Background

The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) is a regional treaty body that is mandated to monitor the implementation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (Charter) and ensure the promotion and protection of children’s rights in the Continent. In line with its mandate, in 2015 the ACERWC developed Africa’s Agenda for Children 2040, otherwise known as Agenda 2040. The Agenda was developed during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child which aimed at assessing the situation of children’s rights in Africa in the 25 years following the adoption of the Charter with a view of ‘looking behind to look forward’. Based on the findings of the assessment during the conference, Agenda 2040 was developed to set aspirations for African countries which will be implemented and achieved in the next 25 years of the Charter. The Agenda sets 10 main aspirations in the area of effective continental framework, child friendly legal and institutional system, birth registration, survival and health, education, access to basic necessities, violence against children, child sensitive justice system, armed conflict, and child participation.
Agenda 2040 is an inspiration to elevate the level of state compliance with the African Children’s Charter by setting priority areas in the continent based on the assessment of the past 25 years and the current trends of child rights in Africa. The Agenda is an important document with continental coverage as it has been adopted by the Executive Council of the AU as an African Union Agenda through decision no EX.CL/Dec.997(XXXI).
While being a continental Agenda, there is limited knowledge about Agenda 2040 and the aspirations therein which will impact its implementation. The ACERWC has been undertaking various popularization activities to increase knowledge about Agenda 2040 since 2018 by engaging Member States through RECs. While this has increased knowledge about Agenda 2040, the ACERWC believes that continuous popularization of the Agenda is key to enhance the implementation of the Agenda and the realization of its aspirations.

Accordingly, the Committee would like to produce an audio-visual story to disseminate the Charter and Agenda 2040. Such materials can provide information about the Charter and Agenda 2040 in a friendly manner to various stakeholders including Member States, CSOs, Media, among others. Moreover, audio visuals can be disseminated widely and reach a larger group. Audio-visual stories can also be easily accessible to children and convey the messages in the Charter and the Agenda in a manner children can understand.
In this regard, the ACERWC is would like to recruit an Individual Consultant who can develop the abovementioned audio-visual story about the Charter and Agenda 2040

Objectives

The main objectives of the development of the audio-visual story series include:

• to enhance visibility of the Charter, Agenda 2040 and the Committee among various actors and children;
• to further popularize Agenda 2040 and its 10 Aspirations with simple and effective content which specifically focus on the objectives of each Aspirations;
• to increase knowledge about the Charter and the Agenda 2040 to inform children about their rights. The child-friendly story series will be disseminated using various platforms (radio, TV, and Social Media…)

Scope of the project

The audio-visual series targets various stakeholders, which include Children, policymakers, Governments, CSOs, researchers, and partner organizations who are working on children’s rights. It is designed to give insight into the work of the ACERWC in promoting children’s rights and welfare in Africa. The video is intended to reach children and other stakeholders and hence prepared in a manner fit for everyone. The Video will be in English with French subtitles.
Methodology
The Consultant is expected to undertake the Project by collaborating with the ACERWC to collect qualitative and quantitative data from primary and secondary sources. Information for the Audio-Visual series will be collected from desk reviews as well as interviews and discussions. The Consultant will review the existing ACERWC communication strategy and follow the brand guidelines of the African Union to ensure the quality of the work.
The data collection and development of the Audio-Visual series will be supervised under the leadership of the Secretariat of the Committee.

Reporting and deliverables

The following are the main deliverables of the Audio-Visual series:

• A concept note and script for the proposed list of audio-visual series with key messages for each video;
• A finalized script for the Audio-Visual series including inputs from Secretariat and Project Team
• A final list of all the videos with English/French subtitles.
• A Comprehensive audio-visual story edited and ready for dissemination
• a variation of the Audio-visual series with different export formats for various outlets (TV, Radio, and social media platforms)

Qualifications and experience

The Consultant who will be recruited for this task must have the following qualifications and experience:
- Advanced university degree in Computer Science, Media, Communication, and related fields;
- At least 5 years of experience working directly on children-related media outlets, Broadcast agencies, and Audio-visual companies;
- Demonstrated professional experience on matters related to child protection, reporting on child rights issues, and research and writing experience on related issues;
- Demonstrated good knowledge of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the work of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
- Work experience in the AU, or other international organizations, especially in treaty body mechanisms;
- Ability to work independently and achieve quality results with limited supervision.

Dates and location

The Consultancy is based in Maseru, Lesotho, for a duration of 30 payable working days from March to June 2023. The distribution and utilization of the 30 working days will be determined through an agreement between the Consultant and the ACERWC
Consultancy fee
The Consultant will be paid a fixed fee of USD 12,000 (Twelve Thousand USD) for the assignment. The payment will be effected in accordance with the various deliverables as
indicated above, and is inclusive of all costs and profits as well as tax obligations that may be imposed on the Consultant.

Reporting Lines

The consultant will work under the direct supervision and guidance of the Executive Secretary of ACERWC.
Application
ACERWC invites eligible Individual Consultants to indicate their interest in providing consultancy services. Interested candidates must provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience
The application document should consist of the following:

• A cover letter summarizing the background of the applicant and with names and contacts of three references;
• A Customized Curriculum Vitae not exceeding three pages;
•  A Technical Proposal on:
  •  Understanding and interpretation of the TOR;
  •  Work plan and
  •  Time and activity schedule
• A Financial proposal
• Evidence of educational background and professional experience;