TERMS OF REFERENCE Hiring office: UNFPA Turkmenistan CO Title: Individual consultancy services (national) on update of National Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) Plan for Reproductive Health in Crisis Settings The background and purpose of consultancy:
ย ย UNFPA is dedicated to achieving a world where every pregnancy is desired, every birth is safe, and every young person fulfills their potential. In Turkmenistan, UNFPA collaborates with the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry (MOHMI) to safeguard reproductive health, rights, and choices for women, girls, and young people.
ย ย The last update of the MISP plan in Turkmenistan was in 2014, following significant capacity-building efforts from 2011-2013, which included training national specialists and health providers in disaster-prone zones on MISP. An assessment of MISP preparedness was also conducted in 2014.
ย The Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Reproductive Health is a crucial and coordinated set of life-saving interventions. It is specifically designed for immediate implementation at the onset of any humanitarian crisis, ensuring that essential reproductive health services are not disrupted during emergencies. These interventions are vital for preventing excess maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity, reducing sexual violence and its consequences, and preventing HIV transmission.
ย Currently, the existing national plan for the MISP requires comprehensive revision and significant enhancement. This update is necessary to ensure its full alignment with the most current global standards and best practices in humanitarian response. Furthermore, it must be adapted to effectively address the unique local contexts, cultural sensitivities, and specific needs of the country. This revision will involve a detailed assessment of current service delivery gaps, capacity building needs aiming to create a robust and sustainable framework for reproductive health in emergencies.
ย An International Consultant (IC) will be hired to lead the technical aspects, including the readiness assessment, drafting of the plan, and capacity building.
ย The National Individual Consultant (NIC) is required to provide essential in-country technical support, coordination, local context expertise, and logistical/facilitation assistance to ensure the successful delivery of the MISP update, fostering strong national ownership among the Reproductive Health (RH) Working Group and MOHMI. Scope of work:
The National Consultant will support the International Consultant (IC), the UNFPA Programme Analyst, and national stakeholders to achieve the overall objectives of the MISP update.The national consultantโs role is to primarily facilitate, coordinate, and provide localized expertise across all stages of the MISP update.
ย Stage 1: Readiness assessment - 5 days
- Collect necessary national policies, coordination mechanism documents, resource availability data, and health workforce capacity information to support the IC's review, including one site visit to velayat - 3 working days
- Support logistical arrangements and stakeholder participation for the International Consultantโs readiness assessment, including the preparation and distribution of all necessary documentation - 2 working days
Stage 2: Current MISP plan alignment through stakeholder consultation - 12 days
-Provide specific, localized feedback and input on the draft MISP plan to ensure its feasibility within Turkmenistan's health system and regulatory environment - 4 working days
-Support preparation and submission of final MISP plan - 4 working days
- Provide workshop facilitation.ย This includes preparatory and logistical coordination for the 3-day workshop - 4 working days
Stage 3: Finalization and report - 5 days
- ย Assist in the preparation of a national-language updated MISP - 2 working days
- ย Prepare a final consultancy report - 3 working days Duration and working schedule: The duration of this consultancy is 22 working daysย from October 30, 2025 till December 10th, 2025 including operational closure of the contract. Outcomes and deliverables:
Deliverable 1.ย Comprehensive package of national documents, data, and stakeholder contact/availability information provided for the Readiness Assessment by November 5, 2025.
Deliverable 2.ย Workshop Facilitation Report (including translation/interpretation notes and documentation of key feedback provided by national partners on the updated MISP) by November 21, 2025.
Deliverable 4. Final consultancy report by December 5, 2025. Place where services are to be delivered: The consultancy services will need to be deliveredย on the duty station of the National Consultant and in a distant mode. 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:
The UNFPA Programme Analyst on Reproductive Health will monitor the National Consultantโs work through reviewing submitted materials. The consultant 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 closely collaborate with the International Consultant and 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 One travel to Balkan velayat for 2 days site visit and data collection is expected under this consultancy in November, 2025. Exact travel dates to be communicated to the selected consultant. Travel costs will be covered according to the UNFPAโs Duty Travel Policy.ย Required expertise, qualifications, and competencies including language requirements:
ย A Masterโs Degree in Public Health, Medicine, Social Sciences, Humanitarian Affairs, International Development, or a related field Minimum 5 years of professional experience in the health sector, preferably in reproductive health or emergency/disaster preparedness. OR Bachelorโs Degree in the same areas combined with 2 additional years of relevant experience Demonstrated experience working effectively with the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry (MOHMI) and/or other national government partners. Familiarity with UN organizations and humanitarian coordination mechanisms is an asset. Prior experience in MISP or SRH programming is highly desirable. Fluency in Russian and/or Turkmen and English is mandatory.ย Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner, if applicable: UNFPA will provide the consultant with all the necessary materials, data, information, and available reports. The UNFPA Country Office will put together a list of core sources and readings before the start of the consultancy. Other relevant information or special conditions, if any:The consultancy fee will be calculated based on the NO-C level of the UNย
Salary Scale for National Officer categories effective 1 November 2020 and willย
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. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. 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.