Individual Consultant Development of National Midwifery Competency Framework

The Position:

The consultant will work under the supervision of the SRHR & Health Systems Specialist, under overall guidance of the SRHR/Youth Advisor and Deputy Representative. 

The Midwives Association of Kenya (MAK) will act as the technical implementing partner responsible for day-to-day technical guidance, facilitating access to key documentation, convening stakeholders/TWG, and reviewing deliverables  prior to submission to UNFPA.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff who embody these international norms and standards and will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results

Quality midwifery care is an essential component of reducing maternal and newborn mortality and achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Kenya faces significant maternal and newborn health challenges and lacks a nationally harmonized Midwifery Competency Framework, leading to inconsistencies in training and professional identity.

The Midwives Association of Kenya (MAK), with financial and technical  support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is undertaking preparatory work toward developing the National Midwifery Competency Framework that aligns with ICM standards and applies consistently across all settings. This framework draws inspiration from global benchmarks, including International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and World Health Organization (WHO) standards, while adapting them to national practice, legislative, and institutional requirements in Kenya.

This initial phase focuses explicitly on establishing a comprehensive evidence base regarding current midwifery education, training, regulation, and clinical practice in Kenya. This consultancy is crucial to inform the adaptation of the global frameworks to the Kenyan context, generating country-specific evidence to drive sustainable improvements in midwifery training and practice.

An individual consultant is needed to execute Phase 1 (Situation analysis and Gap analysis) of the development of the national midwifery competency framework.
 

Job Purpose:

The overall purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical expertise in executing Phase 1 (Situational Analysis and Gap Analysis) and  build a solid evidence base for the National Midwifery Competency Framework. Specifically, the consultant will support UNFPA and MAK to:

• Conduct Desk Review to assess the current status of midwifery education/training, regulation,  and clinical practice in Kenya 
• Conduct situational analysis by engaging relevant stakeholders to identify the gaps in midwifery education/training, regulation,  and clinical practice in Kenya. (MoH, NCK, KMTC, universities, practicing midwives, relevant 
• partners) to collect and validate operational data.
• Document and present the situation and gap analysis report to stakeholders at a consultative forum.
• Formulate clear evidence-based recommendations to inform Phase 2 (Framework Development).

You would be responsible for:

• Under the overall administrative and contractual management of UNFPA, and in technical collaboration with MAK and the TWG, the consultant will execute the following core tasks: 
• Document & Desk Review: Review existing legislations, NCK curricula guidelines (KRM, KRCHN, BScN, BScM), MoH strategies/policy documents, KMTC syllabi, university syllabi ,  against ICM standards.
• Stakeholder Consultations & Facility Assessments: Design data collection tools; conduct Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with NCK, MoH, educators, learners and midwives. 
• Conduct site visits to a sample of training and clinical facilities (Within Nairobi).
• Situational Analysis: Analyze clinical practice realities, strengths, and systemic challenges within Kenya's midwifery education and entry-to-practice landscape.
• Gap Analysis & Competency Mapping: Compare national midwifery competencies against ICM domains and analyze gaps in terms of knowledge, skill and behaviours.
• Validation & Consolidation: Present findings to MAK, TWG, and key stakeholders during a validation workshop and synthesize all technical inputs into a final consolidated evidence report.
• Consultation Workshops: Hold a workshop to present gap and situational analysis findings and secure high-level stakeholders buy-in.

Key Deliverables:

All deliverables will be submitted in electronic copies. They must be written in English.

The consultant will submit key deliverables for review by MAK and formal approval by UNFPA according across the consultancy period (September–November 2026):

1. Inception report: Inception report detailing work plan, outline of the report, methodology , proposed stakeholders mapping, document review matrix, and data collection tools (September 2026; 5 working days after signature of the contract).
2. Draft Situational & Gap Analysis : Draft Situational and Gap Analysis (knowledge, skills and behaviours matrix) (October 2026).
3. Validation Workshop  & Final Consolidated Evidence Report): Validation workshop to generate  final validated Consolidated Evidence Report incorporating stakeholder inputs (November 2026;).
4. Consultation Workshop: Hold a stakeholders workshop with relevant stakeholders to present situational analysis findings and secure high-level buy-in on the framework's scope and structure (November 2026).

Consultancy Duration: 

The consultancy is for a period of 35 days over the period of three months (Sept -Nov 2026).The consultancy will commence on the day following the contract's signature.

Monitoring and progress control, including reporting requirements, periodicity format and deadline:

A clear milestone-based payment is outlined for this consultancy, with each payment tranche released upon the submission and approval of specific deliverables, to the satisfaction of UNFPA.

Supervisory arrangements:

The consultant will work under the supervision of the SRHR & Health Systems Specialist, overall guidance of the SRHR/Youth Advisor and Deputy Representative. UNFPA will hold sole responsibility for overall contract management, performance monitoring, deliverable approvals, and payment disbursements.

MAK will act as the technical implementing partner responsible for day-to-day technical guidance, facilitating access to key documentation, convening stakeholders/TWG, and reviewing deliverables  prior to submission to UNFPA.

Place where services are to be delivered:

Nairobi, Kenya - The consultant is expected to work remotely, utilising their own office space, computer, internet, telephone and other equipment as needed, to undertake this assignment. 

Expected travel:

The consultant is required to attend any meetings specifically requested by the Ministry of Health, MAK, NCK and/or UNFPA. 

Transportation within Nairobi and to various offices will be provided/covered.

No domestic travel for activities outside Nairobi is expected for this consultancy. However, may this be required, UNFPA will cover the related costs. 

Other relevant information and special conditions:

• The Consultant should prepare and submit a list of the documents and materials required with a timeline.
• All documents prepared during the assignment shall be treated as property of UNFPA Kenya CO and MAK . The report/documents or any part, therefore, cannot be sold, used and/or reproduced in any manner without prior written approval of UNFPA Kenya CO. In the event of the consultant requiring additional time to complete the contract, over and above the time previously agreed to, but without UNFPA Kenya CO changing the scope of work, UNFPA’s prior written approval for the same shall be necessary.

All interested applicants should submit the following:

• Letter of interest
• CV with evidence of qualifications and experience

• At least one sample of a similar assignment undertaken within the last five years (e.g. competency framework design, health workforce policy reviews/development, HRH situation analysis report, or related analytical work). 

   

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or higher) in Midwifery, Nursing, Public Health, Health Professions Education.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• At least 7 years of professional experience in midwifery clinical practice, education, curriculum review, health workforce development, or policy.
• Demonstrated expertise in conducting situational analyses, gap analyses, qualitative data collection, and competency mapping.
• In-depth knowledge of Kenya's health system, NCK regulatory framework, and international guidelines (ICM and WHO standards).
• Proven track record in facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations with government ministries, professional bodies, and development partners.

Languages: 

• Fluency in written and spoken English with exceptional technical writing skills.

Required Competencies: 

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity, 
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, 
• Embracing cultural diversity, 
• Embracing change

Core Competencies: 

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.