Toolkit on addressing adolescent pregnancy Consultancy, LACRO, Panama (home-based)

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Pregnancy in adolescence profoundly affects girls’ life trajectories. It hampers their psychosocial development, contributes to poor health outcomes for the girls and their babies, negatively affects their future educational and employment opportunities, and contributes to the perpetuation of intergenerational cycles of poor health and poverty.

Despite recent socioeconomic growth in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), regional adolescent fertility rates continue to be the second highest in the world, estimated at 51 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 years (SOWCR 2024), second only to Sub-Saharan African Latin America, adolescent pregnancy distribution is uneven between countries and within them. Significant inequalities persist in the rates of adolescent pregnancy, particularly among marginalized populations. Data from countries with national surveys show that girls from low-income families, with lower levels of education, of indigenous and Afro-descendant origin, have adolescent fertility rates up to four times higher compared to their counterparts from higher-income families, with higher education, non-indigenous, and non-Afro-descendant. These disparities reflect broader structural inequalities, including limited access to quality education, healthcare, and sexual and reproductive health services. Therefore, addressing adolescent pregnancy in these communities is not only a health issue but also a matter of social justice. Targeted interventions are essential to prevent adolescent pregnancies, particularly in Indigenous and Afro-descendant populations, by providing comprehensive sexual education, improving access to reproductive health services, and addressing the socio-economic factors that contribute to the vulnerability of these young girls. Working towards the prevention of adolescent pregnancy in these groups is crucial for reducing inequities and promoting long-term well-being and empowerment.

Pregnancy in adolescents under 15 years of age constitutes a particular health risk and a violation of girls ’rights according to the legislation in most countries of the region, leading to greater biological, psychological and social risks and consequences compared to pregnancy later in adolescence. Adolescent pregnancies are often unwanted and linked to situations of sexual violence, early marriages or forced unions. Moreover, early motherhood often reproduces the intergenerational cycle of poverty, low socioeconomic status and gender inequality and requires targeted support and care.

Harmful gender norms may limit girls’ future prospects to childbearing and mothering. Many adolescent girls’ pregnancies occur in the context of a marriage or union, where the expectation of early childbearing plays a significant role in the rate of pregnancies in adolescent girls. These social norms can be fatal as complications of pregnancy and childbirth are one of the lead causes of death in adolescent girls aged 15-19. Gender transformative programming that addresses harmful gender norms and practices, while creating sustainable societal change for adolescent girls is imperative for lowering rates of adolescent pregnancy and providing a different future for young girls and adolescents. The prevention and management of pregnancy is an inherently multisectoral issue involving several of UNICEF’s sectors, including health, education, gender, adolescent development and participation (ADAP), social and behavior change (SBC), communication, child protection and social protection. Addressing adolescent pregnancy in LAC is aligned with UNICEF’s global priorities and LACRO’s regional Office Management Plan (2022 – 2025) which specifically refers to developing regional guidelines to enable country offices to implement multisectoral approaches for the prevention and management of pregnancies in adolescent girls in the region.

This consultancy aims to develop a practical and user-friendly regional toolkit for COP to programme on adolescent pregnancy prevention. It is expected to contain useful resources, programming steps, checklists and real-life examples (case studies of good practices) that will enable UNICEF Country Offices (COs) to better design and implement multi-sectoral programmes to address adolescent pregnancy prevention with the involvement of all relevant sectors, considering a gender responsive adolescent health approach, and in coordination with governments, UN agencies, civil society and other partners, and based on the UNICEF LACRO adolescent pregnancy prevention regional document that includes and extensive literature and evidence review conducted in 2022.

While the primary target audience for the toolkit is UNICEF staff from Country Offices, feedback should be sought and incorporated from other relevant UN agencies in the region in consultation and coordination with the supervisor. The toolkit should take into account the diversity of the region and targeted interventions to prevent adolescent pregnancies, particularly in Indigenous and Afro-descendant populations and be disaggregated by age groups (10-14 and 15-19 years), and those which prevent and support girls in early union or child marriage, or/and girls who are survivors of sexual violence.

The toolkit is also expected to consider social norms in addition to Social norms, and consider the regional normative framework within key sectors In addition, and in line with the LAC regional adolescent girls acceleration plan, the consultant is expected to develop a comprehensive adolescent girl and boy regional service mapping and a policy brief to support the development of evidence-based targeted programmes, services and advocacy endeavors, providing a comprehensive overview and actionable recommendations.

