Call for Proposals: Assessment of OCMCs in Nepal

Overview of WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) is the directing and coordinating authority in global public health within the United Nations system and is considered the world’s leading public health organization with long standing presence and linkages to key public health results and outcomes. In Nepal, WHO has extensive experience in providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) in several health topics.

The technical support covers the full scope of programme coordination and management, from guideline and strategy development to endorsing training packages and curricula, and, to some extent, supporting implementation. One focus area of support is Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. The project part of this Request for Proposal (RFP) targets the response to, and prevention of gender-based violence. For this project, WHO collaborates closely with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nation’s agency specialized in sexual and reproductive health.

Introduction and background

The one-stop crisis management centre model is an interprofessional response to gender-based violence that aims to provide survivor-centered health services alongside a combination of social, legal, police, and/or shelter services from a single location. One-stop crisis management centres target women and girls, but can also provide care to children, who have experienced forms of gender-based violence, which may include physical, psychological, and sexual violence. In Nepal, implementation of one-stop crisis management centres started in 2011 and provide a wide range of free hospital-based health services to address needs of survivors of gender-based violence. Currently, Nepal has 92 one-stop crisis management centres spread out over 77 districts of all 7 Provinces, covering both rural and urban areas.

WHO Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research has developed an assessment protocol combining both quantitative and qualitative research methods, which aims to enhance understanding of and efforts to improve the implementation of the one-stop crisis management centres as one model of service delivery for survivors of gender-based violence. The general objective of this project is to enhance understanding of- and efforts to improve the implementation of the one-stop crisis management centres as a model of service delivery for survivors of gender-based violence. To assess one-stop crisis management centres in Nepal, an adapted version of the WHO Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research assessment protocol will be used.

The specific objectives of such an assessment are to:

• understand the components and types of services being delivered by one-stop crisis management centre and for whom and the specific needs of and constraints faced by service providers;
• assess the importance of the relevant human resources needed for the effective operationalization of the one-stop crisis management centre mandate, assess how the one-stop crisis management centre model is being implemented including barriers and enablers and the quality of and mechanisms for provision of coordinated services;
• determine the costs, including number of patients reached versus cost of implementing the model (economic evaluation); and
• explore how systems and socio-cultural context affects the implementation and outcomes of one-stop crisis management centre model.

In this regard, WHO and UNFPA would like to request a proposal from interested parties to support the implementation of the assessment of one-stop crisis management centres in Nepal.

Requirements – Work to be performed (ToR)

The hired organization will be leading a variety of activities, part of the one-stop crisis management centre assessment. For each activity listed below to be considered finalized, a deliverable must be submitted to WHO and UNFPA focal points for approval.

Objective 1: Data collection protocol adaptation to the Nepal context

Before data collection, the global data collection protocol needs adaptation to the local context of Nepal. This will be endorsed through a workshop for partners and stakeholders, planned for June 2025.

• Activity 1.1: Participate in a 3–4-day stakeholders’ workshop to adapt the data collection protocol (tentatively in June 2025), in close collaboration with WHO and UNFPA.
• Activity 1.2: Collaborate with WHO and UNFPA to tailor the data collection protocol tailored to the Nepali context, as per the outcomes and recommendations of the adaptation workshop including translations and revisions of data collection guides.

Objective 2: Obtaining ethical approval on a national level

The hired organization will be responsible for the process of obtaining ethical approval from the local authorities in Nepal.

• Activity 2.1: Submit and obtain ethical approval from the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC).
• Activity 2.2: Submit and obtain all the necessary approvals from the Nursing and Social Security Division (NSSD), Department of Health Service, Ministry of Health and Population Nepal, in collaboration with WHO and UNFPA.
• Activity 2.3: Provide input into WHO Headquarters ethical review procedures where necessary.

Objective 3: Selecting and training enumerators

The hired organization will be responsible for hiring qualified and skilled enumerators for data collection.

