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?