National Consultant: Review and Harmonization of Male Engagement Toolkits, Malawi

The Position:

The Consultant for the Review and Harmonization of Male Engagement Toolkits for Gender Equality, SRHR and HIV Prevention in Malawi will be based in Lilongwe and work under the supervision of UNFPA Malawi in close collaboration with the Gender and Adolescent & Youth Teams, government ministries, implementing partners, UN agencies, and a multi-agency technical task team. The consultant will provide strategic and technical leadership in the review, analysis, harmonization, and strengthening of existing male engagement toolkits, curricula, dialogue guides, and community engagement approaches implemented across UNFPA-supported programmes and partners, including barbershop models, male champions initiatives, boys’ transformation programmes, and safe space approaches.

The consultant will support the development of a harmonized, evidence-informed, and gender-transformative male engagement toolkit/framework aligned with Malawi’s National Male Engagement Strategy (2023–2030), National HIV Prevention Strategy, and broader SRHR and gender equality priorities. S/He will lead technical reviews, stakeholder consultations, validation processes, and comparative analyses to strengthen the integration of HIV prevention, SRHR, GBV prevention, positive masculinities, youth engagement, social norms transformation, condom promotion, partner testing, PrEP, VMMC, and referral pathways within community-based male engagement programming, while contributing to scalable and sustainable approaches for improved gender equality and HIV and SRHR outcomes in Malawi.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact and sustained results and ensure effective external relations, communications, and partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the review, analysis, harmonization, and strengthening of existing male engagement toolkits, curricula, manuals, and dialogue guides used across UNFPA-supported and partner-led programmes in Malawi.
The consultancy seeks to strengthen the integration of gender equality, HIV prevention, gender-based violence (GBV) prevention, positive masculinities, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) outcomes within male engagement programming.
The consultant will support the development of a harmonized and evidence-informed male engagement toolkit/framework aligned to Malawi’s National Male Engagement Strategy (2023–2030), National HIV Prevention Strategy, and broader SRHR and gender equality priorities.

You would be responsible for:

1. Inception and Planning

• Conduct inception meetings with UNFPA and the technical task team.
• Develop an inception report outlining the methodology, workplan, stakeholder engagement strategy, review framework, and timelines.
• Develop consultation and data collection tools.

2. Mapping and Desk Review

• Compile and map all existing male engagement toolkits, manuals, curricula, facilitation guides, and dialogue tools used across UNFPA-supported programmes.
• Review materials from programmes including:
  • Barbershop toolkits.
  • Male champions training manuals.
  • Boys transformation programmes.
  • Safe space manuals.
  • Community dialogue guides.
  • Youth engagement and mentorship approaches.
• Conduct a comparative analysis of the tools to assess:
  • Gender-transformative approaches,
  • HIV prevention integration.
  • SRHR and GBV content integration.
  • Facilitation methodologies.
  • Alignment with national policies and strategies.

3. Stakeholder Consultations

• Facilitate consultations with:
  • Government ministries and departments.
  • Implementing partners.
  • Youth representatives.
  • Male champions and mentors.
  • Civil society organizations.
  • Traditional and religious leaders.
• Gather stakeholder insights on:
  • Strengths and weaknesses of current tools.
  • Gaps and overlaps.
  • Opportunities for harmonization.
  • Emerging HIV prevention priorities.
  • Strategies for engaging influential and elite male champions.

4. Toolkit Harmonization and Strengthening

• Develop a harmonized male engagement toolkit/framework.
• Strengthen the integration of:
  • HIV prevention literacy.
  • Condom promotion and partner testing.
  • PrEP and Lenacapavir awareness.
  • Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC).
  • SRHR service uptake.
  • GBV prevention and referrals.
  • Positive masculinities and social norms transformation.
  • Youth and adolescent boys’ engagement.
• Benchmark the toolkit against regional and global best practices.
• Ensure alignment with national strategies and policies.

5. Validation and Finalization

• Present draft findings and toolkit/framework to stakeholders.
• Facilitate a national validation workshop.
• Incorporate stakeholder feedback.
• Finalize and submit the harmonized toolkit/framework and final consultancy report.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

Advanced university degree in, Public Health, Gender Studies, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Sociology, SRHR/HIV-related disciplines, or related fields.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Demonstrated experience in reviewing, developing, or harmonizing training curricula and community engagement toolkits.
• Strong expertise in gender-transformative programming and male engagement approaches.
• Experience in HIV prevention programming including condom promotion, PrEP, VMMC, and community-based HIV prevention.
• Experience facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations and validation workshops.
• Strong analytical, report writing, facilitation, and synthesis skills.
• Familiarity with Malawi’s policy and programme environment.
• Experience working with government, UN agencies, and development partners.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of Chichewa is an added advantage.

Competencies:

• Ability to synthesize technical information for diverse audiences.
• Knowledge of rights-based and gender-transformative approaches.
• Ability to work independently under tight timelines.

Compensation and Benefits:

The Consultant will be paid as per the UNFPA consultancy payment guideline.

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.