Request for Applications (RFA) - SHARE Uganda Mentoring Study

Right To Play is a global organization committed to improving the lives of children and youth affected by conflict, disease, and poverty. Established in 2000, Right To Play has pioneered a unique play-based approach to learning and development which focuses on quality education, life skills, health, gender equality, child protection and building peaceful communities. With programming in 16 countries, Right To Play transforms the lives of more than 2.3 million children each year, both inside and outside of the classroom. In addition to our work with children, Right To Play advocates with parents, local communities, and governments to advance the fundamental rights of all children.

Right To Play is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and in London, UK and has operations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Our programs are facilitated by more than 500 international staff and 31,900 local teachers and coaches. For more information, follow @RightToPlayIntl and visit www.righttoplay.com.

2. SHARE Project Overview
The Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) project is a five-year project carried out by a consortium of partners with the aim of improving sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) among young people in Ghana, Mozambique, and Uganda. Funded by the Global Affairs Canada, SHARE is led by Right to Play International (RTP), in collaboration with WaterAid (WA) and the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE). FHI 360 serves as a key technical partner for the project.

3. Research Overview
Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and SRH rights (SRHR) are critical to supporting the health and well-being of young people. Group-based mentoring interventions are a promising approach to improve SRH and realize SRHR among young people. However, key evidence gaps remain in our understanding of the role of group-based mentoring in supporting positive SRH and SRHR among youth, particularly adolescent boys and young men, and our current knowledge relies on heterogenous approaches implemented across diverse settings.

In response, under the SHARE project, FHI 360 is leading an implementation research study that will assess the implementation of an evidence-based mentoring program implemented by the SHARE project in two districts in Uganda. Originally developed and tested in one setting in Uganda, the mentoring program will enroll out-of-school adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) ages 15 to 24 years in gender-specific mentor groups in local communities within Buyende and Adjumani Districts. This research will systematically examine implementation following the RE-AIM/PRISM implementation research framework, which will provide the opportunity to collate valuable information on how the intervention is carried out and what adaptations are implemented to overcome identified challenges which will help future implementation.

This study aims to contribute evidence on what is necessary to implement an evidence-based, gender-specific, group-based mentoring intervention at scale. By also assessing pre-post changes in key SRHR-related outcomes, this research will contribute to our understanding of how mentorship programming may help the global development community achieve positive outcomes for young people.

To meet this aim, the study’s primary objective is to examine key aspects of implementation for the SHARE project mentoring activities targeting AGYW and ABYM, including reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance, and external and organizational contexts in two settings.

Additionally, the SHARE project will also be working to strengthen delivery of adolescent-responsive SRH services in health facilities within the two districts, as well as actively link youth who take part in the mentoring program who are in need of such services to those strengthened services. Therefore, as a secondary objective we will document the experiences of youth mentoring program participants who seek SRH services within the community, and their perspectives with regard to the quality and responsiveness of the services to their needs.

This implementation research study will apply the revised/enhanced RE-AIM/PRISM model described above to examine intervention implementation for both the girls and boys mentoring activities (separately) under scaled conditions in Uganda. The study will gather and analyze data from a variety of sources including:

Individual-level data using structured questionnaires administered during face-to-face interviews with a cohort of intervention participants (mentees) and mentors at two time points (pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention) to document changes in targeted outcomes
Focus group discussions with a subset of mentee research participants and in-depth interviews with mentors, both at the conclusion of the six-month intervention period to explore implementation and potential adaptations to the intervention
In-depth interviews with program-level, district-level, and other relevant key informants at the end of the six-month intervention period to explore factors that may contribute to intervention maintenance and adoption as well as both internal and external contexts where the intervention is implemented
Secondary analyses of programmatic data collected for project monitoring to explore implementation fidelity to design, document other aspects of implementation
Cost data from project budgets and financial reports specific to the mentoring activities
Study populations include:

Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) ages 15 to 24 years enrolled in the SHARE project mentoring program for out-of-school youth
Mentors for AGYW who are engaged to lead mentoring groups as part of the SHARE project mentoring program for out-of-school youth
Adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) ages 15 to 24 years enrolled in the SHARE project mentoring program for out-of-school youth
Mentors for ABYM who are engaged to lead mentoring groups as part of the SHARE project mentoring program for out-of-school youth
Key informants, the full list of which is yet to be determined, but will include program implementers, and district/regional/national stakeholders relevant to intervention implementation and sustainability.
A timeline of study activities is included as Section 5 below.

