Consulting Subject-Matter Expert (HPV Technical Specialist) India

Who We Are

Girl Effect is an international non-profit that builds media that girls want, trust and need.From chatbots to chat shows, TV dramas to tech, our content helps adolescent girls in Africa and Asia make choices and changes in their lives. We create safe spaces for girls, sharing facts and answering questions about health, nutrition, education, and relationships, empowering girls with the skills to negotiate and redefine what they are told is possible “for a girl”.

Our reach is 20 million and counting, and we use technology to reach girls at scale so every girl can choose to be in control of her body, health, learning and livelihood.

Because when a girl unlocks her power to make different choices that change her life, it inspires others to do so too. She starts a ripple effect that impacts her family, community, and country.

That’s the Girl Effect.

Background

Over the last 15 years, Girl Effect has pivoted several times to serve the needs of adolescent girls. From advocacy groups to donors, we’ve played different roles in fighting gender inequality at different times. Girl Effect is evolving to become an expert in digital media and the leading driver of demand for services, products and opportunities amongst adolescent girls in Africa and Asia. Through our portfolio of brands and digital products, we aspire to tackle issues that girls and young women face by equipping them to adopt and maintain new behaviours that will improve their mental wellbeing, sexual and reproductive health (SRH), and empower them economically.

With a population of 120 million in India, adolescent girls and young women face several challenges with regards to their sexual and reproductive health. India has an important opportunity to safeguard the health of women and adolescent girls through targeted SRH interventions and through the newly planned national launch of the cervical cancer prevention vaccine.

In 2022, India’s National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) recommended introducing the HPV vaccination, also known as the cervical cancer prevention vaccine, to all eligible girls between the ages of 9-14 years under the Universal Immunisation Programme. As indicated by the Government, the communication and sensitisation of families and adolescent girls on the benefits of the cervical cancer prevention vaccine will play a key role in the success of the vaccine roll out. Along with on-ground advocacy and training, the strategy aims to include a digital component and the use of social media to reach the wider public, with a strong engagement and outreach to girls and their parents & teachers to build awareness and acceptance of the vaccine.

Girl Effect has a strong track record supporting the cervical cancer vaccines across Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, and Tanzania in addition to experience in running routine immunisation and COVID vaccine hesitancy campaigns in India. In India we have reached millions of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) across the Hindi belt (particularly focusing on the urban poor) with content on sexual and reproductive and mental health, routine immunisation (RI) and more recently COVID vaccine hesitancy. Through our programming we have reported significant shifts in knowledge, intention and behaviours among AGYW to access health services.

In partnership with Gavi, Girl Effect is on its way to launch a multi-channel intervention that targets: girls between 9-14 years, their parents and teachers, health workers, and other key influencers. We are building on our successful social media campaigns to reach and engage girls, parents, and teachers to encourage the uptake of the cervical cancer prevention (CCP) vaccine.

The Scope

We are inviting applications for a subject matter expert on HPV to join our advisory panel. If you are interested, the following will be the scope of the work:

1. Guiding & Reviewing: You will help with curating resources, conducting a timely review of draft versions, and guide our CCP messaging and behavioural change objectives.

• Review and input into the SBCC key messaging framework and contribute to developing behavioural change messages.
• Provide guidance to identify and mitigate risks to ensure Girl Effect does no harm to girls through its programming.
• Review materials and content at every step of the programme.
• Support technical presentations and approval process made to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Connect the GE Team with Government Technical Experts on HPV and cervical cancer who are authorities and well trusted in this specialty.

1. Content creation:

• Support Girl Effect and our production agencies, content writers and graphic designers in developing appropriate and factual key messaging and content for girls, parents, and teachers on cervical cancer, cervical cancer prevention, and the specifics of cervical cancer prevention vaccine including availability, delivery mechanism, vaccine safety, side effects, and ways to deal with said side effects.
• If willing, may be featured as an expert in video content for chatbot and social media broadcast content as an expert.
• Support the moderation team in creating technically correct FAQs and ‘pre-prepared’ responses to user questions on HPV and cervical cancer, on Girl Effect India’s social media platforms or the chatbot.

1. Vetting: You will also be responsible for vetting the final content of all produced media content to ensure that there is no misrepresentation of information on cervical cancer, cervical cancer prevention, and the specifics of cervical cancer prevention vaccine including availability, delivery mechanism, vaccine safety, side effects, and ways to deal with said side effects.

Most importantly, as your review and vet our content, you will use a lens that is aware of gender norms in India, youth-friendly, body and sex-positive, gender inclusive, that adopts a rights-based approach towards girls.

Expected Commitment

This will be a part-time consultancy contract for 6 months initially. The consultant is expected to commit a minimum of 15 hours/week, which can vary depending on our budget and your fee requirement.

