Consultant for Adapting the Economic, Social, and Health Assets Framework Manual for Adolescent Girls and Young Women to the Lebanese Context

Official Job Title:	Adapting the Economic, Social, and Health Assets Framework Manual for Adolescent Girls and Young Women to the Lebanese Context
Duty Station	Lebanon, UNFPA Office
Hiring Office	UNFPA Lebanon
Grade (Classified)	NOB
Vacancy Ref #	UNFPA/LBN/2023/006
Duration	40 consulting days (three months)
Start-up Date	August 1 , 2023- October 30, 2023

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Purpose of consultancy:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA expands the possibilities for women and young girls to lead healthy and productive lives. Since UNFPA started working in 1969, the number and rate of women dying from complications of pregnancy and childbirth has been halved. Families are smaller and healthier. Young people are more connected and empowered than before.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a profound human rights violation with major social and development impacts for survivors of violence, as well as their families, communities, and society more broadly. Addressing GBV contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, namely achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls, reducing poverty, improving health, and promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, etc.

UNFPA Lebanon promotes gender equality and women/girls’ empowerment and prevention and protection against GBV. It supports service provision, evidence generation, advocacy, and capacity-building interventions for better GBV prevention, risk mitigation, and response. Since 2019, Lebanon has been facing an unprecedented economic and social crisis, which has been exacerbating the living conditions of Syrian refugees and increasing the vulnerabilities of the Lebanese population, with increased poverty rates reaching 84% and 90%, respectively, for Lebanese and Syrians. Consequently, women and girls are at a higher risk of violence and exploitation. Child marriage is a prime concern in Lebanon, mainly among Syrian refugees. Almost 40% of Syrian refugees below the age of 18 are married. Child marriage has negative consequences associated with dire economic conditions, poverty, and insecurity. In addition, with the deterioration of the Lebanese pound, period poverty has become a pronounced issue, as more than 1 million women and adolescent girls were unable to afford menstrual hygiene supplies in 2022. Lastly, poor access to health, education, learning, and skills training programs adversely impacts young women and adolescent girls’ health, employment opportunities, and economic empowerment. Hence, adolescent girls are not being able to develop their potential, which reduces their chances of receiving proper education, healthcare, and future employment.

In efforts to empower adolescent girls, the United Nations Population Fund globally developed an asset-building framework that focuses on developing the social, economic, and health assets of young women and adolescent girls through a collaborative approach engaging with private, public, and civil society to aid them in becoming healthy and productive members within their communities. The framework follows a set of values of what one can and cannot do and includes resources, knowledge, and skills that adolescent girls can use to influence their choices and improve their lives. The framework is specifically tailored to marginalized and vulnerable girls through encompassing a range of interventions, including capacity development, technical assistance, and financial resources. The framework was adapted and implemented in 15 countries in Africa, Latin America, and South Asia and was contextualized in Egypt and Jordan.

It should also be noted that UNFPA Lebanon has developed several resource materials aiming at promoting adolescents access to protection, health and financial management that will be a base to contextualize the asset framework.

Based on the above, a consultant will be engaged by UNFPA Lebanon to contextualize and validate the Jordanian version of the asset-building framework through adaptation to the Lebanese context of two manuals i.e., a trainer’s guide which aims to train mentors on the methodology of the asset building and how to deliver the 40 sessions in addition to a mentors manual to be used as a tool for running the 40 sessions with the mentees. The overall objective of the consultancy is to produce a guide/manual that can be used to train young women (20-29 years old) who have previous experience in social work and have previously served as volunteers in their communities on the framework who will transfer the knowledge and skills to adolescent girls (10-19 years old) to reach their full potentials and build their economic, social, and health assets. Upon finalizing the manual, the consultant is expected to conduct a training of the trainers targeting 50 young women.

