Consultant for Hausa Radio Drama Series at Christian Aid

Consultancy: Production of 14-episode Hausa radio drama series
Type of Contract: Short-term consultancy

Background and Contextual Understanding

• Collective Action for Adolescent Girls Initiative (CAAGI) is a Christian Aid funded programme that aims to improve significantly the choices and opportunities available for adolescent girls in Northern Nigeria to live productive and meaningful lives.
• Being implemented in Kaduna state in partnership with Gender Awareness Trust (GAT) and Development and Peace Initiative (DPI), it seeks to change individual and societal behaviours, attitudes and perceptions that hamper the opportunities for girls’ development.
• It is using the strong influence of religion through religious leaders as enablers to facilitate this change. CAAGI is focused on addressing practices around early marriage, lack of access to education and economic empowerment for adolescent girls.
• Key stakeholders involved in this initiative are religious leaders of the two majorly practiced religions in Nigeria - Islam and Christianity -, parents of adolescent girls, traditional leaders and adolescent girls themselves. The project seeks to achieve its aim by supporting faith actors and faith based institutions at community, state and national levels as appropriate to take action around those issues.
• Equally important are policy makers at community, state and national levels who can facilitate change through key policies such as the passing of the Child Rights Act in Kaduna state that will strengthen the drive to improve the choices for girls.
• The project’s outcome is seen in behavioural changes as well as a shift in cultural practices that re-enforce gender discrimination/inequality.

Purpose of the Consultancy

• The purpose of the consultancy is to produce an adaptive and context-driven edutainment radio drama series that will depict, directly address and stimulate action around the key issues of access to education, economic empowerment and early marriage as they affect the development of adolescent girls in Kaduna state.
• Specific objectives of the consultancy
• Jointly produce (pre-production to post-production) with Christian Aid a 14-week entertainment education radio drama series in Hausa that will:
• Raise awareness of the issues of early marriage, lack of access to education and economic empowerment, and depict how they adversely affect adolescent girls’ development and the larger society as a result.
• Influence change in behaviour and attitude at the individual and societal levels as it concerns the three key issues of education, early marriage and economic empowerment of adolescent girls
• Correct misconceptions about religious references that have been used to back up negative behaviours as it concerns the three key areas.
• Challenge cultural norms and practices that limit the choices and opportunities of girls in the context of the region.

Methodology

• This radio drama will be developed using general principles of entertainment education and participation as it seeks to contribute to change in behaviour and attitude. It will therefore be adaptive, ensuring that the voices of those who are affected (and are the primary audience) are reflected in the final production.
• Information from Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) approaches and CAAGI’s formative research will be used to influence content and character development as well as scripting. The drama will be split into two halves of 7-episodes each.
• The second half of the series will be influenced by feedback of the primary audience on the first half.

Responsibilities
The consultancy shall commence from the day a consultancy agreement is signed by both parties, and the consultant’s responsibilities are:

• Character and script development along with Christian Aid using information from research and local context.
• Translation of English script into Hausa.
• Production of theme song.
• Post-production and all relevant studio work including acting, directing and editing.
• Ensure copy right of scripts, videos, songs/tunes and all produced materials are vested in Christian Aid.
• Note: Before production can be finalised, Christian Aid must approve of each episode.

Deliverables

• A final script including character analysis (in English and Hausa) submitted to and approved by Christian Aid before use.
• A list of artists with relevant experience before production.
• An original theme song
• Digital and CD copies of the final version of each episode.

Competencies

• Christian Aid is seeking a professional, experienced and already established media production outfit, preferably with expertise and experience in entertainment education and radio.
• The consultant must have access to a fully equipped studio for the production of a radio drama as well as key personnel – scriptwriter(s), director(s) and editors.
• In addition, knowledge of the context of Kaduna and these issues is desirable. Joint applications are allowed.

Budget and Terms of Engagement

• All production costs incurred will be covered from the consultancy fee.
• Out-of-state transportation costs and accommodation where needed will be covered by Christian Aid.
• Withholding tax - at 10% for a firm and 5% for individuals - will be deducted at source from the total cost of the consultancy fee for a firm.
• 60% of the consultancy fee will be paid when the contract is signed, and the balance paid on final satisfactory performance.