TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)Hiring a Consultant to Develop Interactive Positive Parenting Edutainment Activities

RWAMREC
3 days ago
4 min read

For Community, Television, and Digital Platforms (Itetero App)

1. Background and Rationale

Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre (RWAMREC) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2006 with the objective of transforming harmful masculinity norms among men and boys to positively support gender equality in Rwanda and beyond. RWAMREC envisions “a peaceful society where women and men share roles and responsibilities in raising families and governing society through equality and respect.” Its mission is to promote gender equality by transforming masculinities and femininities through awareness creation, advocacy, capacity development, movement building, and service delivery.

RWAMREC, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and national institutions including the National Child Development Agency (NCDA), Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF), and Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA), is implementing the programme “Strengthening the Parenting Education Program through ECD Centers: Transforming Gender Norms through Edutainment and Men Engagement.”

The programme aims to improve early childhood development (ECD) outcomes by promoting gender-transformative positive parenting, with a particular emphasis on increasing the meaningful engagement of fathers in caregiving.

Despite strong national policies on ECD and gender equality, harmful social and gender norms continue to limit men’s involvement in parenting, contributing to unequal caregiving responsibilities and suboptimal child development outcomes. Evidence from RWAMREC’s Bandebereho and related programmes demonstrates that well-designed, participatory, and culturally grounded edutainment approaches can drive sustained behavior and social norm change.

To support this objective, RWAMREC seeks to engage a qualified consultant to design, develop, and package interactive positive parenting education activities that:

Facilitate joint engagement between parents and children
Are usable in community-based settings (ECD centers, listening clubs, demonstration hubs, etc.)
Can be broadcast through digital and traditional media channels
Are adaptable for digital delivery via the Itetero mobile application and related platforms

2. Objective of the Assignment

The overall objective of this consultancy is to develop a coherent suite of interactive, gender-transformative positive parenting edutainment activities that promote father engagement, equitable caregiving, early learning, and positive parent–child interaction, and that can be effectively deployed across community, television, and digital platforms.

3. Scope of Work

The consultant will work under the technical leadership of RWAMREC, in close collaboration with UNICEF and the Itetero technical team. The scope of work includes, but is not limited to, the following:

3.1 Conceptual Design

Review relevant programme documents, national parenting guides, and existing Itetero content
Develop a clear pedagogical and Social and Behavior Change (SBC) framework aligned with:
- National ECD and parenting frameworks
- Gender-Transformative Approaches (GTA)
- Early learning through play principles
Define core behavioral objectives, key messages, and age-appropriate interaction models for parents and children

3.2 Development of Interactive Activities

Design interactive parenting activities that promote:
- Parent–child communication and play
- Father engagement in caregiving and early learning
- Non-violent, responsive, and gender-equitable parenting practices
Ensure activities are:
- Simple, low-cost, and suitable for community settings
- Adaptable for facilitation by ECD caregivers and male champions
- Inclusive of children with disabilities, where feasible

3.3 TV Edutainment Adaptation (RBA)

Package selected activities into TV-friendly edutainment formats, including:
- Short dramatized segments
- Facilitated demonstrations
- Interactive prompts for at-home parent–child participation
Develop scripts, outlines, and facilitation notes suitable for national broadcast, in alignment with RBA content standards

3.4 Digital Adaptation for the Itetero App

Translate activities into digital interactive formats compatible with the Itetero mobile application, including:
- Guided activities
- Short videos or animations
- Simple interactive challenges or prompts
Work closely with the Itetero team to ensure technical feasibility, usability, and alignment with the existing app architecture

3.5 Testing and Refinement

Support pilot testing of selected activities in community and/or digital environments
Integrate feedback from caregivers, parents, children (as appropriate), and implementing partners
Refine content to ensure clarity, cultural relevance, and behavioral effectiveness

4. Deliverables

The consultant is expected to deliver:

Inception Report outlining methodology, conceptual framework, and workplan
A set of interactive positive parenting activities (community version) with facilitation guides
TV edutainment content package, including scripts and broadcast notes
Digitally adapted versions of activities/content for the Itetero mobile app
Support for organizing quarterly community engagement campaigns on gender and social norms and positive parenting
Content adaptation matrix showing alignment across community, TV, and digital formats
Final technical report summarizing outputs, lessons learned, and recommendations for scale-up

All deliverables must align with national standards and UNICEF safeguarding requirements.

5. Duration and Level of Effort

The assignment is expected to commence on 16 February 2026 and will require an estimated total level of effort of 60 non-consecutive working days, comprising:

15 working days per quarter
10 days for content development
5 days for testing

6. Reporting and Coordination

The consultant will report directly to the Director of Programs, RWAMREC
Technical oversight will be jointly provided by RWAMREC and UNICEF
Regular coordination will be required with UNICEF, RWAMREC, and the Itetero technical team

7. Required Qualifications and Experience

The consultant should meet the following requirements:

Preferably a Master’s degree, or a Bachelor’s degree with at least 5 years of relevant experience, in Education, Child Development, Behavioral Science, Communication, or a related field
Minimum 5 years’ experience in:
- Designing education or SBC interventions
- Positive parenting and/or ECD programming
- Gender-transformative approaches
Demonstrated experience adapting content for multiple platforms (community, TV/radio, digital)
Strong understanding of the Rwandan cultural context and parenting norms
Experience working with UNICEF or similar development partners is a strong asset
Ability to work collaboratively with creative teams, technical developers, and broadcasters

Note: Applicants who are “only creative” without strong behavior change and systems-thinking experience will not be considered qualified.

8. Ethical Considerations and Safeguarding

The consultant must adhere to UNICEF and RWAMREC policies on:

Child safeguarding
Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)
Ethical engagement with children and families

No direct data collection from children will occur without prior approval and appropriate safeguards.

9. Ownership of Materials

All materials developed under this consultancy will be the intellectual property of RWAMREC and UNICEF, with full rights for adaptation, scale-up, and dissemination across platforms.

10. Application Process

Applications must be submitted in one single PDF file and include:

A cover letter
A combined technical and financial proposal (maximum 3 pages)

Applications must be submitted no later than midnight (CET) on 10 February 2026 to:📧 info@rwamrec.org

Email subject line:Application to Develop Interactive Positive Parenting Edutainment Activities for Community, Television, and Digital Platforms (Itetero App) – Consultancy Services