TERMS OF REFERENCE Hiring office: UNFPA Turkmenistan CO Title: ย Individual consultancy services (national) for the development of TB and Reproductive health brochures The background and purpose of consultancy:
ย ย Tuberculosis (TB) remains a critical public health challenge that requires targeted interventions to ensure effective prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, especially among vulnerable populations like pregnant women. This initiative, embedded within the broader UNDP project framework and leveraging UNFPA's expertise, is designed to achieve significant advancements in the management of TB. By strengthening the capacity of healthcare providers in obstetric and gynecological settings to address TB, the project aims to contribute to earlier diagnosis, improved treatment adherence, and a reduction in the overall burden of TB in Turkmenistan.
ย In February 2024, UNFPA initiated cooperation with UNDP to support the implementation of the gender action plan of the Global Fund's TB grant in Turkmenistan. A key aspect of this partnership is enhancing the capacity of obstetrician-gynecologists in Mother and Child Health (MCH) clinics to manage TB effectively.
ย Empowering vulnerable populations, especially women affected with tuberculosis (TB), is important in safeguarding their reproductive rights. To do this, the creation and dissemination of informative brochures are essential. These brochures will serve as an educational resource, providing information about TB prevention, treatment, and its intersection with reproductive health. By clearly outlining available healthcare services, dispelling myths, and promoting open dialogue, these materials will enable women with TB to make informed decisions about their health and future, ultimately contributing to better health outcomes and the realization of their reproductive rights.
ย To ensure the brochure is medically accurate, culturally relevant, and linguistically precise, a team of two local expertsย will be working on its creation in both Turkmen and Russian languages. This collaborative approach, involving one national consultant for TB and another for reproductive health (RH), is essential for ensuring equitable access to high-quality information and services, thereby reaching women affected by TB and leaving no one behind. Scope of work:
ย The national specialists will work collaboratively with the UNFPA Reproductive Health National Programme Analyst and national Ministry of Health and Medical Industry (MoHMI) specialists to develop TB treatment brochures for pregnant women, including the following stages:
Assessment stage - 2 days
Conduct a desk review of existing materials and data on TB treatment for pregnant women, international best practices, and WHO recommendations (2 working days).Development stage - 8 days
Draft clear and concise content for A5 format 6-pager brochures on TB and Reproductive Health for use by obstetrician-gynecologists and pregnant women (3 working days). Incorporate specialized care information for pregnant women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery (3 working days). Submit the draft 6-pager brochures to the MoHMI for review and support the clearance process by addressing any comments and resubmitting a final version (2 working days).Analysis and reporting stage - 2 days
Prepare a final consultancy report (2 working days) Duration and working schedule:The Duration of this consultancy is 12 working days, from September 16th to October 10th 2025.
Operational closure of the contract is October 10th, 2025. Outcomes and deliverables:
Deliverable 1: Assessment report by September 22nd, 2025.
Deliverable 2: A TB and Reproductive health brochure is developed by October 3rd, 2025.
Deliverable 3: Final consultancy report by October 10th, 2025. Place where services are to be delivered: The consultancy services will need to be deliveredย on the duty station of the National Consultants and onsite. Delivery dates and how work will be delivered: Dates for deliverables as indicated in the outcomes and deliverables section. All deliverables should be submitted in an electronic format.ย Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:
Two National Consultants will work collaboratively and report to the UNFPA Programme Analyst on Reproductive Health. The consultants will weekly provide an update on progress by email or ad-hoc, on challenges encountered and support needed.ย
Ethical Considerations
UNFPA requires its consultants to adhere to ethical principles and standards when doing research. The selected consultant should clearly identify any potential ethical issues and approaches, as well as the processes for ethical review in the inception report.
National Ownership
The involvement of appropriate national partners will be a critical condition for the development of all the mission outcome materials in ensuring stakeholder ownership and its subsequent utilisation. Supervisory arrangements: The National Consultants will directly work under the supervision of and report to the UNFPA Programme Analyst on reproductive health, along with the overall guidance from the UNFPA Head of Office. Expected travel:ย No travel is expected under this consultancy. Required expertise, qualifications, and competencies including language requirements:
For responsible TB specialist:
Advanced degree in medicine, specialized in TB or first level degree combined with 2 additional years of relevant experience. Recognised national researcher and practitioner with at least 5 years of professional experience in TB treatment, dev-t of protocols, standards, guidelines, programs and monitoring tools.ย Demonstrated experience in applying WHO recommendations and evidence gathered from the medical science and clinical field to development of the expected outputs under this assignment.ย Fluency in Russian and Turkmen. Knowledge of English is an advantage;ย Familiarity and prior experience with UNFPA or other UN agency context is an asset.ย
For responsible RH specialist:
Advanced degree in medicine, with specialization in Obstetrics and Gynecologyย or first level degree combined with 2 additional years of relevant experience. Recognised national researcher and practitioner with at least 5 years of professional experience in reproductive health, dev-t of protocols, standards, guidelines, programs and monitoring tools.ย Advanced degree in Medicine, specialized in OB/GYNย combined with 2 additional years of relevant experience. Demonstrated experience in applying WHO recommendations and evidence gathered from the medical science and clinical field to development of the expected outputs under this assignment.ย Fluency in Russian and Turkmen. Knowledge of English is an advantage;ย Familiarity and prior experience with UNFPA or other UN agency context is an asset. Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner, if applicable: N/A Other relevant information or special conditions, if any:The consultancy fee will be calculated based on the NO-C level of the of the UN Salary Scale for National Officer categories effective 1 November 2020 and will be paid in a lump sum upon successful completion of deliverables. 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. Persons with disabilities, and individuals of other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity.