Request For Proposals at UMATI – Assessment of The Availability of CPAC Services in Selected Health Facilities in Relation to The Teenage Pregnancy Rate

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
ASSESSMENT OF THE AVAILABILITY OF CPAC SERVICES IN SELECTED HEALTH FACILITIES IN TANZANIA IN RELATION TO THE TEENAGE PREGNANCY RATE

Project Title: Dissemination and awareness raising of country-level evidence of unintended pregnancy and abortion incidence in Tanzania

Implementing Institution: UMATI

INTRODUCTION

Chama cha Uzazi na Malezi Bora Tanzania (UMATI) is an autonomous, non-political national NGO providing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information, education, and services in Tanzania. It has been in operation since 1959 and became a leading national organization to-date providing quality youth-friendly SRH information and services, particularly to young people and women in hard-to-reach areas. In 1965 UMATI became a member association of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). By being a member of IPPF, UMATI is internationally connected through experience sharing with other IPPF member associations.

UMATI is envisioning to see a Tanzania where people are free to choose and exercise their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights without discrimination in gender, sex, and age. The visioning process of UMATI highlighted the need to integrate “without discrimination” as a recurring theme as well as an organizational value statement. “Freedom of choice” was agreed upon as a paramount inclusion at the end that UMATI would love to see by doing its core business.

UMATI’s Mission Statement is to champion SRHR and provide information and services targeting the young and underserved. UMATI strives for structural poverty reduction by improving the health of people in the country regardless of gender and political or religious beliefs, with priorities being given to the poorest communities and hard-to-reach populations and has been working with the governments of both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar since its inception over 60 years ago. To achieve a lasting reduction in social inequality, UMATI invests in the provision of gender responsiveness SRH services, youth and women empowerment, and evidence-based advocacy through result-based health projects implementation in 20 regions in Tanzania Mainland, and Zanzibar. UMATI recognizes that men and women experience different health needs and risks.

With extensive experience managing large-scale projects, UMATI implements multiple interventions with more focus on youth and women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), especially on family planning bringing expertise on women/girl-centered and socio-cultural norm- transformative programming. UMATI has over 60 years of experience working in SRHR and experience in implementing large-scale projects, providing technical support, and linking and learning between different partners. We work towards strengthening the capacities of our local partners to manage and implement projects across three broad domains: organizational, thematic, and lobby & advocacy. To build organizational capacity and thereby sustainability of our projects.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

• The project focuses on the dissemination and communication of post-abortion care-related incidents data in Tanzania and Worldwide, Adding it Up and Health System Costs of Post Abortion Care study findings which were conducted in the year 2018 by the Guttmacher Institute and MUHAS and WHO.
• The study findings were disseminated to specific target audience groups with the view that they will use the communicated information/data to make informed decisions and choices.
• The target audience includes journalists, the parliamentary committee responsible for social welfare, ministries of health and that of the president’s office, technical working groups i.e., Adolescent reproductive health technical working group, CSOs’ and the general public.
• With these audiences, the project aims to contribute to behavior change to young people especially girls and young women to live up to their full potential by delaying first pregnancy, reducing stigma, and birth spacing through the uptake of modern contraception by understanding the importance of SRHR information and friendly services, the risks associated with teenage pregnancy, etc.
• Also, the data will contribute to the government’s efforts to the FP2030 commitments on the reduction of teenage pregnancy, Comprehensive sexuality education among youth and dissemination of NAIAA.

ABOUT THE ASSIGNMENT

• UMATI with the support of the Guttmacher Institute is expecting to conduct an “Assessment of the availability of comprehensive post-abortion care (cPAC) services in selected health facilities in Tanzania in relation to teenage pregnancy;”.
• The assessment will involve 30 public health facilities in three regions. According to the research done by the Guttmacher Institute, (the unintended pregnancy rate in Tanzania stayed about the same between 1990–1994 and 2015–2019. During the same period, the abortion rate increased by 40% and the share of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion rose from 28% to 36%.
• Abortion in Tanzania is legal only to save a pregnant person’s life.
• The assessment will be conducted in three selected regions in Tanzania with a high teenage pregnancy rate which is Tabora 43%, and Dodoma 35%, and Dar es salaam because is the largest city and an economic hub to which young people from all parts of the country come to study and work. In each region 10 public health facilities will be assessed.

ASSESSMENT COVERAGE

The assessment will be conducted in three regions in Tanzania which are:

• Dar es Salaam
• Tabora
• Dodoma

AIM OF THE ASSESSMENT

The purpose of the assessment is to generate reliable information on the availability of cPAC services in selected 30 public health facilities including the availability, and affordability of comprehensive post-abortion care cPAC services to young people. The significance of the study hinges on the high teenage pregnancy in the country, and especially so in some regions

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• To determine the availability of cPAC services in selected 30 public health facilities
• To determine how the comprehensive post-abortion care cPAC costing and availability differ among selected three regions
• To determine the costs young people, incur for cPAC services
• To investigate the affordability of cPAC services to young people
• To explore health providers’ perceptions of the main barriers to accessing comprehensive post-abortion care cPAC services

PURPOSE OF CONSULTANCY

• The purpose of this consultancy is to oversee all aspects of the assessment/study components such as obtaining the ethical clearance Certificate from the required bodies and/or agencies, to conduct an objective assessment that generates independent, high-quality, and tangible results.
• The consultant will be responsible for the management and integrity of the assessment design, conduct, and reporting, additionally, the consultant will responsible for the direction and oversight of compliance, personnel(enumerators), and other related aspects of the assessment.
• The hired consultant shall be reporting to the Head of Programmes under the support of the Monitoring and Evaluation unit at UMATI.

SCOPE OF WORK

• The following is a general scope of work for the assessment
• To prepare and present the developed assessment protocol and ensure tools are translated into languages commonly spoken in the local areas and translated back into English.
• To work with UMATI staff to finalize an appropriately designed assessment protocol
• To carry out a desk review of existing data/information related cPAC and teenage pregnancy rates in the selected regions.
• To coordinate logistics of collection of necessary data, supervision of the assessment team (enumerators), quality control of data, cleaning, analysis, and interpretation of the findings.
• To highlight lessons learned and formulate recommendations with a focus on assessing how health facilities’ elements of success could be replicated or scaled up for subsequent projects.
• To develop the final assessment report and a policy brief
• Translating the complex report findings into simple descriptive and creative for easy understanding to decision-makers
• Present the assessment findings report at dissemination workshops.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES

• UMATI is looking for a consultant with the following set of skills, knowledge, and experience:
• Masters in a relevant field, such as Public Health and Medical Doctor
• Minimum 7 years of research experience
• Relevant experience in analyzing research data
• Excellent written English communication skills, with a focus on research protocols, research papers, and descriptive reports for a diverse audience
• Ability to facilitate communication between various levels of management and work independently in order to meet deadlines
• Consultant should have published evaluations in peer-reviewed journals.
• Solid knowledge and experience in SRH research
• Good understanding of government protocols and procedures

TIMELINES 

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Request For Proposals at UMATI – Assessment of The Availability of CPAC Services in Selected Health Facilities in Relation to The Teenage Pregnancy Rate

SUBMISSION

The applicant will submit an electronic Expression of Interest (EOI) stating his/her capability to conduct the assessment; including a budget showing details of all activities (e.g. # of days per person and description of the person’s job; the cost of tools, etc); proposed work plan with timelines; curriculum vitae and description of similar project assignments undertaken.

The expressions of interest must be submitted by January 25th, 2023 to Executive Director at [email protected]

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