Terms of reference for rolling out the social behavior change strategy and influencing adoption of circular economy systems January 2026

Terms of Reference to roll out the social behavioral change strategy, and influence adoption of the Circular Economy Systems, Circular Economy Challenge Fund (CECF), and Solid Waste Value Chains (SWVC), for the Vitalizing Opportunities in Circular Economy and Sustainable Solutions in Lake Tanganyika (VOICES) project, Tanzania (Kigoma)

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Terms of Reference

Support Media Placement, Monitoring, Promote CE adoption, and Capacity Building for the VOICES Social Marketing Campaign

Introduction

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is implementing the EU-funded, Vitalizing Opportunities in Circular Economy and Sustainable Solutions (VOICES) in the Lake Tanganyika Area project in three (3) districts of the Kigoma region, in Tanzania, and the Mpulungu district in Zambia. The project aims to improve water quality in the Lake Tanganyika basin by reducing land-based pollution and strengthening inclusive Circular Economy (CE) practices, with a focus on solid waste value chains (SWVC).

The VOICES Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Strategy, validated in 2025, provides a comprehensive framework for shifting behaviors, social norms, and market participation along the SWVC — spanning waste generation, collection and transport, processing/recycling, and reuse/marketing. The strategy combines the Behavioral and Social Drivers (BeSD) framework with the 4Ps of social marketing (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) to influence the adoption of CE behaviors and products among households, youth, women, informal waste workers, traders, and local government actors.

Under this strategy, initial branded campaign materials (including radio spots, dramas, testimonials, visuals, and the “Taka ni Pesa” brand identity) have been developed and deployed, and three CBOs piloted community-level SBC and demonstration activities in Uvinza, Kigoma DC, and Kigoma-Ujiji MC.

However, to reach scale and sustain behavior change, there is now a need for a dedicated social marketing firm to:

• Amplify the campaign through strategic media placement, community, and digital engagement,
• Monitor campaign performance,
• Repackage and re-launch the content based on evidence (per target group), and
• Build local institutional capacity to sustain the media engagement layer beyond the life of the project.

This ToR outlines the scope of work for a professional consultant to operationalize the VOICES social marketing campaign in Kigoma Municipal Council, Kigoma District Council, and Uvinza District Council, ensuring full alignment with the validated SBC Strategy and VOICES Logical Framework.

Scope of the Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to engage a qualified consultancy firm to operationalize the VOICES social marketing campaign using the existing “Taka ni Pesa” branded materials and media plan. The consultancy firm may develop additional content, and will:

1. Strategically place and amplify existing campaign materials across mass media (radio and television) and digital platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, etc.).
2. Monitor the performance of all media activities to ensure reach, frequency, and engagement across the target LGAs.
3. Strategically engage community groups in target districts through activities like marathons, beach/market/street clean-ups, walk and pick, and sustainable waste management festivals or exhibitions.
4. Using the developed messages to produce communication materials like billboards, posters, etc., for raising awareness and promoting the adoption of circular economy practices.
5. Strategically raise the awareness and buy-in of the community for the VOICES project’s circular economy challenge fund (CECF).
6. Use targeted campaign approaches such as town halls, information sessions, and sectoral stakeholder meetings to encourage target groups like youth, women, SILC groups, farmers, and fishers to establish circular economy businesses and apply for the CECF.
7. Repackage and re-launch the content after the initial round based on evidence and audience feedback.
8. Facilitate structured Pause-and-Reflect sessions to inform adaptive course corrections.
9. Build the capacity of CSOs, CETs, and LGA communication focal points to link media content with community engagement effectively; and
10. Document and package lessons learned, processes, and results to support scaleup and institutionalization.
11. Strategically demonstrate strong gender equity and social inclusion approaches mainstream throughout the campaign and use gender positive approaches to encourage the adoption of CE practices and investment.

This assignment forms the above-the-line (ATL) component of the VOICES SBC Strategy, designed to complement and amplify the ongoing community-level awareness campaigns led by CBOs in each of the target districts.

