Purpose of consultancy:

To conduct Endline Evaluation, Document Lessons Learned, Develop Policy Briefs, and Prepare a Peer-Reviewed Journal Publication for the EMPOWER Private Sector Strengthening Project.

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 will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, 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

Scope of work:
Background

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency dedicated to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender equality, and population data. In Uganda, UNFPA collaborates with the Ministry of Health (MoH), private sector actors, civil society, and development partners to strengthen health systems, expand contraceptive access, and reduce unmet need for family planning (FP) in line with Uganda’s Family Planning Costed Implementation Plan (FP-CIP II), the National Total Market Approach (TMA) Strategy, and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals.

Historically, Uganda’s family planning landscape has been heavily skewed toward donor-funded public provision, with the commercial sector catering to fewer than 10% of the market. Previous subsidized mechanisms (such as the Alternative Distribution Strategy) inadvertently crowded out commercial investments. To shift toward market self-reliance, UNFPA Uganda, with funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) / British High Commission Kampala, launched the EMPOWER Project.

• Phase I (July 2025 – March 2026;): Served as a catalytic proof-of-concept across Kampala, Wakiso, and Mukono. Phase I successfully generated 84,589 Couple Years of Protection (CYPs), reached over 6.98 million people via multi-channel social and behavior change communication (SBCC), trained 512 private health workers, onboarded 334 private outlets, negotiated price caps across 5 priority FP products, and integrated FP benefits into 4 private health insurance schemes. Crucially, Phase I revealed systemic challenges, particularly commodity diversion from public to private sectors (36% leakage rate detected during Last Mile Assurance spot-checks), highlighting the need for regulatory surveillance.
• Phase II / EMPOWER-Scale (April 2026 – December 2026): A 9-month consolidation and transition phase designed to deepen systems in mature markets, expand to high-potential peri-urban municipalities (Entebbe, Kira, Ssabagabo, Goma, Kyengera, Nakawa), and embed long-term sustainability. Targeting 600 private service delivery points (300 clinics, 200 pharmacies, 100 drug shops), 300 newly trained health workers, 700,000+ individuals reached via SBCC, and 62,500 CYPs, Phase II focuses on:

1. Supply-Side Consolidation: Negotiated price caps, method mix expansion (LARCs, hormonal IUDs, DMPA-SC), provider mentorship, and Last Mile Assurance (LMA) in partnership with the National Drug Authority (NDA) and Health Monitoring Unit (HMU).
1. Demand Generation & Digital Innovation: Deploying the “Essanyu Ly’omukyala: Own Your Joy” campaign, AI-powered WhatsApp chatbots (+256-700-542-322), micro-influencers, and community/institutional activations.
2. Sustainable Financing & Policy: Expanding private health insurance inclusion, piloting community health entrepreneur dispensing, and transferring regulatory mechanisms to the Ministry of Health.

As Phase II concludes in December 2026, UNFPA requires an independent, consultant (or consultancy team) to perform the endline evaluation, capture institutional learning, develop actionable policy briefs, prepare a peer-reviewed publication, and critically assess whether FCDO, GoU, and development partners should continue investing in private-sector FP market shaping.

Purpose

The overall objective of this assignment is to evaluate the performance of the EMPOWER Phase II project, synthesize evidence-based learnings, and produce high-level knowledge products to inform national policy and global health literature.

