Strengthening the Institutionalization of Adolescent and Youth-Friendly Health Services in Pre- and In-service Training Programmes in East and Southern Africa

UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Office is seeking the services of a research institution/consultancy firm to support: a) data analysis, report writing and validation of findings from a Regional Assessment of the Status of Institutionalization of Adolescent and Youth-Friendly Health Service Delivery (AYFHS) in pre- and in-service training programmes for health providers in East and Southern Africa (ESA) region, b) organizing regional and national validation meetings; and c) development and validation of Regional Guidelines for Institutionalization and Scaling up of Adolescent and Youth-Friendly Health Services in East and Southern Africa in collaboration with the Regional Economic Communities in ESA (SADC, EAC, IGAD and COMESA).

1. Introduction       

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is the international development agency that promotes a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

UNFPA East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), in partnership with other UN agencies, civil society organizations, the East African Community (EAC)^[1], the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)^[2], Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)^[3] and the Southern African Development Community (SADC)^[4] promotes comprehensive adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health (ASRH), including HIV prevention, with the aim of harmonizing the legal and policy environment within all East and Southern African countries to protect the sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescents and young people.  The ESA Commitment on Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Youth-Friendly Services for Adolescents and Young People adopted  by Ministers of Health and Education from 20 ESA Countries in 2013 increased national level commitment and programming for young people in the ESA Region. The year 2015 also saw the passing of the landmark Agenda 2030, which includes the provision of sexuality education and services for young people, among other important issues. The ESA Commitment also responds to Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the regional push to achieve the Demographic Dividend by investing in the health, education, and employment of adolescents and young people in the region.

2. Background

The evidence presented by a 2013 regional diagnostic report on ASRH^[1] including comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) and adolescent and youth-friendly health service (AYFHS) delivery and country assessments from Malawi, Namibia and South Africa, suggest that many countries in the ESA Region have some form of policy or guidelines on providing youth-friendly services to adolescents. However, the quality and coverage of youth-friendly services in these countries vary, and many young people do not access these services. Insufficient budget and poor institutional capacities of government and other implementing agencies affect quality of national guidelines, training manuals and other relevant tools, service provider’s capacities and attitudes, and monitoring and evaluation of AYFHS. Also, a number of existing legislative and policy frameworks in many ESA countries continue to be barriers for young people’s access to SRH information and services. Even in countries where significant progress has been made regarding the development of AYFHS policies and standards, a lot remains to be done to institutionalize AYFHS into national health systems and ensure quality implementation at scale.

3. Rationale

In December 2013, Ministers of Education and Health from 20 ESA countries affirmed and endorsed their joint commitment to deliver Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services for young people (ESA Commitment). Two of the ESA Commitment targets are:

1. Pre- and in-service sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and CSE training for teachers and health and social workers is in place and being implemented;
2. Decrease the number of adolescents and young people who do not have access to youth-friendly SRH services by 50%. This includes equitable, accessible, acceptable, appropriate and effective services related to HIV.

In 2015, to advance the AYFHS component of the ESA Commitment and support the implementation of the two ESA Commitment targets on AYFHS mentioned above, UNFPA, with support from GIZ, undertook an assessment of the status of institutionalization of AYFHS training programmes for health service providers who are in-service or in pre-service training institutions. The assessment aimed to address the following:

1. The level of integration and delivery of adolescent and youth-friendly health services through the curricula of health provider training institutions especially in medical and nursing schools (pre-service training).
2. The extent to which adolescent and youth-friendly health services are integrated and delivered in continuing education programmes for health providers (e.g. nurses, midwives) (in-service training).
3. The alignment of national AYFHS pre- and in-service training curricula and materials with WHO Guidelines and the extent to which they are conferring adequate competencies to providers to enable them to address the sexual and reproductive health needs and rights of adolescents and young people.

The data collection and initial analysis was completed in 2015 and a draft report is available, awaiting finalization, review by the Regional Advisory Committee and validation by national and regional stakeholders.

Together with the findings from a complementary study to review the extent to which AYFHS guidelines and standards are applied to improve quality and coverage in the ESA region conducted by IPPF Africa Regional Office and UNFPA ESARO, the assessment will serve as a baseline. Preliminary findings from the two studies include the need to develop regional guidelines for institutionalizing quality AYFHS in the ESA region, which can then be adopted by the RECs, training institutions and Ministries of Health and Education in the ESA region.

4. Purpose

The purpose of the assignment is to finalize the Report from the Regional Assessment, validate this report and companion study report assessing the quality of AYFHS in 23 ESA countries and develop and validate regional guidelines for institutionalization and scale up of AYFHS in the ESA region.

5. Scope of work

a) Regional Assessment of the Status of Institutionalization of Adolescent and Youth-Friendly Health Service Delivery (AYFHS) in pre- and in-service training programmes for health providers in the East and Southern Africa (ESA) region:

• Review and finalize the Regional Report using data collected from interviews with trainees, trainers and representatives from nursing colleges, midwifery schools and medical schools, NGOs, government officials and other providers of pre- and in-service training for health care providers.
• Share the Report to Regional Advisory Committee and incorporate their comments.
• Organize and co-facilitate a regional validation meeting with national and regional stakeholders.

b) Validation of the Regional Report on Assessment of AYFHS Services in ESA Region in conjunction with the Report above and in partnership with UNFPA and IPPF Regional Office.

c) Regional guidelines for institutionalization and scale up of Adolescent and Youth-Friendly Health Services:

• Review the key findings from the two studies mentioned above and any other available literature on institutionalization of AYFHS in training institutions and other government programmes.
• Based on the evidence, develop a conceptual framework for the institutionalization of AYFHS and share with the Advisory Committee and UNFPA.
• Submit first draft Guidelines for feedback by UNFPA and Regional Advisory Committee.
• Finalize Regional Guidelines and organize a regional validation meeting in collaboration with UNFPA.
• Finalize and submit the final report to UNFPA.

6. Deliverables

• An inception report, detailing an initial assessment of the situation and task, process flow and timelines (work plan), and proposed outline for the Guidelines to ensure clear understanding of the scope of work and timely and quality deliverables.
• A validated Regional Report on Institutionalization of AYFHS in the ESA Region.
• Validated Regional Guidelines for Institutionalization and scale up of Adolescent and Youth-Friendly Health Services in the ESA Region.
• Reports of regional validation meetings.

The Research Institution or Consultancy firm is expected to be hired for 30 working days for the finalization and validation of the Regional Assessment of the Status of Institutionalization of Adolescent and Youth-Friendly Health Service Delivery (AYFHS) in Pre- and In-service Training Programmes for Health providers in the East and Southern Africa (ESA) Region; and 60 working days for the development, validation and finalization of the Regional Guidelines for Institutionalization and Scale up of Adolescent and Youth-Friendly Health Services.

The assignment is expected to commence on 1 July 2016 and the validated report will be finalized and submitted by 15 August 2016 and Guidelines completed and validated no later than 30 November 2016.

7. Evaluation criteria

The performance of the Research Institution or Consultancy firm will be measured against the following criteria:

• Timely submission of deliverables.
• Quality of deliverables.
• Effective and timely communication and professionalism especially in dealings with Advisory Committee members, UNFPA staff and partners and management of validation meetings.

Kindly note that UNFPA has the right to add other criteria to the ones listed above.

Payment will be done within 30 days of successful completion of each deliverable.

8. Organizational information

Under the overall guidance of the Director and Deputy Director of UNFPA Regional Office in East and Southern Africa, the Research Institution/Consultancy firm will report to UNFPA’s Regional ASRH Policy Advisor.

The Research Institution or Consultancy Firm is required to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa for the following meetings: a) Presentation and discussion of the Inception Report, b) for the meeting to discuss the Conceptual Framework of the Institutionalization Guidelines; and c) for the two validation meetings. The Consultancy Firm or the Research Institute will be responsible for the cost and arrangement of its travel and logistics in this regard.

9. Profile of the team working on the task

The Research Institution or Consultancy firm selected should ensure that the following competencies are represented in the team that will work on this task as evidenced by the CVs submitted with the proposal:

• A lead person with an advanced academic degree in a related field (preferably public health, epidemiology social sciences, education and/or international development).
• Extensive professional knowledge and at least 10 years’ experience in the field of adolescent and youth health programming, including youth-friendly service delivery, institutionalization of AYFHS or other reproductive health issues in pre- and in-service training programmes, and evidence on youth-friendly service delivery.
• Knowledge and experience of health systems strengthening of public health services and performance improvement principles.
• Evidence of having successfully conducted high quality research including data analysis, and writing clear and concise reports; documentation of similar regional assessments, and organizing consultative meetings.
• Proven experience with development of guidelines/standards in the area of sexual and reproductive health and preferably AYFHS.
• Related experience in the Africa Region highly desirable.
• Strong consultation and facilitation skills.
• Experience in involvement of diverse and inter-disciplinary stakeholders.
• Excellent writing and communication skill.
• Experience with development of infographics.
• Language skills in English, and preferably French and Portuguese.

