Background

TCI Foundation is the social arm of Transport Corporation of India Limited (TCIL). TCIL is a pioneer in the sphere of goods transit in India and is India's leading multi-modal integrated supply chain solutions provider.

As part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s India AIDS Initiative, Avahan, the TCI Foundation is implementing Project Kavach, a $12.26 million project initiated in January 2004, to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among long distance truckers in India. The project is presently operational at 19 large intervention locations across India.

Rationale of the Project

The unique challenges posed by the plethora of trucker-focused interventions in the country, the mobile nature of the population and the fragmented structure of the Indian transport industry explain why trucker interventions in India need a unique approach. TCI Foundation is attempting to address these issues by creatively deploying conventional business tools such as innovative communication and promotions to engage the trucker community, branding and merchandising to build a unique, highly recognizable programme identity and standardizing and scaling up service delivery across a network of major transshipment locations akin to the franchise business model. In order to achieve scale and visibility the programme plans to engage major corporates in the transport and related industries, as well as key stakeholders in the industry.

This programme employs a strong system of measurable indicators supplemented with regular survey-based mechanisms to monitor progress on major outcomes as well as a comprehensive evaluation plan to assess impact. A 17-member team operating out of Gurgaon (National HQ), Nagpur (Regional unit) and Bangalore (Regional unit) manages the project. The team is equipped with diverse skill sets including STI Management, Communication, M&E and Program Management.

In addition, the program has played a pivotal role in supporting the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) in their efforts to design and implement a large scale National Program for HIV prevention among truckers under National AIDS Control Program (NACP) III. TCI Foundation’s engagement with NACO is focused on ensuring a seamless transfer of the project’s learning, systems and tools to the National Trucker Program as and when it rolls out.

NACO, as part of its NACP III, has prioritized HIV prevention among truckers as a key programme component and intends to launch the trucker program as a single national-level project to target long-distance truckers. NACO proposes to set up a National Trucker Consortium to design, manage and monitor national trucker interventions to halt the spread of HIV among the truckers. TCI Foundation, in partnership with All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), has been selected by NACO to manage the National Consortium. Over the next couple of months, the team managing Kavach & Truckers TSG project will be around 40 - 45people.

Reason for Hire
TCI is looking to hire a Communication Officer, who will be responsible for designing & implementing communication strategies (Behavior Change Communication Strategies) for Kavach project & provide technical/capacity building support (in communication strategy development & implementation) to the Trucker TSG project.

Roles and Responsibilities
• Coordinating communication and promotional activities of the Kavach project
• Develop and implement effective communication strategies for the Trucker TSG project.
• Coordination with all regions and contractual agency for developing effective communication modules
• Provide technical assistance to contractual agency & NGOs for developing communication materials.
• Close working with regional offices and contractual agency to develop effective communication systems for targeted intervention.
• Raise the level of awareness among target population about HIV/AIDS.
• Develop and carry out research proposals and campaign impact evaluations on a cyclical basis.

Must have:
• Masters Degree in Mass Communication Studies, Social Sciences or any other discipline relevant to the position.
• At least 6 -7 years of experience with skills in designing &implementing communication strategies (Behavior Change Communication Strategies), preferably within the development sector.
• Excellent inter-personal skills & ability to work in partnership with multiple stakeholders/partners( like NGO’s, Government agencies, media/advertising agencies and research agencies),to help them design & implement communication modules & impact measurement systems(Technical Assistance)
• Ability to manage & monitor a communication budget.
• Willingness to undertake project travel.

Preferably:
• Experience of designing & implementing communication strategies for health programmes.

Location: Delhi/Gurgaon

Third Sector Partners, a leading CxO and board search firm in the Not for Profit sector has been retained by TCI Foundation. Interested candidates can send in their CVs along with three references and a covernote to application.co.tcif@gmail.com, priyanka@thirdsectorpartners.com or Contact us at: +91 22 6660 3558/6660 3559. The last date for submitting applications is 27th May 2009.