Concept Note_Regional Workshop on Strengthening Political Commitment for the Demographic Dividend (DD) and Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC)

C:\Users\WB382617\Documents\Logos and templates\WB_F-WBG-vertical-RGB-high.jpg
unfpa

Sahel Women’s Empowerment and the Demographic Dividend Project (SWEDD)

Concept Note
Regional Workshop on Strengthening Political Commitment for the Demographic Dividend (DD) and Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC)
Nouakchott, Mauritania
May 24 – June 1st 2016
DRAFT 03

________________

Concept note
Context and justification:
The combined effects of population growth, poverty and the impact of repetitive economic, nutritional, humanitarian and food crises pose serious challenges to the countries of the Sahel, particularly those participating in the SWEDD project. The combined population of these countries approaches 90 million and more than 70% of their populations are less than 35 years of age, with high fertility, low access to health and reproductive health services, poor levels of girls’ education, and high prevalence of child marriage, unemployment and poverty. These conditions are at the centre of why these countries need to appropriately approach the risk that population growth places on their economic and social development. Only investment in human capital through education, health, and human rights, presents a unique opportunity to convert high dependency ratios to a population age-structure that favours development and assure the capture of the demographic dividend (DD).
In order to reinforce the political commitment of the countries in this domain, the SWEDD project has planned a series of actions under the frameworks of components 1 and 3. Component 1.1 is centred on “Social and Behavioural Change Communication (SBCC) that changes social norms and practices for women’s and girls’ empowerment”; and component 3 is intended to “Support political commitment and build the capacity of politicians concerned with the demographic dividend during the project’s implementation”.

Component 1.1
Component 3
The development of a regional SBCC strategy and campaign is founded on the following ideas:
* Social change focuses on the community while behavioral change focuses on the individual, making them complementary approaches that not only change behaviors but also help the development of positive behaviors.
* Different types of communication can be used to promote and facilitate healthy behaviors and behavior change.
* SBCC works on the behavior or action taken by groups, social and cultural structures, and the enabling environment.
* Two primary SBCC approaches – mass media and community-based
Building political commitment and capacity to support the demographic dividend will occur through:
* Strengthening advocacy and political commitment on RMNCAHN at regional and national levels
* Creating and reinforcing capacity for policy making and monitoring and evaluation related to demographic dividend issues
* Understanding best practices for project implementation

A cross-cutting component of the SWEDD project is the Social and Behaviour Change Communication regional campaign. Country partners’ will develop a regional SBCC strategy in a participatory and structured way at the Nouakchott workshop. Their strategy will target policy makers, religious and community leaders, media practitioners, as well as communities and other stakeholders. The strategy will incorporate partnerships with civil society organizations, including women’s organizations, faith based organizations, celebrities and media outlets, and be tailored to countries’ respective socio-cultural contexts. The use of different media and communication channels, with the input of religious leaders, will reinforce countries’ political commitments to achieving the demographic dividend.

National data and challenges will inform the regional SBCC strategy and would provide the framework to guide the delivery, monitoring and evaluation of communication interventions. A situation analysis will review national data on key results areas (i.e. exposure to RMNCAHN information) and current health and nutrition policies and strategies within the region. This will also serve as a launching pad for countries that intend to implement national-level SBCC activities. The regional SBCC strategy can also be adapted to national and local context and can serve as a national framework to guide the delivery, monitoring and evaluation of communication interventions.

The project will help with the implementation of a regional mechanism to monitor data relevant to policies aimed at achieving the demographic dividend at the country level and their implementation progress. Participants will plan how to launch a regional report on the state of advancement that assists politicians, religious leaders and NGOs to receive and understand the project’s implementation plan, advocate for its activities and reinforce political commitment for achieving the demographic dividend.

The project will also help equally facilitate a network of demographic dividend observatories at the regional and country level to ensure: the collection of data, the project’s implementation, and revising policies related to population growth through the integration of the demographic dividend, in addition to building the capacities of national leaders’ and affiliated institutions with the project.

