Background
Family planning saves the lives of women, adolescents, and newborns by a significant number. Health and economic experts conclude that the correlation between Family Planning and national developments are closely linked. A population with fewer fertility rates and delays in early childbearing can explore opportunities for education, skills development and an overall productive potential thereby contributing to the reduction in poverty and hunger rates for communities. These gains, significantly contribute to promoting gender equity and empowering women and young people. The ability of one intervention to have a cross cutting benefit on health gender and economies does not only make family planning a development tool, but also a human right.
In Liberia, the Family Planning landscape has experienced a gradual expansion. The Contraception Rate for Modern Methods have improved from 11% in 2007 to 24% in 2020. However unmet need and adolescent pregnancy rates have remained high over the past two decades. The current unmet need stands at 34% while a third of adolescent girls experience motherhood before their 19th birthday. Young women aged 20 to 24 are also experience the high birth rates with equally high mortality rates as reported by the 2020 Liberia Demographic and Health Survey (LDHS). The LDHS also reports that the Demand for family planning is high at 47% to 58% of currently married and unmarried women have a demand for family planning, an increase from 51% in 2013.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) launched the 2018 – 2022 National Family Planning Costed Implementation Plan to guide all stakeholders toward implementing strategic activities geared at achieving the national targets of 21% contraceptive prevalence by the end of 2022. Following the development of the CIP in 2018, national protocols for family planning were revised soon after. Since 2018, additional method has been included to the method mix. DMPA-SC is a new FP injectable method added to the method mix. A new policy on Emergency Contraception was develop over the past two years.

The National Family Planning Protocols and guidelines are available to some extent, however there is a need for fresh review to add new methods and adopt a national counselling methodology. Additionally, guidelines for adolescent standards for family planning services delivery are also obsolete. The MoH and Partners desire to review existing protocols, add new ones and consolidate into one document. Against this background, UNFPA is hiring a national consultant to review and revised national family planning protocols and guidelines for use by relevant stakeholders and service providers.

Consultancy Objective
Through an inclusive consultative process, the Consultant shall revise the national family planning protocols and guidelines for rights-based Family Planning.

Specific Objectives

• Ensure a comprehensive analysis of the existing family planning protocols and guidelines and determine gaps for improvement.
• Ensure stakeholder engagement and the involvement of technical experts in the revision of the National Family Planning Protocol and Guidelines to ensure that it captures operational rules, regulations, administrative and technical norms governing family planning services and programs in Liberia.
• Ensure that the National Family Planning protocol and guidelines indicate minimum acceptable levels of performance and expectations for quality service delivery and program implementation in Liberia.

Scope of work
The Consultant will adopt an outcome methodology that seeks to gauge and measure the effectiveness and use of the existing National Family Planning protocol and guidelines. This will require the following:

• Conduct a comprehensive review available documents to identify gaps or areas for improvement. Implementation of an inclusive process ensuring the participation of public and private stakeholders, clinical staff and that Review and comparison of data from sampled stake holders / users of the FP protocol and guidelines.
• Address Gaps Identified from the review of the document and from analysis gathered from interview with end users of the protocol and guidelines.

Duration and working schedule
The revision of the National Family Planning Protocol and Guidelines is expected to last a period of 17 working days.

Location
The local Consultant will be based in Monrovia with travel within and around Montserrado County as necessary.

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements
The consultant must be a Liberian National with the following qualifications:

• Have a minimum 5 to 7 years’ experience, with a master’s degree in Midwifery, Nursing, Sociology, Public Health, or Health related fields.
• Demonstrated ability to write concise technical papers and reports.
• Experience in working with UN agencies/UNFPA is an asset.
• Proven negotiation, communications, analytical and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work as part of a team, within a multicultural setting.
• Ability to express clearly and concisely ideas and concepts in written and spoken English.
• Good organizational skills, including time management and ability to meet deadlines.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software.
• Availability for full duration of assignment.

For more information, please download the attached complete Terms of Reference

Please note that this post is a National Post and applicants of either sex are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to equally qualified women candidates. UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Please submit all fraudulent notices, letters or offers to the UNFPA fraud hotline at http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm

HOW TO APPLY
Candidates should submit their applications indicating post, attach an updated CV, and a completed United Nations Personnel History Form (From P.11) obtainable from the UNFPA website at  www.unfpa.org.
ALL APPLICATIONS, WITH RELEVANT ATTACHMENTS, SHOULD BE EMAILED TO: ewatkins@unfpa.org, with a copy to: gaye@unfpa.org,  gobeh@unfpa.org   

Deadline for submission of application is 09 May 2023. UNFPA will only respond to applicants who will meet the stated job requirements.