Post Title:
International consultant for evaluation of the Youth
Friendly Health Services (YFHS) programme in Tajikistan
Duration of contract:
Feb. – May 2014 (40 w/d)
Office location:
Closing date:
Dushanbe, Tajikistan
26 Jan. 2014
TERMS OF REFERENCE:
COUNTRY: TAJIKISTAN
UNICEF COUNTRY PROGRAMME: 2010-2015
PROGRAMME TIME PERIOD: 2006-2013
PERIOD OF EVALUATION PROCESS: JANUARY 2014 – MAY 2014
1. CONTEXT
1.1 HIV Situation:
In Tajikistan, as of end 2012, a cumulative total of 4,674 HIV cases (MoH, 2012) had been registered
since the beginning of the epidemic in 1991, while, according to WHO/UNAIDS estimates, the
number of HIV-infected people nationwide was 12,759 in 2011. According to the National AIDS
Center data, approximately 800-1,000 new cases are registered annually in recent years (2010-2012)
and the number is increasing. The number of deaths from the total reported HIV cases is 764 (16% of
officially reported cases). About 6% (277 cases) and 27% (1272 cases) of total HIV cases were
registered among children under the age of 18 years and young people aged 19-29 respectively. Out of
all HIV cases, 74.6% were reported among men and 25.4% among women.
The HIV epidemic in its current “concentrated”1 stage in Tajikistan is driven by injecting drug use
(IDU) along with other factors such as growth of commercial sex work and pregnant women with
heterosexual partners who are drug users. Prevalence rates among injecting drug users and sex workers
are 16.3% and 4.4%, respectively. The injection route of transmission was responsible for 50.4% of the
total number of registered HIV cases. Sexual transmission was reported in 31.0% of cases and motherto-child transmission in 2.1% of cases, while, for HIV cases among women, the sexual route of HIV
transmission was responsible for 66.5%, according to the National AIDS Center data in 2012.
However, the following recent trends require special attention:
 The proportion of people infected with HIV through sexual intercourse has increased
significantly from 8.2% in 2003 to 30.96% in 2012.
 The proportion of HIV-infected women in the total number of HIV reported cases increased
from 8.5% in 2005 to 25.4% in 20122, in conjunction with an annual increase in new HIV
1HIV
prevalence is more than 5 per cent among the at risk population and less than 1 per cent among general population /
pregnant women.
2National report to UNGASS 2012.
1

infection among women (from 83 in 2008 to 289 in 2012), including pregnant women3.
Almost one third of HIV cases were reported among people aged 15-29 years.4
1.2 Young people in Tajikistan:
In Tajikistan, young people aged 10-24 years make up one third of the total population. They have
endured the consequences of economic and political transitions after the dramatic breakup of the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and civil war as well as changing and conflicting value
systems (Soviet, traditional Tajik, Islamic). Despite being potentially the driving force of the country’s
development, they have limited opportunities for economic and political participation. Access to
appropriate and quality information and services, including those on sexual and reproductive health
and HIV is another constraint faced by young people in Tajikistan: Discussing sex within the family is
taboo. Life-skills based education to provide appropriate knowledge and skills related to prevention of
HIV and AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, and drug use is not widely available and meets with
resistance in education establishments. Access to voluntary, anonymous counselling and testing of
HIV services for young people is also limited.
In this context, less than half (43%) of the women aged 15-19 have ever heard of AIDS, compared to
70% of the women aged over 30 (DHS 2012). Only about 13% of young women and men aged 15-24
could both correctly identify ways of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV and reject major
misconceptions about HIV transmission (UNGASS report 2012). Moreover, the DHS data clearly
shows that knowledge and awareness regarding HIV/AIDS is much lower among those who are
unmarried, younger, rural, or less educated. This highlights the issue of inequity in terms of access to
information. It is also evident that young people in Tajikistan engage in risky behavior. According to
the Global School Based Health Survey 2007, overall, 3% of students aged 13-15 had their first sexual
intercourse before age 13, and 2.1% of students had had sexual intercourse with two and more
partners. Among all students who had sexual intercourse in the past 12 months, 56% said they used a
condom during their most recent sexual relation. According to the non-government organization
(NGO), “Mekhrubon”, ninety percent of unwanted teenage pregnancies ended up with abortion; and
the majority of teenage girls involved in sex work were from poor families in rural areas. In Tajikistan,
through which drugs from Afghanistan are transported, drug use is a problem, especially among young
people, with more than 1% of students aged 13-15 saying they had used illicit drugs – e.g., marijuana,
hashish, opium or heroin once or more. The same survey also indicated that 1.6% of all students had
shared a needle or syringe for drug injection once or more times.5
1.3 Health system:
The health system in Tajikistan generally lacks confidentiality. The law enforcement and public health
authorities can easily access an individual’s medical records. Lack of confidentiality and registration
policies are important barriers to service utilization. Parental consent is required for people below 18
years old to access sexual and reproductive health services, which is another barrier specific to young
people’s service utilization. The national criminal code of the Republic of Tajikistan, Articles 138-141,
the national policy on administrative misconduct and the national reproductive health law, Article 13,
20, along with the existing discrimination and stigma towards at-risk young people are among the key
factors limiting free access to confidential services. The “Soviet” strategy of treating Sexually
Transmitted Infections (STI) in in-patient beds remained in place up to 2010, resulting in the irrational
distribution and expenditure of already limited resources within the health sector. Moreover, according
3Total
of 304 cases of HIV infection among pregnant women were recorded, which makes up 6.8% of the total number of
registered HIV cases in the country. In 2012 alone, 100 HIV cases were registered among pregnant women which equates to
12% of total new HIV cases compared with 7.6% in 2011. HIV prevalence among pregnant women rangesbetween 0.06%0.05% (MoH, RAIDS official data 2012). More than 70% of the partners of HIV+ pregnant women had experience of
injecting drug addiction.
4MoH, RAIDS official data 2012.
5Global School Based Health Survey (GSHS)report 2007, UNICEF, CDC Atlanta, WHO
2
to the STI prevention and treatment protocol, the “Soviet” style of epidemiological investigation of all
sexual partners of the patient with STIs is still used.
Combating HIV/AIDS is a priority of the National Development Strategy and the Living Standards
Improvement Strategy (LSIS) of the Republic of Tajikistan for 2013-2015. The Comprehensive
National Health Strategy of Tajikistan for the period of 2010 – 2020 also contains provisions of quality
services to women, children and adolescents, including prevention of HIV/AIDS as one of the priority
goals of Mother and Child Health. The National HIV/AIDS Programme for the period of 2011-2015 is
based on the principles of providing universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support not
only to high risk groups, but also to the population in general, including children. It aims to hold the
HIV epidemic in its ‘concentrated’ stage with its target that HIV prevalence among IDUs, Men who
have sex with Men (MSM) and Sex Workers will not exceed 20% by 2015. For young people’s health
and development specifically, there is a National Programme on Young People’s Healthy
Development for 2011-2014; and the National Strategy for Development of Health of Children and
Adolescents in Tajikistan for 2010-2015, which facilitated the creation of Youth-Friendly Health
Services (YFHS) in health settings and access by young people and adolescents to those services.
