Plan International

Terms of Reference for Public Relations Consultant

1. Introduction

Plan International is an international child and youth development organization dedicated to promoting the realization of children and young people’s rights, especially girl’s rights, in both development and humanitarian settings.

The Young Health Programme (YHP) is AstraZeneca’s global community investment initiative with the aim to support the health rights and well-being of young people (aged 10 – 24) in marginalized communities worldwide through research, advocacy and on the ground programmes which are focused on the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Since 2010, this programme has been implemented in Zambia, Brazil, India, Kenya, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.

With a commitment to support and defend the health, wellbeing, and rights of young people, in July 2019 Plan International has expanded the global YHP into Bangkok, Thailand, where NCDs pose a significant threat. The Project will aim to prevent or reduce the risk behaviours which can lead to NCDs, as well as supporting the broader health and rights of young people. It is a five-year programme which will run until June 2024.

2. Background

The YHP follows the internationally recognized 5x5 model, which draws a link between 5 main NCD risk factors (tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and air pollution) and 5 main NCDs (cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and mental health). In this model, the YHP focuses on the risk factors among young people with the aim to prevent NCDs.

In addressing the health needs of young people, the YHP takes a holistic approach which mainstreams gender, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and emotional well-being. Given the significant cross over and influence of these areas on NCD risk behaviours, and since these areas are fundamental barriers to young people leading healthy lives, creating positive changes in the lives and health of young people requires an approach in which these areas are addressed and challenged. The Project will engage strategies including youth empowerment through peer education, community mobilization, health service strengthening and advocacy.

The YHP in Thailand started on the 1st of July for a period of 5 years, and is part of a larger global Programme; there are currently YHP programmes in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Vietnam and Myanmar, and the number of countries continues to grow. Although each country has a context specific Programme, all YHPs have the same thematic focus on NCD prevention with a holistic approach to young people’s health and all follow the same Theory of Change. The larger partnership is managed by the Plan office in the UK and the Thailand Programme Manager is part of a global group and exchange ideas and learning with other YHP managers in other countries on a regular basis.

In line with the global YHP Theory of Change, the YHP in Thailand uses four key inter-related and reinforced strategies including empowering young people, mobilizing communities, strengthening health services, and advocating for policy change.

In connection to the mobilizing communities’ strategy, the communities that comprise with teachers, parents, and local leaders are informed and mobilized to provide a safe and supportive environment that facilitate health behavior among young people. Young people need an enabling and supportive environment which encourages them to make informed life choices and to choose the right pathways to a healthy future. Media outreach through selected social media channels and communication campaign will be used and applied. Through this strategy, the Programme aims to enhance awareness of the harmful and inter-generational effects of NCD risk factors and to establish the buy-in of the community member to facilitate change. This part of the programme strategy will help to create this environment, spreading awareness of NCDs and NCD risk factors beyond the young people that the YHP is working with directly.

3. Objective of the TOR

The YHP Thailand is looking for a professional public relations agency (s) to support the YHP team in designing youth-friendly communication contents and provide media outreach services to ensure impactful media coverage. The agency will design a youth-friendly communication (content, photo, infographic) and implement 12 months (starting from March 2021 – February 2022) Media Relations and Social Media Outreach activities. This effort will support the overall goal of the Young Health Programme in Thailand, providing particular support the media outreach efforts that are led by the YHP Thailand Team.

4. Tasks

The Consultant will be contracted to support the YHP team in developing a media outreach strategy which include:

1. Design and promote a youth-friendly communication (content, photo, infographic) and Social Media Outreach activities, in consultation with and guidance received from YHP Thailand, that will

   1. Increase awareness on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) risk factors prevention among young people;

   2. Highlight the link between five main risk factors (tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and air pollution) and five main NCDs (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and mental health)

   3. Spur the various audiences into supporting the prevention and reduction of NCDs risk factors among young people

   4. Engage youth influencer during events or for the development of blogs, and the dissemination of YHP news and messages through mainstream media channels

2. Design and promote communication campaigns and events linked to awareness that is planned to wider reach of indirect beneficiaries (parents, siblings, community members and students) of at least 100,000 people yearly will also be promoted and achieved through the YHP Social Media channels. Please see a list of awareness days marked by the YHP below – please note that this is not an exhaustive list, so there may be other campaigns and events in addition to these:

   1. World Health Day (7 April)

   2. World No Tobacco Day (31 May)

   3. Prince Mahidol Day (24 Sep)

   4. World Diabetes Day (14 November)

   5. National Health Day (27 November)

3. Upon request by the YHP Thailand, the Consultant will post/repost/boost up the article and/or message developed by YHP Thailand to reach the wider audience in the young people’s health related networks/platform or social media channels and report the results within 15 days and 30 days after action.

5. Deliverables/output and Schedule

The consultant will submit the following as outputs

6. Supervision and Support

The consultant will report to the YHP Programme Manager and will work in collaboration with the YHP team.

7. Qualifications

The applicant should have the following qualifications:

• Understand the needs, media platforms and communication styles of young people

• Direct experience with non-communicable diseases or health promotion issues is preferred

• Experience in communications on development and knowledge of non-communicable diseases preferred.

• Capability and proven experience in developing and executing Media Relations and Social Media Outreach Strategies

• Capability and proven experience crafting messages in various formats (press releases, success stories, blog entries, tweets, etc.) targeting a variety of audiences

• Excellent written, oral and interpersonal skills

• Excellent knowledge of social media platforms

8. How to apply?

We invite interested consultants to submit the following application documents:

• The technical proposal describes the expression of interest outlining how the consultant meets the selection criteria and their understanding of the TOR and framework. The conceptual framework planned for undertaking this assignment. It must contain an implementation and operational work plan to reach the indirect beneficiaries of 100,000 people with timelines

• A financial proposal detailing itemized fees, data collection methods, and administrative costs

• Portfolio with examples of the Consultant’s work

• Examples of social posts, and stories that have been recently developed for different social media

• References

The performance-based contracting will be granted to the successful candidate.

The renewal of the contract is based on the performance of the Consultant.

The successful candidate will also need to sign Plan’s Global Safeguarding policy.

All the above-mentioned documents must be sent by e-mail to Khun Supornchai Nawataweeporn at supornchai.nawataweeporn@plan-international.org by 14^th February 2021 at the latest.

Plan International, Thailand

14th Floor, 253 Sukhumvit 21 Road (Asoke), Klongtoey Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110

Tel. +66 (0) 2 2598284-6 Fax. +66 (0) 2 259 8218

Kindly be informed that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Closing Date               :      19 April 2026 (11:59 PM, Bangkok Time)