Download - Bongiwe Ndondo - Soul City
Strengthening institutional capacity to tackle HIV across borders: the Soul City regional program
Bongiwe Ndondo, Renay Weiner, Sue Goldstein
Bongiwe Ndondo
Regional AIDS Training Network
HIV Capacity Building Summit
19 March 2013
Soul City Regional program• Launched in 2002, implemented in Lesotho, Malawi. Mozambique,
Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe (Botswana & Tanzania). Introduced a systematic large-scale capacity building programme in
eight Southern African countries - combining country–based health communication programmes with a broad regional approach
Designed on the premise that ‘BCC programmes are particularly appropriate to a regional approach, where consistent, coherent messaging is vital given high inter-regional mobility’.
Key principlesSkills and resource sharingCreating synergy and consistencyEconomies of scale
Objectives of the SCRP (2007-2012)
To reduce HIV (and TB) infection and related morbidity, especially among women, children and other vulnerable groups in Southern Africa, by facilitating social and behaviour change
To strengthen the social and behaviour change sector capacity to respond to HIV, broader sexual and reproductive health and other related areas of health.
Operational strategy Setting uniform standards for research and
product developmentBuilding on regional synergies (e.g. in research
output and message development) Sharing skills and resourcesDeveloping cross-border outputs Capitalising on economies of scale. Building and working through local (in-country)
and regional partnerships and networks
The Research Process
Capacity building approachMass media in SBCC
A phase by phase training strategy , combination of mentorship, workshops, hands-on support and technical assistance TV, radio and print media product development Formative Research Message development Script writing Drama film production (including camera, lighting, sound and
art direction)
Finance and budgetingLeadership & Corporate governance Resource mobilisation
Evaluation (Process)To what extent did the Regional Programme:
1. Facilitated resource sharing and skills sharing across the region?
2. Strengthened in-country and regional networks and collaboration?
3. Built and strengthened human resource capacity for SBCC in Southern African?
4. Contributed to advancing the field of SBCC in the Southern African region – including influencing NACs and SADC structures
5. Contributed to strengthening the role of SBCC in country or at regional level
6. What lessons have been learned about the processes which have been employed in the field of SBCC in Southern Africa at a regional level?
Evaluation methodologyReview of relevant documentsKII with stakeholders
From Soul City In-country implementation partners (who directly received
training, support and/or resources from Soul Cityemployed on the Soul City regional programme, but who have
moved on to other relevant work in the region or internationallyKey HIV prevention role players and decision-making bodies
(nationally and regionally), such as in-country AIDS structures, peer organisations and regional bodies.
Limitations of methodologyThe review was based on the perspective (i.e.
the experience and assessment) of programme implementers and broader stakeholders.
The review did not systematically compare this Regional Programme with other regional programmes.
Self-selection for participation in the evaluation may have influenced data to some extent.
Findings
1To what extent has the Regional
Programme facilitated resource sharing and skills sharing across the region? How
did resource and skills sharing take place, and how did it add value to the Regional Programme or beyond the
Regional Programme?
Skills transfer from experts ...intense skills-sharing that occurred in the early
years through training courses convened regionally
training strategy of combining formal training with regular coaching, mentorship and supervision was considered hugely successful and supportive.
RP gave opportunity to work with and be trained/mentored by high calibre people and helped ‘achieved cost efficiencies’.
Direct resource and skills sharing
Nweti’s (Mozambique) shared its results based Strategic Plan with Desert Soul, who are now following the same process
Nweti and Pakachere (Malawi) have ‘exchanged a lot of technical and other reports’;
Lusweti (Swaziland) has sought fundraising support by asking Nweti to share part of their fundraisers time.
‘we are now less reliant on Soul City – we are relying more on each other’ – In country implementing partner
Direct resource and skills sharing
The direct sharing of resources has been made possible by the level of trust that partners have in the quality of the products Eg. ZCCP (Zambia) adaptation of the Lusweti
booklet on alcohol abuse. This trust factor is deemed ‘critical to fast and
cost effective adaptations rather than development of all materials from first principles’ – External service provider/trainee
2To what extent has human resource capacity for
SBCC in Southern African been expanded through participation in the Regional Programme, including the influence on career pathing – over and above investment in the Centre of Excellence at Wits? How has the Regional Programme contributed to (predominantly) Southern African capacities in SBCC and related disciplines beyond the Regional Programme, (e.g. academic/research institutions, media etc.)?
Increased human capacity Through the extensive training it undertook in
drama production ‘…it created a critical mass of people who understand and are passionate about SBCC across the region’ whose commitment stems not only from the training ‘but also from seeing the quality of work it is possible for them to produce’. External service provider
. ‘I have learned how to write a good edutainment drama, budget management, time saving on production, easier ways of casting, crew and artists management … I have learned the professional way to produce a good edutainment in the time allocated’. External service provider/trainee
‘Film schools in South Africa are full of the elite – this offered a chance to those with talent but for whom such courses are normally unaffordable, to receive great training’.
Building capacity amongst each other
...unique platform for producers and script writers to come together and share ideas – ‘creatively and professionally’.
’I have learned a lot from other writers in the region – creative writing is not a crowded profession… rarely do we get together in the same place….in the beginning we were just creative writers now we are more than that we are specialists’. External service provider/trainee
Capacity to capacitate other organisations and individuals
In country organisations are called upon to provide training for local institutions and organisations. Eg. Nweti has provided SBCC training for the Ministry
of Women and Social Affairs, UNAIDS partners and others – and has inputted on the DANIDA funded Master Degree in HIV Planning in Mozambique.
‘With experience and skills gained from the RP I am assisting young people in career counselling – camera work, script writing etc.’
‘...they are the go-to organisations’ in country when it comes to research for communications...”
3What lessons have been learned about the processes which have been employed in the field of SBCC in Southern Africa at a regional level?
SustainabilityAlthough it is expected ‘skills built will stay in country the
upgrading of skills is very important especially with regard to the move to digitalisation’. External service provider
SC supported the development of local organisations – ‘supporting people from the ground upwards’ not ‘top
down’. ‘...opened space for sharing ideas, concepts,
resources and skills between countries with commonalities and shared problems’ offering a real peer support mechanism.
This was ‘a very different model for development than the North South delivery of TA approach’
Key SuccessesIncreased influence, extended footprint and experience in
managing a regional program Shared methodology with common standardsProduction of quality materials with both local relevance
and regional flair (Ability to deal with matters with regional significance)
Consistency in programming and messaging therefore high impact
Economies of scalePromoted in-country ownership and sustainabilityIn the process of establishing and formalising a regional
coalition
AcknowledgmentsRenay Weiner, Sue Goldstein, co-authorsAnn Nolan, Independent evaluatorDFID, Funding Regional partners
Questions?