Social and Behavior Change Specialist (Gender-Based Violence Prevention Program) – United Republic of Tanzania 5 views

Overview

Program: Tanzania Community-Based Social Norms Change and Gender-Based Violence Prevention Program

Location: Dodoma, Tanzania

Reports to: Team Leader / Program Manager

Please Note: This position is contingent upon award and donor approval with an anticipated start date of March 2026.

Overview:

Global Communities champions innovative solutions to complex challenges at the intersection of humanitarian assistance, sustainable development, and financial inclusion. We ensure our approaches are as dynamic and diverse as the communities we serve. We bring together local ingenuity and global insights to save lives and secure strong futures.

Global Communities is seeking four (4) Social and Behavior Change Specialists for the anticipated World Bank and Government of Tanzania Community-Based Social Norms Change and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention Program in Tanzania mainland. This project is part of the larger Project for Advancing Gender Equality Project (PAMOJA) which has four main components: 1) Promoting Economic Opportunities for Women through Community Based Models; 2) Strengthening Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Services; 3) Innovations and Partnerships; and 4) Project Management and Monitoring and Evaluation. The objective of the 18-month project is to design, pilot, validate and support to rollout a national protocol for a community-based social norms change and GBV prevention program in Tanzania Mainland in 15 rural councils of Tanzania based on the Bandebereho model, a couples-based intervention, successfully implemented in Rwanda.

The project team will lead the design of a culturally adapted community-based social norms change and GBV prevention program for Tanzania Mainland based on the Bandebereho/Program P model; pilot the program in selected councils/districts with high GBV prevalence rate; build the capacity of community structures to roll out the model nationally; and establish robust Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning systems for lessons learning, on-ground adaptation, evidence generation and scale-up.

The Social and Behavioral Change (SBC) Specialist will lay the contextual foundation of the intervention by generating in-depth understanding of gender norms, power relations, masculinity, and social drivers of GBV in the target areas of Tanzania. The SBC Specialist will also play a key role in designing and implementing strategies that foster positive social norms and contribute to reducing GBV They will be responsible for designing and implementing formative research and translating findings into a culturally grounded adaptation of the Bandebereho/Program P model. Through a social and behavior change lens, the SBC Specialist will collaborate closely with local partners, government ministries, civil society organizations, and community leaders to ensure the intervention is responsive to local realities, culturally appropriate, inclusive of marginalized groups, aligned with national GBV prevention frameworks and positioned for effective scale-up within government systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the formative research and adaptation of Program P or Bandebereho to the Tanzanian context
• Ensure deep understanding of local contexts to inform the model adaptation and scale-up strategy
• Analyze social norms and behavior change pathways to inform adaptation of the Bandebereho/Program P model.
• Map and review other already available formative research, SBC materials, and community-based GBV prevention programs and research to inform a contextualized evidence-based pilot
• Lead the research on gender norms, masculinity, family dynamics, and GBV drivers in selected councils.
• Contribute to curriculum adaptation to ensure cultural relevance, inclusion, and contextual accuracy.
• Provide technical input on SBC strategies embedded within the intervention design to address harmful gender and social norms and behaviors contributing to GBV.
• Support pilot implementation through adaptive learning.
• Document insights and lessons to inform national validation and scale-up strategy.
• Support the documentation of experiences and lessons learnt from the project, including production of learning briefs, white papers, and general documentation
• Coordinate closely with government counterparts and local partners to ensure contextual ownership.
• Represent the project’s SBC work to external stakeholders via technical working groups and knowledge management processes as appropriate
• Other duties, as assigned

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field such as gender studies, sociology, communication, and/or behavior change.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in development sector with at least 7 years of experience in designing, planning, and implementing evidence-based SBC approaches as part of relevant community/social mobilization or gender-based violence prevention programming
• Undertaken at least two (2) similar projects (GBV prevention, social norms change, large-scale gender programs, community-based interventions) in the last 10 years.
• Experience with the World Bank or other international donors, a plus
• Demonstrated experience in applying a range of SBC theories
• Strong background in interpersonal communication skills development, group facilitation, and SBC materials/tools development
• Understanding and familiarity of development communication challenges and solutions
• Strong understanding and perspective on gender
• Strong understanding of working with marginalized and vulnerable populations
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Willingness to travel as per requirement
• Ability to work with multiple stakeholders and implementation partners
• Excellent communication skills, fluent in the written and spoken English and Kiswahili language

Global Communities positively welcomes and seeks applications from all sections of society. We are committed to a work environment that respects the dignity and worth of everyone and offers equal opportunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.

Global Communities holds strict safeguarding principles and has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. In the process of recruitment, selection, and appointment, Global Communities will conduct robust reference and background screening checks, including international vetting as a signature of the Global Misconduct Disclosure Scheme to ensure children and vulnerable adults are safeguarded, and abuse is prevented. The incumbent is required to carry out their duties in accordance with Global Communities Safeguarding policy and the Standards of Conduct.