Menstrual Health Research Assistance

Terms of Reference: Research Support to East Asia Pacific Menstrual Health Scoping  

Services 

WaterAid Australia is seeking an individual consultant to join a small research team to support the Technical Lead – Equality and Inclusion to deliver a regional review and synthesis of menstrual health evidence in East Asia and the Pacific region.  This opportunity is for a 60 day consultancy, to be completed across July to December, open to national and international consultants, individual consultants.

Background

WaterAid’s vision is a world where everyone, everywhere has safe water, sanitation and hygiene.  Extreme poverty cannot be eradicated without universal access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). These basic services are human rights: everyone on our planet needs them to live healthy, dignified and productive lives.   

Regional menstrual health synthesis

Despite increased attention to menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) over the past decade, millions of girls around the world continue to struggle. UNICEF EAPRO has partnered with the Burnet Institute and WaterAid to document advances in policies and programs to address the breadth of MHH needs across 18 countries in the EAP region. A regional synthesis review will address this gap and provide an opportunity to review progress across the region.  We will leverage new developments at the global level, including the definition of menstrual health to update a 2016 Unicef EAPRO report on menstrual health in the region. Through engagement with stakeholders the synthesis will provide a forum to reflect and share lessons learned. Documenting gaps in implementation, and challenges, will inform advocacy and program development. The synthesis will identify and synthesize the findings from evaluations to update the assessment of evidence for programs, alongside stakeholder perspectives on barriers and needs to improve the evidence base. Drawing on advancements at the global level, including recommended indicators for national monitoring, reviewing efforts to date will help identify opportunities for implementing recommended monitoring. 

Objectives

1. Support the Equality and Inclusion Technical Lead to deliver WaterAid activities to a high standard and on schedule. 
2. Undertake data collection, data analysis and write up of findings. 
3. Ensure close collaborate with Unicef and the Burnet Institute on the research team, and support dissemination activities. 

The Consultant is not responsible for methodology or design.

Activities

The Research Assistant role will support the Technical Lead to deliver the following:

• Project Coordination and Communications  (10 days) – 
  • Management of an external Advisory Group: Coordinate meetings, manage communication and logistics;  
  •  Regular project coordination across partners July through to December: Join and support regular project coordination meetings with Unicef, Burnet and WaterAid to coordinate and track the project; 
• Policy review (15 days) : Collect national government policies and related evidence to inform and write up succinct analysis of policies relate to menstrual health in the region
• Data collection (15 days) : Coordinate and undertake key informant interviews / Focus Group Discussions with stakeholders across the region, including write up of evidence
• Co-analysis (3 days): Analyse data in collaboration with the Burnet Institute and Unicef
• Write up of findings (10 days) : in collaboration with Burnet and Unicef
• Dissemination activities (7 days) : Preparation of presentations, workshop plans and other dissemination activities

Selection Criteria

Education

1. Post-graduate qualification in a development-related area, research or equivalent professional experience.

Experience

1. Experience of undertaking or supporting research in Asia Pacific region
2. Experience of gender mainstreaming or women’s empowerment in a development setting (preferably the South East Asia or Pacific region).

Knowledge and skills

1. Ability to collect data, synthesise information and analyse its relevance to inform policies and programs.
2. Sound knowledge of, and proven commitment to undertaking research that’s applied in CSO’s/development.
3. Highly collaborative and an ability to work effectively with a range of people, organisations and cultures 
4. Excellent written and spoken English and highly developed communication skills.
5. Ability to deliver high quality outputs in a timely and collaborative way.

Personal qualities

1. A commitment to gender transformative, inclusive and rights-based development work.
2. A commitment to child protection.
3. A commitment to WaterAid’s values and approach.

WaterAid is a child safe organisation. We recognise that we must meet community expectations and the trust placed in our personnel to maintain the highest standards of conduct with children. Therefore, all positions within WaterAid are required to comply with our Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.

WaterAid is committed to protection from sexual exploitation and abuse in everything we do. The values and standards we uphold are highlighted in our Global Code of Conduct. The consultant will be required to comply with our Global Code of Conduct.

To Apply:

Please submit an application to [email protected]  by Wednesday 6 July 2022.  Applications for this position must include a resume (2 pages) and a cover letter (2 pages maximum) addressing the above Qualification, Skills and Selection Criteria. 

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.  

Further Information

For further information please contact [email protected]