2. YOUTH FRIENDLY HEALTH SERVICES (YFHS) PROGRAMME
Since 2006, UNICEF has been assisting the Ministry of Health (MoH) of the Republic of Tajikistan to
establish, scale up and integrate YFHS into the extensive network of reproductive health and dermatovenerology centers across Tajikistan.
The YFHS programme in Tajikistan evolved in two phases since UNICEF assisted the Committee for
Youth, Sports and Tourism to develop the policy framework on YHFS delivery under the National
Young People’s Healthy Development Programme for 2006-2010. Initially, the pilot project
introduced the concept of YFHS through establishment of youth-friendly ‘cabinets’ in three sites –
Dushanbe, Tursun-zade and Isfara. The project implementation was led by the Civil Society
Organization (CSO) Association of Dermato-Venerologists “Zukhra”. Its results as well as the cost and
benefit for further scale up were analysed and documented, which helped the MoH to integrate the
YHFS in the health system. The second phase of the YFHS programme started with the
implementation of the current UNICEF country programme 2010-2015.
2.1 Goal, Outcome and Outputs:
The overall goal of the programme is to:
 Reduce behavioral risks amongst vulnerable and at risk young people in terms of susceptibility
to HIV/AIDS, STIs, substance (drug) abuse, and unwanted pregnancies by improving access to
quality and friendly services within the health system.
The key programme outcomes are:
 The package of YFH services in the area of HIV, STIs and reproductive health for vulnerable
young people and most-at-risk adolescents (MARA) aged 10-18 and up to 24 is
institutionalized.
 By 2015, outreach services and STI/HIV voluntary counseling, testing and treatment for
vulnerable and most at risk young adolescents (MARA) are provided in all 21 YFHS clinics
nationwide.6
There are four outputs, which contribute to these two outcomes:
 The legal framework to integrate and scale up YFHS in the health system is endorsed and
used to increase sustained access by vulnerable young people, with a special focus on its risk
group;
6CPAP
results and resources framework, 2010-2015; MoA between UNICEF and GFATM R8 for 2010-2014.
3



All YFHS centres are providing services and essential supplies in line with quality standards
and the needs of young people and at risk group;
All YFHS clinicians7 are knowledgeable, skilled and certified in STI screening, treatment,
voluntary counseling and confidential testing on HIV (VCT), and referral to AIDS centers for
HIV testing and ART, if required; and
High coverage of vulnerable young people, and MARA8, in particular, by YFHS achieved
through outreach support and referral system (involving peer to peer approach, health
facilities, educational settings, and youth clubs, etc.).
The programme model adopted the behavior change communication (BCC) strategy in the context of
HIV/AIDS, developed by sociologists Fisher & Fisher in 1992. The model uses a variety of targeted
entry points, such as communication through peer/outreach support, hot-line, mass media, voucher and
referral system, and facility-based confidential health services. The project's basic operating model is
to ensure that vulnerable young people, particularly MARA, receive STI, HIV, and reproductive health
services through: i) making YFH services available at both YHFS facilities and outreach; and ii) using
outreach support to channel young people towards YFHS clinics for counseling, testing and treatment.
The minimum and optimal package of YFH services defined as per the needs of vulnerable and at risks
young people includes:
 Information on HIV/AIDS, STIs and reproductive health.
 Access to condoms and other contraceptives.
 STI screening, STI syndrome treatment, support and care.
 HIV confidential counseling and testing, ART.
 Prevention of unwanted pregnancies and other reproductive health services.
 Basic psychological and legal support.
2.2 Interventions:
With a view to achieving the above-mentioned outputs and outcomes, the following interventions were
designed and have been supported in line with WHO adolescent health services quality standards9 in
terms of availability, accessibility, equity, and appropriateness.
Outputs
Interventions
1. The
legal
framework
to
integrate
and
scale up YFHS in
the health system
is endorsed and
used to increase
sustained access
by
vulnerable
young
people,
with a special
focus on its risk
group
Corresponding WHO standard –“availability”:
 Support to the development of the National Programme on Young
People’s Healthy Development 2006-2010 and 2011-2014; the National
HIV/AIDS Programme 2011-2015; the National Strategy for Child and
Adolescent Health 2010-2015.
 Support to the development of instructions for YFHS budgeting and its
integration into health sector financing based on the cost-benefit analysis
conducted in 2008.
 Support to the development of the national regulation to institutionalize
YFHS within the national health system, which adopted WHO 5
standards for the quality of services provided to young people.
 Support to a fiscal space analysis of the budget of the health sector at
national and district level for sustainable scale up of YFHS, which
resulted in the reform of STI services and rationalization of PHC
7They
are reproductive health specialists in most cases, as YFHS has often been integrated into reproductive health service
facilities.
8“Vulnerable young people aged 10-24”- those who do not have a regular practice of risky behavior but are exposed to STIs
and HIV/AIDS, such as street children, children in institutions, children who faced abuse and violence, children who have
been exposed to some risky behaviors. “MARA”- most at risk young people with a regular practice of risky behaviors, such
as IDUs, SW, and MSM.
9"Making Health Services Adolescent Friendly: Developing National Quality Standards For Adolescent Friendly Health
Services", WHO, 2003 and revision in 2012.
4
Outputs
2. All YFHS centres
are
providing
services
and
essential supplies
in
line
with
quality
standards
and
the needs of
young people and
at risk group
3. All
YFHS
clinicians
are
knowledgeable,
skilled
and
certified in STI
screening,
treatment,
Interventions
expenditure.
Corresponding WHO standard –“appropriateness”:
 Support to the ongoing Tajik health sector reform, especially to
introduce the “Confidential” services for young people.
 Support to revision of the national protocol on STI syndrome
management to include “confidential” clinical examination of patients
and treatment of STIs.
Corresponding WHO standard –“accessibility” and “appropriateness”:
 Support to the review process of two laws: “Reproductive Rights and
Reproductive Health”; and “Prevention of HIV/AIDS” in order to take
into account the findings of the “National Assessment on Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights of Adolescents in Tajikistan” as well as
analysis on health trends among young people who used YFHS centres
during the period of 2011-2013.
Corresponding WHO standard –“availability”:
 Ensuring availability of basic equipment and supplies such as condoms,
contraceptives, IEC materials, and STI drugs at all 21 YFHS centres /
clinics.
 Renovation of 20 YFHS centres / clinics.
 Provision of HIV rapid testing by YFHS certified staff and referral of
positive cases to AIDS centers for ELISA testing.
 Provision of counseling sessions for at-risk groups, including people
living with HIV and AIDS by a group of specialists in law and
psychology on a quarterly basis, addressing the issues that are faced by
clients such as violence, stigma and discrimination, and suicidal
ideation, etc.
 Provision of leaflets and booklets for young people.
Corresponding WHO standard –“accessibility”:
 Establishment of a telephone hotline (‘Trust Telephone’) with the related
national legislation and regulations, enabling young people to
anonymously receive counseling and referral to the YFHS centres. In
addition, mobile numbers of service providers were provided so the
(potential) clients can make contacts prior to the visit of the centres.
Corresponding WHO standard –“appropriateness”:
 Implementation of the Universal Identification Coding (UIC) system to
ensure confidentiality.
 Provision of legal support by a team of lawyers to YFHS managers and
specialists in order to prevent conflict with law enforcement authorities
and to ensure confidentiality of services provided to at-risk teenagers.
Corresponding WHO standard –“equity”:
 Provision of services as per the demands of clients – e.g., different focus
in different geographical areas, such as the emphasis on harm reduction
and prevention of HIV/STI/HCV in GBAO where there is high
concentration of drug addicts; and the emphasis on psychological
counseling in Sougd where suicide rate is high, etc.
Corresponding WHO standard –“accessibility” and “appropriateness”:
 Development of training modules for YHFS staff and teachers on
different subjects.
 Training of YFHS centre staff on the new national clinical protocol on
STI management (MoH Order #3 dated 10-Jan-2012).
 Training and certification of YHFS centre staff on VCT and HIV testing.
 Training of YHFS centre staff on motivational interview process and
5
Outputs
Interventions
voluntary
counseling and
confidential
testing on HIV
(VCT),
and
referral to AIDS
centers for HIV
testing and ART,
if required
4. High coverage of
vulnerable young
people,
and
MARA,
in
particular,
by
YFHS achieved
through outreach
support
and
referral system
psychological counseling for vulnerable young people.
Corresponding WHO standard –“accessibility”:
 Implementation of outreach communication component by youth NGOs:
“Nasli Solim”, “Reproductive Health and Adolescents”, “Young
Generation of Tajikistan”, and “Tagribot”, in order to attract young
people
Corresponding WHO standard –“equity”:
 Implementation of a ‘voucher’ system by outreach workers, which
guarantees free services for young people at YFHS clinics
2.3 Geographical areas:
Currently, 21 YFHS centres are operational in 12 districts.
2.4 Partners:
In the past 7 years, UNICEF leveraged resources (financial, in-kind, and technical - more than USD 6
million equivalent) for the national scale up of YFHS from different partners, including GFATM
(Round 8 grant), CARE International, WHO, UNFPA, PSI and GIZ.
Implementing partners include:
MoH, MCH and Sanitary Epidemiological Stations (SES), local hukumats and health departments
implement all activities related to YFHS, including provision of services in the clinics.
MoF, local financial departments support budget allocation and expenditure.
Youth–led NGOs (“Young Generation of Tajikistan”, “Nasli Solim”, “Reproductive Health and
Adolescents”, and “Tagribot”) support to enhance the outreach network, and provide legal assistance
to health service providers and YFHS clients.
Other collaborating partners include:
GFATM, as a main donor, has contributed about USD 3.5 million to the programme.
CARE International has contributed about USD 2.5 million to the programme.
WHO has provided technical assistance for YFHS national policy development, quality and coverage
standards, and evidence-based advocacy.
UNFPA has contributed to capacity building of YFHS staff along with in-kind contribution of
commodities (contraceptives and HIV rapid test kits).
PSI has contributed to the outreach network and voucher system approach in 3 YFHS centres.
GIZ has contributed through its work on policy and advocacy related to youth participation and access
to quality services.
2.5 Programme monitoring mechanism:
The implementation of the YFHS programme is periodically monitored by UNICEF jointly with the
national partners within the scope of the national commitment to reporting on progress achieved by the
6
country to halt the HIV epidemic. UNICEF constantly provides technical support to national partners
in preparation of national progress reports through the UN Joint Advocacy Programme (UNJAP) and
as the sub-recipient of the GFATM 8R grant.
UNICEF through the Project Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with Association of DermatoVenerologists “Zukhra” provided support to the Republican Health Statistics and Information Centre
of the MoH in establishing the national analytical unit where all YFHS data are collected and analysed.
It resulted in the integration of the UIC database into the Health MIS, enabling the MoH decision
makers to access trend analyses, including STI/HIV prevalence among those clients who used YFHS.
Each quarter the YFHS centre managers submit the report generated from the UIC database. The data
is analysed at national level every six months by the MoH working group and UNICEF officer. The
bottlenecks are discussed with YFHS centre managers annually.
Furthermore, in 2013, a certification exercise of currently provided YFH services has been conducted,
using an approach based on WHO standards for Quality and Coverage improvement. The process
included an assessment of the following areas that directly affect performance of YFHS: 1) Decision
making, 2) Health Services management, and 3) Client satisfaction. The assessment results are to help
policy-makers and YFHS staff to assess quality of the currently provided services and identify
bottlenecks. Those centres that comply with standards will be officially certified as “youth-friendly”.
3. RATIONALE
To date, the YFHS programme has received technical and financial support from a variety of
development partners, including major inputs from UNICEF. Though the government started to cover
some capital and recurrent costs of the YFHS since 2011, as of September 2013, the programme and
supply costs were still heavily dependent on GFATM R8 grant and other donors. Now, with the
expiration of the GFATM R8 grant, a main donor of the YFHS programme, UNICEF’s substantial
support to the programme is coming to an end. It is therefore important for UNICEF to assess the
outcomes of its investment over the past 7 years and to document lessons learned for further sharing
within UNICEF at regional and global level, as well as with other development partners. On the other
hand, it is even more critical to explore with Government on how to sustain the YFHS programme
effectively and efficiently without external donor support. For this, the evaluation is expected to
provide insights on what is working well and needs to be continued or expanded; what is not working
well and needs to be discontinued or reformulated; and how the model of working with young people,
those who are marginalized, vulnerable and at risk in particular, can be more effective and efficient.
4. OBJECTIVE
The main objective of this evaluation is to assess the overall national YFHS programme, with special
focus on UNICEF’s contribution through the ‘UNICEF-Tajikistan YFHS programme (2006-2013)’, so
as to provide UNICEF, the Government of Tajikistan, and other stakeholders with recommendations
on how to sustain, improve, and scale up YFHS. This will be done through an assessment of the
programmatic strategies and interventions using the UN standard criteria of evaluation (relevance,
effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability) in relation to the expected outputs and outcomes
of the programme.
The evaluation will be both summative and formative in nature. It will provide a summative
assessment of the YFHS programme in Tajikistan at the end of UNICEF support – the extent to which
the programme and UNICEF support to it was effective, efficient, equitable, and sustainable. At the
same time, it will provide a formative assessment of the YFHS programme in Tajikistan, which
continues within the government framework – what is the progress in delivering YFHS to date and
how best it can be modified for further improvement and expansion of the programme through optimal
use of limited resources.
7
In this regard, the findings and recommendations of the evaluation will be used by UNICEF, the
government and other stakeholders as follows:
 UNICEF – UNICEF will continue to work with young people and youth NGOs as right holders in
building their capacity in monitoring the implementation of recommendations provided by the
evaluation and ensure their active involvement in information dissemination through peer-to-peer
outreach communication. UNICEF will further work with mass media to disseminate information
on the health situation of young people and advocate for realization of their development, sexual
and reproductive health and rights particularly in the context of the HIV epidemic in Tajikistan.
UNICEF, at regional and global level, will share the best practice, challenges, and lessons learned
identified from the YFHS programme in Tajikistan to contribute to evidence-based youth
programming.
 Ministry of Health (MoH)- As the key partner and responsible Ministry for the YFHS programme,
the MoH will use recommendations for planning, budgeting, data collection and analysis on health
trends of young people, guidance, support, capacity enhancement of health specialists, monitoring
and evaluation toward sustaining and improving the YFHS provision in Tajikistan;
 The Committee on Youth, Sports and Tourism, as well as MoH – As the key partners responsible
for promotion of policies related to young people’s healthy development, they will use the
evaluation recommendations in policy formulation/revision particularly in pursuing a rights based
approach in programming with emphasis on the needs of vulnerable and at risk young people and
their participation in decision making process;
 Ministry of Education (MoE) - As the responsible ministry for Life Skills-Based Health Education,
the MoE may incorporate the evaluation findings into their ongoing in-school and out-of-school
life-skills programme with stronger linkages with the YFHS programme.
 Ministry of Justice (MoJ) –As the responsible partner for juvenile justice reform and revision of
current legislations that impede rights of adolescents and youth to access confidential services, the
MoJ may be informed and guided by the evaluation findings.
 Ministry of Finance (MoF) – As the responsible partner for fiscal space analysis within the social
sector, planning, budgeting and monitoring of state budget expenditure, the MoF may be informed
and guided by the evaluation findings in terms of optimal and equitable resource allocation to
support young people’s rights to healthy development and to achieve the national target of
containing the HIV epidemic.
 YFHS staff – As the primary service providers for all young people including the marginalized,
vulnerable and at risk groups, YFHS staff will be informed by the final evaluation findings and
recommendations for making the services more effective, accessible, appropriate, and equitable.
 Local government authorities and heads of the YFHS clinics – As they are responsible for the
programme planning, budgeting, implementation, data collection and monitoring, situation
analysis reporting and providing recommendations and feedback to higher-level decision makers,
final evaluation findings and recommendations will be helpful in their work.
5. SCOPE
The evaluation will cover the entire duration of the YFHS programme since its emergence in 2006, but
it will be forward looking and will contribute to the future adjustment and/or expansion of the
programme.
In terms of geographical focus, the scope of the evaluation will be both national and local. Nationally,
the evaluation will focus on national programme strategies, policies and legal framework as well as the
financing mechanism. Locally, the evaluation will focus on 21 functioning YHFS centres established
in the reproductive health, dermato-venerological, and PHC service delivery points in the following
city/districts:
 Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan;
 3 districts in the Rayons of Republic Subordination - Gissar, Vakhdat, Tursun-zade;
8



3 districts in Soughd Oblast (north) - Pendjikent, Isfara, Khujand;
4 districts in Khatlon oblast (south) - Yavan, Kurgan-Tube, Dangara, Kulyab;
1 district in GBAO (east) - Khorog
The evaluation will have a clear focus on the system-level impact of the programme, including
national policy influence, service coverage of the target population (equity-focused analysis of
utilization patterns of different YFHS service categories by different sub-groups of young people),
availability and accessibility of quality services, and financial/operational sustainability. The
evaluation may also comment on some of the emerging issues that might not have been addressed or
inadequately addressed by the current YFHS programme, but have potential to be addressed in future,
in light of the country situation. However, assessment of the programmatic impact (i.e., the programme
contribution to its goal in terms of behaviour change of the vulnerable and at risk young people) is
beyond the scope of this evaluation.
The evaluation will strictly follow the UN standards and principles of evaluation and follow the
evaluation criteria such as relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability; and some of
the specific questions to be answered by the evaluation are outlined below.
5.1 Limitations
Due to time and budget constraints, it is expected that the proposed evaluation method does not include
an extensive population-based survey, but largely relies on service statistics and qualitative data
collected through interviews and focus group discussions. This limits the evaluation’s ability to
measure the programme coverage among different groups of young people in strict quantitative terms.
The difficulty in measuring changes in ‘coverage’ is further compounded by the lack of a commonlyshared operational definition of ‘vulnerable adolescents’ in Tajikistan as well as the limited availability
of reliable disaggregated data which provides baseline values before the introduction of the UIC
(Universal Identification Code) database. (For more details about the UIC database, please see section
7.1 below). Another limitation is related to the scope of evaluation, again due to time and budget
constraints. As mentioned earlier, the impact assessment of this evaluation will not look into the degree
of behavioural change among the vulnerable and at risk young people, despite the fact that it has been
an ultimate goal of the programme.
Evaluators are invited to further discuss the limitations of the proposed methods and approaches, and
suggest what shall be done to minimize the possible biases and effects of these limitations.
6. QUESTIONS
The following evaluation questions define the information that must be generated as a result of the
evaluation process. In responding to them, the evaluation is expected to identify good and effective
practices, models, and strategies for scale-up or replication, innovations, ineffective or unsuccessful
practices, models and strategies, and lessons learned, and to make recommendations for future actions.
It is expected that the human rights-based approach to programming and results-based management
strategies will be applied in the analysis across all questions. Particularly, the issues related to equity,
including gender equality, require special attention. The evaluation questions can be refined by the
Evaluation Team during the inception phase, in close consultation with UNICEF.
Relevance
 To what extent has the design and strategy of the YFHS programme including its objectives,
target population and interventions, been relevant to the country context in terms of the
country’s HIV epidemic stage, unmet health needs of young people in general, and the
national priorities?
