Rights-Based Family Planning

Technical Activity

The Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM) wishes to recruit one (1) local/national consultant as a Subject Matter Expert to develop content for a gender-sensitive, context-adapted and practical handbook on rights-based family planning (FP). This material will be utilized by facility and community-level providers engaging in continuous learning sessions on the provision of FP, destined for hospitals and Health Science Institutes in South Sudan. The Subject Matter Expert’s mandate will include primary data collection to understand needs, information gaps and proposed approaches to continuous learning; a desk review of existing UNFPA/Ministry of Health FP curriculum, training materials and other relevant literature; and the production/adaptation of content for a provider-facing continuous learning handbook. This process will entail close collaboration with CAM Global staff as well as national stakeholders.

Project Summary

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) South Sudan Country Office is collaborating with
the Ministry of Health and other partners to implement the “Human resources for sexual and
reproductive health and sexual and gender-based violence in South Sudan” (HR4SRH&SGBV)
project with funding from Global Affairs Canada (GAC). The Canadian Association of Midwives
(CAM) is an Implementing Partner in this project. HR4SRH&SGBV aims to increase the
realization of the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls in South Sudan
through various innovative approaches, including digital and virtual platforms for essential health
providers on SRH, family planning, and gender-based violence; the training of health providers
on rights-based family planning using job aids and gender-sensitive training materials; and
networking, advocacy and capacity-building exchanges with the South Sudan Nurses and
Midwives Association (SSNAMA).

Background and Rationale for Assignment

South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in July 2011, following a 2005 peace
agreement that ended one of Africa’s longest-running civil wars. The country is made up of 10
states and over 60 different major ethnic groups, making it one of the most diverse countries on
the continent. While it was hoped that independence would usher in a new period of peace to the
region and to the world’s newest country, escalating internal tensions led to the 2013 and 2016
crises and contributed to the displacement of 2.2 million people.

Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, and Newborn Health Context
South Sudan is one of the most fragile and underdeveloped countries in the world, with extremely
high rates of maternal and neonatal mortality. Inadequate skilled attendance at birth and
suboptimal quality of care create unsafe birthing conditions and restrict women’s capacity to
assert their rights in pregnancy. In conflict-afflicted regions throughout the country, limited health
system capacity and numerous barriers to access have exacerbated poor sexual and reproductive
health outcomes for women and girls, including unmet need for family planning, child marriage,
and gender-based violence.

Midwives, nurses and community health workers play a pivotal role in South Sudan, providing a
myriad of sexual and reproductive services including but not limited to prenatal, childbirth, and
postnatal care. The promotion of rights-based, context-adapted services by a well-trained and
supported health workforce enhances the SRHR enabling environment and contributes to
enhanced reproductive, maternal and neonatal outcomes in South Sudan.

Continuing Professional Development
Continuing professional development (CPD) is key to promoting ongoing learning and skill
retention among trained providers, including midwives and nurses. Rights-based FP, which
centers the needs, preferences and rights of clients in the provision of FP services, has been
identified as a key area of focus for continuous learning sessions in heath facilities and training
institutes throughout the country.

Goal and Objectives of the Assignment

Goal: The goal of this consultancy is to develop and adapt content for a gender-sensitive, context adapted and practical handbook on rights-based family planning (FP). This material will be utilized by frontline health workers (midwives, nurses and community health workers) and tutors engaging in continuous learning sessions in 13 targeted hospitals and Health Science Institutes (HSIs)
located throughout the country.
Note: Continuous learning programs will be developed using a bottom-up, grassroots approach
within each institution. Close coordination with UNFPA Implementing Partners will be required to
ensure materials are sufficiently adaptable to the proposed programs.

Objectives
In order to achieve the goal of the consultancy described above, the Subject Matter Expert will:

• Collect information from key stakeholders (frontline health workers, midwifery and nursing
  tutors, facility administrators and UNFPA Implementing Partners) to understand needs,
  preferences, information gaps and proposed approaches to continuous learning for rights based FP;
• Perform a comprehensive desk review of existing UNFPA/Ministry of Health training
  materials (including FP modules in Nursing and Midwifery HSI curricula), as well as other
  relevant resources and literature;
• Build on these inputs and resources in order to develop content for a provider-facing
  continuous learning handbook. The material will focus on rights-based FP and integrate
  practical, scenario-based exercises for individual and group learning. It should be
  adaptable to the continuous learning programs proposed by each of the targeted
  institutions and the scope of practice of different provider cadres;
• Validate handbook content with members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the
  Development of FP Materials and specialized technical partners, integrating feedback
  from stakeholders into the final version.

