Consultant Support for CSE and Youth Participation At United Nations Population Fund

Background

In the Asia Pacific region, many young people do not have access to comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). ‘LEARN. PROTECT. RESPECT. EMPOWER. The Status of Comprehensive Sexuality Education In Asia-pacific: A Summary Review 2020’ reported that many countries, despite having enabling policy environments for sexuality education, have not made the political commitment to invest financial and human resources to ensure that children and adolescents receive CSE.

The UNFPA Asia Pacific Regional Office (APRO) through country offices and partners supports strengthening of in-school CSE through promoting supportive national laws and policies, strengthening curricula, enhancing teacher training, developing tools to measure implementation of CSE.

UNFPA is also committed to increasing the coverage of out of school programmes reaching marginalised young people, including those with disability, young people with diverse sexual orientation and gender identity, ethnic and religious minorities, indigenous young people and in humanitarian contexts. Guided by the International Technical and Programmatic Guidance on Out-of-School Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) the UNFPA APRO has been meeting the increased demand for knowledge sharing on effective CSE programming for marginalised young people among country offices by facilitating technical discussion s and collaborating with external partners for evidence generation and resource mapping.

In the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic where in-person delivery of CSE is hindered, digital sexuality education (DSE) also provides significant opportunities for reaching more young people, and has the potential to provide innovative and interactive ways to engage them. The UNFPA APRO will meet the increasing demand for DSE by leveraging our new partnerships with digital sexuality education content platforms and creators.

UNFPA works with a range of partners to implement or scale-up CSE, both in and out-of-school and DSE. Young people are one of UNFPA’s key partners. Young people are not the passive recipients of sexuality education, but rather can play an active role in all stages of implementation. This ensures that CSE is needs-oriented and grounded in the realities of young people.

This consultancy will be responsible for supporting adviser in coordinating with country offices, the UNFPA headquarters, regional partners (other UN agencies, civil society organisations and youth partners) and other relevant colleagues and partners on CSE initiatives and broader youth leadership and participation.

Activities include:

i. Support the adviser to co-organize knowledge exchange meetings / webinars on various topics including ‘CSE for diverse groups of young people’, ‘engaging faith leaders for CSE’, and ‘CSE as a strategy to prevent GBV’ with UNESCO, IPPF, APRO technical advisors, and other relevant partners

ii. Support country offices with AMAZE sexuality education video adaptation process, including adding subtitles to APRO-adapted videos and coordination with Advocates for Youth

iii. Support the adviser in inter-agency activities on AMAZE sexuality education videos

iv. Support adviser in preparing proposals for resource mobilization for AMAZE sexuality education videos

v. Coordinating with the adviser and Indonesia country office on regional digital sexuality education initiatives

vi. Assist adviser with provision of technical support to country offices

vii. Regularly update the CSE and youth leadership and participation sections of the APRO adolescent and Youth Community Site

viii. Collaborate with the APRO gender team on the CSE and GBV prevention Operational Research

ix. Support the APRO communication team on advocacy activities on CSE and youth leadership and participation

x. Collaborate with regional youth partners (Y-PEER, YouthLEAD and United Network of Young Peacebuilders), in consultation with the adviser, and contribute to capacity building of youth organizations and youth advocates as well as promotion of meaningful youth engagement

xi. Support adviser with interagency advocacy activities related to CSE, youth leadership and participation

Deliverables

1. Implementation of knowledge exchange meetings / webinars with short reports of meetings/webinars
2. Record of support to country offices on adaptation / utilization of AMAZE sexuality education videos
3. Regularly updated community site
4. Implementation of joint activities with regional UN, CSO, and regional youth partners as required.

Duration and work schedule
The consultancy will take place over the period of 15 February to 15 December 2022 on a retainer basis, total number of days not to exceed 150 working days.
There will be no penalty to the consultant nor UNFPA APRO if all days allotted in the contract are not used.

Place where services are to be delivered: This consultancy is homebased.

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered

All works will be submitted electronically, with revision made based on feedback prior to final acceptance.

By the end of the consultancy, it is expected that the consultant will deliver

1. Implementation of knowledge exchange meetings/webinars: successful facilitation of meetings/webinars, including sharing of recording and presentation with participants
2. Record of support to country offices on adaptation/utilization of AMAZE sexuality education videos: titles of videos, nature of adaptation/utilization, support provided by APRO
3. Regularly updated APRO adolescent and Youth Community Site: CSE and DSE sections of the Community Site up-to-date with latest resources
4. Implementation of joint activities with regional UN, CSO, and youth partners: successful implementation of intergenerational dialogue of young people and parliamentarians, capacity building activities for youth advocates, and inter-agency advocacy activities

The consultant is expected to join the monthly teleconferences with UNFPA youth team to update on progress.

Required expertise and qualifications:

a. Master’s degree in education, social sciences, public health, international development or closely related fields with minimum two years of professional experience in the field of CSE or adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health, with experience in youth leadership and participation desirable; or

b. Bachelor’s degree in combination with 4 years of experience in the field of CSE or adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

c. Strong knowledge of CSE and adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health

d. Excellent coordination and communication skills including experience in facilitation of virtual meetings

e. Excellent computer and other IT skills, including skills to be able to host Zoom meetings and to upload and add subtitles to YouTube videos

f. Experience in digital sexuality education is an asset

g. Fluency in English