Terms of Reference (ToR)

1. Background and Rationale

Delivery of Reproductive Health Education (RHE) is widely recognized as an effective strategy for equipping young people with the knowledge and life skills to make informed choices about their health, relationships, and general well-being. Evidence shows that access to age-appropriate, culturally sensitive RHE contributes significantly to reducing adolescent pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sexual abuse, and harmful practices.

Ghana has made notable strides in implementing programs and interventions designed to enhance the well-being of women and girls through quality services and timely education and information on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Despite the delivery of RHE in-school in Ghana, there is still remain a huge gap in the mode and content of delivery across all stages. This has limited the impact of RHE on the beneficiaries.

PPAG through its EmpowHer Project* intervention seeks to seek a consultant to seeks to recruit a qualified consultant to undertake a scoping study to assess the current state of RHE content delivery in schools, benchmarked against international guidelines and standards.

2. Purpose of the Consultancy

The primary purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a scoping study that will provide evidence-based insight into the content, scope, delivery methods, and institutional gaps of RHE in Ghanaian schools. The findings will inform future curriculum advocacy, policy dialogue, and capacity-building efforts.

3. Specific Objectives

The study will seek to:

• Assess the current RHE content being delivered in schools.
• Determine whether the content is integrated into other subjects or taught as standalone modules.
• Identify key gaps and missing components in existing RHE modules when compared to international standards (e.g., UNESCO’s International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education).
• Explore socio-cultural, political, and institutional factors influencing the delivery or resistance to RHE in Ghana.
• Provide recommendations for content revision, adaptation, or development to make RHE comprehensive yet culturally acceptable.

4. Scope of Work

The consultant will be expected to:

1. Conduct a desk review of existing RHE curricula and related policy documents in Ghana.
2. Map out state and non-state actors involved in RHE delivery and advocacy.
3. Interview key stakeholders: curriculum developers, education sector actors (GES, MoE), teachers, CSOs, parents, religious leaders, and students where applicable.
4. Map the content of in-school and out-of-school curricula against international standards to identify gaps and opportunities for expansion.
5. Analyze the extent to which current content aligns with international frameworks.
6. Propose specific content areas and delivery mechanisms that can be revised, introduced, or enhanced to improve the quality and acceptability of RHE in Ghana.

5. Deliverables

The consultant shall provide:

• Inception report with methodology and data collection tools.
• Draft report summarizing findings, analyses, and recommendations.
• Validation workshop presentation with key stakeholders.
• Final scoping study report, incorporating feedback and peer review.
• Executive summary and advocacy brief based on the findings.

6. Duration and Timeline

The consultancy is expected to take 30 working days, beginning from 1st September 2025 to 10th October 2025, with the following key phases:

• Week 1: Inception and literature review
• Week 2–3: Data collection and stakeholder consultations
• Week 4: Analysis and draft report
• Week 5-6: Validation and final reporting

7. Required Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced degree in Public Health, Education, Social Sciences, or related fields.
• Proven experience conducting assessments or evaluations in sexual and reproductive health or education.
• Strong understanding of RHE frameworks, curricula, and global guidelines.
• Demonstrated ability to engage with multi-stakeholder groups, including government, CSOs, educators, and religious institutions.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills.

8. Reporting and Management

The consultant will report directly to the Research Team of PPAG made up of the Advocacy focal Lead, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager and The EmpowHer Project lead, with oversight from a technical advisory team comprising representatives from key RHE stakeholders.

9. Application Process

Interested consultants should submit the following by 27th August 2025

• Expression of Interest (EOI) with understanding of the assignment
• Technical and financial proposal
• CV and relevant work samples
• Timeline for delivery

Applications should be sent to: recruitment@ppag-gh.org 
 Subject: PPAG Consultancy – Scoping Study on RHE in Ghana

10. Brief about the EmpowHer Project

The Ensuring Inclusive SRHR delivery for Women, Girls and Marginalized Communities (EmpowHer) program is one of the flagship initiatives of PPAG, with the goal of further improving access to equitable and inclusive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for young women and marginalised communities to advance gender equality, reduce social inequalities and contribute to end the cycle of poverty. The program broadly addresses three major intervention areas which include advocacy and delivery of Reproductive Health Education (RHE), and service provision for SRHR.  

One major challenge that led to the necessity of this program includes national opposition towards RHE. Opposition has slowed down the progress to the realization of and access to SRHR especially for marginalized communities and young women which are placed at the core of this program.

Hence, the EmpowHer program addresses these challenges of opposition surrounding RHE through sustainable strategies that include advocacy that prioritizes the institutionalization of RHE and creates an enabling environment for its delivery nation-wide. The program also aims at scaling up youth centered quality programming and RHE to reach more young women and marginalized communities.