National consultancy for the Development of Student Health Card for the School Health Service Initiative in Mongolia

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Purpose of the consultancy: 

The primary purpose of this consultancy is to develop a comprehensive Student Health Card as part of the School Health Service (SHS) initiative in Mongolia. The Student Health Card will serve as a key tool for monitoring and documenting students' health status, including Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, menstrual health, sexual and reproductive health, and other critical health indicators. The consultant will be responsible for designing the health card, ensuring its alignment with national health standards, and integrating it into the existing school health services framework.

Scope of work:

In recent years, the Government of Mongolia has made significant strides in enhancing school health services as part of its broader commitment to improving the overall health and well-being of children and adolescents. These efforts align with national health priorities and international commitments to ensure that every child has access to comprehensive healthcare services within the educational environment.

One of the key developments in this area is the recent amendment to the Education Law, particularly clause 28.10, approved in June 2023. This amendment marks a crucial step toward establishing a robust school-based health monitoring and surveillance system. It underscores the government's recognition of the vital role that schools play in the early detection and management of health issues, as well as in promoting preventive health measures among students. Additionally, the Government has begun equipping secondary schools with medical doctors to enhance school health services.

Despite these advancements, significant gaps remain in the standardization and systematic implementation of school health services across the country. The absence of a unified school health policy and comprehensive monitoring tools has hindered the ability to consistently track and address the health needs of students. 

To address these gaps, UNFPA, in collaboration with key partners including UNICEF, the Ministry of Health (MoH), and the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES), conducted a thorough assessment of the current state of School Health Services (SHS) in Mongolia in early 2024. The findings highlighted the urgent need for a standardized approach to health monitoring in schools, emphasizing the use of student health cards as a critical tool for systematically documenting and managing student health data.

The development of a Student Health Card is essential to ensure that every secondary school student’s health status is effectively monitored, particularly in key areas such as vaccinations, menstrual health, and sexual and reproductive health and nutrition, menstrual health. The card will facilitate early detection and intervention and support the integration of health data management within the broader school health services framework. This initiative is crucial for laying the foundation for a life of health and well-being for all children in Mongolia, ensuring that health services within schools are comprehensive, consistent, and inclusive.

Given the recent legislative changes and the findings of the SHS assessment, there is a clear and pressing need to develop and implement a Student Health Card system. This tool will play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality and effectiveness of school health services, helping to bridge the gap between policy and practice, and ensuring that all secondary school students, regardless of their location, benefit from a coordinated and holistic approach to healthcare within the school setting.

Therefore, UNFPA Mongolia is seeking a National Consultant to develop a comprehensive Student Health Card.  

The selected consultant is responsible for: 

Development of the Student Health Card:

• Design a comprehensive Student Health Card that includes sections for vaccinations, mental health screening, nutrition status, menstrual health tracking, sexual and reproductive health, and other key health indicators.
• The card development will follow the WHO School Health Services (SHS) benchmark as a guiding standard, ensuring alignment with international best practices while being adapted to Mongolia's specific context and the findings from the 2024 school health assessment.
• The design will also incorporate a forward-looking approach, allowing for the expansion of the card’s scope to include additional health indicators and services as part of a future comprehensive school health program, using the WHO SHS benchmark as a guiding standard.
• Ensure that the card integrates with the school health information systems, facilitating efficient data management and systematic health monitoring for students.

Stakeholder Engagement and Training:

• Conduct consultations with key stakeholders, including school medical personnel, educators, and healthcare providers, to gather input on the design and implementation of the Student Health Card.
• Ensure that the design and use of the Student Health Card include strict data protection measures to safeguard sensitive student health information, in compliance with international data privacy standards.
• Develop training materials and conduct training sessions for school doctors on the use of the Student Health Card.

