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UNESCO is seeking the services of a Civil Society Organisation as an implementing partner (IP) to support the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) in strengthening of linkages between schools and health facilities and promotion of outreach programmes for improved access to health services by learners. The CSO shall also support MOET with sensitisation of school management boards on Life Skills Based Sexuality Education (LBSE) to mobilise community support for the subject. Under the project called Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future, the programme will focus on secondary schools in three dissemination centres in Leribe (St Saviours, Holy Trinity and St Phillips), all secondary schools in Thaba-Tseka and Qacha’s Nek districts (lists will be provided) and their feeder health facilities (lists will be provided).

The government of the Kingdom of Lesotho through the Ministries of Education and Health is a signatory to the East and Southern African Ministerial Commitment (ESA Commitment 2013 – 2020 and 2021 – 2030) on acceleration of access to quality Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), called Life Skills Based Sexuality Education (LBSE) in schools and Adolescent Friendly Sexual and Reproductive Health Services (AFHS). Applaudable progress has been made in advancing the commitment; including but not limited to enabling policy environment, institutionalisation of LBSE and strengthening of adolescent friendly health services. The achievements include increased number of teachers trained in quality delivery of LBSE, attachment of adolescent health corners to all public hospitals, capacity building of health service providers on adolescent friendly health services and collaboration between the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on provision of outreach health services. The outreaches aim to support MOH particularly for improved access to services by all adolescents, including by the most vulnerable groups in hard-to-reach areas and those with mobility challenges. 

Despite all the efforts and gains, especially institutionalisation of LBSE in schools, there are some social and structural hurdles impeding young people who are in school (referred to as learners) from exercising their right to access health services. Through the ESA Commitment, the ministries affirmed that, systems will be put in place to connect health, education and social protection systems and position schools as entry points for support, protection, and referrals for young people. In this regard, little has been achieved and this can be evidenced by the current scale of implementation of referral mechanisms between schools and health facilities (supported in 10 secondary schools) and lack of data thereof. There is also very minimal engagement of key gatekeepers on advocacy for support towards implementation of LBSE in schools.

The following documents have been developed and adapted by the Ministry of Education and Training in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and shall be used as guidance to achieve the assignment:

• School Health and Nutrition Policy.

• Prevention and Management of Learner Pregnancy Policy.

• Standard Operating Procedures for improved coordination of referral mechanisms between schools and health facilities.

• School to health facility and other social services referral tool.

• Manual for sensitisation of School Boards on LBSE.

The O3 programme capitalises on the strong attention to AYPs and the potential for Africa to realize the demographic dividend. It aims to empower adolescents and young people (AYP) and build agency, while developing the skills, knowledge, attitudes, and competencies required for preventing HIV, reducing early and unintended pregnancies (EUPs), and eliminating gender-based violence (GBV).The  O3 programme supports Transformation of Education to ensure that all learners have unhindered access to and participation in quality education, are safe and healthy, free from violence and discrimination, and are supported with comprehensive care and services within school settings and have access to friendly SRH services.[1]

[1] Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future Phase II Proposal, 2023.

1. Strengthening linkages between schools and health facilities for improved access to health services and psychosocial support (as per The National Minimum Standards and Implementation Guide for provision of Adolescent Friendly Health Services).
2. Sensitisation of school boards on LBSE including prevention of early and unintended pregnancies, child marriage and school related gender-based violence.

1. Support strengthening of linkages between schools and health facilities for improved learners’ access to health services and psychosocial support.

Specifically, the IP shall:

• Conduct one meeting with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health to introduce the programme and the tools at national level  and a minimum of one at district levels.

• Conduct a minimum of one advocacy meetings with schools and health facilities, introducing the documents and the referral mechanisms and defining roles and expectations.

• Contract the printing and distribution of standard operating procedure and referral tools for target schools enough for the duration of the contract per school.

• Coordinate and monitor use of referral tools and capture data from schools/health facilities.

• Facilitate and collaborate with schools in celebrating school health days and ensuring availability of outreach services (as guided by School Health and Nutrition Policy) during at least 2 health days per school.

• Facilitate monthly meetings between health facilities and schools (focal points) to reconcile data for reporting.

The IP shall be guided by the Standard Operating Procedures for school – health facilities referrals to disseminate the referral procedures and coordinate the referral mechanisms.

1.  Conduct sensitisation meetings for school management boards to raise awareness about LBSE and gender / social norms transformative information on EUP, GBV and child marriage.

Specifically, the IP shall:

•  Collaborate with the Ministry of education and target schools to sensitise school boards about LBSE and social norms transformative information on EUP, GBV, child marriage and how they affect learning by:

  • Conducting one sensitisation meeting with board members (per school/combined schools where possible) about LBSE.

  • Conducting one feedback meeting to gather perceptions of board members about LBSE.

• Print copies of the Manual for sensitisation of School Management Boards on LBSE (obtained from MOET), utilise and share with board members during sensitisation meetings. 

3. Develop and administer monitoring tools for collection of data based on the key tasks and targets per task.

4. Schedule monthly up-date meetings with the Ministry of Education and Training and UNESCO for the duration of the contract.

The Ministry of Education and Training in collaboration with the Ministry of Health shall make tools and lists of schools and health facilities available electronically for the IP to print as needed. The Ministry in liaison with UNESCO shall convene meetings with the IP and relevant stakeholders to ensure the assignment is understood and whenever needed.

1. Inception report – showing understanding of the assignment, methodology per task, monitoring and reporting tools.

2. Quarterly technical reports on progress made based on the key tasks. 

3. Quarterly monitoring reports.

4. End of programme technical and monitoring report. 

5. End of contract financial report.

Upon signing of the contract, the IP shall be engaged to implement the programme for 12 months.

Interested CSOs must:

Have more than 5 years of experience working in the SRHR and SBCC space.

Have experience working with the government in SRHR and SBCC.

Have presence / ready to work in Leribe, Thaba-Tseka and Qacha’s Nek districts.

Have resources and capacity to deliver timely.

Proven experience in writing good reports.

Experience collaborating with UNESCO or any UN agency on SRHR and SBCC is an added advantage.

• Technical proposal with two references

• Workplan

• Financial proposal

• CSO profile giving details of capacity; current or previous experience carrying out assignments of similar nature, citing government Ministries supported/collaborated with and UN agencies worked with.

The technical proposal should NOT be more than 15 pages and will be assessed on the following:

• Expertise of CSO: The organization’s experience and expertise that will be of benefit to the proposed assignment.
•  Approach: Approach to task that demonstrates understanding of the requirements as set out in TOR.

Extent to which the proposal elaborates and addresses key tasks and deliverables as per the TOR.

Feasible approach and methods, appropriate for fulfilling the overall objectives of the consultancy.

• Work plan: The extent to which the workplan covers all key tasks and is implementable within the duration of the contract.

Coherence of the workplan.

Submissions which do not meet the above mandatory requirements will not be reviewed.

This will be a 12-month partnership, commencing upon contract signing.

NB: ORGANISATIONS WHICH SUBMITTED IN THE PREVIOUS CALL ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.

Submissions in one zipped folder labelled: 

Strengthening Linkages Between Schools and Health Facilities in Lesotho must be sent to: vacancies.harare@unesco.org not later than 7^th June 2024.