Implementing Partner (CSO) Sought - Lesotho

Improving Community Engagement Programmes and Linkages Between Schools and Health Facilities

Local Civil Society Organisation Engagement

Maseru, Lesotho

UNESCO is seeking the services of a Civil Society Organisation as an implementing partner (IP) to support the Ministry of Education and Training Lesotho in strengthening community engagement for promotion of safe and healthy school environment and strengthening of linkages between schools and health facilities for improved access to health services by learners.  Under the project called Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3), 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), the surrounding communities 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 South 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 adolescent friendly health services. The achievements include increased number of teachers trained in quality delivery of LBSE, attachment of adolescent health corners to the government 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 interventions, especially institutionalisation of LBSE, there are some social and structural hurdles impeding young people who are in school (referred to as learners) from exercising their rights to freedom, protection, quality education and good health. 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. The commitment further alludes to addressing structural factors that increase vulnerabilities of AYPs by; creating formal and sustainable mechanisms with a safe and supportive environment and engaging communities to improve dialogue on consequences of early and unintended pregnancies (EUP) and gender-based violence (GBV). In these areas, little has been achieved and this can be evidenced by lack of implementation of referral mechanisms between schools and health facilities, unavailability of functional community structures (except school management boards with different mandates) responsible for protection and safety of learners and safe school environment as well as distressing ASRHR challenges such as EUP, bullying and violence (sexual violence and GBV) among others.

The following documents have been developed and or 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 (draft).
•    Standard Operating Procedures for improved coordination of referral mechanisms between schools and health facilities (adapted from MIET Africa).
•    School – health facility referral tool (Adapted from MIET Africa).
•    Engagement of School Management Boards Manual on CSE – Sesotho version.
 

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.    Advocating for LBSE and gender / social norms transformative information on EUP, GBV and child marriage with school management boards and parents.
2.    Promoting safe, healthy and conducive school and community environment for protection of children and adolescents.
3.    Strengthening linkages between schools and health facilities for improved access to health services and psychosocial support.
4.    Providing technical support in the specialised areas as may be needed by teacher training college during LBSE in-service teacher training.
 

Under MOET supervision and in close collaboration with MOH, the IP shall be expected to:

1.    Conduct advocacy for LBSE and gender / social norms transformative information on EUP, GBV and child marriage with school management boards and parents.
Specifically, the IP shall: 
o    Collaborate with the Ministry of education to raise awareness about LBSE and social norms transformative information on EUP, GBV, child marriage and how they affect learning through engagement with school management boards using Engagement of School Management Boards on CSE Manual.
o    Facilitate advocacy for LBSE by school boards during at least one parents meeting per school.

2.        Promote safe, healthy and conducive school and community environment for protection of children and adolescents: 
Specifically, the IP shall:
o    Engage with traditional leaders (chiefs, councillors, policing forums), religious leaders and parents on their roles in ensuring young people are protected, safe and healthy and are supported to exercise their right to education and good health. 
o    Conduct dialogues with men and boys on their roles in prevention of all forms of violence, harmful norms and negative masculinities including bullying, gender-based violence, sexual violence and child marriage.
o    Conduct dialogues with women and girls’ groups on their role in protecting their own SRH rights and those of others and importance of preventing unintended pregnancies and child marriage as key contributors to high school dropout rates among girls. 
o    Conduct quarterly supportive follow up meetings with the target groups and document community perceptions about LBSE, ASRHR, school violence and safe learning environments.
Dialogue issues:
o    Prevention of violence; bullying, sexual exploitation and gender-based violence. 
o    Prevention of EUP and child marriage.
o    Collaboration of communities and schools in protection of children and adolescents in communities and creation of safe school environment.
The IP shall use Community Dialogue Guide and other tools that may be agreed on with the Ministry of Education for the intervention.

3.    Support strengthening of linkages between schools and health facilities for learners’ access to health services.
Specifically, the IP shall:
o    Conduct meetings with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health (District Education Offices and District Health Management Teams) to introduce the programme and agree on the tools to be used.
o    Conduct advocacy meetings with schools and health facilities, introducing the documents and the referral mechanisms and defining the roles and expectations.
o    Support printing and distribution of referral tools for target schools. 
o    Coordinate and monitor use of referral tools and capture data from schools/health facilities.
o    Conduct supportive supervision visits to schools and health facilities and document them.
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.

4.    Provide technical support in the specialised areas as may be needed by teacher training college during LBSE in-service teacher training.
Specifically, the IP shall support or organise experts on specialised areas of expertise during CSE in-service teacher training by Lesotho College of Education. 
 

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 shall convene meetings with the IP and relevant stakeholders to ensure the assignment is understood and whenever needed. The Ministry shall collaborate with MIET Africa to support the IP on improving learners’ access to health services.
 

1.    Inception report – showing understanding of the assignment, methodology per task, monitoring and reporting tools.
2.    Quarterly reports on progress made based on the objectives.
3.    End of programme technical and monitoring report, also highlighting communities’ perceptions about LBSE, ASRHR, school violence and safe learning environments (baseline and endline). 
4.    End of contract financial report. 
 

Upon signing of the contract, the IP shall be engaged by UNESCO to implement the programme for 11 months (January – November 2024).
 

Interested CSOs must:

• Be based in Lesotho.

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

• Have experience working with 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 (must include two referees).

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

CSOs with capacity and required experience should send:
•   Technical proposal 
•    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.