CONSULTANCY – DOCUMENTATION OF BEST PRACTICES IN SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS BY WOMEN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS AND YOUTH LED ORGANIZATIONS IN LILONGWE AND BALAKA DISTRICTS

CONSULTANCY – DOCUMENTATION OF BEST PRACTICES IN SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS BY WOMEN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS AND YOUTH LED ORGANIZATIONS IN LILONGWE AND BALAKA DISTRICTS
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Her Future, Her Choice Project Documentation of best practices in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights by Women Rights Organizations and Youth Led Organizations in Lilongwe and Balaka Districts

1.0 Background
Oxfam in Malawi received a grant from Global Affairs Canada to implement a project titled ‘Her Future, Her Choice’ in Malawi, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Zambia. The project’s goal is to respond to the gender inequality and women’s rights violations undermining access to comprehensive, rights-based sexual and reproductive health information and services for adolescent girls and young women (aged 10-24 years) in selected districts. In Malawi, the project is being implemented in Lilongwe and Balaka districts. The project critically focuses on gender and social inclusion in Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) to address barriers that are hindering access to SRHR for adolescent girls and young women — particularly harmful social norms, traditional practices and taboos regarding sexuality, lack of adequate information on SRH services, and lack of decision-making power by women regarding their health and sexuality. Thus, the project engages adolescent girls and young women, men and boys, community-leaders and norm-setters to understand and transform discriminatory social norms through awareness raising leading to increased mobilization for greater SRHR for young women, including in schools (encouraging comprehensive sexuality education), to create a demand for comprehensive SRH services. The project also aims to promote change in SRHR policy frameworks through strengthening the capacity of local Women Rights Organizations (WROs) and Youth Led Organizations (YLOs) to influence change.

Therefore, the programme has three major objectives/pillars:

Engaging adolescent girls and young women, men and boys, community leaders and norm-setters to understand and transform discriminatory social norms;
Strengthening the health system to deliver comprehensive SRI-I services, including family planning, contraception, safe abortion and comprehensive post-abortive care and secondary prevention services for GBV; and
Promoting change in SRHR policy and practice through building the capacity of local women’s rights organizations and youth-led organizations to influence SRHR policy and practice.
2.0 Purpose and Objectives of the Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to provide a synthesis of good practices under the three pillars of the HFHC project. The consultant is expected to document and share initiatives that provide new approaches and good practices relevant to a wider scale or have a potential to become so. This will be backed up by stories and testimonies of change, where necessary. The aim of this is to capture and share practices and experiences in order to build a collective knowledge network and inform learning from the experiences.

The specific objectives of the study are to:

Identify from the existing reports, implementing partners, collaborating partners, and field exercise the good practices and lessons learnt during implementation of the three programme pillars in the form of narrative, case stories, photographs and documentary film for showcasing to a wide spectrum of audience.
Undertake further in-depth analysis and documentation of the lessons learnt and the good practices.
3.0 Key outputs of the assignment

An inception report of the assignment, detailing approach, methodology and tools for undertaking the assignment.
Prepare and acquire necessary ethics approval(s) to conduct the research. This would involve preparation and submission of protocol, and acquisition of approval from relevant in-country ethics and/or research approval boards for the study as required. Oxfam team has already established relationships with local agencies. The consultant should consult with the Point of Contact at Oxfam in Malawi prior to starting this process.
Document good practices in accelerating action to improving adolescent girls’ and young women’s comprehensive SRHR in targeted districts. The compendium of good practices should focus on effective and scalable interventions.
Prepare a policy brief on identified best practices
Document and facilitate dissemination of project lessons to external stakeholders
A high quality and focused report of not more than 30 pages (one bound hard copy and one electronic), presenting findings of the best practices and lessons. The report should have a stand-alone executive summary (2-4 pages) and should have actionable and targeted recommendations.
A presentation of findings to be made to Oxfam and partners
4.0 Profile of the consultants

Highly desirable competencies:

Advanced university degree in Social Sciences including Gender and Development, and Sexual Reproductive Health
A core team member excellent in photography, videography, writing, producing, directing and editing photographs and videos (give details and knowledge and experience in latest videography and photography software)
The team members should have at least 5 years of relevant experience.
Strong experience in designing and leading documentation of best practices research studies focusing on gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights and women empowerment
Proven track record and solid understanding of community-facility linkage strategies and community-based approaches
Desirable to have experience in similar Gender and Development, and Sexual Reproductive Health assessments
5.0 Time frame
Oxfam expects the consultant to finish the assignment 35 days from the day of signing the contract. 6.0

6.0 Submission and Evaluation of Proposals
Consultants meeting the above criteria are invited to submit a proposal by email to:

Internal Procurement Committee
Oxfam In Malawi
Green Heritage House (Area 13 Market)
P/Bag B331
Lilongwe 3
Or by email to: [email protected]; with the subject line: “Her Future, Her Choice Documentation of best practices In exual Reproductive Health and Rights Proposal”.

Note: Full Term of References can be requested from the same email address above. The deadline for receiving applications is 6th October 2021 by 13:30 hours. Incomplete, and applications received after the deadline will not be considered.