Call for Proposals
Sep 11, 2024
Social Awareness Campaign Specialist for the NHJ
Overview of the National Healing Journey
The National Healing Journey (NHJ) is a coalition of individuals, families, and organizations dedicated to ending intergenerational trauma within Afro-descendant communities across Canada. Our mission is to work with Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving organizations across the country to co-create a healthy Black ecosystem that supports the health and well-being of Afro-descendant individuals, families, and communities. The NHJ aims to unite the Afro-descendant community in the collective effort to heal the traumatic wounds associated with the enslavement experience in a post-colonial context, fostering a just, equitable, and thriving society.
Overview of the Becoming Project
The Becoming Project is a strategic multi-phase initiative under the NHJ, designed to end intergenerational trauma and promote the health of the Black ecosystem in Canada. Over the course of three years, the project will unfold across four key phases:
- Building the National Round Table: Mobilizing Black-led, Black-focused, Black-serving organizations across Canada to form a strong coalition that uses a coordinated approach to co-create a national strategy for building a healthy Black ecosystem.
- Individual & Communal Healing: Providing unhindered access to individual trauma recovery journeys and organizing an annual Truth and Reconciliation Jubilee that supports communal healing.
- National Social Awareness Campaign: Designing and implementing a national social awareness campaign focused on normalizing trauma recovery at the individual, family, and community levels. Production of the Becoming Show, a docuseries that exposes the Canadian audience to the healing journey of 7 individuals, 7 families, and 1 entire community over a 3-year period.
- Train, Monitor & Evaluate Impact: Train 151 trauma recovery specialists in every province supporting diverse but especially Afro-descendant communities with unhindered access to Afro-centric trauma recovery care. Continuous assessment of impact and refinement of strategies for sustainable change.
Consultant Role: Social Awareness Campaign Specialist (1 – 3 Year Contract)
Position Description
The NHJ seeks an experienced and innovative Social Awareness Campaign Specialist for a consulting engagement lasting 1-3 years. This consultant will lead the development and execution of a multi-faceted social awareness campaign that aligns with the NHJ’s mission to normalize trauma recovery within Afro-descendant communities across Canada. The role requires a deep understanding of how to raise awareness using an intersectional lens, ensuring that the campaign resonates across different segments of the community. The specialist will collaborate closely with the Healthy Ecosystem Pathway Strategist, the National Change Management & Mobilization Strategist, and other key stakeholders, fostering partnerships that drive the campaign’s success and facilitate community involvement at every stage.
Key Responsibilities:
Designing and Implementing the Social Awareness Campaign
- Strategic Campaign Development: Design a comprehensive campaign that aligns with the NHJ’s mission to heal intergenerational trauma. Focus on normalising trauma recovery as a critical and accessible resource for Afro-descendant communities, emphasising its importance in achieving personal and communal well-being.
- Integration with the Becoming Project: Ensure that the campaign is closely tied to the phases of the Becoming Project, with targeted messaging that encourages engagement with trauma recovery processes. Raise awareness about resources such as the Trauma Recovery Specialists trained through the project and promote participation in events like the Truth and Reconciliation Jubilee.
Normalisation of Trauma Recovery
- Culturally Resonant Messaging: Develop messaging that resonates deeply with Afro-descendant communities, addressing the unique ways in which historical and intergenerational trauma have affected these populations. Create content that acknowledges the pain and challenges while highlighting the strength, resilience, and importance of healing.
- Breaking Stigmas: Focus on breaking the stigmas associated with trauma and mental health within the community. Craft campaigns that present trauma recovery as a normal, healthy, and necessary part of life, encouraging individuals and communities to seek help without shame or fear.
Intersectional Approach to Awareness
- Intersectional Campaign Design: Ensure that the campaign is designed through an intersectional lens, recognizing and addressing the diverse experiences within Afro-descendant communities. Consider factors such as gender, age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and geographic location when crafting messaging and selecting communication channels.
- Targeted Outreach: Identify and implement strategies to effectively reach different segments of the community. Tailor campaigns to vary in tone and medium when targeting youth, elders, LGBTQ+ individuals, or women, ensuring that all voices are heard and that the campaign is inclusive and representative of the community’s diversity.
Utilising media and arts
- Leveraging the Arts: Integrate artistic expressions into the campaign, understanding the significant role that arts and culture play within Black communities. Collaborate with artists, musicians, and cultural influencers to create compelling content that connects with the community on an emotional and cultural level.
- Multi-Channel Media Strategy: Deploy a multi-channel media strategy that includes social media, traditional media, community events, and digital platforms to maximise the campaign’s reach. Ensure the campaign is visible across various touchpoints where community members are likely to engage.
Monitoring Evaluation and Adaptation
- Campaign Monitoring: Campaign Monitoring: Establish metrics and feedback loops in partnership and collaboration with the Evaluation Specialist to monitor the effectiveness of the campaign. Track engagement, reach, and community responses to ensure that the campaign is meeting its goals.
