Terms of Reference (ToR) for Institutional Contract Title: Leveraging Social Protection to End Child Marriage Purpose: To identify gaps and opportunities within social protection systems for preventing child marriage and provide actionable recommendations for integrating child marriage prevention into social protection programmes. Location: National Estimated Duration: 4 Months (November 2025 to May 2026) Reporting to Technical Supervisor of this assignment: Social Policy and Economic Specialist 1.Background Child marriage remains a persistent global issue, deeply rooted in poverty, social norms, and lack of opportunity. Evidence shows that social protection measures—such as cash transfers, education subsidies, and health coverage—can reduce economic pressures and expand opportunities for adolescent girls, thereby lowering the risk of child marriage[1]. However, national strategies often lack operational clarity on how to systematically integrate social protection interventions into child marriage prevention efforts at scale. In Bangladesh, the prevalence of child marriage remains among the highest globally, with 51 percent of women aged 20–24 years married before the age of 18.[2]While progress has been observed over the past decade, poverty, entrenched gender norms, and practices such as dowry continue to drive early marriage. The Government has introduced a range of social protection initiatives—including the Mother and Child Benefit Programme (MCBP) and female secondary school stipend schemes—which have contributed to improved school attendance and some reduction in early marriage. Nonetheless, these interventions remain fragmented, with limited coverage for adolescent girls aged 15–17 and insufficient integration with complementary services such as sexual and reproductive health education, vocational training, and community engagement programmes. Strengthening the design and operational linkages between social protection, education, health, and child protection systems will therefore be critical for Bangladesh to accelerate progress towards eliminating child marriage. Embedding child marriage objectives explicitly within national social protection policies such as the forthcoming NSSS II—along with enhanced allocative efficiency and accountability, would be critical for accelerating progress towards the national target of eliminating child marriage by 2041.   2.Objective and scope  of the study The objective of this study is to identify the gaps within existing social protection systems and programmes in relation to their potential contribution to ending child marriage, and to develop actionable recommendations for strengthening policy and programme design. Specifically, the study seeks to:   < >Assess the current landscape of social protection interventions—including cash transfers, stipends, food security schemes, skills development, and maternal and child benefit programmes—to examine their relevance, coverage, and effectiveness in addressing the economic and social drivers of child marriage.Identify gaps and barriers in design, targeting, and implementation that limit the capacity of social protection to prevent child marriage, with particular attention to adolescent girls aged 15–17, out-of-school children, and vulnerable households.Analyze integration opportunities between social protection and complementary sectors such as education, health, child protection, and skills/livelihoods, to ensure that interventions address both the structural and normative factors underlying early marriage.Examine allocative efficiency within social protection financing to assess whether resources are adequately directed towards populations at the highest risk of child marriage.Generate evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and development partners on how social protection can be leveraged more strategically to (a) expand opportunities for adolescent girls, (b) reduce household economic pressures driving early marriage, and (c) accelerate national progress towards eliminating child marriage.The consultant will undertake a comprehensive study to assess how social protection systems and programmes can be leveraged to prevent child marriage and to provide actionable recommendations for policymakers and development partners. The study will begin with a mapping and review of existing social protection interventions—including cash transfers, stipends, food security schemes, skills development, employment generation, and maternal and child benefit programmes—to assess their design, targeting, and relevance to addressing the drivers of child marriage.     The consultant will conduct a comprehensive gap analysis, examining coverage limitations, targeting inefficiencies, and implementation challenges that undermine the capacity of social protection to reach adolescent girls at risk of early marriage. Special attention will be given to adolescent girls aged 15–17, out-of-school children, and households in high-prevalence districts.   To complement the desk review, the consultant will undertake qualitative research in selected locations to capture community-level perspectives, including interviews and focus group discussions with adolescent girls, parents, teachers, community leaders, and programme implementers. This will help to identify how household poverty, gender norms, and access to social protection influence marriage decisions. The study will also assess cross-sectoral linkages between social protection, education, health, child protection, and skills development to determine how integrated approaches can address both economic and normative factors that perpetuate child marriage. A brief analysis on budget allocation will be conducted to examine the allocative efficiency of resources within the social protection system in reaching the most vulnerable adolescents. Based on the findings, the consultant will prepare evidence-based policy and programme recommendations outlining how social protection can be designed and implemented to (a) reduce economic drivers of early marriage, (b) expand opportunities for girls through education and skills, and (c) strengthen referral and accountability mechanisms at the national and subnational levels. The consultant will also be responsible for organizing at least two policy dialogues and one national dissemination workshop with government ministries, development partners, and civil society to share the study findings and facilitate the integration of recommendations into ongoing policy processes such as the National Social Security Strategy II (NSSS II) and the National Plan of Action to End Child Marriage. By the end of this assignment, a systematic evidence base will be produced that highlights the opportunities, gaps, and pathways for leveraging social protection to accelerate progress towards eliminating child marriage in Bangladesh.   