UNICEF will provide key background documents on adolescent pregnancy that can form the basis of and/or inform the scope of the toolkit, including a regional and key sectorial document, and interagency documents The toolkit is envisaged to include an introduction with a brief issue and evidence summary on adolescent pregnancy in LAC; an overview of the toolkit and its intended use and target audience; programming cycle considerations/steps; and key actions and roles for the different relevant sectors (health, education, ADAP, child protection, gender, SBC, social protection, and communication). The toolkit is also expected to provide recommendations for good practices based on consultations with and the collection of case studies from UNICEF COs. The document will pay special attention to girls under 15 years of age and their needs. This guidance is envisaged to be utilized by UNICEF COs in their Country Programme Planning and annual work planning and should be aligned to the available services identified through the comprehensive adolescent regional service mapping to bolster and expand gender-responsive health services for adolescents. For more information about UNICEF and its work in the region, please visit: www.unicef.org/lac

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision from Regional Adolescent Health Specialist and with the support of sectoral focal points within UNICEF LACRO, develop a regional multi-sectoral toolkit and adolescent girl regional service mapping for UNICEF Country Offices in Latin America and the Caribbean to address the prevention and care of pregnancy in adolescent girls.

Key Activities/Tasks · Based on a review of key background documents on adolescent pregnancy provided by UNICEF (including literature/evidence review conducted in 2022, UNFPA 2024 regional adolescent pregnancy toolkit, WHO 2025 adolescent pregnancy guidelines), develop a detailed toolkit outline for feedback and subsequently a full draft toolkit for feedback and validation.

• Liaise with stakeholders and coordinate conference calls with UNICEF LAC Country Offices to identify enabling factors, good/promising practices, challenges/bottlenecks and lessons learned from the implementation of country level programmes/initiatives on adolescent pregnancy prevention and care in the region, and document this information as short case studies.
• In close coordination with the Gender Specialist and with the UNICEF LAC Country Offices, develop a comprehensive adolescent regional service mapping and a policy brief based on mapping findings to support the development of evidence-based targeted programmes, services and advocacy endeavors. The service mapping must be integrated into the toolkit structure, and guide proposed approaches.
• Conduct an on-line toolkit validation exercise with a regional group of adolescents (Youth Advisory Board) and UNICEF COs; · In coordination with the regional adolescent health specialist, prepare a PowerPoint presentation on adolescent pregnancy in LAC with an overview of the toolkit, aiming to disseminate the toolkit through a presentation in a regional webinar with UNICEF COs;
• Prepare a presentation on adolescent pregnancy and successful approaches/good practices from UNICEF COs to be used by UNICEF Regional Office during regional inter-agency stakeholder meeting on adolescent pregnancy
• Coordinate regular update meetings with the Adolescent Health Specialist and other LACRO staff when necessary.
• Submit the final versions of the toolkit, adolescent regional service mapping and the policy brief, incorporating comments and feedback received from the regional office technical specialist team and other UN agencies as well as through the CO and adolescent validation exercise.

Outputs / Deliverables

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Advanced university degree in a social science or related discipline such as public/global health, gender studies, sociology, psychology, anthropology.
• A master’s degree in public health, sexual reproductive health or human rights is desired.
• Minimum five (5) years of experience working on Adolescent health, Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and/or adolescent pregnancy programmes and policy implementation and evaluation.
• Previous experience working in LACRO and knowledge of the regional context in relation to Adolescent pregnancy interventions and policy frameworks.
• Experience implementing and/or evaluating multisectoral approaches or programmes for adolescents.
• Previous experience in developing guidelines and tools.
• Experience working with adolescent health or adolescent SRH initiatives is an asset.
• Experience working with the UN System and knowledge of UNICEF programmes is an asset.
• Knowledge of international development, humanitarian issues and children’s rights is an asset.

Skills and attributes desired:

• Understanding of public health systems and policies related to environment and health.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high quality, concise, analytical and insightful reports and presentations.
• Demonstrated ability to produce accessible advocacy documents.
• Proven ability to conceptualize, innovate, plan and execute ideas.
• Strategic thinking and critical analysis.
• Commitment and drive, with a clear focus on results.
• Ability to manage competing priorities under pressure, whilst maintaining attention to detail and meeting deadlines.

Languages:

• Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of other languages relevant to the LAC

region is an added advantage.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility jobs-near-me.org UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Administrative details

Workplace: The consultancy is home-based.

Duration: Estimated start date is June 20, 2025, until October 31, 2025.

How to Apply: Application should be submitted online and should include: TMS application from duly completed, Cover Letter, Study certificates and financial proposal (Daily fee or deliverable fee).

Qualified candidates are requested to indicate an all-inclusive (lump sum) fees for the services to be including all associated administrative and travel costs.

Consultants must have their own equipment, tools and materials needed to perform their services. They will use their own laptops/computers, any application or system needed to complete the assignment. They need to provide the full service without using UNICEF resources. The access to UNICEF email and system is restricted to UNICEF staff therefore consultants should not be granted access unless it is imperative to complete the assignment.

Travel

Travel is not foreseen for this consultancy. Should travel is requested, it will be covered by UNICEF as per policy.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

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