Joel Suzi

Dynamic and results-driven social and behaviour change (SBC) and programmes strategist with 10+ years' progressive experience supporting and leading high-impact evidence-based, multi-pronged (community, interpersonal and societal) SBC within complex public health and development programme contexts across government, international NGO and UN ecosystems in Malawi. Multifaceted expertise working with multidisciplinary teams and engaging government institutions, NGOs, UN agencies, community structures, and civil society organizations in supporting evidence gathering, iterative strategy development, and coordinated implementation of proven and innovative SBC interventions focusing on addressing normative and social risk factors around various key health and socio-economic challenges including child marriage, gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive rights, and HIV prevention among adolescent girls, young women, women, people living with disabilities, and other marginalized populations. Adept at developing and delivering capacity strengthening initiatives to improve delivery of quality SBC programs and campaigns and producing high-quality multimedia communication and knowledge products for diverse audiences.

Committed to rights-based, gender-transformative and cultural-sensitive programming that achieves measurable results.

Technical Assistant, Health Sector Governance (seconded to the Ministry of Health) - Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) - Lilongwe, Malawi

(2025-05)

• Contributed to cross-sectoral engagement of departments and partners on social determinants of health, including alignment of gender equality and social inclusion considerations within health sector strategies and the One Health Policy and the review of the Public Health Act.
• Develops periodic technical reports, briefs, and presentations.
• Managing coordinating unit of health sector technical working groups, guiding their effective functionality based on the 2025 functional review.
• Supporting development of the donor funding requests and assessment of funding opportunities.

Deputy Chief of Party - Palladium (USAID MOMENTUM I Project) - Lilongwe, Malawi

(2022-11 - 2025-03)

Led the design and implementation of integrated SBC and service delivery interventions addressing harmful socio-ecological factors and promoting health-seeking behaviours among women, adolescents, youth and other marginalized populations focusing on sexual and reproductive health rights, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH), nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, and public health emergencies.

• Coordinated implementation at national, district and community levels – facilitated collaboration ad coordination with government department, donors, implementing partners, district councils, community structures, and other stakeholders throughout the program cycle.
• Guided application of social and behaviour science methodologies, including behavioural insights, risk analysis, gender analysis, human-centered design in coordinating designing of strategies and interventions to transform norms and mobilize community action.
• Guided integration of gender equality and social inclusion considerations into SBC strategy design and implementation processes.
• Designed monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEAL) frameworks and tools for data collection, tracking and assessing fidelity and quality of implementation, and impact of interventions to support evidence-based decision-making for ongoing program improvement.
• Designed and coordinated delivery of tailored SBC capacity strengthening (training, coaching and mentorship) initiatives for project staff, government staff, implementing partners and community volunteers.
• Produced technical reports, program briefs, presentations and other strategic documents and knowledge products for various stakeholders.
• Represented the project at regional, national and subnational engagements.

Country Programme Manager – Global Fund Strategic Initiative - UNAIDS - Lilongwe, Malawi

(2021-09 - 2022-11)

• Led national baseline assessment and supported the Ministry of Health, Malawi National AIDS Commission, UNFPA and partners to review and strengthen service delivery and SBC strategies to promote social and behavior change around HIV and sexual and reproductive health.
• Produced program and research data insights, prepared and delivered advisory briefs to the Ministry of Health and the National AIDS Commission on review of SBC strategies and interventions on HIV prevention.
• Coordinated multi-level implementation support and coordinated subnational engagement with district and community structures to strengthen coherence and reach of interventions.
• Prepared technical reports and delivered presentations to program stakeholders on progress of implementation, emerging lessons and recommendations for improvement.
• Represented the UNAIDS Country Office in national, regional and global technical engagements.

Deputy Chief of Party/Technical Director - FHI360 (USAID Health Communication for Life Project) - Lilongwe, Malawi

(2018-09 - 2021-08)

Led the design and coordinated multi-level implementation of a US$25M integrated national social and behavior change (SBC) campaign, guiding application of theoretical and experiential programmatic insights to improve knowledge and shift attitudes and practices relating to maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH), water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH), nutrition, and COVID-19.

• Guided integrating child marriage prevention, gender equality, youth engagement, and social inclusion of marginalized populations within program frameworks and implementation processes.
• Co-facilitated review of the National Health Communication Strategy and National COVID-19 Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Strategy.
• Supported research, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEAL) functions (including data quality assessments, performance reviews and evidence synthesis) for program performance management and informing national decision-making in program review and management meetings.
• Designed and delivered tailored training, coaching and mentorship for government, partner and project staff on identified technical capacity needs on social and behavior change programming.

Head of Social and Behaviour Change Interventions - Malawi National AIDS Commission - Lilongwe, Malawi

(2015-11 - 2018-09)

Successfully provided overall technical and policy direction to government, donors and implementing partners of gender-responsive and socially inclusive SBC strategies addressing harmful social norms and other socio-ecological risk factors around HIV prevention and uptake of treatment focusing adolescents, youth, women, and key populations.

• Coordinated development, review and dissemination of national strategic frameworks, strategies, implementation tools & guidelines on SBC programming.
• Coordinated national partnerships and technical working groups targeting adolescents, youth, women, and key populations.
• Supported synthesis of research and programme evidence to inform national strategies, ensuring evidence-based SBC programming.

Team Leader, Social and Behavior Change Communications - Johns Hopkins University – Centre for Communication Programs (USAID SSDI-Communication Project) - Lilongwe, Malawi

(2013-06 - 2015-10)

• Successfully provided overall technical oversight on planning, designing and implementation of social and behavior change programming focusing on reproductive, maternal and child health, HIV, WASH, and nutrition
• Provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Health in the design and rollout of Malawi's first National Health Promotion Policy and the National Health Communication Strategy.
• Facilitated development and rollout of the gender integration toolkit for implementing organizations and community structures.
• Led the design and implementation of operation research to inform the design and ongoing improvement of evidence-based SBCC activities, including operation research, implementation science and review of program data.
• Coordinated capacity strengthening of local organizations through participatory training and mentorship in SBCC programming.
• Provided implementation capacity supported to subgrantee local organizations through training and mentorship.

Consultant – Sanitation Marketing Specialist - Malawi Government, World Bank, Malawi Water and Sanitation Program Project

(2024-07)

Leading development of social and behavior change strategy for sanitation marketing

Consultant – SBC Subject Matter Expert - Project Last Mile, Global Technology & Environment Foundation, The Coca-Cola Foundation

(2022-08 - 2022-12)

Designed a social marketing campaign to improve acceptance and uptake of COVID-19 vaccine in Malawi

MSc - Public Health Management - James Lind Institute (2024 - 2026)

MA - Communication for Development - University of Malawi (2005 - 2007)

BA - Humanities - University of Malawi (2000 - 2004)