Objectives:

1. Evaluate Project Performance & Value for Money: Assess Phase II achievements against planned outcome and output targets, evaluating performance against OECD-DAC criteria (Relevance, Coherence, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact, Sustainability) and the FCDO 5Es Value for Money framework (Economy, Efficiency, Effectiveness, Equity, Cost-Effectiveness).
2. Assess Market Sustainability & Financial Viability: Determine the extent to which private clinics, pharmacies, and drug shops have achieved commercial self-reliance in delivering standard FP packages (including LARCs) without ongoing external subsidies. Evaluate the viability of price-capping agreements and private health insurance integration.
3. Evaluate Regulatory & Last-Mile Assurance (LMA) Systems: Analyze the effectiveness of NDA/MoH regulatory surveillance, circular enforcement, and packaging differentiation in curbing commodity leakage from public/donor channels into commercial markets.
4. Formulate Investment Recommendations: Provide explicit, evidence-based recommendations on whether the British High Commission Kampala / FCDO, the Government of Uganda, and other development partners (e.g., Gates Foundation, CIFF) should continue to invest in this TMA model, detailing the conditions, funding mechanisms, and strategic pivots required for future scale-up.
5. Document Lessons Learned & Best Practices: Capture key operational insights, success factors, barrier profiles, and innovative models (e.g., AI chatbot, micro-influencers, health entrepreneur self-care dispensing) replicable in Uganda and similar low- and middle-income country (LMIC) contexts.
6. Develop Actionable Policy Briefs: Synthesize findings into targeted, succinct policy briefs for the Ministry of Health, National Drug Authority, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), and private sector health federations.
7. Peer-Reviewed Journal Article: Produce a scholarly manuscript ready for submission to a high-impact global health journal (e.g., Global Health: Science and Practice, BMC Health Services Research, or Studies in Family Planning)

Scope of work and Deliverables

Content: The scope of the evaluation will include obtaining data for measuring outcome and output indicators for the project.

Geographical Scope: Target urban and peri-urban areas within Kampala, Wakiso (including Entebbe, Nansana, Kira, Kyengera, Ssabagabo), and Mukono (including Goma).

Target Stakeholders:

• Public Sector: Ministry of Health (MCH Department, Pharmacy Department, Health Promotion Department), National Drug Authority (NDA), District Health Teams (DHTs/DHOs).
• Private Sector & Financing: Private Health Facilities (Clinics), Community Pharmacies, Drug Shops, Pharmaceutical Importers/Distributors (Phillips, DKT, Abacus), Private Health Insurers (UAP/Old Mutual), Uganda Insurers Association (UIA), Professional Associations (PSU, UPMA, AOGU, NMAU).
• Implementing Partners & Beneficiaries: Marie Stopes Uganda, PSI Uganda, Health Entrepreneurs, Joint Medical Store (JMS), digital campaign influencers, private facility health workers, and end-user clients (women, adolescents 15–19, men, and persons with disabilities).

The consultant’s deliverables.

• Inception Report & Evaluation Tools
• Field Data Collection Completion Brief and Clean Database
• Endline Evaluation Report
• Compendium of Lessons Learned & Best Practices
• Policy Briefs (Set of 3)
• Peer-Reviewed Journal Article submitted for publishing

Methodology

The consultant is required to propose a robust, mixed-methods evaluation design that triangulates quantitative service and administrative data with qualitative insights which will be agreed upon with the project team at the inception of the assignment including the design and tools.

The study will employ a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection to provide a comprehensive picture of private-sector family planning access in Uganda.

Data collection approached shall include;

• Desk Review: Critical review of project documents, Phase I End-of-Year Report, Phase II Proposal, DHIS2 HMIS datasets, NDA inspection reports, financial management logs, social media/chatbot analytics, and baseline assessment metrics.
• Quantitative Surveys:

Facility Assessment: Representative sample of the 600 targeted private outlets (300 clinics, 200 pharmacies, 100 drug shops) across Kampala, Wakiso, and Mukono to measure stock-outs, price point compliance, method availability, and reporting into DHIS2/ERP.

• Client Exit Interviews: Structured interviews with clients departing participating outlets to evaluate willingness to pay, affordability perception, counselling quality, and method choice satisfaction.
• Qualitative Enquiries:

• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): Senior leadership in MoH (MCH, Pharmacy), NDA, FCDO, UNFPA, Distributors, Managing Directors of Private Insurance Companies, Executives of Health Associations (PSU, UPMA), and District Health Officers.
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): Separate FGDs with female users, adolescent girls (15–19), young men, and persons with disabilities to assess norm shifts, SBCC campaign resonance, and barriers to access.

