International Consultancy: 2023 Menstrual Health Symposium Technical Briefs
Duty Station: Consultancy to be remote work
Duration of contract and timelines: 50 working days to be undertaken within 3 months
Deadlines for applications: 10 February 2022, 17h00 NY time
Purpose of consultancy:
Girls and women should be provided with the necessary information, resources, skills, social support, and water, sanitation, waste disposal and health services to manage their menstrual needs and other types of vaginal bleeding. Menstrual health is key for girls and women’s bodily autonomy including health, well-being, mobility, educational and economic empowerment, and dignity. Yet many girls, women and people who menstruate in Africa, especially those who live in poor areas and are affected by political, health, economic and social emergencies, have limited access to age-appropriate information, services and products to maintain their menstrual health.
Today many countries in Africa are moving towards more holistic responses to Menstrual Health (MH). Efforts are being undertaken to ensure that the focus on MH is expanded from product availability as a stand-alone solution to integrated, cross-sectoral policy and programmatic responses, including health, gender, social protection, education and water and sanitation sectors. These efforts are situated within the MH multi-sectoral policies and programmes in development as well as humanitarian settings - throughout the reproductive life course, from menarche to menopause. Despite these positive developments, in many countries across Africa, these efforts lack coherence and evidence to provide a complete picture of MH-related interventions and guide their efficiency and effectiveness.
The evidence synthesised through this activity will form the basis for comprehensive, technical briefs which can assist with the shaping of the 9 thematic sessions at the 2023 Africa Menstrual Health Symposium while including key questions and possible recommendations to be discussed by thematic experts. In addition to that, the technical briefs will inform partners to advocate for improved MH policies and programming in their specific country contexts. The technical briefs will also recommend ways to better integrate MH into programme planning and implementation. Further, the technical briefs will address the knowledge gap in the 9 thematic areas and how relevant stakeholders can collectively address such gaps.
It is against this background that UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency is engaging an international consultant to
assist in the development of technical briefs on 9 MH thematic areas that will guide the designing of the upcoming 2023 Africa Menstrual Health Symposium:
- SRHR
- Climate Change and reliance
- Humanitarian settings
- Human Rights
- Products, Standards and Value Chain
- Education
- Water, Sanitation and Waste Disposal
- Research, Monitoring and Evaluation
- People Living with Disabilities and marginalised Groups
Objectives of the consultancy: To develop technical briefs on 9 MH thematic areas that will guide the design of the upcoming 2023 Africa Menstrual Health Symposium.
Specific objectives:
- Review local, regional, sub-regional and global evidence (published and grey literature) on effective strategies and interventions for the integration of menstrual health into the 9 thematic areas.
- Review national policies and strategies on MH and their scope in relation to the identified MH thematic areas.
- Review global guidelines developed by UNFPA and partners for integration of MH into SRHR and the extent to which they address the 9 thematic areas
Develop 9 technical briefs on the integration of MH into each identified thematic area. Each technical brief should include policy, program guidance, and identify any gaps that need to be addressed.
Scope of Work
The consultant is expected to:
- Undertake a desk review of evidence on effective strategies and resources for integration of MH into the above 9 thematic areas, policies and programming throughout the reproductive life course, both in development and humanitarian contexts; such as
- Synthesise evidence on the extent to which current public infrastructure (for example schools or health facilities) is appropriately equipped in regard to MH sanitary requirements
- Synthesize existing evidence on the link between MH and school drop-out rates, including interventions to keep girls in school.
- Review existing guidance and other resources produced by UNFPA and other partners working to support the integration of MH policies and programmes into the identified thematic areas;
- Identify key lessons learned, gaps and possible recommendations in existing policy and programmatic responses to the integration of MH into thematic areas policies and programmes throughout the reproductive life course, both in development and humanitarian contexts to inform the development of the 9 technical briefs; and
Develop 9 thematic technical briefs and a summary technical brief that encompasses all the 9 thematic areas which will cover the Africa region for all countries covered by UNFPA ESARO, ASRO and WCARO.
Duration and working schedule:
The consultancy is for a total of 50 working days to be undertaken within 3 months from the day of contract signature.
Place where services are to be delivered:
This is a home-based assignment
Delivery dates and how work will be delivered:
- Inception report - including proposed detailed methodology and tools for literature search, review and synthesis and an annotated table of contents for the technical briefs and the overall summary brief (5 days);
- Desk review of evidence on the 9 thematic areas and their intersection with menstrual health throughout the reproductive life course, both in development and humanitarian contexts, gaps and lessons learned, and summary of key resources (20 days);
- First Draft of the 9 technical briefs, an overall summary brief and master PPT (15 days); and
- Final 9 technical briefs, final summary brief and final PowerPoint to be presented at the African Menstrual Health Symposium in 2023 (10 days).
|
Deliverable |
Time frame of delivery |
Payment % |
|
Inception report |
24 February 2023 |
10% |
|
Desk review |
20 March 2023 |
15% |
|
Final 9 Technical briefs |
15 April 2023 |
35% |
|
Final 1 Summary brief and PPT |
30 April 2023 |
40% |
All documents collected, analysed and generated for the purpose of this assignment are to be submitted to UNFPA ESARO in electronic copies.
The consultant is expected to create, share with ESARO and maintain a google drive with all relevant resource documents and draft reports collected or prepared by the consultant for this assignment.
Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:
The consultant is expected to strive to complete the assignment within the set deadlines as per the timelines indicated in this TOR and further agreed upon during the inception phase.
At least Six meetings will be needed with UNFPA technical focal points. The schedule is to be determined in consultation with the two parties.
Supervisory Arrangements:
The consultant is expected to work under the guidance of and daily supervision of the Youth Team Lead and the Youth Specialists (and or SRH team as appropriate) from the regional offices of East and Southern Africa and West and Central Africa alongside the Coordinator for the African Coalition for Menstrual Health. The consultant is also expected to collaborate with the UNFPA HQ, country offices and external partners
Expected Travel: None
Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:
Education:
- Master’s Degree in public health, medicine, gender or social sciences studies; demography or equivalent.
Experience and qualifications:
- A minimum of 10 years of international experience from working with public health, sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, health promotion or in a related field;
- Extensive knowledge of current evidence on what works on menstrual health throughout the reproductive life course, both in developing and humanitarian contexts;
- Comprehensive experience in conducting systematic literature reviews and analyses;
- Proven experience in developing technical briefs/guidance documents in the area of MH integration or related fields;
- Proficiency in English
- Working knowledge of French and Portuguese is an asset.
Other Relevant Information
- Please submit your application with a detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) and motivational letter to jobs.esaro@unfpa.org. Please specify in the email subject “International Consultancy – Menstrual Health”.
- UNFPA does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training) or other fee, or request information on applicants’ bank accounts.
- UNFPA will only respond to those applicants in whom the Regional Office has further interest. In the event that UNFPA does not contact you by the end of March 2023, please consider your application unsuccessful.
How to apply:
Interested applicants should send a short letter of motivation and a detailed CV with the subject clearly stated "International Consultant - Menstrual Health Symposium" to jobs.esaro@unfpa.org.
Your CV should highlight relevant experience in delivering similar work with relevant links. UNFPA will only respond to those applicants in whom we have further interest
Application Deadline: 10 February 2023 17h00 NY Time
The United Nations does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training) or another fee, or request information on applicants’ bank accounts or HIV status.
We are no longer accepting applications for this position.