4. Purpose of Consultancy
Right To Play is seeking to procure the services of an independent, Uganda-based research organization, academic institution, or consultancy firm to work closely with FHI 360 and lead the implementation of main data collection activities in Uganda. FHI 360 will supply an approved study protocol, and related tools, including informed consent forms, questionnaires, IDI guides, and FGD guides. The Service Provider, in close collaboration with FHI 360 researchers, will plan and carry out data collection activities associated with the study. The Service Provider will also support data cleaning, using approved plans and procedures. The Service Provider will be responsible for following the study protocol exactly, unless otherwise agreed upon with FHI 360 and RTP.

In support of the data collection activities, the Service Provider will also coordinate activities preparatory to study implementation, including hiring/procuring the services of qualified data collectors/interviewers; and planning and carrying out a training of these data collectors, with oversight from FHI 360 staff. The Service Provider will also plan and carry out data collection activities in study sites, including: working with FHI 360 and RTP to obtain any required permissions to collect data in the target districts; identifying, recruiting, screening, obtaining informed consent, and enrolling study participants into the study; and collecting data using approved study instruments.

All data collection activities will be conducted face-to-face with study participants by trained data collectors. Structured questionnaires will be administered in an electronic format using computer tablets. In-depth interviews (IDI) and focus group discussions (FGD) will be administered following a semi-structured interview guide and will be audio recorded. The Service Provider will be responsible for transcribing interviews in the language in which they took place, translating the transcribed interviews into written English, and responding to any queries from the FHI 360 data analysis team related to the meaning and interpretation of translations.

Participants will be offered compensation for study participation. We estimate compensation to be 15,000 UGX for each participant for each interview. These costs should be included in the Service Provider’s budget.

5. Proposed Scope of Work
Specific responsibilities and tasks for the Service Provider will include:

Study Preparation (March-April 2024)

Recruit, hire, and manage data collectors and supervisors according to a staffing plan that will be approved by FHI 360
Ensure all data collectors, supervisors, and other Service Provider personnel who will take part in this research will have completed and obtained certification of that completion for a research ethics training curriculum prior to the beginning of data collectors’ training
In accordance with guidance provided by FHI 360, plan the logistics required for the first round of data collector training to be co-led by the Service Provider and FHI 360 staff on study procedures, data collection, and data management. Each training is expected to be 5 consecutive business days in length, and to include a field test of data collection instruments Training materials will be jointly developed between the Service Provider and FHI 360 staff.
Participate in finalizing data collection tools, including reviewing and improving translations
Data collection (May 2024-November 2024)

Prior to and throughout data collection for all evaluation components, ensure that relevant authorities and stakeholders are well informed about the study.
Perform all coordination and logistical tasks related to the planning, scheduling, and relationship-building necessary for successful completion of all data collection activities.
Manage data collection and ensure day-to-day technical and logistical aspects of data collection (including participant incentives) in accordance with procedures described in the protocol and in consultation with the Project Leader. The Service Provider is responsible for developing a detailed schedule for each data collection component in advance, and for submitting it to FHI 360 for approval.
Conduct the following data collection activities:
Pre-intervention data collection with a structured questionnaire with 13 groups of 30 mentees each in Buyende and Adjumani health districts for approximately
780 AGYW mentees enrolled in the SHARE mentoring program (May 2024)
Up to 52 mentors for AGYW groups (26 per district) (May 2024)
780 ABYM enrolled in the SHARE mentoring program (May 2024)
Up to 52 mentors for ABYM groups (26 per district) (May 2024)
Re-contact and conduct post-intervention interviews with a structured questionnaire with approximately