Plan International Seeks Research Partners for Adolescent Girls’ Rights and Resilience Programme 2025–2029

Plan International has launched a major international consultancy opportunity under its Girls Get Equal Programme 2025–2029. The initiative focuses on advancing adolescent girls’ rights, resilience, education, economic empowerment, and sexual and reproductive health across seven countries in Africa and Asia.

The programme is funded through a framework agreement with Norad and seeks experienced consultants, universities, and research institutions to conduct implementation research that will strengthen evidence-based programming for girls and young women.

With a total budget ceiling of NOK 4.21 million, the consultancy represents a significant opportunity for development researchers and evaluation specialists working in gender equality and youth empowerment.

About the Girls Get Equal Programme

The Girls Get Equal (GGE) programme is implemented in:

• Bangladesh
• Ethiopia
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Nepal
• Niger
• Tanzania

The programme targets adolescent girls and young women aged 10–24 while also engaging communities, families, schools, youth-led organisations, and civil society actors.

The initiative aims to address key social and structural challenges affecting girls, including:

• Child, early, and forced marriage
• Early and unintended pregnancies
• Limited access to quality education
• Economic exclusion
• Gender-based violence
• Climate and conflict-related vulnerabilities

The programme is expected to benefit approximately 155,000 children, adolescents, and youth, including around 90,000 girls and young women.

Key Research Areas for the Consultancy

The implementation research will focus on three selected thematic areas from four priority learning questions. These studies are intended to improve programme delivery and contribute to global evidence on gender-transformative programming.

Education and Accelerated Learning

One research component will explore how accelerated education programmes support over-age and out-of-school adolescent girls.

Researchers will assess:

• Curriculum adaptation strategies
• Flexible learning schedules
• Transition pathways into formal education
• Livelihood opportunities for girls

The education study will focus on:

• Niger
• Nepal
• Malawi

Economic Empowerment and Agricultural Enterprises

The economic empowerment research will investigate the barriers and enabling conditions affecting young women involved in agricultural enterprises.

Key focus areas include:

• Access to land
• Agricultural inputs
• Market opportunities
• Sustainability of businesses
• Value chain participation

Countries involved include Mozambique, Ethiopia, Niger, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Tanzania.

Civil Society and Leadership Engagement

Another important research area examines how community leaders, faith leaders, and civil society actors contribute to behavioural and social norm change.

The study will evaluate engagement approaches such as:

• Sensitisation workshops
• Sustained dialogue sessions
• Interfaith collaboration
• Peer-to-peer engagement models

This component will focus on Bangladesh, Nepal, and Niger.

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)

The SRHR research will assess how comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is delivered across programme countries and whether adolescents demonstrate improved knowledge and protective attitudes.

Countries involved include:

• Nepal
• Bangladesh
• Tanzania
• Malawi

This research area is expected to generate insights that improve youth-friendly health education and rights-based programming.

Strong Emphasis on Youth Participation and Inclusion

Plan International’s research framework places strong emphasis on meaningful youth engagement and inclusive participation. Research partners are expected to involve young people throughout the research process rather than treating them solely as respondents.

The programme encourages:

• Youth co-creation of research tools
• Participation in data collection
• Collaborative interpretation of findings
• Inclusion of marginalised groups
• Gender-responsive methodologies

Special attention is also expected for children and young people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations.

Research Methods and Expected Approaches

The consultancy welcomes innovative and mixed-method research approaches that balance quality, feasibility, and practical programme relevance.

Suggested methodologies include:

• Process evaluations
• Contribution analysis
• Cost-effectiveness analysis
• Monitoring data analysis
• Participatory research methods
• Qualitative interviews and focus groups
• Evidence reviews
• Market assessments

The research will focus on implementation learning, contextual analysis, and programme quality rather than experimental methods such as randomised controlled trials.

Why This Consultancy Matters

The research findings will directly inform programme adaptation and future development programming. By identifying what works and under which conditions, the consultancy will help improve interventions supporting adolescent girls and young women globally.

The initiative also contributes to wider international priorities related to:

• Gender equality
• Girls’ education
• Youth empowerment
• SRHR
• Economic inclusion
• Climate resilience

The evidence generated may influence future humanitarian and development policies beyond the Girls Get Equal programme.

How to Apply

Plan International is inviting applications from qualified consultants, universities, and research firms with expertise in international development research, gender-responsive methodologies, and multi-country evaluations.

Interested applicants must submit proposals by June 9, 2026.

Applications and supporting documents should be sent to:

reliefweb@plan-norge.no

Applicants are expected to submit:

• Technical proposals
• Financial proposals
• Team CVs and references
• Examples of previous research work
• Evidence of partnerships with local research institutions

Conclusion

The Girls Get Equal Programme represents a major global effort to advance the rights, resilience, and opportunities of adolescent girls and young women. Through this consultancy, Plan International seeks to strengthen evidence-driven programming while contributing valuable insights to the international development sector.

For researchers and institutions working in gender equality, youth empowerment, education, and SRHR, this consultancy offers a meaningful opportunity to shape future programming and improve outcomes for vulnerable girls worldwide.

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Disclaimer: Remote Job Opportunities (RJO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the responsible organization directly. Please do not send your applications to RJO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.