Purpose of consultancy:

The UNFPA Strategic Plan (2026-2029) and the Arab States Regional Office Regional Programme (2026-2029) provide pathways and indicators aimed at ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health, realizing reproductive rights, and accelerating the
implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). This includes the commitment to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and reflects the agency’s dedication to advancing health rights, improving health outcomes, and ensuring that everyone, especially the most vulnerable, can access quality health services without financial
barriers.
Considering the critical importance of achieving UHC to remove financial barriers to accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) including gender based violence (GBV) and family planning (FP) services, UNFPA ASRO intends to recruit an international expert to conduct a regional mapping to demonstrate the extent to which comprehensive SRH (including GBV services and FP) strategic objectives, needs and priorities, information and services are integrated within the country-specific policies, strategies, UHC
benefits packages, financing and financial risk protection mechanisms.
With oversight from ASRO, the selected consultant will engage with the 15 UNFPA COs (covering 20 countries), namely; SRH focal points to ensure that they are engaged throughout the course of the consultancy, including bridging consultations with national partners, informing the processes, providing feedback and ensuring recommendations are owned at country level. Based on the mapping, the consultant will generate a country-by-country report analyzing the findings and provide strategic recommended actions around policy recommendations and strategic planning for enhancing comprehensive SRH service accessibility and quality in addition to providing recommendations to shape and maximize future UNFPA programming interventions.
The deliverables from this consultancy will contribute to ASRO’s commitment, programming, and support to country offices to enhance the integration of SRH/GBV/FP into UHC policies, strategies, and plans across countries of the Arab States Region.

You will report to ASRO SRH Advisor.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA expands choices and possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy and productive lives. UNFPA’s new strategic plan (2026-2029), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results. We need interns who are exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Scope of work:

The International Consultant is expected to undertake the following:
● Map the SRH/GBV/FP–UHC landscape by reviewing existing literature, data, indices, policies, strategies, plans, and legal and regulatory frameworks relevant to UHC in the Arab region countries, including domestic and international financing mechanisms and available cost estimates for comprehensive SRH including family planning services and produce a comprehensive, country-by-country (i.e. specific to each of the 20 countries in the Arab Region under review whether in development or humanitarian context) mapping document.
This includes:

• Identifying and engaging key stakeholders—with the guidance of RO and COs; including government counterparts, UN agencies, civil society organizations, healthcare providers, and community representatives—through in-depth interviews and consultations to capture policy, implementation, and service-delivery perspectives.
• Designing and implementing targeted data collection and analysis, drawing on existing datasets and indices, and supplementing with interviews and focus group discussions as needed, to assess the availability, accessibility, quality, and inclusion of SRH/GBV/FP services within UHC policies and frameworks.

● Analyze and synthesize findings to identify country by country strategic trends, implementation and service gaps, best practices, and legal or regulatory barriers affecting the delivery and integration of SRH/GBV/FP services within UHC across countries.

FINAL DELIVERABLE
A comprehensive analytical report that will offer both country specific and high-level synthesis and essential foundational insights. It will present key findings, country- by-country (i.e. 20 parts - one for each of the Arab Region countries) as well as a regional overview (and accompanying presentation) to equip country offices to identify context-specific gaps and opportunities, serving as a springboard for deeper analysis and the design of targeted programming in subsequent phases. The report will provide evidence-based, actionable recommendations both country- by-country and region-wide, to strengthen the quality, access, and integration of SRH/FP/GBV services within UHC in the
Arab region. The report is expected to detail for each country (i.e. 20 parts) the following:

1. Objectives, Scope, and Context: by defining the purpose of the mapping, the methodology used (such as data sources and stakeholder engagement), and the geographic scope. It requires an analysis of the country's political and health system context, including its UHC commitments and the specific legal and regulatory environments governing SRH/FP/GBV services.
2. Mapping of national policies and strategies across countries of the region to identify those that actually include SRH (including GBV and FP) as a priority in their Universal Health Coverage (UHC) plans.
3. Service Delivery, Access, and Benefits: to include listing which essential SRH/FP/GBV services are included in the publicly financed benefit package, noting any restrictions or patient cost-sharing. Provides an overview of service availability, facility readiness, referral systems, and various barriers to access, paying special attention to adolescents and hard to reach groups.
4. Financing and Supply Chain: listing how SRH care is financed—analyzing government budget allocation toward procurement of SRH supplies , donor reliance, and out-of-pocket patient costs—to assess financial protection and sustainability. It also maps the supply chain to ensure the availability and security of essential SRH commodities like contraceptives, maternal life saving medicines and consumables and STI medicines.
5. Workforce, Quality, and Equity: a broad description of the trained SRH health workforce numbers (e.g., midwives, nurses, and physicians) and any existing quality-of-care or accreditation standards. Present an equity analysis that identifies disparities in access and financial protection across wealth, geography, age, and gender if possible.
6. Future Planning and programmatic recommendations:
   The report needs to outline the needs across the information systems and other available digital health systems to track SRH indicators, provides guidance on estimates of the costs and fiscal space for adding new services, analyzes potential political or financial risks, sets actionable recommendations, and provides a structured roadmap for implementing recommendations

Deliverable:

• Outline of the approach, methodology and timeline.
  Conduct a webinar to introduce the regional mapping exercise and the process to the fifteen UNFPA country offices of the region. One on one country meetings might be needed.
• Preliminary findings and recommendations.
  Country-specific summary briefs shared with each CO SRH Focal Point for factual verification.
  Comprehensive report integrating feedback from stakeholders.
• Final report.
  A concise presentation of findings for dissemination to stakeholders.

Qualifications and Experience: 

The consultant should have the following educational background, qualifications, and expertise:
 

Education:  Advanced degree in public health, social sciences, or a related field.

Knowledge and Experience: 

● Advanced degree in public health, social sciences, or a related field.
● Proven experience in conducting health systems research, particularly in sexual and reproductive health with at least 15 years of professional experience in working in the
humanitarian and development sector.
● Familiarity with the political, social, and cultural context of Arab countries with solid experience and extensive knowledge on universal health coverage and relevant data and indices.
● Strong analytical and report writing skills.
● Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities.
● Demonstrated personal commitment, passion, and engagement in SRHR, particularly on serving the needs of all population groups.
● Strong capacity to work remotely and independently.
● Strong leadership and sense of initiative. 
● Experience in generating summaries, analyses, and activities’ reports. 
● Experience of development of communication, advocacy, and training materials for policymakers in the field of SRHR.
● Strong oral presentation skills. 
● Previous experience in delivering similar assignments.
● Familiarity with UNFPA’s mandate.

Languages:  Excellent command of English and Arabic are required; French is an additional asset.

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity, 
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 
• Embracing cultural diversity, 
• Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.