 To what extent has the YFHS programme been consistent with the needs, interest and
circumstances of the vulnerable and most at risk groups of young people?
9
 To what extent has the YFHS programme been consistent with the needs, interest and
circumstances of the young population in general?
 To what extent has the support provided by UNICEF to the YFHS programme been relevant to
the UNICEF mandate and its programming principles/strategy10?
Efficiency
 To what extent has UNICEF’s work on YFHS leveraged resources from other partners to
contribute to the sustainability of these services?
 What was the relative cost-effectiveness of various models used to generate demand for YFHS
(e.g., outreach network and peer-to-peer communication campaigns, use of mass media,
referral system in education and health settings, YFHS staff mobile group) among the hard to
reach population (vulnerable and at risk groups)?
 To what extent has the YFHS programme model and its management structure (e.g.,
economic, human and technical resources, organizational structure, decision-making in
management) been efficient in comparison to the results attained?
Effectiveness
 To what extent has UNICEF jointly with the government been effective in designing and
implementing an YFHS programme with a special emphasis on the at risk group that has
potential to be scaled up and replicated?
 To what extent has UNICEF been effective in removal of programme bottlenecks and how
effectively has UNICEF assisted the government to resolve them?
 To what extent have the targeted population, citizens, participants, local and national
authorities made the programme their own, taking an active role in it? What modes of
participation have driven the process?
 To what extent and in what ways has ownership, or the lack of it, impacted on the
effectiveness of the YFHS programme?
 To what extent has the YFHS programme had a reliable M&E mechanism that contributed to
measuring its results?
 How and to what extent has the programme management, coordination, partnership, and
monitoring and evaluation contributed to the effectiveness of the programme?
Impact
 Has the programme delivered the intended outcomes and outputs11 for young people,
especially for the most at risk groups (disaggregated by sex, age group, risk category,
urban/rural, etc.)? To what extent has UNICEF support contributed to attainment of the
outcomes and outputs initially expected?
 To what extent has the YFHS programme had an impact on the young people, with or
without differentiated effects in accordance with sex, ethnic group, rural or urban setting,
age group, risk category, etc.?
 Which groups or what profiles of young people have been reached by the YFHS
programme? Which have not and why? How successfully have barriers to reaching them
been identified and overcome?
 To what extent and in what ways has the YFHS programme contributed to national strategies
and priorities12?
 To what extent has the YFHS programme leveraged government political will, commitment
and financial resources to promote the rights of young people to health and development with
10
UNICEF Programming principles include but are not limited to: Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) (with empahsis
on equity-focused programming) and results based management (RBM).
11 As mentioned earlier, assessment of the programmatic impact at ‘goal’ level (behavior change) is beyond the scope of this
evaluation.
12 These include, amongst others, targets and priorities set in the national documents such as the Comprehensive National
Health Strategy 2010-2020, National strategy for development of health of children and adolescents 2010-2015, National
HIV/AIDS Programme 2011-2015, and National Programme on young people’s development 2011-2014.
10
special attention to equity issues? How have the YFHS programme interventions influenced
policy and legal reform in relation to young people’s access to quality health services?
 To what extent has the YFHS programme contributed to the advancement and the progress of
fostering national ownership, engagement, and capacity in promoting health and development
of young people – for example, has the UIC database improved decision makers’ access to the
trend analysis of young people’s health problems and prompted evidence-based actions?
Sustainability
 Will the system change for improved access of vulnerable and at risk group of young people
be sustained in the country without support from UNICEF and other development partners? If
not, what are the key factors and bottlenecks that may affect the sustainability of the results?
 Have national and/or local institutions shown technical capacity and leadership commitment to
keep working with the YFHS programme or to scale it up?
 Do the partners have sufficient financial capacity to keep up the benefits produced by the
programme?
 Is the equity gap in terms of composition of young people who will be reached by the
programme likely to increase, sustain or decrease when development partners support for
YFHS comes to an end?
7. METHODOLOGY
The evaluation will strictly follow the UN standards and principles of evaluation and respond to the the
evaluation criteria - relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability. To prevent conflict
of interest and to ensure the impartiality and absence of bias, the methodology will consider the
method of Triangulation, i.e. the evaluation will use an appropriate mix of quantitative and qualitative
data with participatory elements to ensure validity and reliability of the programme data and
information. The detailed methodology will be developed by the evaluators in line with the United
Nation Evaluation Group (UNEG) Norms and Standards (http://www.uneval.org) and in close
consultation with UNICEF.
The evaluators may conduct field visits and hold focus group discussions, community meetings and
interviews with the stakeholders and implementing partners. They are also encouraged to use available
secondary data and information outlined below as well as data from other published sources or
research / studies for triangulation and validation of the information.
7.1 Information Sources:
i)
The evaluation will review the national documents enabling the policy and legal environment for
establishment and scale up of the confidential and friendly services for young people. These
include but are not limited to:
 Comprehensive National Health Strategy 2010-2020
 National strategy for development of health of children and adolescents 2010-2015
 National HIV/AIDS Programme 2011-2015
 National Programme on young people’s development 2011-2014
 National protocol on STI syndrome management
 National protocol on STI prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care
 National regulation on YFHS
 National instructions for YFHS budgeting and its integration into health sector financing
 Documents related to mid-term review of the National AIDS programme 2011-2015
(conducted in 2013)
 National report on commitment to UNGASS on HIV/AIDS 2012
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
ii)
iii)
iv)
v)
Training manuals on: working with adolescents; psychosocial support and motivated
interviews for young people under stress
 VCT calendar
The UIC (Universal Identification Coding) database serves as a major source of up-to-date
information about of all clients of YFHS (anonymous) with disaggregation by sex, age, type of
services, referral mode, etc. This database is also used to monitor programme implementation and
to identify bottlenecks at service delivery level. More specifically the database allows:
 To keep and maintain the whole information about the client in confidentiality to ensure free
access by targeted group to the services.
 To assess the programme coverage
 To measure the incidence of STIs, HIV cases as well as unwanted pregnancies among clients
within the fixed time. Analyze the STI/HIV prevalence among the clients visited YFHS.
 To evaluate and analyze the data and trends of risky behavior of clients.
 To analyze the data related to source of information about YFHS clinics among the clients and
measure effectiveness of different communication / mobilization strategy.
 To monitor the volume of available supplies in stock and its usage.
 To keep track of the provided consultations, diagnoses and completed treatments.
 To analyze frequency of mixed STIs in one client and effectiveness of the treatments.
Another major source of information for the evaluation is the YFHS Quality and Coverage
assessment conducted in all 21 YFHS cenres / catchment areas in 2013 with UNICEF support. The
assessment employed the WHO methodology on YFHS certification, published in 2012. The
report will be available in December 2013.