Location and Target Groups

The assignment will cover all wards within the three VOICES target LGAs in Kigoma Region:

• Kigoma Municipal Council – primarily urban and peri-urban
• Kigoma District Council – predominantly rural with peri-urban centers
• Uvinza District Council (DC) – largely rural with emerging market hubs

Media, community, and digital activities will be tailored to the geographic diversity and media access patterns within these LGAs (e.g., Radio Joy and Kwizera for rural reach, CG FM for youth, Kigoma FM for market actors, TBC Taifa for policy stakeholders, TBC 1, Azam, or Clouds TV for multi-stakeholder visibility).

Based on the VOICES SBC Strategy’s segmentation and behavioral personas, the campaign will target:

• Primary audiences: Women and Youth entrepreneurs (e.g., recyclers, artisans), farmers, fishers, women in SILC groups and household heads, informal waste collectors, waste aggregators, and processors.
• Secondary audiences: Market traders and small-scale CE product sellers, Community Environmental Committee (CEC) members, local opinion leaders and influencers (POLITICAL, religious, and traditional).
• Tertiary audiences: LGA officials, Ward and Village leaders, financial institutions, SIDO/VETA trainers, and local business support entities.

These groups represent key nodes along the Solid Waste Value Chain (SWVC) (from waste generation and collection to processing and reuse/marketing) and are critical to realizing VOICES Outcome 1 and 2 results.

Methodology

The firm will implement this assignment through a phased social marketing approach rooted in the VOICES SBC Strategy, integrating the Behavioral and Social Drivers (BeSD) framework with the 4Ps of social marketing (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) alongside the four SBC levers (Enroll, Educate, Inspire, Empower). This strategy acknowledges that sustainable participation in the Solid Waste Value Chain (SWVC) requires not only raising awareness but also fostering aspiration, shifting social norms, connecting audiences to genuine market opportunities, and empowering local structures to maintain messaging efforts over time.

Initially, the firm will create a comprehensive media placement plan that consolidates existing materials under the “Taka ni Pesa” brand, mapping their dissemination across the three VOICES Local Government Areas (LGAs): Kigoma MC, Kigoma DC, and Uvinza DC. This will involve a thorough review of existing content to ensure alignment with the audience personas described in the strategy while tailoring distribution channels to their media consumption habits. For instance, CG FM and TikTok may be used to reach youth, while Kigoma FM and Facebook could target market traders, and Radio Kwizera would effectively engage rural communities. The plan will outline broadcast schedules, social media posting calendars, content sequencing, and strategies for integrating mass media engagement with community-level SBC activities led by Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and Community Education Teams (CETs).

Upon approval, the firm will manage a coordinated campaign rollout, ensuring consistent airing of radio spots, dramas, talk shows, testimonials, and recognition segments at high frequency. Simultaneously, these messages will be deployed across social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and community WhatsApp groups, through daily posts and targeted paid promotions. This phase will also activate local champions and influencers such as youth entrepreneurs, informal waste collectors, traders, and women-led groups who will be highlighted in the campaign and serve as visible advocates, increasing credibility and fostering community connection.

Throughout the implementation phase, the firm will establish a robust monitoring and adaptive management system. This will include regular collection and compilation of weekly radio airing logs, station reach reports, and monthly social media analytics dashboards reflecting impressions, reach, engagement rates, and click-throughs. Additionally, a lightweight real-time feedback mechanism (via SMS, WhatsApp, or QR polls) will be set up to gather community reactions, measure exposure, and track referrals to circular economy (CE) opportunities. Quarterly rapid recall and perception surveys will further assess message penetration and identify emerging behavior shifts.

Using this evidence, the firm will spearhead the repackaging and relaunch of campaign content midway through the assignment. An analysis of performance and audience feedback will inform the refinement of messaging and presentation editing longer radio segments into shorter, high-frequency cuts, clustering messages by thematic focus, and updating visuals and captions to maintain audience interest. The refreshed materials will be redeployed in the second and third waves of the campaign to reinforce recall and deepen engagement.

