International Consultant – Technical Specialist in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Family Planning

Hiring Office:

UNFPA Timor-Leste Country Office, Dili

Purpose of consultancy:

International Individual Consultant-SRH-FP Technical Specialist to develop FP Guideline

Background

Family planning (FP) is a critical aspect of reproductive health, contributing significantly to improved maternal and child health, gender equality, and sustainable development. It is essential that FP services are accessible, equitable, and responsive to the needs of individuals and communities. However, Timor-Leste currently lacks a national family planning guideline, leaving a gap in structured guidance for service providers.

This consultancy aims to develop a comprehensive FP guideline for Timor-Leste that aligns with international best practices, adheres to human rights principles, and meets the country’s specific healthcare needs. By addressing existing gaps in FP services, the guideline will help improve access to high-quality, culturally sensitive family planning services. It will provide healthcare providers with the necessary tools and frameworks to deliver effective and equitable care, particularly in underserved and remote areas.

The development of this guideline will involve desk review, a stakeholder consultation, and a draft document that is contextually relevant to Timor-Leste’s population. The guideline will include recommendations for service delivery, contraceptive methods, counseling approaches, and integration with other reproductive health services. It will also establish mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation to ensure the guideline’s effectiveness and impact.

The objectives of this consultancy

The objectives of this consultancy are to:

• Develop a comprehensive and user-friendly Family Planning (FP) guideline for healthcare providers.
• Ensure the guideline aligns with global best practices, national policies, and human rights-based approaches to reproductive health.
• Provide recommendations for the integration of FP services into broader healthcare systems, ensuring accessibility and equity for all populations.

Scope of work:

(Description of services, activities, or outputs)

1. Review of Existing FP Guidelines and Resources
   1. Conduct a review of existing national, regional, and international FP guidelines, policies, and frameworks, especially Timor-Leste FP policy
   2. Identify gaps in FP policy and evaluate their relevance to local health systems and community needs.
   3. Review best practices in the delivery of family planning services and human rights-based approaches to FP.
2. Development of FP Guidelines
   1. Develop detailed FP guidelines, ensuring they align with national health strategies and policies.
   2. The guidelines should cover the following key areas:
      1. Eligibility for FP Services: Access for married and married adolescent populations.
      2. Contraceptive Methods: Detailed descriptions of available methods, their benefits, side effects, and counseling points for each.
      3. Quality of Care Standards: Guidelines on the delivery of services, including counseling, client privacy, informed consent, and confidentiality.
      4. Integration with Other Services: Integration of FP services with maternal health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and gender-based violence services.
      5. Adolescent and Youth-Friendly Services: Special considerations for adolescents and youth, including confidentiality, access, and gender-sensitive approaches.
      6. Community Engagement: Strategies for raising awareness and promoting FP use within communities.
      7. Task sharing and task shifting: strategy on task sharing and task shifting of nurses, midwives, doctors and community health workers
      8. Human Resources and Capacity Building: Training requirements for healthcare providers.
      9. Monitoring and Evaluation: strategy for monitoring and tracking service delivery, use of contraceptive methods, and program impact.
3. Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement
   1. Engage with key stakeholders, including government agencies, healthcare providers, non-governmental organizations, and community representatives.
   2. Organize workshops or meetings to gather feedback and ensure the guideline addresses the needs of various stakeholders, particularly healthcare providers and clients.
   3. Incorporate feedback and input from relevant experts in the field of reproductive health and family planning.
4. Development of Implementation and Monitoring Tools
   1. Develop tools or recommendations for the implementation of the guidelines, including training materials, monitoring frameworks, and evaluation tools.
   2. Ensure that the guidelines include practical, actionable steps for healthcare providers and administrators.
5. Validation of the Guidelines
   1. Pilot the draft guidelines with a selected group of healthcare providers and gather feedback to refine and finalize the document.
   2. Organize a validation workshop to finalize the guidelines with key stakeholders.
6. Finalization and Delivery
   1. Revise the guidelines based on feedback from the validation process.
   2. Prepare and deliver the final version of the FP guidelines in a format suitable for distribution to healthcare providers, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders.

Duration and working schedule:

The consultancy is expected to take 40 days started from the signing of the contract, with the following key milestones:

• Inception and Review of Existing Guidelines: (Start Date) to (End Date)
• Development of Draft Guidelines: (Start Date) to (End Date)
• Stakeholder Consultation and Feedback: (Start Date) to (End Date)]
• Pilot Testing and Validation: (Start Date) to (End Date)
• Finalization and Submission of Guidelines: (End Date)]

Place where services are to be delivered:

Remote and 5 days travel to Timor-Leste

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.):

The deliverables will be delivered in electronic copy to UNFPA. Deliverables as follow:

Description

Duration

Percentage of Payment

1. Inception Report: A report outlining the consultant’s methodology, work plan, and timeline for developing the FP guidelines.

5 days

0

2. Draft Family Planning Guidelines: A comprehensive draft of the FP guidelines, including all relevant sections and preface, acknowledgement, forward from Minister or DG

20 days

0

3. Stakeholder Consultation Report: A report summarizing the stakeholder consultations, feedback, and how it was incorporated into the guidelines.

5 days

0

4. Final Family Planning Guidelines: incorporate all the findings from the consultative workshop. The finalized FP guidelines document, ready for dissemination.

5 days

0

5. Implementation and Monitoring Tools: Tools and frameworks for the implementation and monitoring tool for the guidelines, including evaluation tools.

5 days

0

Payment methods

Lump sum upon completion of the guideline

100%

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

The RHA with the UNFPA SRH team will monitor progress of the tasks mentioned above and ensure the draft development of the document meets the scope of work for this consultancy.

Supervisory arrangements:

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Assistant Country Representative and work closely with the SRH team.

Expected travel:

No travel is required

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:

Minimum educational qualifications and working experience:

The consultant should have the following qualifications and experience:

• Educational Background:
  • A postgraduate degree in Public Health, Reproductive Health, Health Policy, Family Planning and or a related field.
• Relevant Experience:
  • At least 5 years of experience in reproductive health, family planning, or related fields, with specific experience in the development of health guidelines or policies.
  • Experience working in Timor-Leste or similar low-resource settings is highly desirable.
  • Familiarity with international guidelines and best practices in family planning, including WHO, UNFPA, and other relevant frameworks.
• Skills and Competencies:
  • Strong analytical and writing skills, with the ability to produce high-quality, evidence-based documents.
  • Excellent communication and facilitation skills, with experience in stakeholder consultation and working with diverse groups.
  • Experience in stakeholder engagement and consultation, with a proven ability to facilitate discussions and incorporate diverse perspectives.
• Language: Fluent in English

Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g., support services, office space, equipment), if applicable:

• UNFPA will support resource materials, and reference documents if require

Other relevant information or special conditions, if any:

Candidates are expected to send only their cover letter, P11 and financial proposal to the email address: timor-leste.office@unfpa.org

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