Article
Consultancy for Conducting a Regional Training of Trainers (ToT) on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) for Learners with Disabilities
Background
UNESCO seeks a consultant to conduct a Regional Training of Trainers (ToT) on CSE for learners with disabilities, to equipe educators, teacher trainers, and education stakeholders with knowledge and skills to provide disability-inclusive CSE.
Young people with disabilities have the same sexual and reproductive health needs and rights (SRHR) as their peers without disabilities. Recent research also shows that they are more vulnerable to negative SRHR outcomes such as infection with HIV/STIs, unintended pregnancies and gender or intimate partner violence. Despite these needs and vulnerabilities many young people face disability specific barriers when trying to access sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and lack access to appropriate information about their SRHR. These include disability-specific barriers such as a lack of trained educators and accessible learning materials, limited access to SRH information and services tailored to their needs, and negative societal attitudes towards disability, sexuality, and CSE.
Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is a proven strategy to enhance SRHR knowledge and skills among young people. Over the last decades UNESCO provided training on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) to many educators in Africa through its O3 programme. However, UNESCOs recent needs assessment on the current state of CSE in east and southern Africa (ESA) revealed that the region lacks CSE for learners with disabilities in accessible and appropriate formats. The report reveals that among other things the lack of CSE is related to:
a general negative attitude towards CSE in the region,
lack of meaningful inclusive education and educators who are trained to accommodate disability needs (e.g. sign language),
lack of resources and training to provide CSE,
negative attitudes towards disability and sexuality and
lack of understanding on how CSE needs to be delivered to accommodate different types of disabilities.
UNESCO’s Response and the Breaking the Silence (BtS) Approach
In response to these challenges, 91鶹Ʒ prioritized inclusive CSE through its Our Rights, Our Lives, Our Future (O3) Programme, which supports quality, age-appropriate, and evidence-based CSE delivery in ESA.
Recognizing the importance of specialized CSE training for educators working with learners with disabilities, UNESCO partnered with the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and UNFPA to implement the Breaking the Silence (BtS) approach—an evidence-based methodology for delivering CSE to learners with disabilities.
Building on the success of BtS workshops held in 2021 (Malawi, Zimbabwe) and 2022 (Nairobi, Kenya), UNESCO now seeks to scale up this initiative by engaging a consultant to conduct a Regional Training of Trainers (ToT) on CSE for Learners with Disabilities. This ToT will equip master trainers from selected O3 programme countries with the skills and resources to train teachers at the national level on delivering disability-inclusive CSE.
Objectives of the Consultancy
The overall objective of this consultancy is to strengthen the capacity of teachers to effectively deliver CSE to learners with disabilities by conducting a Regional Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop and supporting the cascading of the training to teachers at country level. The specific objectives include:
Plan and develop training materials needed for the TOT workshop.
Facilitate a Regional ToT workshop for about 48 teacher educators from 12 ESA countries (about 4 per country).
Develop practical tools, guidelines, and implementation strategies to be used in national-level training of teachers.
Provide virtual support and mentorship to trainers as they cascade training to teachers in-country.
Scope of Work
The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:
Develop a training module and necessary training materials informed by the UNESCO CSE teacher training module.
Conduct a 5-day training session for teacher educators/trainers.
Provide training resources to enable participants to train teachers in their respective countries.
Conduct 10 virtual sessions to mentor and assist trainers in cascading the training at national and school levels.
Develop a final report with key findings, best practices, and policy recommendations.
Deliverables and Timelines
| Deliverable | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Training Module and Materials | 10 days |
| Regional Training of Trainers (ToT) Workshop | 5 days |
| Post-training Support (Community of Practice sessions) | 10 days |
| Final report | 5 days |
| Total number of days | 30 days |
Required Expertise
The consultant (individual or organization) must demonstrate meeting the following requirements:
Advanced degree (master’s or PhD) in Education, Gender/Sexualities, Disability Studies, Public Health, or Social Sciences.
Proven experience in CSE training, particularly for learners with disabilities.
Expertise in inclusive education, disability rights, gender equality, and SRHR.
Strong knowledge of UNESCO’s CSE frameworks and the O3 programme.
Experience in developing training curricula and educational materials.
Excellent facilitation, communication, and report-writing skills.
Application Process
Interested applicants must submit the following:
Technical Proposal (max 10 pages) outlining methodology, training approach, and work plan.
Financial Proposal (detailed budget including professional fees and anticipated costs). Consultants to quote only for facilitation fees and preparatory work.
CV(s) of consultant(s) showcasing relevant experience.
Sample of previous similar work (e.g., training modules, reports, publications).
Proposals are to be submitted to: vacancies.harare@unesco.org no later than 14 March, 2025 at 17:00 Harare time, without a copy to any other email addresses.
