Consultancy Services to Conduct Baseline Assessment for E-ACCESS Project

Nigeria carries a significant share of the global burden of maternal mortality and unmet need for family planning. National data show a modern contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR) of just 15%, a contraceptive discontinuation rate of 41% among users, and an unmet need for contraception among married women aged 15–49 that has risen to 21%. Nationally, close to a quarter of women report having experienced an unintended pregnancy at some point in their lives, with adolescents and young people facing disproportionate social, educational, and economic consequences, including school dropout and heightened maternal health risks.

Within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a relatively high concentration of health facilities has not translated into equitable access to family planning for adolescents and young people. Provider bias, confidentiality concerns, fear of judgment, restrictive social norms, weak community–facility referral linkages, and limited availability of youth-friendly services continue to constrain uptake, particularly among unmarried adolescents and young women in urban slums and peri-urban settlements.

Pathfinder International, Nigeria, with support from Organon's Her Health Grants Program, is implementing Project E-ACCESS, a 12-month initiative designed to expand access to a full range of modern contraceptive methods for young people aged 15–35 in underserved FCT communities. The project is built around three complementary strategies: Health System Strengthening, Last-Mile Service Integration, and Community-Led Demand Generation. It will be implemented in partnership with the FCT Primary Health Care Board (PHCB), traditional and religious leaders, area council structures, and local health committees.

To inform the project implementation roadmap, a baseline assessment is required. This assessment will combine a structured health facility assessment with a qualitative community perception study, and its findings will directly inform the selection of target communities and facilities, the content of provider capacity-building and demand-generation activities, and the benchmarks against which project performance will be measured at endline.

Interested consultants or firms should submit the following:

To generate credible, disaggregated baseline evidence on the readiness of selected health facilities to deliver quality, youth-responsive family planning services, and community knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and social norms regarding modern contraception among adolescents and young people aged 15–35 in target FCT communities. The findings will inform the design of Project E-ACCESS and serve as a benchmark for the endline evaluation.

The assessment comprises two complementary and mutually reinforcing components, to be conducted concurrently within the same target communities to allow for triangulation of findings.

The consultant will report to the Technical Director at Pathfinder International Nigeria, with technical guidance and quality assurance provided by Pathfinder's MEL and Program teams. Weekly check-in meetings will be held during the assignment to review progress, address emerging issues, and ensure alignment with project needs. Pathfinder will designate a focal point to facilitate communication, document review, and stakeholder coordination throughout the assignment.

Payment will be made in three tranches, tied to the approval of key deliverables, as follows:

We anticipate entering a fixed price contract with the selected consultant.Note that a 5% withholding tax will be deducted from payment for the consultancy.