National Consultant Comprehensive Documentation and Assessment of the Community-Led HIV Prevention and Service Delivery Model

Hiring Office:

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Philippines

Locations:

Duty station: Metro Manila

Assessment focus areas: Navotas City and Malabon City in Metro Manila

Donor: 

• UNAIDS Unified Budget, Results and Accountability Framework (UBRAF)
• Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD)
• Global Affairs Canada

Duration:

3 months

Consultancy period:

60 person-days

Background and Rationale

Community-Led HIV Prevention and Service Delivery Model Initiative

In 2021, UNFPA Philippines launched a programme to provide STI and HIV services to adolescent girls exhibiting risky behaviors during strict COVID-19 community lockdowns. Collaborating with the implementing partner Samahan ng Mamamayan - Zone One Tondo Organization (SM-ZOTO), a civil society organization focused on empowering urban poor communities in the National Capital Region, UNFPA Philippines implemented a cash and voucher assistance programme using an out-of-school Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) approach. This initiative targeted adolescent girls from urban poor communities with risky sexual behaviors, including unprotected sex, multiple partners, transactional sex, or alcohol and drug use, which increased their risk of STIs or HIV. The programme is funded through UBRAF. From 2023 to 2025, additional support has been provided by NORAD. In 2025, the majority of planned activities are being funded by Global Affairs Canada.

The programme developed and conducted online learning sessions that cover family planning, STIs and HIV, mental health and psychosocial support, human rights, and gender-based violence prevention. 

SM-ZOTO staff and volunteers facilitated sixteen weekly three-hour sessions. These sessions equipped the adolescent girls with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. A condition for receiving 500 pesos in cash assistance per session was participation in these learning sessions. Subsequently, all 50 participants voluntarily accessed STI and HIV services at a government health facility.

Further, the initial out-of-school CSE model underwent refinement in 2022 with technical support from the Center for Health Solutions and Innovations (CHSI). This support involved developing learning modules aligned with international guidance on out-of-school CSE.

Since 2022, the learning-group sessions have been in-person, utilizing participatory and interactive methods at SM-ZOTO’s facilities. Each year, 50 adolescents, including cisgender and transgender girls, have participated. Individuals showing interest and potential are trained to become facilitators for subsequent project implementations.

Partnerships with local government officials have been crucial, which are formalized through Memoranda of Understanding with participating barangays. Each barangay appoints a focal person to support the project by coordinating activities, attending meetings, and contributing to the implementation of the strategies.

Now in its fifth year, this community-led HIV prevention and service delivery model (linked to out-of-school CSE implementation) is set for documentation and assessment. This process aims to generate recommendations for enhancing future implementation and exploring potential replication and/or expansion.

Purpose and Objectives of the consultancy:

The specific objectives of this consultancy are to:

1. Document the design, implementation, and evolution of the community-led HIV prevention and service delivery model in Metro Manila (Navotas City and Malabon City), including constructing the theory of change and results matrix
2. Assess the effectiveness of the model on HIV prevention, services, and information, including out-of-school CSE
3. Identify good practices, challenges, and lessons learned to inform future scale-up
4. Analyze the integration and coordination of the community-led model with national and sub-national health systems

Scope of work (Description of services, activities, or outputs)

A specialist on HIV prevention and/or SRH programming (linked to out-of-school CSE implementation) is being sought to complete key tasks as set out in the scope of work detailed in the list below:

1. Conduct a thorough desk review on community-led prevention and service delivery models, with particular focus on HIV and/or sexual and reproductive health programmes, including the context of the programme in Metro Manila 
2. Document the design, implementation, and evolution of the community-led HIV prevention and service delivery model in Metro Manila, including constructing the theory of change and results matrix
3. Lead the development of a detailed methodology to assess the effectiveness of the model on HIV prevention, services, and information, including out-of-school CSE implementation in Metro Manila
4. Develop data collection tools encompassing both quantitative and qualitative approaches
5. In consultation with UNFPA CO and implementing partners,  undertake a comprehensive mapping of key stakeholders, including their roles, relationships, and influence within the community, to understand their impact
6. Produce a comprehensive report that documents the model and assesses its effectiveness, including recommendations, good practices, challenges, and lessons learned to inform future scale-up
7. Lead the development of a comprehensive, user-friendly version brief of the Community-Led HIV Prevention and Service Delivery Model 
8. Facilitating a dissemination workshop for UNFPA Philippines CO and its relevant partners based on the assessment results
9. Ensuring that the research is conducted in an ethical and culturally sensitive manner, respecting the rights and dignity of all participants involved in the assessment, particularly cisgenger and transgender adolescents and those living with HIV