The evaluation will also benefit from the cost benefit analysis of YFHS conducted in 2008 with
UNICEF support. The analysis specifically identified the cost savings related to STI prevention.
Based on the results of this analysis and recommendations, the national instructions for YFHS
budgeting and its integration into health sector financing were developed in 2009.
The evaluation should also review the UNICEF Country Office documents such as Country
Programme Action Plan (CPAP) and relevant programme documents, including the brief summary
documentation of the YFHS pilot stage experiences, ‘Youth Friendly Health Services in Tajikistan,
Experience of Three Pilot Cities, 2006-2007’, as well as other published reports on studies/surveys
conducted by other partners.
7.2 Process:
The Inception phase is the first stage of the evaluation enabling the Evaluation Team (ET) to develop
an evaluation framework with reference to the ToR. The team will develop a detailed methodology
with the key elements listed above. The team will elaborate indicators to identify the means of
verification. The team will assess the potential limitations to the evaluation work and in particular, the
availability and reliability of the programme data. The methodology and techniques to be used in the
evaluation should be described in detail in the inception report and the final evaluation report, and
should contain, at minimum, information on the instruments used for data collection and analysis,
whether these be documents, interviews, field visits, questionnaires or participatory techniques.
A Desk review of evidence available at country level in relation to impact and system results,
reduction of equity gaps and theory of change in scope of HIV/AIDS targeted interventions should be
conducted. As outlined above in section 7.1, the desk review will make use of UNICEF documentation
(donor and other reports, surveys, assessments, articles, publications CPAP 2010-2015), UIC database,
and government documents including, orders, policy papers, assessments, plan of actions, memoranda
of agreement, surveillance data, national reports and strategies, survey results, administrative data.
Other available sources will also be verified and analysed.
In-country data collection will consist of primary data collection from interviews with the key
stakeholders and the key implementing ministry (MoH), YFHS staff and local authorities; UN
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contributing agencies, GFATM and other donors; focus group discussions with young people including
its vulnerable and at risks groups and outreach leaders.
Data analysis will be conducted by the team in collaboration with relevant responsible people for
further clarification and feedback as necessary. The UIC database and its reports will serve as one of
the basic quantitative data sources for further analysis. The report and database of the voucher system
introduced at NGO level will also contribute to quantitative data analysis.
The report writing will start from its inception phase when the team will propose the detailed
methodological approach. Following the completion of data collection and analysis a draft report will
be submitted to the UNICEF Tajikistan Country Office. The draft report will be reviewed by the
Country Office Evaluation Committee, the Regional Office M&E section and submitted to the
Regional M&E facility for quality assurance. The final draft report will be shared with relevant
internal and external stakeholders. The evaluation team will collect and incorporate comments and
submit the final report to the Country Office.
8. DELIVERABLES
The main deliverables are:

Inception report, including detailed methodological design and Evaluation Matrix, based on
desk review and discussions.

Draft Evaluation Report to be submitted for validation.

Final Evaluation Report in line with UNICEF Evaluation Standards.
8.1 Inception Report:
The inception report provides an opportunity for UNICEF and the evaluation team to ensure that their
interpretations of the ToR are mutually consistent. The report shall:
 Explain the evaluation team’s understanding of what is being evaluated and why by way of
presenting evaluation framework;
 Describe the evaluation team’s plans to engage and involve stakeholders in the design, data
collection, data analysis, and development of recommendations;
 Explain how the evaluation questions will be addressed with respect to all evaluation criteria
indicated above by way of proposed methods, evaluation designs, sampling plans, proposed
sources of data, and data-collection procedures (Note: The evaluation team is encouraged to
suggest refinements to the ToR and to propose creative or cost- or time-saving approaches to
the evaluation and explain their anticipated value);
 For each of the evaluation criteria, describe the measurable performance indicators or
standards of performance that will be used to assess progress towards the attainment of results,
including outcomes;
 Discuss the limitations of the evaluation according to data availability and reliability;
 Explain the team’s procedures for ensuring quality control for all deliverables;
 Explain the team’s procedures to ensure informed consent among all people to be interviewed
or surveyed and confidentiality and privacy during and after discussion of sensitive issues with
beneficiaries or members of the public;
 Explain how the evaluation will reflect attention to gender concerns and human rights analysis,
including child rights.
8.2 Final evaluation report:
The final evaluation report must be in compliance with the UNICEF Evaluation report standards. The
report should include: executive summary, description of the evaluation methodology, assessment of
the methodology (including limitations), findings, analysis, conclusions, lessons learned and
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recommendations. The Annexes to the report should contain the TORs, data collection instruments and
other relevant information, reference list of used documents and other materials. The report should be
provided in both hard copy and electronic version in English.
Proposed structure of the final evaluation report (see also UNICEF Evaluation Standards13):
Title page
Table of content
List of Acronyms
Acknowledgment
Executive summary
Object of the evaluation
Evaluation purpose, objectives, and scope
Methodology
Findings (addressing the evaluation criteria and questions)
Conclusions and lessons learned
Recommendations
Annexes
8.3 Quality and ethical considerations:
Adequate measures should be taken to ensure that the process responds to quality and ethical
requirements as per UNICEF Evaluation Standards14.
As per UNEG Standard and Norms15, evaluators and national experts should be sensitive to beliefs,
manners and customs and act with integrity and honesty in their relationships with all stakeholders.
Furthermore, they should protect the anonymity and confidentiality of individual information.
The evaluators and national experts should respect the confidentiality of the information they handle
during the assignment. They are allowed to use documents and information provided only for the tasks
related to these terms of reference.
UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or proportion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory assignment is incomplete, not delivered or of failure to meet deadlines.
9. EVALUTION TEAM COMPOSITION
The evaluation team will consist of one senior international consultant and two national consultants.
The international consultant will act as Team Leader and will guide the evaluation process. The
thematic consultants/experts to be recruited locally will collect and analyse information as per
guidance and support from the Team Leader.
The competencies required from International consultant are the following:
 Advanced degree in public health and/or epidemiology.
 8-10 years of professional experience in evaluation and assessment of young people and
HIV/AIDS –related programmes at national and international level.
 Experience in qualitative and quantitative data analysis and reporting.
 Adaptability and flexibility in working within a complex and dynamic environment.
 Familiarity with UNICEF/WHO/UNAIDS mission and mandate.
 Excellent understanding about the human rights-based approach to programming and resultsbased management, including gender equality and child rights
 Very good organizational, strong judgement, excellent analytical and report writing skills.
 Knowledge of Russian language is preferable.