To promote shared ownership and facilitate continuous learning, the firm will conduct structured Pause-and-Reflect sessions twice during the assignment, engaging stakeholders, including CRS, Caritas, CSOs, CETs, Community Environmental Committees (CECs), and LGA focal people. These sessions will review campaign performance data, document field implementation experiences, identify challenges and opportunities, and agree on adaptive actions for subsequent phases.

Concurrently, the firm will enhance the capacity of local implementing actors to sustain and extend the media engagement component beyond the assignment’s duration. It will provide training for at least 30 CSO, CET, and LGA focal staff on integrating media messages with community dialogues, managing social media platforms, and effectively collecting and reporting engagement data. A practical media engagement toolkit will be supplied, featuring posting guides, content calendars, analytics templates, and community feedback tracking formats. Additionally, selected staff will receive mentoring on routine posting and follower engagement, and at least 20 local champions will be supported to act as long-term campaign ambassadors.

Finally, the firm will document the entire campaign process and outputs to support institutional learning and scale-up. This will include preparing a sustainability package containing content archives, active social media accounts, radio partnership contacts, and a clear roadmap for transitioning responsibilities to CETs, CSOs, and LGA focal teams. The documentation will capture the campaign’s reach, performance, lessons learned, best practices, and at least three compelling human-interest case studies illustrating behavior change and economic impacts along the SWVC. Central to this effort is a deep understanding of circular economy systems and the SWVC, particularly the behavioral, social, and market barriers that affect youth, women, informal waste workers, and small enterprises. This knowledge will be critical in positioning CE participation as both socially valued and economically rewarding, thereby driving engagement and fostering sustainable practices within the community

Deliverables

The firm will be expected to produce the following deliverables over the course of the assignment:

• Campaign planning and media placement
  1. A detailed media placement plan specifying TV and radio stations, airing frequencies, time slots, digital platforms, posting calendars, and audience targeting strategies across Kigoma MC, Kigoma DC, and Uvinza DC.
  2. Signed media placement agreements or schedules with partner radio and TV stations (TBC1, Azam TV, or Clouds TV, CG FM, Kigoma FM, Radio Kwizera, TBC Taifa) and documentation of social media boosting arrangements.
  3. A baseline media engagement profile outlining expected reach, audience segmentation, and key performance indicators.
• Campaign rollout, monitoring, and repackaging
  1. Weekly radio airing logs and broadcast certificates from each station throughout the assignment.
  2. Monthly analytics dashboards for social media (impressions, reach, engagement, click-throughs, follower growth) and combined media performance summaries.
  3. Real-time feedback reports from the SMS/WhatsApp/QR mechanism showing audience reactions, exposure, and referrals.
  4. Quarterly message recall and perception brief summarizing survey findings and insights.
  5. A mid-line campaign review report analyzing performance and outlining recommendations for content repackaging.
  6. A set of repackaged campaign materials (edited radio cuts, refreshed visuals/captions, social media reels/stories) and a relaunch plan for the second and third campaign waves.
• Learning, capacity building, and local ownership
  1. Two Pause-and-Reflect session reports with agreed adaptation actions, updated work plans, and participation records.
  2. A media engagement toolkit for CSOs, CETs, and LGAs, including posting guides, content calendars, analytics templates, and community engagement tracking forms.
  3. A training/engagement report for at least 30 CSO, SILC groups, informal waste pickers, CET, and LGA focal staff, including pre-/post-assessments and participant action plans.
  4. A training report including profiles for at least 60 (20 from each district) SMEs on CE, and SWVC adoption.
  5. A local champions engagement plan and profiles of at least 30 trained champions/influencers from each district actively supporting the campaign.
• Documentation and sustainability
  1. A campaign documentation package including all campaign content, visuals, radio scripts, and social media assets in editable formats.
  2. A sustainability roadmap for CETs, CSOs, and LGAs showing how they will manage campaign social media pages, media partnerships, and content posting routines post-assignment.
  3. A final campaign synthesis report (max 25 pages) summarizing: campaign reach, performance against KPIs, audience insights, lessons learned, good practices, and at least three human-interest case studies showing behavior or livelihood change attributable to the campaign.