4.Key activities:   Inception Phase < >Develop an inception report outlining methodology, work plan, and timeline.Conduct initial consultations with UNICEF, government counterparts, and key stakeholders to refine study objectives and scope.Desk Review & Mapping < >Review existing literature, policies, and evaluations on social protection and child marriage in Bangladesh and comparable contexts.Map social protection programmes (stipends, cash transfers, food security, skills development, employment schemes, MCBP) that directly or indirectly influence child marriage outcomes.Gap Analysis   < >Assess programme design, targeting, and coverage gaps with a focus on adolescent girls (particularly ages 15–17 and out-of-school adolescents).Identify institutional and operational barriers that limit the impact of social protection on preventing child marriage.Field Research & Data Collection   < >Conduct qualitative research (key informant interviews, focus group discussions) with adolescents, parents, teachers, community leaders, and programme implementers.Cross-Sectoral Linkages & allocation review/ Analysis < >Analyze linkages between social protection, education, health, skills development, and child protection services.Conduct a brief review of SP allocation to assess allocative efficiency and equity of current social protection investments in relation to child marriage risk.Synthesis & Recommendations < >Analyze findings to identify opportunities, challenges, and pathways for integrating child marriage objectives into social protection systems.Develop evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and development partners on programme design, targeting, coverage, and financing.Validation & Dissemination < >Present preliminary findings in a validation workshop with government, development partners, and civil society.Incorporate feedback into the draft and final study report.Organize at least two policy dialogues and one national dissemination workshop to share results and facilitate uptake of recommendations into the National Social Security Strategy II and National Plan of Action to End Child Marriage.  < >MethodologyThis study will adopt a qualitative approach to generate robust, policy-relevant evidence on how social protection systems can be leveraged to prevent child marriage. The design needs insights on prevalence and coverage with qualitative exploration of the social, cultural, and institutional drivers of early marriage. The study will generate in-depth qualitative insights through: < >Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with government officials, programme managers, development partners, NGO implementers, and local leaders.Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with adolescent girls (both in-school and out-of-school), parents, and community members in selected high-prevalence districts.Case studies highlighting how social protection interventions (e.g., stipends, MCBP) influence household decision-making around child marriage.  < >Integration of Findings  Findings from the qualitative component and desk review will be triangulated to: < >Identify gaps in social protection coverage and design.Assess the potential pathways through which social protection can reduce the risk of child marriage.Formulate evidence-based, actionable recommendations for strengthening policy and programme frameworks.Perceptions of how poverty, social protection, and education interact with marriage decisions.Barriers and bottlenecks in programme implementation and targeting.Normative and cultural factors influencing child marriage, and how social protection could address these.Perspectives of adolescents and youth on alternative pathways (education, skills, livelihoods).Detailed methodology, data collection tools, sampling framework, work plan, and timeline.Desk Review and mapping existing policies and programmes on social protection and child marriage in Bangladesh and comparable contexts.Analytical note highlighting design, targeting, coverage, and implementation gaps in current social protection programmes in relation to ending child marriage.Comprehensive synthesis of desk review, gap analysis, fieldwork, budget/expenditure analysis, and cross-sectoral linkages.Includes actionable recommendations for policymakers and development partners.Validation Workshop Materials   < >PowerPoint presentation and policy briefs for stakeholder consultations.Documentation of feedback to be incorporated into the final report.Final Study Report < >Revised and finalized report (Max 50 pages including annexes) incorporating feedback from stakeholders.Includes executive summary, methodology, key findings, recommendations, and annexes.Policy Brief (4–6 pages) < >Concise, user-friendly summary of key findings and recommendations tailored for policymakers.Dissemination Workshop < >Organization of at least one national-level dissemination event with relevant ministries, development partners, and civil society.Workshop report with participant feedback and commitments for follow-up action.Reporting requirements and timeline: Deliverables and Targets Reporting requirements Timeline Inception Report Submission of inception report with a detailed plan of action with timeline, monitoring tools and reporting format, sustainability approaches etc. One inception report endorsed by UNICEF should be submitted. Within Three weeks of contract signing. Draft Study Report Comprehensive synthesis of desk review, gap analysis, fieldwork, budget/expenditure analysis, and cross-sectoral linkages. Includes actionable recommendations for policymakers and development partners. One inception report endorsed