Methodology / Approach to the Assignment

Parties involved: During the assignment, work and collaboration will occur between the following
actors:

• Subject Matter Expert
• CAM Global Project Officer
• CAM Global Communications Lead
• CAM Global Operations Manager
• CAM Midwifery Technical Expert
• Frontline health workers, tutors, facility administrators and UNFPA Implementing
  Partners in targeted institutions (for initial data collection and needs assessment)
• Inter-Agency Task Force for the Development of FP Materials, composed of
  UNFPA, CAM, SSNAMA and Ministry of Health representatives (for process inputs
  and validation)

The Subject Matter expert will engage actively with the abovementioned CAM Global staff
throughout their mandate; deliverables will be subject to a review by CAM and validation with the
Inter-Agency Task Force for the Development of FP Materials.

Methods

• Focus group discussions, KAP surveys, observation and key informant interviews for initial
  data collection and needs assessment;
• Document review and analysis (UNFPA/Ministry of Health FP curriculum, training
  materials and relevant background studies);
• Adaptation of existing materials to reflect updated practice standards and norms, and
  address identified knowledge gaps;
• Production of written content for the continuous learning handbook;
• Consultations and working sessions (virtual and/or in-person) with CAM Global staff, the
  Inter-Agency Task Force for the Development of FP Materials;
• Validation workshop with key international and national stakeholders;
• Direct and/or indirect exchanges

Process

Phase IA: Initial data collection and needs assessment (May-June 2023) The first phase of the consultancy will consist of the collection of data from relevant stakeholders to perform a background needs assessment prior to content development. The Subject Matter Expert will employ a variety of methods, including focus group discussions, individual interviews and observations, to collect information from health care workers and tutors in targeted institutions (the product end users) on needs, preferences and knowledge gaps relating to rights-based FP. They will engage in discussions with UNFPA Implementing Partners to understand proposed approaches to continuous learning and coordinate data collection efforts in each institution. CAM and UNFPA will facilitate introductions and provide additional inputs based on the previous experiences and learnings of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Development of FP Materials.

Phase IB: Desk review of existing FP training materials (May-June 2023)
Alongside primary data collection, the Subject Matter Expert will perform a comprehensive desk
review of existing UNFPA/Ministry of Health FP curriculum and training materials, as well as
relevant studies on norms, values and attitudes surrounding FP provision and uptake in South
Sudan. This should also include integrated and innovative approaches to FP service delivery in the South Sudanese context. CAM will provide background resources shared by UNFPA and the
Ministry of Health to assist in this process.

Phase II: Adaptation and development of content for handbook (June 2023)
Based on Phase I findings, the Subject Matter Expert will develop content for a provider-facing
continuous learning handbook on rights-based FP. The material should integrate practical,
scenario-based exercises, addressing issues such as counselling and management for side
effects, non-clinical aspects of FP provision (communication, negotiation, etc.), considerations for
marginalized client subgroups (youth, older persons, persons with disabilities), and predominant
values, attitudes and misconceptions. The content should be adapted from existing materials to
reflect updated practice standards and method mix (including implants and injectables).

Phase III: Validation and finalization of content for handbook (July 2023)
The handbook content will subsequently be shared and validated through a workshop with the
Inter-Agency Task Force for the Development of FP Materials. The workshop may also involve
UNFPA Implementing Partners, technical experts and other national stakeholders. CAM and
UNFPA will provide support for convening these meetings. The Subject Matter Expert will then
incorporate stakeholder feedback into the final version of the handbook content.

Proposed Timeline

The proposed activities will be conducted between May and July of 2023, with the final iteration
of the handbook content being delivered by the 28th of July 2023.

Remuneration

The Subject Matter Expert will be remunerated for their services based on payable amounts for
the activity according to the deliverables schedule. Payment is dependent on the satisfactory
completion of deliverables as assessed by CAM. As full compensation for the services rendered according to this Agreement, CAM shall pay the Subject Matter Expert a maximum amount of $15,000.00 USD. This amount should also include all relevant taxes and expenses incurred in the preparation of milestones and deliverables.

Qualifications

The candidate must demonstrate in their application the following educational and professional
experience:

• Background in research, technical assistance, training and/or content development in the
  domain of reproductive health care in South Sudan;
• High level of familiarity with the South Sudan health care system and context surrounding
  the provision of reproductive health care services, including FP;
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of rights-based approaches to care provision;
• Ability to speak and interact with stakeholders and beneficiaries in English; proficiency in
  Arabic is considered a strong asset;
• Located in or near Juba;
• Self-directed and good sense of initiative;
• Strong analytical and writing skills;
• Strong understanding of SRHR and the midwifery profession

The following educational and professional experience will be considered an asset:

• Previous experience working with the UN or other INGOs;
• Demonstrable knowledge or experience in the domain of gender equality and gender responsive interventions

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How to Apply:

Follow these instructions:

• Submit your application with the elements listed below in one file, ensuring that your name and the title “HR3100_Subject-Matter-Expert” are included in the file name:
• CV
• Cover letter
• Proposal, including budget, milestones and timeline, level of effort, and CVs of any supporting team members
• Send your PDF by email with the subject “HR4SRH&SGBV Subject Matter Expert” to [email protected].

Deadline for applications is June 12, 2023.