Location

The consultant will be based in India (preferably Mumbai or Delhi).

Intended Timeframe

• Terms of reference published:25 June 2024
• Deadline for responses: 9th July 2024
• Supplier selection, contracting and briefing:15th July 2023
• Project commencement: 19 July 2024

Who You Are

Experience

• Advanced degree in MBBS, specialisation in Gynaecology/Obstetrician OR Oncology OR Gynecologic Oncology with a clinical licence and registration number.
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience with adolescents and/or young girls & women, especially from vulnerable, marginalised, low-income communities.
• Additional certification or training in relevant fields, including HPV, PCOS, Oncology, Fertility, SRH will be desirable.
• Experience developing, adapting and designing content for different audiences, especially those not well-versed in medical/technical literature.
• Experience or, at the very least, familiarity with addressing SRH concerns in the digital and offline worlds.
• Good understanding of gender-specific issues affecting adolescent girls and how SRH-based programming can contribute to girls’ empowerment.

Skills and expertise

• You are someone who is knowledgeable about and has experience with consulting on cervical cancer and HPV. You have updated information regarding HPV guidance and dosage in India and globally.
• You are ideally someone who is a medical professional or someone who has research experience in HPV or allied topics.
• You are someone who is sex-positive and can guide our content without any judgement and personal beliefs coming in when talking about sensitive issues like premarital sex, contraception, abortion, etc .
• Proficiency in Hindi and English is essential as the position requires designing (and translating) training materials in Hindi and English.
• Effective communicator and writer in English and Hindi with the ability to synthesise, communicate and simplify complex concepts as per the needs of girls and their parents and teachers.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and experience working in a multicultural team across multiple countries. Sensitivity to cultural differences is essential.
• Ability to be flexible within a fast-paced, changing environment.
• Commitment to realising the potential of girls and to the vision and values of Girl Effect.

Reporting

This engagement will be managed by Content Manager, who will work with the consultant to ensure its timely and thorough execution.

Proposal Submission

Your application, should you be interested (Max 10 pages), should cover

• Your understanding of the brief and why you feel you are well-placed to work on this.
• CV/Credentials – Please showcase any previous work that you consider relevant to what we are trying to achieve, how we approach our work, and the audience we cater to. Describe the qualifications, experience, and capabilities of the firm or consultant in providing the requested services.
• Reference – Provide at least three references for similar contracts with a description of the service provided, the value of the contract, and the contract periods of performance.
• Breakdown of Costs with applicable taxes and other charges clearly identified in INR. Consultants should provide their daily or hourly billing rate or their proposed fixed fee for the requested deliverables. All applicable taxes should be quoted separately.

All applicable taxes should be quoted separately.

Note: The technical and financial proposals will need to be submitted as separate documents.

In their application, the candidate must demonstrate an understanding of the requirements described in the TOR and demonstrate how the applicant will meet the requirements of the deliverables.

Please note that Girl Effect is not liable for any cost incurred during the award/contract preparation, submission, or negotiation of the award/contract. All submitted documentation and/or materials shall become and remain the property of Girl Effect.

VALIDITY of the proposal shall be for 90 days from the date of bid closure.

Evaluation Criteria

The criteria against which proposals will be evaluated are listed below:

Technical Evaluation

• Experience and qualification as outlined in your CV/Credentials – 30%
• Demonstrated technical knowledge in the topics mentioned – 20%
• Short note explaining why you will be best suited for this, including your schedule/timings and the days of your availability – 20%

Financial Evaluation

• Value for money/proposed budget breakdown – 30%

Equal Opportunities

Girl Effect is committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to building an organisation that is truly representative of the communities that we serve. To this end, due regard will be paid to procuring consultancy services of organisations and individuals with a deep understanding and experience of our programming markets and with diverse professional, academic and cultural backgrounds.

Safeguarding

You may be required to undertake safeguarding checks. Shortlisted consultants will be assessed on our organizational values at the interview stage. The successful consultant will be expected to adhere to our safeguarding policy. We encourage you to read and understand our safeguarding policy, the executive summary of which can be found here. We have zero tolerance for all forms of violence against children, beneficiaries and staff.

Tax

Girl Effect Ethiopia is obliged by the Ethiopian tax authorities to ensure all taxes are charged where applicable. Applicants are advised to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their tax position regarding provisions of Ethiopian tax legislation when developing their proposals.

Copyright

All materials/documents arising from this consultancy work shall remain the property of Girl Effect

Disclaimer

GE reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, the number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party. GE shall inform ONLY successful applicant(s). The process of negotiation and signing of the contract with the successful applicant(s) will follow.

Please note: We will evaluate only proposals submitted following the application process outlined in the TOR and using our specified email address ([email protected]).