Friday, March 28, 2014

CHAMPIONS FOR CHANGE NIGERIA: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS


"Every single day, Nigeria loses about 2,300 under-five year olds and 145 women of childbearing age. This makes the country the second largest contributor to the under–five and maternal mortality rate in the world".- UNICEF

Women, newborns and young children continue to die in Nigeria because of the  failure of the society to address their situation. The time is right for a change to save the lives of our mothers and children.  Although analyses of recent trends show that the Nigeria is making progress the pace still remains too slow to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of reducing child and maternal mortality and ensuring universal access to reproductive health by 2015. This is where Champions for Change comes to play

About Champions for Change- Nigeria

Champions for Change empower Nigerian leaders and organizations to improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) through advocacy, education, storytelling, and strategic partnerships. Champions for Change (C4C) leverages a program model developed by its sister initiative, Let Girls Lead, which has contributed to improved health, education and livelihoods for more than 3 million girls globally since 2009. C4C and Let Girls Lead's model drives change through the passage of national laws, implementation of programs, and distribution of funds to save the lives of women, newborns, and children, protect girls from violence, and ensure access to quality healthcare, education, and economic opportunity. C4C and Let Girls Lead are based at the Public Health Institute, a leader in global health and development for over 30 years.

Call For Applications

This innovative initiative is building a movement to improve RMNCH outcomes, while enhancing the ability of participating organizations to advance change for mothers, newborns, children, and families in Nigeria. Participation in C4C confers a wide range of benefits for selected leaders and organizations, and requires the full commitment and engagement of individual and organizational participants. Organizations selected for Champions for Change Nigeria commit to participate in an intensive and transformational 18-month RMNCH advocacy capacity building and organizational strengthening program. Qualifying organizations must complete a competitive written application and in-person interview prior to selection for C4C. To be eligible to participate in C4C, organizations must fulfill the selection criteria listed at the end of this document, as well as nominate at least two qualifying staff members to participate in C4C on the organization’s behalf.

Benefits for Participating Leaders & Organizations include:
· Participation of two senior or mid-career leaders per organization in C4C’s Champions Series & Advocacy Labs, a sequence of three intensive 5-day workshops and targeted 2-day trainings. Participants will strengthen their existing expertise to learn effective strategies for RMNCH advocacy at the local, state, and national levels in Nigeria, develop innovative advocacy campaigns, and gain skills in organizational effectiveness and leadership.
· Access to RMNCH advocacy funding and resources for effective advocacy campaign implementation. Organizations selected for C4C are eligible to participate in a competitive RFP process with a total of over $500,000 available in RMNCH advocacy funding.
· Tailored leadership support through individualized executive coaching, professional development, and technical assistance for participating leaders and their organizations.
· Increased visibility and enhanced opportunities for collaboration through membership in C4C’s existing global network of over 100 Champions and advocates.
· Advance access to dedicated tools and resources, including C4C’s field-tested advocacy curriculum, policy briefs, case studies, and video advocacy resources. 

Requirements for Participating Leaders & Organizations include:

· Demonstrated organizational capacity and commitment to improving RMNCH outcomes in Nigeria.

· Approval of organizational and individual participation by the institution’s Board of Directors.

· Full participation in all C4C events as scheduled, including a total 21 days of capacity building workshops in Abuja, Nigeria between June 2014 and December 2015.

· Completion of in-depth organizational assessments and participation in monitoring site visits by C4C staff and evaluators.


Champions for Change Selection Criteria

Organization Participation Criteria

To be eligible for C4C, applicant organizations must meet the following selection criteria:

· Legally registered as a non-governmental organization with the Government of Nigeria

· Governed by a Board of Directors or other formal management structure

· Employ at least three full time staff members

· Demonstrated commitment to leading social change and at least five years of experience in one of the following fields:

· Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH)

· Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)

· Public policy, advocacy, and outreach

· Media and communications

· Community mobilization and development

· Related fields


Staff Participation Criteria

To be eligible for C4C, staff nominated by the applicant organization must meet the following selection criteria:

· Leaders between the ages of 18-65 (at least two per organization)

· Legal residents of Nigeria (Nigerian nationals strongly preferred)

· Support from the nominating organization to participate fully in all C4C activities between June 2014-December 2015

· Full time employment status with the nominating organization

· Commitment to social change and at least five years of experience in one of the following fields:

· Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH)

· Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)

· Public policy, advocacy, and outreach

· Media and communications

· Community mobilization and development

· Related fields


For more information about Champions for Change, please visit www.championingchange.org, and/or contact Rufaro Kangai, Program Manager of C4C, at rkangai@phi.org. or Theresa Kaka Effa, Nigeria Country Coordinator of C4C, at c4cnigeria@gmail.com.

Further information and application materials for interested organizations are available for download at www.championingchange.org 

The C4C application deadline is Friday, April 4th, 2014. A team of C4C interviewers will be in Nigeria in late April, 2014 to interview selected candidates.



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