The below resources are considered useful for civil society organisations (CSOs). Where available, tools are also provided in Swahili.
Under the ASTUTE programme, the team worked with 50 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) across the five Lake Zone regions of Tanzania.
Overview of stunting reduction toolkit
This document provides an overview of the purpose and contents of the toolkit.
Acronyms
This document provides a complete list of acronyms that you'll find in the toolkit resources.
Collaborating with the government
In Tanzania, district-level governance happens through Local Government Authorities (LGAs). These entities were created by Government of Tanzania to decentralise government power. When implemented properly, decentralisation involves more people at the local level in the planning and implementation of development programmes. In this brief, you will 1) learn why it is important to engage Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in nutrition and the district level, 2) identify key approaches used, 3) describe challenges and solutions to engaging CSOs, and 4) become familiar with additional CSO nutrition tools.
| How to advocate for change at the district and local levels | Uhamasishaji masuala ya lishe katika ngazi ya wilaya nchini Tanzania: tulichojifunza na dondoo kwa ajili ya asasi za kiraia (azaki) |
Home Visits
This toolkit includes a number of resources that when used properly will improve health behaviours known to positively impact maternal and child nutrition. As part of ASTUTE, Community Health Workers (CHWs) conduct home visits using a proven strategy known as negotiating for behaviour change. Details of this strategy can be found in the USAID-funded manual Make Me a Change Agent (included here for easy reference; see lesson 3 of the manual). One reason for ASTUTE’s success is a focus on small, do-able actions (SDAs). SDAs are behaviours that CHWs (and CSO volunteers) promote and that household members can easily try because the practices themselves are not complex. When considered collectively, SDAs add up to large changes in health behaviours and outcomes.
| Promoting SDAs |
This form was used in ASTUTE’s initial census and includes questions to elicit basic socio-demographic information. This information was then used to target households with pregnant women and children <2 years of age. All M&E forms include instructions and definitions of terms.
| Registration form for beneficiaries | Maelekezo na ufafanuzi wa kujaza fomu ya usajili wa kaya zenye walengwa |
This is a USAID-funded manual for front-line health workers that provides training curricula for many SBC activities, including negotiated behaviour change. Make Me a Change Agent manuals are also available for agriculture and WASH. Lesson 3 contains information about negotiated behaviour change.
Personalised Support Groups for Action
A number of implementing partners - including the Government, international NGOs, and CSOs - use support groups regularly. However, when done poorly, they are often simply vehicles for sharing messages. In Tanzania, support groups may fail to respond to the needs of the community and are not tailored to group members. They are often used to tell group members what they “have to do,” and don’t commit support group members to adopting healthy practices. As part of the ASTUTE project, PANITA worked with 50 CSOs to strengthen their capacity in the management of support groups. In Geita region and elsewhere, PANITA piloted the use of Personalised Support Groups for Action. This document outlines the steps to conducting personalised support groups for action—including “teach back” and commitment.
| How to conduct personalised support groups for action |
This is a step-by-step outline for conducting personalised groups for action.
| Steps to conducting personalised support groups for action |
Hatua za kuendesha majadiliano ya vikundi vya kusaidiana katika jamii kwa njia ya mbinu shirikishi |
This short, ready-to-use training module shows how to conduct training for personalised support groups for action. The module is for on-the-job training of CSO staff.
| In-service training for conducting personalised support groups for action |
Strengthening CSOs
Monthly meetings are the primary means of strengthening CSO volunteer capacity in behavior change. This document contains guidance for CSO staff on what they should discuss with CSO volunteers during their meetings, including classroom and community-based skills building when implementing personalized support groups for action. The guidance includes topics that must be discussed every month as well as subjects that can be discussed less frequently.
| CSO supervisor's guide to monthly meetings with CSO volunteers | Mwongozo wa msimamizi wa azaki kwa ajili ya mikutano ya kila mwezi na wafanyakazi wa azaki ngazi ya jamii |
CSOs and personalised support groups for action
This document summarizes roles and responsibilities for CSO volunteers. In initial trainings for CSO volunteers, these roles and responsibilities should be spelled out first so that volunteers understand how their day-to-day activities align with overall roles and responsibilities.
| CSO volunteer job description | Wajibu na majukumu ya mfanyakazi wa azaki ngazi ya jamii |
This checklist is for CSO staff and is to be used when they observe CSOs while conducting personalized support groups for action. There is a checklist for the support groups as a whole as well as checklists for nutrition, early childhood development, WASH, and the health of the mother.
| Support group checklists for CSOs | Fomu na. 5.1-5.5 orodha za ufuatiliaji mambo muhimu kwa wasimamizi na wahumudu wa azaki ngazi ya jamii |
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