Principal Objectives:
Discuss the most appropriate approach for regional and national plans between countries and the international and regional institutions engaged in the SWEDD project in order to:
1. Reinforce political commitment to RMNCAHN,
2. Strengthen capacity and coordination to collect and analyse data, as well as formulate policy
3. Realize a regional SBCC strategy.
Specifically, the Nouakchott workshop aims to:
1. Share the results of the diagnostic study on national institutions responsible for managing population data ;
2. Share best practices from regional and continental partners;
3. Discuss implementation road maps (on component 1.1 and component 3);
4. Develop and enhance a regional SBCC strategy through key results and problem definition
5. Create a calendar of events for the development and implementation of the SBCC campaign based on the newly-created SBCC strategy, identifying possible appropriate monitoring mechanisms at the regional and national level;
6. Share the terms of reference for consultants in charge of the regional SBCC campaign and their link with country partners;
7. Strengthen countries’ action plans in line with Component 1.1 and Component 3;
8. Discuss the necessary measures to support existing institutional mechanisms concerning population data collection and policies in order to reinforce SWEDD countries’ political commitment to the demographic dividend;
9. Exchange experiences concerning political engagement in this domain;
10. Discuss the function and actions of demographic dividend observatories;
11. Exchange methods on how politicians, religious leaders and NGOs can advocate and increase political commitment to the DD,
12. Discuss how entities like CERPOD, can support technical methods and build capacity at the country and regional level.
Results:
* Participants know the challenges and development stakes associated with the demographic dividend;
* Participants have a better understanding of component 3 and the necessity of an implementation strategy for the regional SBCC campaign;
* Participants developed a regional SBCC strategy that is informed by key barriers and communication channels for behaviour change
* Participants established a problem statement and key results in the SBCC strategy
* Participants identified key actors for partnership and different media channels that can effectively carry out the future SBCC regional campaign
* A road map for the regional implementation of the SBCC strategy;
* Participants have a good understanding of how data is important for building and reinforcing political commitment for the demographic dividend;
* Participants adopted a road map that incorporates the necessary measures to build and reinforce political commitment in favour of the demographic dividend with the input of politicians, religious leaders and NGOs in this domain;
* Defined role of national and regional demographic dividend observatories in component 3’s implementation;
* Identification of necessary elements for the institutional capacity building of national commissions for population and national technical frameworks;
* Country action plans aligned with both component 1.1 and component 3.
Methodology:
* Opening and technical workshops
* Plenaries
* Work in groups by country
* Exchange of best practices and experiences between countries
* Facilitation and moderation (UNFPA, World Bank, Consultants)
Organisers: SWEDD Technical Secretariat, UNFPA WCARO, World Bank
Duration: 6 days Date: May 24 – June 1, 2016
Place: Nouakchott (Mauritania)
Participants: 60 participants representing the 6 countries (10 per country) plus representatives from UNFPA (country offices, regional office and HQ) and from the WB, and supporting “resource” partners and identified consultants.
Country representatives will be primarily responsible for the implementation of the project (Profile Directors), and be responsible for decisions or to clarify positions including: the National Commission of Population (CNP), Ministries, the Statistics office or institute, Ministry of Communication, Ministry for Women’s Empowerment or Gender, Ministry of Youth, politicians, religious leaders and organizations, NGOs, and the SWEDD project National Coordinator.
In addition to country delegations, consultants, supporting resource partners, technical financial partners are equally invited:
* For each UNFPA country office: the SWEDD Representative and Focal Point
* A representative from the UNFPA regional office and UNFPA HQ
* The World Bank Project Coordinator from Brussels (TTL)
* Supporting resource partners and consultants (to be determined)
* Invitees who have relevant experiences to share (to be determined)
Summary of action:
Organized jointly by the SWEDD Technical Secretariat, UNFPA, the World Bank, this workshop will:
* Background Information
* Promote a common understanding of component 3 and sub-component 1.1, the envisioned actions and respective roles of different parties associated with the reinforcement of political commitment and advocacy for the DD and SWEDD;
* Present the demographic situation at each country’s level, a simulation of the impact that population growth will have for them, and the actions they could take to advocate and reinforce political commitment for policies in favour of the DD at the regional level;
* Component 1.1
* Identify the cross-cutting elements of a SBCC strategy, and the communication channels necessary to implement the SBCC campaign at the regional and country/local level;
* Promote best-buy methods by regional experts to effectively develop a SBCC strategy that addresses access to RMNCAHN services and discuss key barriers associated with these efforts;
* Component 3
* Demonstrate the importance of collecting, analysing and using demographic data to reinforce political commitment in favour of the demographic dividend;
* Facilitate the exchange of different approaches for advocacy and reinforcing political commitment by political decision makers on the demographic dividend, and best practices by knowledgeable country level affiliates in this domain;
* Discuss the role of national population commissions and observatories on the demographic dividend during SWEDD’s implementation at the country and regional level and how to utilise component 3’s results in an effective manner towards the DD.