13http://www.unicef.org/evaldatabase/files/UNICEF_Eval_Report_Standards.pdf
14http://www.unicef.org/evaldatabase/files/UNICEF_Eval_Report_Standards.pdf
15http://www.uneval.org/normsandstandards/index.jsp?doc_cat_source_id=4
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
Excellent mastery of English.
The competencies required from national consultants are the following:
1) Consultant with expertise in youth and/or HIV programming
 Advanced degree in public health, epidemiology or other related disciplines.
 8-10 years of professional experience in working on programme related to youth and
adolescent health and development and/or HIV/AIDS in Tajikistan.
 Solid knowledge on young people’s health and development and HIV epidemic patterns in the
context of Tajikistan.
 Experience in qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
 Fluency in Tajik and Russian
 Knowledge of English.
 Team player with excellent interpersonal skills and sound judgement.
 Good computer skills.
2) Consultant with expertise in health policy, financing, and sector reform
 Advanced degree in public health, economics, finance or other related disciplines.
 8-10 years of professional experience in working on programme related to health policy,
financing, and health sector reform in Tajikistan.
 Solid knowledge on health systems, including health financing and reform issues in the
context of Tajikistan.
 Experience in qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
 Fluency in Tajik and Russian
 Knowledge of English.
 Team player with excellent interpersonal skills and sound judgement.
 Good computer skills.
10. ACCOUNTABILITY
The following main actors will be involved in the implementation of evaluation: UNICEF Evaluation
Management Team (EMT); Steering Committee (SC); and Evaluation Team (ET).
The EMT composed of UNICEF Tajikistan Deputy Representative (lead), Health and Nutrition
section chief, YPHD and HIV/AIDS programme officer, and Monitoring and Evaluation officer will
lead and manage the evaluation process throughout the 3 main phases (i.e., design, implementation and
dissemination) through:
- Convening and providing constant liaison with the steering committee;
- Leading the finalization of the evaluation ToR and coordinating the selection and recruitment
of the evaluation team;
- Liaising with UNICEF Regional Advisors on adolescent health, HIV/AIDS, and Monitoring &
Evaluation, Regional M&E quality assurance system, as well as relevant technical experts in
WHO Regional Office to seek feedback on ToR and evaluation products with methodologies
(including inception report and evaluation report) and ensuring that they are incorporated by
the evaluation team in the final deliverables to meet quality standards
- Providing clear, specific advice and support to the evaluation team throughout the process;
- Taking responsibility for disseminating and ensuring the use of the evaluation findings and
recommendations;
The SC will be composed of UNICEF EMT, Deputy Ministers in Maternal and Child Health and
Epidemiology who are in charge of the YFHS programme, and the national experts group (NEG) who
will be convened by Ministry of Health in consultation with UNICEF EMT. It will function as the
evaluation reference group with the following roles and responsibilities:
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-
-
Provide inputs and participating in finalization of the evaluation methodology;
Provide feedback and comments to validate the preliminary findings and recommendations
presented by the Evaluation Team;
Facilitate the evaluation team’s access to all information and documentation relevant to the
intervention, as well as key actors and informants who should participate in interviews, focus
groups or other data collection methods; and
Review the draft evaluation report and provide feedback;
Disseminate and make use of the evaluation findings and recommendations.
The evaluation team (ET) will conduct the evaluation study by fulfilling the contractual arrangements
in line with the TOR, UNEG/UNICEF norms and standards and ethical guidelines. This includes
preparing an inception report, conducting desk review, undertaking field visits, drafting/finalising
report, and briefing the EMT, SC, NEG, and stakeholders on the progress and key findings and
recommendations, as needed.
11. WORK PLAN
Time scope
Activity
December
2013/January 2014
Selection of evaluation team (1 international
and 2 national consultants) by UNICEF
Tajikistan Country Office
Desk review
February 2014
End February 2014
March 2014
April 2014
End-April 2014
Mid-May 2014
May 2014
Proposed duration of the
evaluation process
Starting immediately upon
signing of contract and
continue throughout the
process
Evaluators to submit a draft inception report, 7 days upon signing of
detailing methodology and other issues as per contract
ToR
Briefing by evaluators about the evaluation
framework, methodology and process to
EMT and SC before kick-starting the
exercise – EMT and SC to provide verbal
feedback
EMT, SC and UNICEF Regional Office to
5 days
review draft inception report and provide
comments
Evaluators to finalise an inception report,
3 days after receipt of
incorporating comments from EMT, SC and
feedback
UNICEF Regional Office
Primary data collection / Field visits by
10 days
evaluators
Data analysis and preparation of draft
10 days
evaluation report by evaluators
Evaluators to present the preliminary
findings to EMT and SC
Evaluators to submit the draft evaluation
7 days
report, incorporating the verbal feedback
received from EMT and SC during the
presentation of the preliminary findings
EMT, SC and UNICEF Regional Office to
10 days
review draft report and provide comments to
evaluators
Evaluators to incorporate comments and
3 days
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Time scope
Activity
Proposed duration of the
evaluation process
finalize evaluation report
12. BUDGET
Total consultant work days:
 40 days (international consultant)
 Two national consultants will be engaged for 10 days each during the primary data collection /
field visits; 7 days each during data analysis and preparation of draft evaluation report; and 1
day each during the finalization of the report: 18 days each per national consultant
Consultancy Period: 4 months (Feb.–May 2014)
APPLICATION:
Qualified candidates are requested to submit a Letter of interest, CV, UN Personal History
Form (P11) (which could be downloaded from our website
www.unicef.org/tajikistan/resources_6744.html) and references from previous consultancies
to recruitmentdushanbe@unicef.org by the deadline of 26 Jan.2014.
In their Letter of Interest, candidates should highlight previous work experience relevant to the
assignment, the attributes that make them suitable, their proposed approach to the assignment and their
anticipated daily rate or all-inclusive lump-sum fee for the assignment, including time for preparation
and the final report.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages
qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds,
including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.
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CONDITIONS OF THE SERVICE:
General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants / Individual Contractors
1. Legal Status
The individual engaged by UNICEF under this contract as a consultant or individual
contractors (the “Contractor”) is engaged in a personal capacity and not as representatives of a
Government or of any other entity external to the United Nations. The Contractor is neither a
"staff member" under the Staff Regulations of the United Nations and UNICEF policies and
procedures nor an "official" for the purpose of the Convention on the Privileges and
Immunities of the United Nations, 1946. The Contractor may, however, be afforded the status
of "Experts on Mission" in the sense of Section 22 of Article VI of the Convention and the
Contractor is required by UNICEF to travel in order to fulfill the requirements of this contract,
the Contractor may be issued a United Nations Certificate in accordance with Section 26 of
Article VII of the Convention.
