National Consultant for the Revision of Out-of-School Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) Delivery Manual

Introduction:

Liberia has a young population with 46% (2.4 million people) under the age of 19 years. Adolescents (10 to 19 years) constitute approximately 35.6% of the population. The young generation represents a powerful force that can drive the country’s development agenda. Adolescents are at a time of tremendous physical, cognitive, and social change and require a range of support to thrive, ensure safe transition into adulthood, and adopt lifelong healthy behaviors that support their journey through education, learning, and skill development, free from violence, abuse, and all forms of exploitation. Adolescent girls often initiate sex at an early age, between 14 and 16 years, and 47% of sexually active adolescent girls who wish to use contraception do not use any modern method, and as a result, 32% of girls are already mothers by age 19. The high rate of teenage pregnancies contributes to lower educational attainment and a higher rate of school dropout amongst girls.

Pervasive poverty, limited access to sexual reproductive health and rights, including contraception, and prevalent harmful social and gender norms, coupled with the disconnect between laws and policies and their implementation, hamper adolescent girls from realizing their rights and potential.

Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) plays a crucial role in empowering young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to make informed decisions about their sexuality and relationships.

With support from the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Ministry of Education carried out a series of activities that resulted in a significant reform of the National School Curriculum in 2019. The Ministry of Education successfully created a competency-based curriculum that enabled students to gain knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to promote positive behavioral change by integrating Sexuality Education into the curriculum across multiple subjects from Grades 1 to 12, especially in mathematics, social studies, integrated sciences, and biology, as part of enhancing the School Health programs of the Ministry of Education.

UNFPA also worked with partners to develop a CSE Facilitator’s Manual for out-of-school children and young people, aimed at helping them to make informed choices, exercise self-care, and achieve bodily autonomy – which are prerequisites for upholding human rights and reaching gender equality.

Purpose of consultancy:

The primary objective of this consultancy is to revise, adapt, and simplify the existing Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) Facilitator’s Manual to ensure it is accessible, age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, and highly effective for out-of-school children and young people with no or limited literacy skills.

Specific objectives:

• To maintain/include participatory, interactive, and visually driven learning modules, including storytelling, role-play, picture codes, and games.

• To ensure the revised manual aligns with national guidelines and international standards for CSE (such as the UN International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education).

• Ensure the revised manual equips community facilitators with clear, easy to-follow, step-by-step instructions on how to deliver CSE concepts to non-literate

or semi-literate audiences.

Duration and working schedule:

This consultant is expected to travel to parts of Liberia to collect data and complete the consultancy within 60 calendar days of the contract signing date.

Scope of work:

The National Consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Content Adaptation: Review the existing CSE manual and identify areas that require modification or adaptation for low-literacy learners.

• Development of Visual and Oral Tools: Maintain and/or design and integrate alternative pedagogical tools, including visual aids (illustrations, flashcards), storytelling prompts, interactive games, and role-playing scenarios.

• Facilitator Guidance: Draft clear, jargon-free instructions for facilitators. This includes guidance on managing sensitive topics, establishing safe spaces, and assessing participant understanding without written tests.
• Addressing Vulnerabilities: Ensure the content directly addresses the unique vulnerabilities of out-of-school youth, including gender-based violence (GBV), early marriage, substance abuse, and access to youth friendly reproductive health services.
• Validation: Co-facilitate a validation workshop with key stakeholders to review the draft manual and incorporate final feedback

Place where services are to be delivered:

This consultant is expected to travel to parts of Liberia to collect data .

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered :

The consultant is expected to produce the following deliverables:

• Inception Report: Detailing the consultant’s understanding of the ToR, the proposed methodology, a detailed work plan, and a timeline. (Due 5 days after signing)

• Needs Assessment/Consultation Report: A brief summary of findings from the desk review and stakeholder/youth consultations. (Due 15 days after signing)

• First Draft of the Revised Manual: Including all adapted modules, facilitator instructions, and a portfolio of proposed visual

aids/interactive activities. (Due 25 days after signing)

• Validation Workshop Facilitation & Report: Presentation of the draft manual to stakeholders and a brief report capturing feedback. (Due 35 days after signing)

● Final CSE Facilitator’s Manual: A finalized, professionally formatted, and fully proofread manual incorporating all feedback, ready for graphic design/publishing. (Due 50 days after signing)

Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:

The consultant is expected to employ a participatory and evidence-based approach, which should include, but is not limited to:

● Desk Review: Thorough review of the current CSE manual, national youth policies, and best practices in adult learning and low-literacy educational frameworks.

● Stakeholder Consultations: Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with CSE experts, community facilitators, youth workers, and representatives from marginalized youth groups to gather practical insights.

● Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): Engagement with a sample of the target demographic to understand their learning preferences and current knowledge gaps.

● Iterative Drafting & Piloting: Developing draft modules and testing selected activities in a real-world community setting to gauge comprehension and engagement before finalizing the content.

Supervisory arrangements:

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the UNFPA Liberia Country Office Deputy Representative and the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist for Adolescents and Youth Empowerment, Leadership and Participation.

All deliverables will be subject to review and formal approval by UNFPA. Consolidated feedback will be provided within an agreed timeframe

Required Qualification:

The consultant must meet the following criteria:

● Master’s degree in Education, Public Health, Social Sciences, Gender Studies, or a related field.

● Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in developing curricula, training manuals, or educational materials.

● Demonstrated expertise in Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), and youth empowerment.

● Proven experience designing educational programs for out-of-school youth, vulnerable populations, or individuals with low/no literacy skills. ● Experience in applying participatory methodologies and developing visual/interactive learning aids.

● Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Knowledge of local dialects is an asset.

● Ability to translate complex health and social concepts into simple, accessible, and culturally sensitive language.

Payments will be made against the outlined deliverables as follows:

• 20% upon submission and approval of the inception report.

• 35% upon submission and approval of the needs assessment/consultation report, first draft of the revised manual, and validation workshop report

. • 45% upon submission and approval of the final CSE Facilitator’s Manual.

Inputs / services to be provided by UNFPA:

UNFPA will provide:

● Relevant documents

● Administrative support

● Stakeholder coordination

The consultant will provide their own equipment

Interested consultants should submit the following:

● A detailed technical proposal that outlines the methodology and approach for conducting the assignment.

A current CV detailing relevant qualifications and experience