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Background and Justification
Adolescents (10-19 years) make up 18 percent of the total population of Lesotho. Like young people elsewhere, they face complex and changing environments. However, in Lesotho, many of their challenges are particularly acute and concerning, especially in the context of widespread poverty where 67.3 percent of adolescents aged 13-17 years are deprived in multiple dimensions of well-being such as healthcare, nutrition, education, safe water, housing and information.3
Lesotho has the second-highest HIV prevalence in the world. A quarter of its entire population is living with HIV/AIDS.4 While HIV related outcomes improved for other age groups, the rate of improvement has not translated for adolescents. Adolescents, and in particular girls, are especially at risk. Every week, 28 adolescent girls 10-19, and seven adolescent boys are newly infected with HIV.2 Comprehensive knowledge of HIV is also worryingly low among adolescents 35 percent for girls and 30 percent for boys. Overlapping risk factors such as high teenage pregnancies (1 in 5), early sexual debut (2 in 5), low contraception use, (1 in 5) and never testing for HIV (2 in 5) place adolescents in high risk of HIV. The nexus between HIV risk among adolescent girls and mother to child transmission of HIV are clear. Over 50 percent of all pregnancies in Lesotho are among adolescent girls, and young women (15-24) and 1 in 5 ANC attendees are adolescent girls 15-19.
2Gether4SRHR, a 4 year forty-five (45) million United States Dollar Joint UN regional programme funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, aims to strengthen integrated Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) HIV and SGBV services in East and Southern Africa. The programme combines the efforts of UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO, at the regional and country level. The programme has four key objectives and seven outputs against which joint regional and country work plans are developed, implemented and monitored. The programme works through supporting the efforts of the regional economic communities (REC), governments of the participating countries, civil society organizations (CSOs), networks of people living with HIV (PLHIV), adolescents and young people (AYP), men who have sex with men (MSM) and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex persons (LGBTQI) and sex workers (SWs) to improve the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of all people in East and Southern Africa.
Outcome four of 2Gether4SRHR focuses on applying lessons learned during implementation through documentation. It is against this background that UNICEF is seeking consultancy services to document the 2Gether4SRHR implementation achievements and service delivery models in Lesotho. While 2Gether4SRHR agencies have programme reports indicating promising achievements and best practices in the implementation of 2Gether4SRHR, there has not been proper documentation analyzing best practices and drawing lessons from the implemented high impact low-cost interventions on SRHR/HIV. It is, therefore, critical to tell the story of 2Gether4SRHR in Lesotho through documentation of best practices, lessons learned and innovations to inform advocacy and scaling up.
It is against this background, UNICEF is seeking consultancy services to assist with the documentation and telling the story of 2Gether4SRHR in Lesotho.
Scope of Work
Goal and Objective:
Under the overall guidance and supervision of the UNICEF HIV Specialist, with support from the Communications for Development (C4D) Specialist, Ministry of Health and the 2Gether4SRHR Agencies, the consultant will take stock of progress, document the stories and best practices, lessons learned from the implementation of 2Gether4SRHR as a programme to strengthen integrated Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights-HIV and SGBV services in Lesotho.
Specific Objectives:
To document the implementation of the 2Gether4SRHR through case studies, stories with focus on:
Lessons learned best practices and challenges in the implementation of 2Gether4SRHR and related SRHR/HIV and SGBV interventions.
developing an advocacy pack consisting of strategies and key messages for each target audience (e.g issue papers, human interest stories, pamphlet, district profiles) focusing on integrated SRHR/HIV and SGBV in order to inform government scale-up of 2Gether4SRHR interventions. The target audience for the advocacy package will be decision-makers, development partners, other partners including private sectors, media, and beneficiaries.
Producing a user-friendly report/document with clear action points, which will be used at different platforms by health facilities, program officers and decision-makers to inform evidence on high impact SRHR/HIV and SGBV interventions.
Provide details/reference to AWP areas covered:
The activity aligns to the rolling Workplan (2019-2021) signed by the Ministry of Health and UNICEF under output 2.1: Adolescents living with or at risk of HIV have increased capacity to demand quality prevention, identification, care, and support services.
Activities and Tasks:
The consultant will take stock of the implementation approach employed by the Ministry of Health and 2Gether4SRHR agencies (UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, UNAIDS), issues related to governance and accountability, identify partnerships that have contributed to the success of the approach and highlight stories which demonstrated delivery of quality integrated SRHR/HIV and SGBV services. The consultant will also identify advocacy and programming achievements highlighting best practices and key lessons learned, including the identification of gaps in implementation.
The process will entail desk review, key informant interviews and consultations with key stakeholders, a field visit to the ten 2Gether4SRHR districts/intermediate hospitals and communities, and production of the documentation package which will include a summary narrative report, at least 4-6 write-ups or scenarios that highlight best practices, innovations, and stories of impact.
The consultancy should document the key indicators for SRHR/HIV and SGBV in Âthe ten districts and demonstrate the improvement of these indicators from 2017 as a baseline to 2019 as follows:
Objective 1.
Number of national policies, strategies and guidelines developed/reviewed to incorporate harmonized regional standards on SRHR/HIV and SGBV in line with global, continental and regional commitments
Laws and policies that allow adolescents to access SRH services without third party authorization (late adolescents 15-19).
Objective 2.
Availability of national and subnational training curricula for health care workers (HCWs) that includes quality integrated SRHR/HIV and SGBV services.
Percentage of community health care workers in 5 focus districts trained in client-centered, integrated services.
Percentage of Health Facilities providing integrated services in 5 focus districts.
Percentage of obstetric and gynaecological admissions due to abortion in 5 focus districts. (Facility records for induced abortions).
Number of facilities in the 5 focus districts that provide tailored PMTCT/SRH services for pregnant adolescents and young women (Objective 3:
Number of organizations/associations/networks trained in community-facility linkages to promote demand for integrated SRHR HIV and SGBV services in focus districts
The consultancy should as much as possible determine what type of intervention package in descending order of impact on SRHR/HIV and SGBV are being implemented in the district, the existing gaps and give clear recommended strategies to address the gaps.
The consultant will also be expected to document how Ministry of Health and 2Gether4SRHR partners (UNICEF, UNFPA, WHO, UNAIDS) have used evidence to inform and develop Communication for development strategies using particularly the RMNCAH and N C4D strategy and how it can support integrated work around communication.
Outputs/Deliverables:
No.
Output
Deliverable
Weight (%)
Time frame
1
Desk review conducted and inception report produced indicating mapping and timeline of activities to be undertaken
Inception Report
20%
1 week
2
Interviews and Consultations with Key Stakeholders
Consultations Documented
–
1 week
3
Field visits collecting the voices, observations, interviews and stories
Draft Report consisting of 12 Human Interest Stories, and recommended strategies (as described under Specific Objectives)
30%
2 weeks
3
Submit the final user-friendly report, documentation/advocacy package based field and site visits & interviews (with stakeholders inputs)
Validation meeting report
30%
3 days
5
Final report and advocacy pack
Final report
20%
2 days
Desired profile
Masters Degree in a relevant field (e.g. public health, epidemiology/social services, or related, etc.).
At least a minimum 5 years’ experience working on SRHR/HIV and SGBV programming with an example of similar documenting work. Technical expertise in communication will be an added advantage.
Familiarity with various service delivery care models for SRHR/HIV and SGBV programming.
Experience in engaging and or leading consultations with national authorities in documentation and reporting processes.
Experience in developing reports, advocacy packages, case studies, policy briefs for a range of audiences including policymakers
Administrative issues
The candidate selected will be governed by and subject to UNICEF General Terms and Conditions for individual contracts
The Consultant will work on his/her own computer and use his/her own office resources and materials in the execution of this assignment. UNICEF will allocate office space for the consultant. The consultant fee shall be inclusive of all office administrative costs i.e (travel, living allowance, and visa fees)
The consultant will be engaged fulltime in the country. However, working days will be determined as per the prescribed duration of each deliverable.
The work of the consultant is full-time but is required to visit the ten districts for data collection and consultations. The consultant can work remotely with prior approval from the supervisor.
As per UNICEF policy, payment will be made against approved deliverables. Please also see UNICEF’s Standard Terms and Conditions attached
The consultant’s payment is as per deliverables and percentages inclusive of travel (a two-way travel based on economy class fares), in-country living allowance (40 days in-country presence) and professional fees; when the consultant is to travel outside Maseru and stay overnights, related Living allowance will be inclusive of the total contract value. UNICEF will provide transport for travel outside of Maseru.
As per UNICEF DFAM policy, payment is made against approved deliverables. No advance payment is allowed unless in exceptional circumstances against bank guarantee, subject to a maximum of 30 percent of the total contract value in cases where advance purchases, for example for supplies or travel, may be necessary.
Consultant will not be entitled to leave, however, unpaid day offs will be discussed and agreed with the supervisor
Payment Schedule
Deliverable
Payment percentage
Inception Report
20%
Draft Report consisting of 12 Human Interest Stories, and recommended strategies (as described under Specific Objectives)
30%
Validation meeting report
30%
Final and approved report
20%
How to Apply
Qualified candidates are requested to complete an application including profile to the respective advertisement on https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/ Please indicate your ability, availability,and financial proposal/quote to complete the terms of reference above. Additionally, applications should include a project plan, including a detailed proposed methodology, outlining how all activities and deliverables will be completed.
Rates must include all expenses related to the assignment (e.g. consultancy fee, travel/flights, living allowance).
Applications submitted without a fee/rate or project plan will not be considered.
If you have not been contacted within 2 months of the closing date please accept that your application was unsuccessful. Regret emails will be sent only to shortlisted/contacted candidates.
The five focus districts are: Mokhotlong, Botha -Bothe, Quthing Thaba-Tseka and Leribe
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
Remarks:
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization. To apply, click on the following link http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=526343