by UNICEF should be submitted. Within 60 days after the contract signing. Organize at least two national level workshops to share the draft findings and validate it Detail accomplishment report on each workshop 1st workshop within 70 days of contract signing 2nd workshop within 90 days of contract signing Final Study Report and Policy Brief Final report and policy brief endorsed by UNICEF. Withing 110 days of contract signing National Dissemination Detail accomplishment report on each workshop Within 120 days of contract signing < >Payment schedule:    All payment will be made after acceptance of the planned deliverables. The total amount will be paid in multiple instalments as described below:   1st instalment: 10% after submission and acceptance of the inception report   2nd instalment: 30% after submission and acceptance of the draft Study Report and Workshops Report        3rd /Final instalment: 60% will be paid on submission and acceptance of the final Study Report and      Consultation Report.     < >Qualification requirement of the company/institution/organizationThe contracted agency should have the following minimum requirements:   < >At least 5 years professional experience in the social protection and social policy; Be registered in Bangladesh;Minimum 10 years experience in conducting qualitative and quantitative research; Expertise working in hard-to-reach areas and conducting research on sensitive topics with vulnerable and marginalized populations;Experience implementing at least 2 (two) studies of similar nature with the government and/or bilateral or UN or multilateral organization(s).    Suggested composition of the team:   The team should include a senior leader with a proven track record in the analysis of national social protection and policy discourse, including the most recent developments in the relevant areas. This team leader must have experience and be able to manage and conduct KIIs with senior ministry officials and other government and private sector representatives. This team leader must have excellent drafting skills and must be able to communicate the study findings to a wider audience. The team should also include a gender expert with a proven track record of work in the relevant issues.   Minimum education qualifications of the team leader, gender expert and team members as following: < >Team leader: Advanced University degree (Masters/ PhD) in  social sciences, development studies, anthropology,  economics or related fields); previous experience leading teams ; Team lead should have at least ten years of relevant professional experience on social protection; In-depth knowledge of social protection systems, their design, implementation and monitoring, and impact on social indicators; In-depth knowledge of costing and simulation of impact of social protection schemes, and knowledge of/work on social protection policies and programmes is an advantage; Proven and extensive experience undertaking simulations based on national surveys and IMF data; Excellent writing ability, including writing for advocacy purposes; Proven record of undertaking quantitative research with reputed organizations, governments & UN organizations.    < >Team member: Advance University degree (Masters or equivalent) in social science, development studies, statistics, or a related field. knowledge of/work on social protection policies and programmes is an advantage social safety nets schemes, entitlements and access by the marginal groups; participatory research, and impact evaluation of development interventions, social research methodology.     < >Gender expert: advance University degree (Masters) in social sciences, gender/women's studies, human rights, development studies, or a related field, knowledge on social protection programme and experiences in research work, assessments in social sectors, gender expert with a proven track record of work in the relevant issue   < >EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR TECHNICAL PROPOSAL   CATEGORY POINTS     OVERALL RESPONSE Understanding of, and responsiveness to, UNICEF Bangladesh Office requirements; Understanding of scope, objectives and completeness of response; Overall concord between UNICEF requirements and the proposal. (05) 02 02 01     METHODOLOGY AND DETAILED TIMELINE   * Quality of the proposed approach and methodology; * Suitability of the approach: To what extent the methodology is designed in response to the needs of the TOR; * Quality of proposed implementation plan, i.e how the bidder will undertake each task, and time schedules; *Risk assessment - recognition of the risks/peripheral problems and methods to prevent and manage risks/peripheral problems. * Timelines proposed must be detailed and realistic; (30)   10 05   05   05   05   CATEGORY POINTS ORGANISATIONAL CAPACITY and PROPOSED TEAM Professional expertise of the firm/company/organization, knowledge and experience with similar projects, contracts, clients and consulting assignments; Team leader: Relevant experience, qualifications, and position with firm; Team members - Relevant experience, skills & competencies; Organization of the team and roles & responsibilities; (25) 10   05 05 05 Technical Score based on technical proposal review (70% of 60) (Note: minimum qualifying score for inviting TEC presentation) 42 Presentation on Technical Proposal (Note: Minimum qualifying score to be invited for making the TEC presentation is 42 out of 60 points - 70% score for the technical proposal) 10 TOTAL MARKS 70   Those proposals receiving a minimum technical score of 42 points (70%) out of 60 (based on review of technical proposal) will be invited to make presentation.  After the presentation, the technical scores of the bidders will be finalized.   For this RFP, bidders (after presentation) who score a minimum 49 points and above out of 70 will be considered technically compliant and their Financial Proposals will be opened for further review.   The final selection of the bidder will be based on the total score combining the technical and financial scores. The bidder achieving the highest combined technical and financial score (subject to any negotiations and the other rights of UNICEF detailed in the RFP) will be selected to award the Contract.