10. Budget

Funds available for this assignment are $49,000.

11. Application Process by the Institution/Consultant(s)

Interested applicants are expected to submit their proposal to UNFPA as per directions provided.

The Proposal should cover the following areas:

• Brief description of the institution and the team’s qualifications: providing information that will facilitate our evaluation of your institution/team’s substantive reliability.
• Understanding of the requirements for services and the objective of this project, including assumptions: Include any assumptions as well as comments on the data, support services and facilities to be provided as indicated in the TOR or as you may otherwise believe to be necessary.
• Proposed Approach, Methodology, Timing and Outputs: any comments or suggestions on the TOR, as well as your detailed description of the manner in which your institution/team would respond to the TOR. You should include the number of person hours/days in each specialization that you consider necessary to carry out all work required.
• Proposed Team Structure: The composition of the team that you would propose to provide to the assignment, and the work tasks (including supervisory) which would be assigned to each.
• Proposed Team Members: Attach the curriculum vitae of the senior professional member of the team and members of the proposed team.
• Detailed description of your proposed deliverables.
• Detailed project plan (Gantt chart) showing the required resources and support from your institution/team as well as from UNFPA.
• Why you would be qualified for this project (Similar reference deliverables).
• A detailed budget

This information will later be used to put together the Inception Report by the winning bidder.

12. Evaluation of bids and award of contract

The evaluation of the Bids will be carried out in a two-step process by an evaluation panel, with evaluation of the Technical Bid being completed prior to any Financial Bid being opened and compared.

The Financial Bid will be opened only for those Bidders, where Technical Bids reach a minimum score of 70 points.

The total number of points a Bidder may obtain for Technical and Financial Bids is 100 points.

UNFPA intends to award the Contract for Professional Services to the Bidder(s) that obtains the highest combined score of the Technical and Financial evaluation.

UNFPA reserves the right to reject any Bid if the Bidder has previously failed to perform properly or on time in accordance with previous contracts/purchase orders or if the Bidder from UNFPA’s perspective is not in a position to deliver pursuant to the contract.

UNFPA reserves the right to annul the RFP and reject all Bids at any time prior to award of the contract without thereby incurring any liability to the affected Bidder(s) or any obligation to provide information.

Please see Annex 1 for Bid evaluation criteria and Annex II for Price Schedule Form

13. Submission, sealing, and marking of Bids

Electronic Bids may be submitted via email to jobs.esaro@unfpa.org

• Bidders must enter the following text in the subject line: UNFPA/AYFHS /RFQ/01/2016, Company Name, and specify “Technical Bid” or “Financial Bid”.
  
  • UNFPA/ AYFHS/RFQ/01/2016 [Company name], Technical Bid email X
  • UNFPA/AYFHS /RFQ/01/2016 [Company name], Financial Bid

Submissions without this text in the subject line may be rejected. Bids received at jobs.esaro@unfpa.org mailbox shall not be opened before the scheduled opening date. Sending the Bid to any other email address, including as a carbon copy (cc), will violate confidentiality and result in the invalidation of the Bid.

The total size of the email submission must not exceed 20 MB, including e-mail body, attachments, and headers.

Hard copy Bids may be delivered personally, by mail, or by courier.

Bidders must prepare one Original set of all Bid documents, In addition to the hard copy; Bidders should enclose their Bid documents in a USB or CD containing an electronic version of the Bid. In the event of a discrepancy between the electronic and the hard copy version, the hard copy document will govern. Please assure to use separate media (USB or CD) for the Technical Bid and Financial Bid

The outer envelope must be clearly marked with:

Any of the above options is acceptable and only one method is required. In accordance with UNFPA’s green procurement initiative, electronic submissions are strongly encouraged.

14. Deadline for submissions of bids

The deadline for submission of bids is 21 June 2016.

Bids received after the submission deadline shall be declared late, rejected and the supplier informed by UNFPA accordingly. UNFPA will not be responsible for Bids that arrive late due to the courier company and any other technical issues which are not within the control of UNFPA.

Please see the attached document for more details.