2. Obligations
The Contractor shall complete the assignment set out in the Terms of Reference for this
contract with due diligence, efficiency and economy, in accordance with generally accepted
professional techniques and practices.
The Contractor must respect the impartiality and independence of UNICEF and the United
Nations and in connection with this contract must neither seek nor accept instructions from
anyone other than UNICEF. During the term of this contract the Contractor must refrain from
any conduct that would adversely reflect on UNICEF or the United Nations and must not
engage in any activity that is incompatible with the administrative instructions and policies
and procedures of UNICEF. The Contractor must exercise the utmost discretion in all matters
relating to this contract.
In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, the Contractor (a) will conduct him- or
herself in a manner consistent with the Standards of Conduct in the International Civil
Service; and (b) will comply with the administrative instructions and policies and procedures
of UNICE relating to fraud and corruption; information disclosure; use of electronic
communication assets; harassment, sexual harassment and abuse of authority; and the
requirements set forth in the Secretary General's Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection
from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse.
Unless otherwise authorized by the appropriate official in the office concerned, the Contractor
must not communicate at any time to the media or to any institution, person, Government or
other entity external to UNICEF any information that has not been made public and which has
become known to the Contractor by reason of his or her association with UNICEF or the
United Nations. The Contractor may not use such information without the written
authorization of UNICEF, and shall under no circumstances use such information for his or
her private advantage or that of others. These obligations do not lapse upon termination of this
contact.
3. Title rights
UNICEF shall be entitled to all property rights, including but not limited to patents, copyrights
and trademarks, with regard to material created by the Contractor which bears a direct relation
to, or is made in order to perform, this contract. At the request of UNICEF, the Contractor
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shall assist in securing such property rights and transferring them to UNICEF in compliance
with the requirements of the law governing such rights.
4. Travel
If UNICEF determines that the Contractor needs to travel in order to perform this contract,
that travel shall be specified in the contract and the Contractor’s travel costs shall be set out in
the contract, on the following basis:
(a) UNICEF will pay for travel in economy class via the most direct and economical route;
provided however that in exceptional circumstances, such as for medical reasons, travel in
business class may be approved by UNICEF on a case-by-case basis.
(b) UNICEF will reimburse the Contractor for out-of-pocket expenses associated with such
travel by paying an amount equivalent to the daily subsistence allowance that would be paid to
staff members undertaking similar travel for official purposes.
5. Statement of good health
Before commencing work, the Contractor must deliver to UNICEF a certified self-statement
of good health and to take full responsibility for the accuracy of that statement. In addition,
the Contractor must include in this statement of good health (a) confirmation that he or she
has been informed regarding inoculations required for him or her to receive, at his or her own
cost and from his or her own medical practitioner or other party, for travel to the country or
countries to which travel is authorized; and (b) a statement he or she is covered by
medical/health insurance and that, if required to travel beyond commuting distance from his or
her usual place or residence to UNICEF (other than to duty station(s) with hardship ratings
“H” and “A”, a list of which has been provided to the Contractor) the Contractor’s
medical/health insurance covers medical evacuations. The Contractor will be responsible for
assuming all costs that may be occurred in relation to the statement of good health.
6. Insurance
The Contractor is fully responsible for arranging, at his or her own expense, such life, health
and other forms of insurance covering the term of this contract as he or she considers
appropriate taking into account, among other things, the requirements of paragraph 5 above.
The Contractor is not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to
UNICEF and United Nations staff members. The responsibility of UNICEF and the United
Nations is limited solely to the payment of compensation under the conditions described in
paragraph 7 below.
7. Service incurred death, injury or illness
If the Contractor is travelling with UNICEF’s prior approval and at UNICEF's expense in
order to perform his or her obligations under this contract, or is performing his or her
obligations under this contract in a UNICEF or United Nations office with UNICEF’s
approval, the Contractor (or his or her dependents as appropriate), shall be entitled to
compensation from UNICEF in the event of death, injury or illness attributable to the fact that
the Contractor was travelling with UNICEF’s prior approval and at UNICEF's expense in
order to perform his or her obligations under this contractor, or was performing his or her
obligations under this contract in a UNICEF or United Nations office with UNICEF’s
approval. Such compensation will be paid through a third party insurance provider retained by
UNICEF and shall be capped at the amounts set out in the Administrative Instruction on
Individual Consultants and Contractors. Under no circumstances will UNICEF be liable for
any other or greater payments to the Contractor (or his or her dependents as appropriate).
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8. Arbitration
(a) Any dispute arising out of or, in connection with, this contract shall be resolved through
amicable negotiation between the parties.
(b) If the parties are not able to reach agreement after attempting amicable negotiation for a
period of thirty (30) days after one party has notified the other of such a dispute, either party
may submit the matter to arbitration in accordance with the UNCITRAL procedures within
fifteen (15) days thereafter. If neither party submits the matter for arbitration within the
specified time the dispute will be deemed resolved to the full satisfaction of both parties. Such
arbitration shall take place in New York before a single arbitrator agreed to by both parties;
provided however that should the parties be unable to agree on a single arbitrator within thirty
days of the request for arbitration, the arbitrator shall be designated by the United Nations
Legal Counsel. The decision rendered in the arbitration shall constitute final adjudication of
the dispute.
9. Penalties for Underperformance
Payment of fees to the Contractor under this contractor, including each installment or periodic
payment (if any), is subject to the Contractor’s full and complete performance of his or her
obligations under this contract with regard to such payment to UNICEF’s satisfaction, and
UNICEF’s certification to that effect.
10. Termination of Contract
This contract may be terminated by either party before its specified termination date by giving
notice in writing to the other party. The period of notice shall be five (5) business days (in the
UNICEF office engaging the Contractor) in the case of contracts for a total period of less than
two (2) months and ten (10) business days (in the UNICEF office engaging the Contractor) in
the case of contracts for a longer period; provided however that in the event of termination on
the grounds of impropriety or other misconduct by the Contractor (including but not limited to
breach by the Contractor of relevant UNICEF policies, procedures, and administrative
instructions), UNICEF shall be entitled to terminate the contract without notice. If this
contract is terminated in accordance with this paragraph 10, the Contractor shall be paid on a
pro rata basis determined by UNICEF for the actual amount of work performed to UNICEF’s
satisfaction at the time of termination. UNICEF will also pay any outstanding reimbursement
claims related to travel by the Contractor. Any additional costs incurred by UNICEF resulting
from the termination of the contract by either party may be withheld from any amount
otherwise due to the Contractor under this paragraph 10.
11. Taxation
UNICEF and the United Nations accept no liability for any taxes, duty or other contribution
payable by the consultant and individual contractor on payments made under this contract.
Neither UNICEF nor the United Nations will issue a statement of earnings to the consultant
and individual contractor
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