Strengthening Multi-Level Partnerships for Advancing Women’s Health in Nigeria Project
Terms of Reference (TOR)
- Project Background – The Strengthening Multi-Level Partnerships for Advancing Women’s Health in Nigeria project aims to support the reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality and improvement of women’s health. The Center for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI) and Pathfinder International are collaborating to provide technical assistance (TA) to Kano and Lagos States. The goal is to enhance women’s health by advocating for the adoption and implementation of favorable policies and sustainable funding for women’s health interventions aligned with State priorities. This initiative seeks to establish a more robust system to enhance women’s health across all aspects of reproductive health.
- Objective – As part of activities aimed at spotlighting key issues in women’s health, the project is supporting a series of investigative journalism to uncover and report on advancing women’s health in Nigeria. Through in-depth investigation and reporting, the activity will spotlight the effectiveness, challenges, and potential impact of current efforts to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality in Kano and Lagos States. The investigative series will leverage human interest stories, enabling a connection between policies and the lives of women. By shedding light on these issues, the investigation seeks to raise awareness, promote accountability among stakeholders, and influence policy change towards establishing more effective and sustainable strategies for enhancing women’s health outcomes, particularly around reproductive health.
- Scope of Work
- Conduct in-depth research and report on the effectiveness, challenges, and potential impact of current efforts to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality in Kano or Lagos States.
- Gather evidence through interviews and other relevant sources.
- Identify key stakeholders, experts, and individuals impacted by the identified issue.
- Analyze findings to uncover underlying causes, trends, or implications.
- Ensure accuracy, fairness, and ethical standards in reporting.
- Selection Criteria
The selection criteria for the TOR include:
- Topic submission that demonstrates originality and innovation in exploring underreported or overlooked aspects of women’s health issues, particularly emphasizing maternal morbidity, mortality, and related women’s health interventions in Kano or Lagos States.
- Work with established print, online, television and radio platforms
- Links to published investigative reports/articles/ multimedia story within the last 12 months.
- Outline of investigative journalism techniques, including but not limited to:
- Freedom of Information Act requests.
- Data analysis and visualization.
- Collaboration with subject matter experts or other journalists.
- Areas of focus
- Maternal health
- Family planning/childbirth spacing
- Facility Delivery/ Skilled Birth Attendance
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Deliverables
- An investigative report/article/ multimedia piece, focusing on an agreed aspect of the women’s health issue.
- Include multimedia content such as videos, audio, infographics etc. to enhance storytelling and engage the audience effectively.
- Include compelling photographs that vividly depict the realities and challenges faced in the field.
- A final comprehensive one-page report summarizing key findings, challenges and recommendations.
- Link to published investigative report/article/ multimedia story.
- Timeline
The investigation will be conducted over a period of 5 weeks with key milestones as follows:
- Research and planning: 1 week
- Fieldwork and data collection: 2 weeks
- Analysis and writing: 1week
- Final report submission before publication: 1 week
- Budget
The maximum budget for this support is N300,000. This budget is intended to cover:
- Research expenses
- Travel expenses
Any additional costs incurred outside of the approved budget and not deemed critical will be the responsibility of the journalist.
- Reporting and Accountability
The journalist will provide regular progress updates on the support, including milestone reports and any challenges encountered during the investigation. A final report summarizing the findings, along with supporting evidence, will be submitted upon completion of the project. Failure to meet reporting deadlines or fulfil reporting requirements may result in a review of the support.
- Confidentiality
Confidentiality of sources and sensitive information will be maintained throughout the investigation, in accordance with journalistic ethics and legal obligations. Failure to uphold confidentiality agreements may result in withdrawing the support.
- Support from Media Organisation
The journalist will provide cover letter from his or her media organization indicating willingness to publish or broadcast the report.
- Contact Information
For inquiries and submissions regarding this proposal, please send an email to media@ccsimpact.org.