Request for proposals: Mid-Term Evaluation for the Access to Health Fund in Myanmar

1. INTRODUCTION AND PROJECT BACKGROUNDAccess to Health supports life-saving health care across Myanmar – helping local health workers deliver essential services, respond to emergencies and provide lifesaving treatment where it matters most. Since January 2019, the Fund has been working with key health stakeholders to increase people’s access to health services (maternal, newborn and child health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, combating HIV and AIDS through harm reduction, tuberculosis and malaria) and to strengthen health systems.The Access to Health Fund is supported by seven bilateral donors and two multilateral financing institutions which have established independent health projects managed by UNOPS alongside the pooled multi-donor fund. Fund donors are responsible for the Fund's oversight and directly commission UNOPS to serve as the Fund Manager, also known as the Fund Management Office (FMO). In Myanmar, UNOPS also manages other funds such as the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT) and is the Principal Recipient for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GF).While a new strategy, developed in 2022/23, guides the overall implementation of the 2024-2028 phase, the Fund's core vision, to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations in Myanmar, has remained constant since its transition from the 3MDG fund in 2018. From this vision, the Fund derives two core priorities:* A focus on remote, conflict-affected and natural disaster-affected areas; * A focus on equity, with the Fund adopting a rights-based approach promoting inclusiveness, and explicitly targeting underserved and vulnerable populations.2. PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE MID-TERM EVALUATION2.1. PURPOSEThe evaluation will be carried out two years after the official start of the new phase of the program, meaning the Fund will have nearly three years of implementation remaining to apply lessons learned and recommendations.The purpose of this mid-term independent evaluation is two-fold: accountability and learning. For accountability, the evaluation will assess the project’s achievements since its inception, reviewing the quality, relevance, and usefulness of deliverables to donors. From a learning perspective, the evaluation will identify key lessons and generate evidence-based recommendations to inform adjustments to the project’s design and implementation, strengthening performance and impact during the remaining period and informing scoping for a possible continuation beyond 2028.Evaluation Objectives:* To evaluate the Fund’s relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability, while also documenting its Value Proposition; specifically its unique strengths in a challenging environment * To evaluate the Fund’s effectiveness in mainstreaming cross-cutting themes, which are: 1. Accountability and Responsiveness, 2. Disability-Inclusive Health and Rehabilitation and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), 3. Gender and Social Inclusion, 4. Conflict Sensitivity, Social Cohesion, and Holistic Security, 5. Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and 6. Environmental Protection, Climate Change and Emergency Preparedness. * To provide recommendations to improve the way the Fund designs and delivers its support to vulnerable people in Myanmar, including through the effective implementation of its localization strategy. * To provide recommendations on possible adjustments to be made in proposing an extension or the next phase of the FundMain Users of Evaluation Results: The main users of the evaluation results will be the Fund Management Office, donors and implementing partners.2.2. SCOPEThe evaluation will cover all project activities, results, and resources utilized from the start date 1 Jan 2024 up to the current evaluation period. It will evaluate progress towards achieving the intended outcomes and outputs, with reference to the project’s Theory of Change and log frame.The evaluation scope will be based on the Fund’s strategy, which identifies three key pillars: Delivering essential health services for vulnerable people; strengthening the capacity of local health providers to deliver healthcare; and strengthening community health systems such as community-based health workers, village health committees and women support groups to ensure services continue today and into the future.The evaluation will include visits to some of the project sites to meet with field implementers and for direct engagement with beneficiaries and other relevant in-country stakeholders. Evaluators will also conduct desk reviews and remote interviews including with:* Fund Board, * Fund Management Officers/teams, * Other multi-donor funds managed by UNOPS in Myanmar, * Implementing Partners including Civil Society Organizations, * Beneficiaries, * Relevant stakeholders including key humanitarian partners such as MHF, MSF, ICRC, * Technical agencies such as UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, UNAIDS.Additional stakeholders for remote interviews could be identified in agreement with the Fund Management Office.An Evaluation Reference Group consisting of the Monitoring and Evaluation unit, the Programme Management Team, and donor representatives will be created for quality assurance and review of evaluation products to ensure that the products are informative, of the highest quality and submitted in a timely manner, according to agreed deadlines and schedule of work.6. Required Qualifications of the Evaluator6.1 ELIGIBLE ORGANISATIONInternational organisations or national organisations including the UN, NGOs, academic organisations, private sector/ companies or consortia are eligible provided they are independent of the Fund Manager and not an affiliate or an implementing partner of the Access to Health Fund.6.2 TEAM COMPOSITIONThe evaluation will be conducted by a review team consisting of a Team Leader and dedicated team member(s) responsible for implementing the assignment. The team should collectively possess the following qualifications and expertise:Team Leader* Advanced degree in Public Health, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or a related field. Extensive experience in conducting evaluations of health or development programmes, preferably in Myanmar or similar contexts.* Strong knowledge of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, including OECD-DAC evaluation criteria.* Proven ability to lead mixed-methods evaluations, synthesize findings, and present actionable recommendations.* Excellent communication and facilitation skills for stakeholder engagement and validation workshops. Team Member(s)* Relevant academic or professional background in public health, social sciences, or evaluation research.* Experience in data collection, analysis, and reporting, including both quantitative and qualitative methods.* Familiarity with programme implementation in complex or resource-limited contexts, including conflict-affected areas.* Ability to support the team leader in desk reviews, interviews, data analysis, and report drafting.The team composition should ensure a balance of technical expertise, field experience, and analytical capacity to deliver a high-quality, evidence-based evaluation. To facilitate communication with local partners and field travel in Myanmar, a Myanmar national team member is required.HOW TO APPLYVendors must submit a proposal for the services/goods through the UNOPS eSourcing system.For more information and to submit a proposal, visit: https://www.ungm.org/Public/Notice/292661Tender Submission Deadline: 24th March 2026