Terms of Reference (ToR): Strategic Communication Consultant at Rikolto

Terms of Reference (ToR): Strategic Communication Consultant at Rikolto

Terms of Reference (ToR): Strategic Communication Consultant

Organization: Rikolto in East Africa (Rikolto EA)
Duty Station: Hybrid (Remote + field missions in Tanzania,Uganda, Rwanda and DRCongo)
Contract Type: Short-term Consultancy
Estimated Level of Effort (LoE): ~ 20-30 days
Preferred Start Date: [ very soon]
Supervision & Reporting: Jointly to International Office Communication Manager and Rikolto EA Regional Communication Lead
Application deadline: [15th March 2026 ]

1) Background & Rationale

Rikolto works with food system actors to build inclusive, competitive, and sustainable food markets. Rikolto in East Africa (Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and DRCongo) seeks to strengthen strategic communication to:

• sharpen positioning and visibility regionally;
• align messaging with global priorities;
• enhance behaviour change communication for nutrition, youth inclusion, and sustainable agriculture;-change communication
• improve internal communication and knowledge flows between country teams and the International Office.

Following agreement in the joint meeting with the International Office communication team, Rikolto EA will engage an external Strategic Communication Consultant to accelerate these priorities.

2) Objective of the Assignment

Design and help operationalize a Regional Strategic Communication Framework that improves positioning, visibility, and internal collaboration, and that equips Rikolto EA staff with practical tools and skills to deliver consistent, high-quality communication.

3) Scope of Work & Key Tasks

The consultant will perform, at minimum, the following tasks:

Diagnostic & Insight Generation

1. Rapid Communication Audit: review existing strategies, channels, content, brand use, media presence, analytics, and internal workflows, and interview relevant colleagues
2. Stakeholder Listening: brief interviews/focus groups with programme teams, partners, youth groups, farmer orgs, donors/media (sample set agreed with Rikolto).
3. Audience & Message Mapping: define priority audiences, value propositions, narratives, and tone (French, English & Swahili).

Strategy & Planning

1. Regional Strategic Communication Framework (max 25 pp) including: goals, KPIs, audiences, narratives, channel mix, editorial approach, content pillars, resourcing, and a 12-month implementation roadmap.
2. Visibility & Branding Plan aligned with Rikolto brand and relevant donor guidelines (e.g., EU visibility where applicable).
3. Internal Communication Approach: practical workflows, templates, and cadence for cross-country collaboration and IO alignment.

Tools, Content & Capacity

1. Messaging Toolkit: elevator pitch, talking points, boilerplates, FAQs, and media bios.
2. Templates & Playbooks: 
   • Social media calendar template, media pitch template, photo/video consent and metadata checklists, event comms checklist.
   • Basic C4D guide for behaviour change campaigns (nutrition/youth).-change campaigns (nutrition/youth).
3. Flagship Assets (light production): up to [3–5] items such as case stories, a positioning brief, a donor-ready deck, or a short social video script/storyboard (to be agreed in the inception report).-ready deck, or a short social video script/storyboard (to be agreed in the inception report).
4. Capacity Building: 2–3 hands-on workshops (French/English/Swahili) on storytelling, media pitching, and analytics; onthejob coaching for focal staff.-on workshops (-the-job coaching for focal staff.

Measurement & Handover

1. M&E Framework for Communications: KPIs, baseline snapshot, dashboards, and reporting cadence.
2. Handover Package & Implementation Support: final walk-through, coaching clinic, and a 90-day action plan for the team.

4) Deliverables & Tentative Schedule

*Exact dates to be confirmed at inception based on your calendar.

5) Duration & Level of Effort (example)

• Contract length: ~12 weeks from start date.
• LoE: up to [20–30] consultant days (depending on production scope and travel).
• Missions: up to [2] field trips within the region (e.g., Arusha/Mbeya Southern Highlands, Mbale, Goma, Musanze), subject to security and approvals.

6) Governance, Coordination & Reporting

• Primary Supervisors: International Office Communication Manager (technical) & Rikolto EA Regional Communication Lead (day-to-day).
• Steering Check-ins: bi-weekly virtuals; milestone reviews at Deliverables 1, 3, and 7.
• Data & Access: Rikolto provides brand assets, analytics where available, programme contacts, and context materials.

7) Required Profile

• Experience: 7+ years in strategic communication for international NGOs or social impact, ideally in agriculture/food systems, youth, or nutrition; demonstrated strategy design and implementation support.
• Skills: audience segmentation, narrative design, media relations, social/digital, light content production oversight, training/coaching.
• Assets: familiarity with East Africa (Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and DRCongo) media landscape; French, English and Swahili fluency; understanding of donor visibility (e.g., EU, DGD, GIZ, WFP etc).
• Tools: ability to deliver editable files (MS Office/Google Workspace; Adobe templates optional).

8) Ethical Standards & Safeguarding

• Adhere to Rikolto’s Code of Conduct, Safeguarding, Do No Harm, DEI(Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and data protection requirements.
• Obtain informed consent for stories/images; apply ethical storytelling standards; protect personal data.
• Disclose any conflicts of interest.

9) Intellectual Property & Confidentiality

All materials (strategy, templates, content, datasets) produced under this contract become the exclusive property of Rikolto. The consultant will sign a confidentiality and data processing agreement.

10) Payment Terms (illustrative; adapt to your policy)

• Reimbursables: Pre-approved travel and workshop costs per Rikolto policy; attach receipts.
• Payment Schedule (linked to acceptance of deliverables): 
  • 30% on approval of Inception Report (Deliverable 1)
  • 40% on approval of Strategy Framework + Toolkit (Deliv. 3–6)
  • 30% on approval of all final deliverables & handover (Deliv. 7–10)

11) Proposal Submission

Consultants are invited to submit two separate files:

Technical Proposal (max 12 pages)

• Understanding of assignment & context
• Methodology and workplan (with risk management)
• Relevant experience & 2–3 brief case examples
• Team composition and LoE (if a firm)
• Sample of previous strategy/messaging work (or links)
• Two referees (recent clients)

Financial Proposal

• Daily rate(s) and estimated days by task
• Any reimbursables (itemized)
• Tax status and currency

Submission email: [[email protected]]
Email subject: “Strategic Communication Consultant – Rikolto EA – [Your Name/Company]”
Deadline: [15th March 2026, 23:59 EAT]