The evaluation will follow a collaborative and participatory approach ensuring close engagement with programme beneficiaries, implementing partners, district local government leadership, MDAs, and other key stakeholders.

Duration and working schedule:

The assignment will be undertaken within 30 man days spread between 20th August to 15th October 2026. The total number of days allocated to this assignment will be:

Phase: Days

Inception phase: 5

Data collection phase: 10

Analysis and
reporting phase: 15

Total: 30

The place where services are to be delivered

The services will be provided in Uganda and will involve travel to the programme districts (Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono). Analysis and presentation to the steering committee may be delivered remotely.

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered:

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

The consultants will provide periodic updates (in writing) on the progress of the assignment, at a frequency to be agreed upon by the M&E and technical teams from UNFPA. The consultants will present all key milestone deliverables to UNFPA M&E and technical teams.

In addition, the consultants will work closely with the Evaluation Reference Group (ERG) that will provide overall guidance and quality assurance of the evaluation including the review and clearance of deliverables.

The consultant must obtain institutional review board (IRB) approval / ethical clearance from a recognized Ugandan research ethics and UNCST prior to field data collection. Informed consent, confidentiality, and safeguarding protocols

Supervisory arrangements

Under overall guidance of the Representive and direct supervision of the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, the consultant will work for the Uganda Country Office and will be expected to provide regular updates to UNFPA.

Expected travel:

Consultants will travel to the 3 districts- Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono

Qualifications and Experience:

Evaluation Specialist – Team Lead

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s or PhD) in Public Health, Biostatistics, Health Economics, Demography, Evaluation, Development Economics, population and reproductive health, statistics, or any other related field
• A minimum of 7 years of experience and accumulative technical expertise in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (RMNCAH) or family planning (FP) with a focus on adolescents and other vulnerable populations.
• Demonstrated expertise in evaluating Total Market Approach (TMA), private sector health systems, pharmaceutical supply chains, or market-shaping initiatives.
• Minimum 7 years’ experience in leading reviews, studies, or evaluations of a similar design, size, complexity, and character in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Experience in SRHR and/or GBV, gender equality, and women’s empowerment programmes in low-income countries is a requirement.
• Proven skills in robust review and evaluation designs, including quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis techniques, review of Theories of Change, and use of evaluation matrices.
• Strong background in FCDO/UKAID evaluation standards, Value for Money (5Es) frameworks, and OECD-DAC criteria.
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative M&E software such as Atlas.ti, NVIVO SPSS, STATA, or Advanced Excel is a requirement.
• Excellent analytical and report-writing skills.
• Outstanding presentation and communication skills.

Family Planning Programme Evaluation Specialist

• A minimum of a Master’s degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Health Services Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, Social Sciences, or a related field. A PhD will be an added advantage.
• At least 5 years of demonstrated experience conducting public health research, programme evaluations, implementation research, or mixed-methods studies in Uganda or similar low- and middle-income country settings.
• Demonstrated experience in sexual and reproductive health (SRH), family planning, health systems strengthening, self-care, or reproductive health commodity security programmes.
• Proven experience in designing and implementing mixed-methods evaluations, including quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews, focus group discussions, and desk reviews.
• Experience in quantitative and qualitative data management and analysis using software such as Stata, SPSS, R, Atlas.ti, NVivo, or equivalent statistical and qualitative analysis packages.
• Demonstrated experience in preparing evaluation reports, policy briefs, technical reports, and peer-reviewed scientific publications.
• Experience engaging with government institutions, development partners, academia, civil society, and private sector stakeholders in the health sector.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the OECD-DAC Evaluation Criteria, Results-Based Management, and Value for Money approaches will be an added advantage.
• Excellent analytical, report writing, presentation, and communication skills in English.

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.

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.