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

The consultancy entails a commitment of 60 person-days commencing promptly upon contract approval. This includes allocating days for data collection and documentation visits to implementing sites.

The consultant will be paid on a per-deliverable basis following the schedule below:

Detailed Expected Outputs and Timeframe: (see Annex A)

Place where services are to be delivered:

The main duty station for the consultancy is in Metro Manila.

The scope of the assessment will focus on UNFPA's target area for the community-led HIV prevention and service delivery model in Navotas City and Malabon City in Metro Manila. Primary data collection will be undertaken using a methodology that combines quantitative with qualitative approaches, which will be detailed in the inception report. Access to the target sample population will be facilitated in collaboration with the UNFPA implementing partners.

The consultant will primarily work remotely, with regular in-person and online meetings with the M&E Specialist, HIV Programme Analyst, CSE Coordinator and M&E Team, and will deliver outputs to UNFPA Philippines CO. 

Monitoring, Supervisory and quality check arrangements: 

The consultant will be under the direct supervision of the M&E Specialist, in close collaboration with the HIV Programme Analyst, CSE Coordinator and M&E Team. The UNFPA CO Philippines Representative and Assistant Representative will closely monitor the progress of all deliverables and the entire consultancy.

Expected travel:

UNFPA will cover travel costs (where applicable) in addition to the professional fee, subject to adherence to the UNFPA Policy and Procedures Manual. The Youth and HIV Programme Team will arrange travel for missions.

Supervisory Arrangements:

The UNFPA Country Representative will oversee the overall management of the consultancy, with day-to-day technical support provided by the M&E Specialist, in close collaboration with the Assistant Representative, HIV Programme Analyst, CSE Coordinator and M&E Team. The consultant is expected to work closely with UNFPA Implementing Partners for coordination purposes.

Management and the Programme Team will engage with the consultant regularly at different stages to:

• Provide a comprehensive briefing on the assignment, its process, and expected deliverables.
• Furnish key documents pertinent to the deliverables.
• Introduce and facilitate the consultant's collaboration with key stakeholders and counterparts as necessary; and
• Offer feedback and reach an agreement on the subsequent steps of the assignment

Required expertise, qualifications and competencies, including language requirements:

Education:

Master’s degree in Public Health, Medicine, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or any other relevant field of study

Knowledge and  Experience:

• At least 5 years’ experience in managing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and/or HIV/STI programmes or projects, including their design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
• Proven expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, with strong experience in conducting studies or producing situation analyses in the areas of HIV/STI, SRH, out-of-school CSE, youth or gender.
• Substantial experience in leading or managing evaluations related to HIV and/or SRH programmes, out-of-school CSE
• Strong understanding of national and regional evidence on effective strategies for community-led service delivery models
• Demonstrated experience in documenting community-led models within development programmes; specific focus on HIV and/or SRH community-led initiatives is an asset
• In-depth knowledge of the HIV and/or SRH context in the Philippines, including relevant policies, stakeholders, and community dynamics
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Fluency in English and Filipino, both spoken and written
• A sample evaluation or assessment report, preferably relevant to the consultancy scope and context, is required

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

The consultant will work closely with UNFPA Implementing Partners for this assignment. This will include assistance in mapping relevant national and local policies, arranging logistics for data collection in the target areas, mobilizing local partners for consultations throughout the assignment.

Further, the UNFPA Implementing Partners will support logistics related to the consultancy and provide a document repository of relevant documentation that will be updated by the consultant as data collection progresses.