- Adaptive Campaign Management: In partnership and collaboration with the Evaluation Specialist and based on the feedback and data collected, adapt the campaign as needed to improve its impact. This continuous improvement process ensures that the campaign remains relevant and effective throughout its duration.
Required Expertise:
- Strategic Campaign Development: Demonstrated success in designing and implementing impactful social awareness campaigns, with a particular focus on mental health, trauma recovery, and/or community resilience. Experience in leveraging data-driven insights to inform campaign strategies and measure outcomes is essential.
- Intersectional Awareness and Inclusion: Strong understanding of intersectional approaches, with a track record of creating inclusive and representative campaigns that resonate across diverse populations.
- Culturally Resonant Messaging: Expertise in developing messaging that is culturally sensitive and resonates deeply with Afro-descendant communities, particularly in the context of trauma and healing.
- Arts and Media Integration: Experience in leveraging the arts and media to enhance the reach and impact of awareness campaigns. Ability to collaborate with artists and cultural influencers to create compelling content.
- Community Engagement and Empowerment: Demonstrated ability to engage and empower communities through participatory approaches, ensuring that the campaign is driven by and for the community it serves.
- Campaign Monitoring and Adaptation: Develop robust metrics and real-time feedback loops to monitor campaign performance, allowing for insights that are actionable and that guide iterative improvements throughout the campaign’s lifecycle.
- Capacity Building: Equip relevant NHJ staff and community leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary to sustain the campaign. Develop training materials and facilitate workshops that enhance local capacity in strategic communication and campaign management.
Submission Guidelines
Interested candidates or consulting firms are invited to submit a detailed proposal by November 11, 2024. Proposals should be sent to becomingproject@nationalhealingjourney.com and must include the following components:
- Overview of the Consulting Company or Person (150 words max): Provide a summary of the company or individual, including relevant experience and expertise.
- Alignment with NHJ’s Mission, Vision, and Objectives (150 words max): Demonstrate how the consultant or consulting firm’s vision and mission align with the NHJ’s goals.
- Understanding of the Becoming Project (150 words max): Provide evidence of understanding the need for the Becoming Project and its impact, particularly in the context of normalizing trauma recovery within Afro-descendant communities.
- Capacity for Strategic Campaign Development (250 words max): Outline the capacity to develop and implement a comprehensive social awareness campaign that integrates an intersectional lens and leverages arts and media.
- Experience in Community Engagement and Empowerment (250 words max): Detail your experience in engaging communities in awareness campaigns and ensuring that the campaign is participatory and community-driven.
- Capacity to Undertake the Project (250 words max):
- Organizational and Financial Capacity: Demonstrate the ability to manage projects of this scale, particularly in a collaborative setting.
- Experience with Priority Populations: Highlight experience working with Afro-descendant or similar populations.
- Project Management and Results: Provide examples of successful project management and the achievement of results, particularly in raising awareness and normalizing health practices.
- Proposed Timeline and Milestones (1 page diagram): Provide a timeline with key milestones and reporting intervals to demonstrate how you will manage and track progress, accounting for the four phases of the Becoming Project.
- References and Case Studies (150 words max): Include references and case studies from similar projects to verify your experience and effectiveness in social awareness campaign development.
- Proposed Budget & Financial Stability Documentation: Submit documentation or evidence of financial stability to ensure your ability to manage the project without the risk of financial shortfalls.
- Partnerships and Collaboration (150 words max): If applicable, describe any partnerships or collaborations with other organizations that will enhance the proposal’s effectiveness and broaden its impact, especially in the context of community engagement and media integration.
- Key Performance Indicators (KPIs: 150 words max): Propose KPIs that will measure the success of your work and align with the project’s goals, ensuring these are developed collaboratively with NHJ stakeholders.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following weighted criteria:
- Relevant Experience and Expertise (30%)
- Alignment with NHJ’s Mission and Vision (15%)
- Capacity for Strategic Campaign Development and Innovation (25%)
- Capacity and Experience with Priority Populations (15%)
- Proposed Timeline and Milestones (10%)
- Proposed Budget & Financial Stability (5%)
- Clarity and Completeness of Proposal (5%)
Eligibility
Only Canadian organizations or individuals with relevant experience in the Canadian context may submit proposals under this solicitation. Individuals must be legally able to work in Canada without restrictions may submit proposals under this solicitation.
Pre-Submission Information Session
To assist potential applicants, NHJ will host a pre-submission webinar on Wednesday, September 18th, 202 from 12:00 to 1:00 PM EST. This session is designed to clarify expectations, will provide an overview of the project, answer questions, and offer guidance to ensure high-quality submissions on the submission process. Attendance is highly recommended.
Submission Deadline
The deadline for submission is November 11, 2024 at 11:59pm EDT. Applications should be submitted to becomingproject@nationalhealingjourney.com. Late submissions will not be considered. Please allow for enough time to fully complete and submit your proposal.. Applications should be submitted to becomingproject@nationalhealingjourney.com.
We look forward to receiving your proposal. Together, we aim to partner in this critical work to heal historical wounds and create lasting change within Afro-descendant communities.