key areas for adaptation and enhancement.
3. Workshops Reports - a comprehensive report of workshops conducted to design and validate the curriculum
4. Draft Adapted Curriculum – A comprehensive draft of the revised curriculum, including Trainers guides, facilitator guidance, tools, and visuals in English.
5. Final Revised Curriculum– A complete, revised curriculum based on feedback from formative research piloting testing and validation, finalized in English.
6. Updated curriculum after cohort 1- A complete, updated curriculum based on feedback from cohort 1, finalized in English.
7. Final Consultancy Report – A summary report that documents the process, methodology, key insights, and recommendations for scaling and institutionalizing the curriculum.

Essential Requirements:

• A postgraduate degree in public health or a related field.
• At least seven years of relevant professional experience in curriculum design, particularly in the fields of parenting, nutrition, child development, or gender-based violence prevention.
• Demonstrated experience developing participatory, culturally sensitive, and inclusive training materials for community-level implementation.
• Strong understanding of gender-transformative programming and adult learning principles.
• Proven ability to engage with government partners and align content with national guidelines and frameworks.
• Fluency in English, with strong writing, facilitation, and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with the What Works to Prevent Violence framework or experience in violence prevention RCTs.
• Experience working with CHWs or community-based service delivery models in Tanzania or similar settings.
• Previous work designing content for scale-up and government adoption
• Fluency in Swahili will be an added advantage