Purpose of consultancy: Conducting “GCC REGION COVID-19 impact on SRH & Rs STUDY WITH A FOCUS
ON WOMEN AND ADOLESCENT GIRLS”

Scope of work (Description of services, activities, or outputs):
• The consultant /consulting company has to undertake the following tasks:
• Review of impacts on costing, budgeting and financing for reproductive health services targeting women and adolescent girls within each country development context in the GCC region.
• Highlight the impact of the pandemic on UNFPA’s mission to accelerate implementation of global and regional commitments for universal access to SRHR.
• Provide a holistic situation analysis of the SRH services in the countries of the region, and highlight the gaps made due to the pandemic.
• Provide qualitative and quantitative analytical review of the accessibility of the SRH&Rs of women and adolescent girls in the region based on figures provided by official entities and RCOs, as well as other official partners.
• Develop a risk analysis matrix related to the impact of the pandemic on this area of work.
• Develop a statistical and narrative knowledge product that can guide the future interventions of UNFPA GCC with the respective government entities to mitigate the impact
of the pandemic on this critical area of UNFPA mandate.
• Analyze the magnitude of the impact in an analytical approach, and triangulate data that highlights the effect of the current situation on the MoHs undertakings in light of the ICPD25 and the Nairobi Summit Declaration.
• Identify and review the extent to which the national RMNCAH, ASRHR, school health and maternal health strategies and plans reflect the SRHR needs of women and adolescent girls, as defined in the ICPD PoA, the Lancet-Guttmacher Commission on SRHR and/or RMNCAH/SRHR strategy (depending on the country under review).
• Assess the extent to which the above strategies and plans have been impacted and derive these conclusions supported by statistics and real-time data provided by the respective
partners and stakeholders.
• Discuss the findings with national CS constituencies and other relevant stakeholders for more information and findings check.

Duration and working schedule: The expected time of the contract is 4 months, 80 WDs (tentative). The consulting firm/consultant has to follow the following table of work schedule
Tentative date Deliverable/milestone
12.5.2021 Provide LoI and understanding of the mission(3 pages max)
20.5.2021 Sign of the contract

1.6.2021 Provide a work plan, inception report including activities sketch, set of deliverables and list of study tools, questions, stakeholders and interviewees mapping, data collection methods..etc (10 page max)
01.8.2021 First draft of the study with list of annexes and set of initial recommendations
20.8.2021 Final copy of the regional study with its annexes
01.9.2021 Presentation of the study to UNFPA GCC, SRH&R regional desk and adviser, respective parties on regional level (online or physically in Muscat if COVID-19 situation allows)

Place where services are to be delivered: Remotely from the consultant’s home country. The consultant is expected to depend on several online modalities to conduct the study and/or have field visits to the countries of the region if COVID-19 situation allows. The final study presentation as stated above to either be offered online or physically in Muscat.

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.): The deliverables dates are set in the fourth section above. The deliverables to be made electronically. UNFPA GCC is responsible for printing out the final product and disseminating it.

Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline: The daily work has to be done from the consultant’s home country/consulting company location. However, visits can be arranged to the targeted countries of the region, or some of them, when situation allows. Bi-monthly skype/or any online based meeting tool, to be held bi-weekly between the consulting company and UNFPA GCC FP. All Drafts, deliverables and final product to be reviewed by UNFPA GCC FP of this consultancy for final approval.
Supervisory arrangements: Consultant/consulting company will be working with UNFPA GCC Co Programmes Staff. However, continuous contacts with MoHs FPs in these countries, national partners, RCOs in the targeted countries and women led CSOs and academia have to be endured along the project term.

Expected travel: 1 travel to each country in the GCC will be scheduled and the decision to be made based on the need and the pandemic situation.

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements: The consultant/ consulting company has to:
• The consultant/consulting firm has to have a verifiable track record in conducting public health/maternal/SRH&Rs studies and academic papers.
• More than 15 years of experience in academia/ UN entity or similar organization where the incumbent is managing researches, technical reports and similar knowledge products adopting human-rights based approach in such processes.
• Fluency and proficiency in English language required. Arabic language knowledge will be considered a major asset.

• The consultant/team of consultants have to hold at least Masters degree in area of public health, maternal health, SRH or any similar medical field, the consulting TL or head of the team has to preferably enjoy phD in the same area of study.

Inputs / services to be provided by counterpart and UNFPA (e.g support services, office space, equipment), if applicable: UNFPA GCC will provide the assistance as much as possible to the consulting firm/consultant to conduct the assigned mission. List of contacts of potential stakeholders will be provided and it is expected from the consultant/consulting firm to develop more comprehensive interviewees list that will enable the incumbent to collect the needed data.
The UNFPA GCC will provide contacts of RCOs in the targeted countries to facilitate the communication needed between the consultant and the targeted stakeholders.
Other relevant information or special conditions, if any: NONE

How to apply:

Please send your application to :Gcc-info@unfpa.org  with subject line – Application for the International Consultant vacancy. Closing date 13 May 2021.