Duration of the Assignment

The assignment is expected to run for a period of six (6) months, tentatively from early February 2026 to the end of July 2026. It will be aligned with the phased implementation plan set out in the VOICES SBC Strategy.

Required Qualifications of the Firm

The consultancy firm should demonstrate the following qualifications and capacities:

• Proven expertise in social and behavior change (SBC) and social marketing, with experience designing and implementing multi-channel campaigns in Tanzania or similar contexts. This includes the ability to apply behavioral insights (e.g., BeSD,

COM-B) and social marketing principles (4Ps) to influence the adoption of new practices and stimulate demand for products or services.

• Demonstrated capacity in media strategy, planning, and placement, including coordinating radio partnerships, managing social media platforms, scheduling high-frequency content dissemination, and tracking broadcast and digital engagement performance across multiple channels.
• Strong understanding of circular economy systems and SWVC, particularly the behavioral, social, and market barriers affecting youth, women, informal waste workers, and small enterprises, and how to position CE participation as socially valued and economically rewarding.
• Proven experience in conducting baseline surveys, studies, or campaigns on SWVC, solid waste management, or CE in transboundary water catchment geographies.
• Strong facilitation and capacity development experience, especially in building the technical and operational capabilities of community-based organizations (CSOs), Community Engagement Teams (CETs), informal sectors, and local government staff to deliver integrated SBC and media-driven campaigns.
• Proficiency in monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) for CE practices, communication campaigns, including establishing media monitoring systems, collecting real-time audience feedback, conducting recall and perception assessments, and translating findings into adaptive actions.
• Demonstrated strength in strategic communication and knowledge management, including documenting implementation processes of the subject matter, producing human-interest stories, packaging lessons learned, and developing practical toolkits for institutional use.
• Established operational presence, understanding, and credibility in Kigoma Region and across mainland Tanzania, with strong networks at community and subnational government levels, fluency in Kiswahili and English, and a multidisciplinary in-house team that brings together SBC specialists, media and digital experts, M&E staff, and experienced CE experts.

Application Process

Interested consultants are requested to submit the following.

1. Technical proposal
   • Qualifications and experience of the consultancy team
   • Methodology and work plan
   • Examples of similar work completed.
2. Financial Proposal
   • Detailed budget breakdown in TZS
3. Proof of business license, TIN certificate, and EFD receipt

Submission of Proposals

The proposal is to be sent to the email address to reach the undersigned 14 days after the advert is shared out to:

Catholic Relief Services – Tanzania Program

E-mail: [email protected]

Note: Please indicate “SBCC and influencing adoption of CE and SWVC, and how to position CE practices as socially valued and economically rewarding”.

Bid must be written in English and addressed to the attention of the CRS Tanzania’s Country Manager and submitted to the above e-mail address on or before 30th January 2026 at 5:00 P.M Award of Consultancy

CRS will evaluate the proposals and award the assignment based on technical and financial feasibility. CRS reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal received without giving reasons and is not bound to accept the lowest, the highest, or any bidder. Only the successful applicant will be contacted. CRS does not charge any fees to applicants for any recruitment. Further, CRS has not retained any agent regarding this assignment

You are advised that this RFP does not constitute in any way a commitment on the part of CRS Tanzania or its agents for any service requested.

Ethical Considerations and Safeguarding

All SBCC activities and processes will be handled in line with ethical standards and the CRS safeguarding policy and data protection protocols. The SBCC strategy implementation will consider the participants’ demand for respect, integrity, and dignity. The consultant’s team will be trained to be sensitive to the participants’ answers/reactions to themes and topics introduced during the activities. The consultant will seek ethical approval and permission before the SBC strategy rollout.

RFQ/Tender Information and Attachments

For comprehensive information regarding this RFQ/tender, we invite you to download the attachments provided below. These documents contain all the necessary details, including specifications, requirements, and submission guidelines. Please review them carefully to ensure you have all the pertinent information needed to participate.

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