Terms of Reference (TOR): Consultant- Post Abortion Care Provider Behavior Change Communication Package

Terms of Reference (TOR): Consultant- Post Abortion Care Provider Behavior Change Communication Package

Established in 2002, Ipas Nepal is an International Non-government Organizations (INGO) which works on Health System and Policy, Women-led Climate Justice, Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response, Agency and community, and Humanitarian support. Ipas Nepal's focus area includes Safe Abortion, Contraception, Health Response to Gender Based Violence, Community mobilization, and Climate change, gender and SRHR. Ipas Nepal is part of the Ipas Impact Network, a locally led, globally connected network of Ipas teams in 18 countries with extensive global technical and operational expertise and experience on intersectional approaches.

Post-abortion care (PAC) is one of the crucial emergency services that all health care providers should provide. The treatment is free of cost in public health facilities in Nepal. At current scenario, the providers are providing PAC service through providers that are trained in abortion service as it needs skill to provide Manual vacuum Aspiration. One of the key gaps to seek service as identified by the expert and the users (through rapid assessment) is the respectful PAC services by the service providers. The assessment by the Ipas Nepal has identified by the health care provider to provide the respectful PAC service has been the limited communications skills, approach and practice that is often judgmental, one-way, technically complex, insufficiently empathetic, and disconnected from the client’s concerns, choices, dignity, and lived experience.

Post-abortion care providers do not consistently use empathetic, non-judgmental, confidential, culturally respectful, and two-way communication as an integral part of clinical care. Communication is often provider-led, rushed, affected by stigma and bias, and characterized by inadequate listening, limited counseling, medical jargon, incomplete information, and insufficient explanation or consent. These practices reduce clients’ trust, dignity, informed choice, satisfaction, and willingness to seek timely facility-based post-abortion care.

Thus, Ipas Nepal aims to develop PAC communications guidelines and tools, to support providers to communicate respectfully throughout the entire client journey to women and girls requiring care after spontaneous or induced abortion. To support this initiative, Ipas Nepal seeks a qualified Provider Behavior Change Communications (PBCC) Consultant to provide technical assistance for developing the PAC communications guideline and tools.

Position Title: Consultant

Number of Positions: 1

Contract Type: Task-Based Consultancy

Consultancy period: October 2026-December 2026

Reporting Line: Program Development and Communications Manager

Scope of Work / Key Responsibilities

• Review existing evidence on respectful maternity care, respectful abortion care, PAC communication, abortion stigma reduction, behavioral science, and provider behavior change approaches. Similarly, review existing reports from PAC workshop and other Ipas Nepal's literature to develop provider behavioral communication assessment to identify the key communication barriers, behavioral determinants, stigma drivers, and power dynamics influencing provider-client interactions during PAC services. [1 day]
• Develop a two-days Provider Behavior Change Communication Package (Guideline with framework, session plan, facilitation guide, hands out and relevant tools not limiting to job aids, pocket book with basic information and glossary, M.A journey mapping, flipchart, posters, and content for audio and/or video materials, role play) for providing  empathetic, person-centered and  respectful PAC using the Shifting Gears approach, behavior change principles and provider-client communications principles. [10 days]
• Develop implementation, monitoring, supportive supervision, and evaluation plan including checklists, theory of change and measurable indicators to assess the change. [1 day]
• Engage with the relevant stakeholders in presenting, finalizing and approval of the guidelines. [1 day]
• Revision and finalization of PBCC package upon feedback received from Ipas Nepal. [2 day]

Expected Deliverables

• Inception report with methodology, behavioral communications assessment, workplan, analytical framework, and document review findings.
• Submit final two-days Medical Abortion Provider Behavior Change Communication Package with framework, session plan, facilitation guide, hands out, relevant tools and aids, and implementation, monitoring, supportive supervision and evaluation plan.

Qualifications and Experience

• Strong background in public health, primary health care, and local health systems
• Has experience in developing National level communications guidelines/ learning resource package.
• Has strong understanding of existing national health training system for providers specifically related to safe abortion services

Eligible candidates should submit a complete proposal package including the following documents: 

• Cover Letter 
• CV 
• Technical Proposal highlighting the relevant experience, overall implementation approach, and timelines. 
• Financial Proposal with detailed breakdown of estimated costs etc.

Application Deadline: 5 October 2026 

Please follow the link to apply the advertisement:

https://ipas.bonfirehub.com/opportunities/256278

Only short-listed individuals/companies will be contacted for further selection process. Telephone inquiries will not be entertained. Canvassing at any stage of the recruitment process shall lead to automatic disqualification, and Ipas Nepal reserves the rights on the final candidate selection.