Scope of work:

(Description of services, activities, or outputs)

The consultant will work under UNFPA’s guidance to carry out the following tasks:

Prepare an action plan with a timeline of activities to be carried out under this assignment.
Conduct literature review including the original version of the asset-building framework and the Jordanian contextualized version. Review UNFPA Lebanon manuals and tools for adolescent girls SRHR and ensure integration in the asset framework as necessary and in line with adolescent girls needs and interests.
Identify the methodology to be applied to carry out the consultancy.
Describe data collection methods to be used (e.g., interviews, surveys, focus groups, observation checklists, etc.) and develop relevant tools (i.e., a) Key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders, and b) focus group discussions with community members and adolescent girls specifically).
Coordinate with UNFPA GBV and SRH implementing partners to identify young women, adolescent girls, parents, and community members, etc., who will participate in the data collection.
Conduct six focus group discussions with NGOs, parents, adolescent girls, young women, and community members and organize nine key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders (i.e., representatives from Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Youth and Sports, and Ministry of Education and higher Education, municipality members, and representatives from the GBV working group, health and reproductive health working group, and livelihood working group).
Coordinate with GBV and SRH UNFPA implementing partners and representatives from the GBV working group, RH sub-working group, and livelihood sector to map health, protection, and social services available in the geographic area of intervention.
Analyze the findings, report on the situation and available services, and identify the gaps and priorities.
Based on the consultations, contextualize and validate the asset-based framework i.e., the mentors’ manual to be used as a tool for running the 40 sessions with the mentees and incorporate received suggestions, recommendations, and comments.
Prepare a specialized training guide, including evaluation forms and TOT material to train mentors on the methodology of the asset building and how to deliver the 40 sessions.
Test the draft asset-based framework with a sample of adolescent girls. Submit a final draft based on the feedback of the participants.
Finalize the 2 manuals based on UNFPA input and comments.
Conduct training of the trainers targeting young women between the ages of 20-29 years.
Submit the final contextualized manuals in Arabic and a consultancy report in English.

Duration working schedule:

August 1, 2023- October 30, 2023

Place where services are to be delivered:

Lebanon

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

Delivery Date: October 30, 2023

All deliverables will be submitted electronically

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

Milestone

Deliverables

Timeline

Payment

Conduct literature review and develop action plan.
Develop and finalize data collection tools.

Complete data collection process.
Develop the 2 manuals in Arabic and finalize them based on UNFPA’s comments.
Conduct training of trainers targeting 25 young women.

Action plan prepared and data collection tools finalized.
Progress report (English) submitted.

Final 2 manuals (mentors’ manual and training guide) submitted in Arabic.

Final consultancy report (English) submitted.

August 30, 2023

October 30, 2023

30%

70%

Supervisory arrangements:

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of UNFPA GBV programme specialist

Expected travel:

N/A

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:

The Consultant should fulfill the following requirements:

A. Education: Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Gender Studies, Development Studies, Public Health, with previous work experience and considerable skills in conducting research studies and developing intervention manuals/asset-building frameworks.

B. Experience:

At least 5 years’ experience in social sciences, gender studies or related subject areas.
Extensive knowledge in Gender/Gender- Based Violence and Empowerment of Young women and adolescent girls at the national level.
Experience in developing interventions and frameworks for improving social, economic, and health assets of young women and adolescent girls.
Experience in humanitarian settings is an asset.
Relevant experience in conducting qualitative research.
Ability to collect and analyze data.
Ability to work independently and to take initiative and ownership of the task.
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to establish effective and working relations with different stakeholders.
Excellent writing and reporting skills.
Ability to work efficiently and adhere to deadlines.

C. Language and other skills: Proficiency in oral and written English and Arabic is essential.

●Excellent written and spoken communication skills in Arabic and English.

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

UNFPA will support the consultant through:

sharing details regarding UNFPA supported adolescent specific programmes
sharing relevant documents/reports
facilitating contact with the IPs
reviewing the consultancy tools and draft report

Other relevant information or special conditions, if any:

N/A

Signature of Requesting Officer in Hiring Office: Nicia El Dannawi

Date: 29/5/2023

Application process and deadline:

Interested candidates may apply online by providing:

Most updated CV
Updated P11 (click here)
Cover letter mentioning the relevance of past/current experience with the requirements of the consultancy
Mention in the email subject the post title and number

The above documents must be sent to bids_lbn@unfpa.org by no later than July 21, 2023. Candidates who fail to submit the required documents above will not be considered for review. UNFPA Lebanon will only be responsible to respond to those applicants submitting the required documents above and in which there is further interest. ONLY individual consultants, not companies, are eligible to apply.

Candidates assessed by the panel and considered to be eligible for the appointment but who are not selected for this vacant post may be offered an assignment to another position at the same/lower grade if they meet the minimum qualifications required.