AGENDA

Day 1 – Wednesday May 25th
8h00-9h30
Arrival and welcoming of participants
Organisers

09h30-10h30

Opening Ceremony
Short speeches by (Ministers etc., UNFPA, World Bank)
Master of Ceremonies
10h30-11h00
Coffee Break

11h00-12h00

Presentation of SWEDD Project, Video on the Demographic Dividend
Presentation on Component 3 and the importance of Political Commitment
* Guide participants through SWEDD’s framework
* Highlight how Component 3 is important for the SWEDD project’s success
* Outline the workshop’s activities and how they contribute to component 3
SWEDD Secretariat
12h00-13h00

Presentation of diagnostic study results on national institutions managing population data
World Bank Consultants
13h-14h30
Lunch

14h30-15h30
Discussions on the diagnostic study
Facilitators

15h30-16h30
Presentation of case studies
* Outline specific case study expenses to inform discussions on budgets and political strategies
Invited Experts

16h30-16h45
Coffee Break

16h45-18h
Additional case study presentations
* Offer advice and ask for comments concerning how to develop country strategies that use and develop best practices
Invited Experts

20h00
Cocktail Hour

Day 2 – Thursday May 26th
8H30-10h30
Presentation and discussion of the road map facilitating political commitment
World Bank
UNFPA – WCARO
10h30-10h45
Coffee Break

10h45-13h00
Working in Country Groups
* Identify (in their countries) the most important factors influencing population growth
* Begin to develop political strategies to address these factors
* Estimate the budget needed for catalysing and thematic investments/policies
* Brainstorm strategies on how the government can support national institutions that collect, analyse and use population data and enhance their work.
* The institutions will have to (i) collect data related to population, (ii) analyse the data, and (iii) prepare annual reports
Country representatives
13h-14h30
Lunch

14h30-16h00
Continue Country Group Work
* Think and conceive how the government will use the data, and how it will provision finances for these activities.
Facilitators
16h00-16h15
Coffee Break

16h15-17h00
Continue Country Group Work
* Identify national and regional partners who the government can support with additional advocacy at the level of political decision makers.
* Specify and analyse country data that is relevant to the SWEDD project’s themes

Country representatives
20h00
Dinner

Day 3 – Friday 27th
8H-10h30
Review/Summarization of group work
* *** Create a role for a regional mechanism that monitors and evaluates the SWEDD***
Country representatives
10h30-10h45
Coffee Break

10h45-13h00
Presentation of Country Group Work
* Feedback from facilitators and regional partners
Country representatives
13h00-14h30
Lunch

14h30-16h00
Develop regional understanding on population data and policy strategy exchange
* Understand how national observatories will share their best practices for data collection and analysis
* Create regional approach to monitoring and evaluate project implementation
Facilitators and country representatives
16h00-16h15
Coffee Break

16h15-17h00
Plenary on next steps for regional collaboration on Component 3
Facilitators and country representatives
Day 4 – Saturday 28th
8H30-10h30
Introduce the roadmap for the development of the SBCC regional strategy
* Outline the two phases of the regional SBCC strategy
* Re-examine the institutional mapping results to establish the regional pool of experts
World Bank
UNFPA – WCARO
10h30-10h45
Coffee Break

10h45-13h00
Develop a common regional problem tree, based on countries’ analysis

Country representatives
13h00-14h30
Lunch

14h30-16h00
Regional analysis of the population
* Identify members of the population who would be most important to target with campaign messages
Country representatives and facilitators
16h00-16h15
Coffee Break

16h15-17h30
Continue with group work on the regional analysis of the population

Day 5 – Monday 30th
8h30-10h30
Regional context analysis (SWOT analysis)
Country representatives and facilitators
10h30-10h45
Coffee Break

10h45-12h00
Continue with SWOT analysis and discussion
Country representatives and facilitators
12h00-13h00
Gaps in formative research
Country representatives and facilitators
13h00-14h30
Lunch

14h30-16h00
Identify pertinent partners and allies for the implementation of the SBCC regional strategy
Country representatives
16h00-16h15
Coffee Break

16h15-17h30
Continue and synthesize SWOT analysis and identification of relevant partners
Country representatives and World Bank
Day 6 – Tuesday 31st
8h30-10h30
Develop a regional SBCC strategy:
* Create a strategic framework including objectives, target groups, communication techniques, key messages, and communication channels;
* Develop an organizational framework including a training and capacity building plan, work plan, monitoring and evaluation.
Country representatives and facilitators
10h30-10h45
Coffee Break

10h45-13h00
Continue work on the regional SBCC strategy
Country representatives and facilitators
13h00-14h30
Lunch

14h30-15h30
Plenary: Validate the declaration
Country representatives
15h30-15h45
Coffee Break

15h45-16h30
Next steps for the development of the regional SBCC strategy
SWEDD Secretariat
16h30-17h00
Closing Ceremony
MAED
UNFPA
World Bank