Integration and Implementation Planning:

• Develop a detailed plan for the integration of the Student Health Card into the existing school health services, with the flexibility to align with the comprehensive school health services framework that will be developed in the future. This plan should include timelines, training needs, and monitoring mechanisms.
• Work with UNFPA, UNICEF, and other partners to pilot the Student Health Card in selected schools, using the existing school health services as a foundation, while allowing for adjustments as the comprehensive framework is developed.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Establish monitoring and evaluation criteria to assess the effectiveness of the Student Health Card.
• Develop tools for tracking the usage of the Student Health Card and collecting feedback from users to inform future improvements.

Reporting:

Prepare a final report summarizing the outcomes of the consultancy, including recommendations for the full-scale implementation of the Student Health Card.

Duration and working schedule:

The consultancy period is scheduled for 90 non-consecutive days from November 11, 2024 to May 10, 2025.

The consultancy will be conducted over six months, beginning on November 11, 2024, and concluding on May 10, 2025. The consultant will work closely with UNFPA Mongolia and Government stakeholders, particularly the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, throughout this period.

Place where services are to be delivered: UNFPA country office, Mongolia 

Deliverables and Due Dates:

1. Inception Report: By November 20, 2024
2. Draft of Student Health Card: By December 15, 2024
3. Integration and Implementation Plan: By December 30, 2024
4. Stakeholder Consultation and Training Materials: By January 10, 2025
5. Final Student Health Card and Implementation Plan: By January 30, 2025
6. Final Report (in both English and Mongolian): By February 20, 2025

Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format, and deadline:

Under the direct supervision of the UNFPA Programme Analyst for Adolescents and Youth, the consultant will closely work with the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Programme team. Reporting requirements, formats, and deadlines will be finalized during the initial briefing session. The reporting process will include weekly updates provided by the consultant via email, highlighting progress made in delivering the agreed-upon outcomes, as per the jointly approved template at the commencement of the consultancy. The Student Health Card will undergo a review conducted by a working group composed of representatives from UNFPA, UNICEF, MoH, MoE, and other stakeholders. Feedback received during the review process will be incorporated, leading to the finalization and approval of the Student Health Card.

Supervisory arrangements: 

The National Consultant will report directly to the Programme Analyst for Adolescents and Youth.

Expected travel: None

Required expertise, qualifications, and competencies, including language requirements:

Education:

Master’s  degree in Public Health, Medicine, Health Information Systems, 

Experience:

• At least 5 years of experience in public health, with a focus on health monitoring systems, sexual and reproductive health, or adolescent health.
• Proven experience in developing and implementing health tracking tools or health information systems.
• Experience working with educational institutions and understanding the integration of health services within schools.

Language:

• Proficiency in Mongolian and English, both written and spoken.

Competencies:  

• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with experience in training and capacity-building initiatives.

It is anticipated that the consultancy will be governed by an individual consultancy contract under standard UNFPA terms and conditions. UNFPA will pay a consultancy fee according to the current UNFPA-approved schedule of rates at a level to be negotiated.

Logistical arrangements:

The UNFPA Country Office (CO) will be responsible for arranging all logistical matters related to the workshop, including venue, stationery, and refreshments. The CO will provide support in organizing meetings with key government agencies and other stakeholders.

Schedule of Payments:

1. The first installment of 40% of the consultancy fees will be provided upon acceptance of the inception report.
2. The second installment of 30% of the consultancy fees will be provided after the submission draft of student health card and integration and implementation plan. 
3. The final installment of 30% of the consultancy fees will be provided upon acceptance of the final report by UNFPA.

Payments will be made upon satisfactory completion of deliverables, as verified by UNFPA. The consultancy fee will be negotiated based on the consultant's proposed daily rate. UNFPA reserves the right to withhold up to 30% of the total fee if deliverables are not submitted on schedule or do not meet the required standard.

UNFPA reserves the right to withhold up to 30% of the total fee in case the deliverables are not submitted on schedule or do not meet the required standard. Copyright and ownership of all documents produced will remain with UNFPA.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.