• Activity 3.1: Develop a selection procedure for qualified and skilled enumerators.
• Activity 3.2: Develop a training agenda and training manual, including content on gender, gender-based violence (GBV), code of conduct and ethical procedures.
• Activity 3.3: Plan and implement a training workshop for all enumerators, including a plan for feedback and mentoring throughout data collection.

Objective 4: Data collection and data management

The hired organization is responsible for the collection and management of high-quality data.

• Activity 4.1: Develop and submit data quality assurance plan to WHO and UNFPA for approval.
• Activity 4.2: Collection of data as per the adapted study protocol and data quality assurance plan (Annex).
• Activity 4.3: Submit the final, clean datasets of qualitative and quantitative data to WHO, including translations to English.

Objective 5: Data analysis

The hired organization is responsible for initial data analysis, with guidance of WHO’s statistics team.

• Activity 5.1: Develop and submit a data analysis plan to WHO and UNFPA focal point for approval.
• Activity 5.2: Implement both descriptive and advanced quantitative analyses and provide clear results tables addressing primary research objectives.
• Activity 5.3: Conduct qualitative data analysis, including codebook development and coding using qualitative software, and provide qualitative results addressing primary research objectives.

Objective 6: Dissemination & publication

The hired organization will play an active role in dissemination and possibly publication of the result under the leadership of WHO and UNFPA.

• Activity 6.1: Plan, coordinate and implement dissemination activities in close collaboration with WHO and UNFPA, including stakeholders meeting, policy brief and a dissemination event.
• Activity 6.2: Lead in drafting publications including for peer-reviewed manuscript publications.

Place of assignment

This work will be conducted in Nepal, domestic travel will be required.

Planned timelines

(Subject to confirmation)

Start date: 1 June 2025
End date: 31 June 2027
Total duration: 25 Months

Planning of deliverables:

Activity coordination and reporting

All activities part of this ToR will be carried out by the hired organization with a high level of engagement from WHO and UNFPA. The hired organization will report progress and planned activities during weekly meetings to the WHO and UNFPA focal points. Additionally, all implementation plans, trainings and protocols require quality checks and approval from WHO and UNFPA before implementation.

Focal points from WHO and UNFPA

Confidentiality and information governance

All information supplied by WHO and UNFPA, including this RFP, collected data, results and all other documents must be treated in confidence and not disclosed to any third party. All data resulting from the activities included in this project is owned by WHO and UNFPA and therefore, can only be shared, published and disseminated under the leadership of WHO and UNFPA. Disclosure, copying or reproducing any of the information supplied as part of this project, both orally and written, is prohibited.

Characteristics of the eligible candidates

Eligible organizations for this project:

Essential:

• are national organizations (non-governmental, research institutions, academic institutions) based in Nepal and comply with local regulations and requirements; international non-governmental organizations with locally registered offices are eligible;
• have a proven track record in successful implementation of quantitative and qualitative research methods in Nepal;
• have a proven track record in conducting research on topics related to gender-based violence/ violence against women and/or sexual and reproductive health;
• have experience in implementing ethical procedures to protect confidentiality and anonymity of respondents;
• have experience in ensuring quality and safe collection, storage and management of data on a large scale; and
• have experience designing and implementing training of enumerators.

Desirable:

• have expertise in research related to health services/health systems;
• have expertise in dissemination of results and publication of scientific articles; and
• have good relationships with national stakeholders in RMNCAH in Nepal.

Proposal submission

Submitted proposals must include the following elements:

1. Executive summary
2. Background of the organization, including HR structure
3. Experience and expertise of the applying organization
4. Implementation plan for described activities, including HR
5. Budget plan

Proposals must not exceed 6 pages. They should be submitted before: May 1, 2025 to: srhrel@who.int. Proposals submitted after this date will be rejected without assessment.

Selection Process

The submitted proposals will be checked to ensure that all necessary information has been provided. Complete submissions that meet all essential requirements will proceed to the selection procedure by the selection panel.

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