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TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR LESSON LEARNED REPORT FOR 

THE YOUNG HEALTH PROGRAMME IN Thailand

1.0 Introduction 

Plan International is an independent global child rights organisation committed to supporting vulnerable and marginalised children and their communities to be free from poverty. By actively connecting committed people with powerful ideas, we work together to make positive, deep-rooted and lasting changes in children and young people’s lives. We place a specific focus on girls' and young people’s lives. For over 80 years, we have supported girls and boys and their communities around the world to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to claim their rights, free themselves from poverty and live positive, fulfilling lives. Plan International has been operating in Thailand since 1981 and continues to work in the Greater Bangkok, the northern provinces, such as Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Mae Sot, and the southeastern part of Thailand. 

2.0 Background

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 71% of all deaths, including 15 million premature deaths (between 30-70 years old)^[1]. In Thailand, NCDs are estimated to account for 74% of all deaths[2]. The five most common NCDs are cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, and mental and neurological conditions. The five main contributing risk factors are tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and air pollution. 

Young people aged 10-24 make up 24% of the world’s population^[3]. In Thailand, young people (10 – 24) represent 18.7% of the population[4]. NCDs are especially important for young people. The World Health Organisation estimates that two-thirds of premature deaths in adults are associated with childhood conditions and behaviours, and behaviour associated with NCD risk factors is common in young people: over 150 million young people smoke; 81% of adolescents don’t get enough physical activity; 11.7% of adolescents engage in heavy episodic drinking, and 41 million children under 5 are overweight or obese[5]. An estimated 35% of the global burden of disease has its origin in adolescence, and more than 3,000 adolescents die every day, mostly from NCDs, intentional and unintentional injuries and other preventable causes[6]. An investment in adolescent health and well-being brings benefits today, for decades to come, and for the next generation[7].

The WHO estimates that by 2025 almost 10 million premature deaths from NCDs can be prevented through decisive government action^[8]. During the third High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on NCDs in September 2018, leaders acknowledged the scale of the challenge and their responsibility – committing to provide strategic leadership from the top of government.

Emphasizing the role of young people, the WHO notes that young people can also advocate for policies and practices that aim to improve NCD prevention and care[9]. Young people have the capacity to add value to solutions for NCDs; they are more empowered and enthused to participate in shaping their everyday lives, including health, than generations before. The voices of young people may offer new perspectives, media channels and solutions to NCDs. Young people have a right to the highest attainable standard of health and wellbeing. However, too few have access to relevant and reliable health information and to high-quality and youth-friendly health services without facing discrimination or other obstacles, with many governments still not keen to meaningfully engage young people when making policy decisions. 

3.0 Overview of the Young Health Programme (YHP) 

The Young Health Programme (YHP) is AstraZeneca’s global community investment initiative. It has a unique focus on young people and primary prevention of the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart and respiratory disease, and mental and neurological health conditions.

Working with other expert organisations and combining on-the-ground programmes, research and advocacy, the YHP works with young people (10-24) to target risk factors such as tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and air pollution that can lead to these diseases in adulthood. Since 2010 Plan International has implemented the YHP in Zambia, Brazil, India, Kenya, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Egypt, Colombia and in the United Kingdom. 

In Thailand, the YHP is implemented by Plan International Thailand in partnership with the Education for Development Foundation (EDF). The programme has been running for a period of 5 years from 2019 to  2025. The overall goal of the YHP in Thailand is to contribute to improved health and well-being of young people between 10-24 years old in Thailand. Specifically, it aims to ensure that young people in Thailand have increased knowledge about NCD prevention and NCD risk factors and increased greater capacity to make informed decisions about their health.

The programme has the following four objectives:

1. Young people have increased knowledge and capacity on NCD prevention to protect and promote their long-term health 
2. Communities are informed and mobilised to provide a safe and supportive environment that facilitates healthy behaviour among young people 
3. Health services have the capacity to support the health of young people, including accessible and quality youth friendly services
4. Laws and policies support NCD prevention and promote the broader health of young people

The YHP takes a holistic approach to address NCD prevention and promote long-term health for young people. This means that in addition to targeting NCD risk factors, the programme addresses the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and the emotional well-being of young people, and it uses a gendered approach to NCD prevention. In this way, the programme addresses the impact of underlying social, economic, cultural and psychological factors which influences health choices, and creates an environment in which young people have access to the support, information and services they need.

A detailed YHP proposal and M&E framework, among other relevant programme documents, will be shared with the selected consultant(s) for their review prior to starting the study. 

4.0 Purpose of the ToR                                                        

Young Health Programme Thailand is seeking a consultant to develop a lesson learned from the program. The consultant will be responsible for reviewing, consolidating, and synthesizing qualitative and quantitative data from multiple existing sources. 

The lesson learned will focus on two key areas:  

1. Young Health Programme Peer Educator Model – Evaluating the engagement of school-based peer educator and advisory teachers, effectiveness, and impact, which were tailored in a different type of education intuition. 

2. Young Health Programme Youth Ambassador Model – Assessing the advocacy initiative from the youth advocacy group and their advocacy efforts, challenges, and outcomes. 

The final lesson learned report should document key lessons learned, best practices, challenges, and recommendations from the implementation of the Young Health Programme, in order to inform future program design and share knowledge with relevant stakeholders.

5.0 Tasks 

The consultant/s will be responsible for Report Writing, including: 

• Secondary data review & analysis – to gather and consolidate existing qualitative and quantitative data from programme sources (both Thai & English) to analyze the trends, challenges, and key findings from the Peer Educator and Youth Advocacy activities.
• Programme Impact Assessment – to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, training, and advocacy efforts, identifying key successes, existing gaps, and areas for further development. 
• Recommendations & Actionable Insights – to provide practical strategies to strengthen both the Peer Educator and Youth Advocacy components, ensuring greater effectiveness. (It will also suggest approaches for program sustainability and future scaling while offering guidance on enhancing youth participation and maximizing advocacy impact)
• Submit a Comprehensive Lesson Learned Report Writing – to present a clear, evidence-based conclusion and ensure the report is structured, well-organised, includes data visualization, case studies and key takeaway and submit the final version in a professional format to share knowledge with relevant stakeholders.

*Please note that the final report should be developed in Thai language but needs to be translated into English for approval from Young Health Programme Global before finalised.

6.0 Deliverables & Timeline

6.1 Initial Draft Report – [May 16, 2025]

6.2 Revised Final Report – [May 23, 2025]

6.3 Submission of Final report – [May 30, 2025]

7.0 Qualification

• Advanced degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, or a related field.
• Proven experience in report writing, qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of Thailand’s health system and policy environment
• Research experience in the health sector and preferably proven experience in quantitative and qualitative data collection 
• Experience in research involving marginalized or vulnerable children, young people and communities (desirable)
• Excellent writing skills in English and Thai.

8.0 Management of the Consultancy

Plan International Thailand, in partnership with Plan International UK, serves as the lead agency for the Young Health Programme (YHP) and holds overall responsibility for managing this consultancy. The consultant will report directly to the YHP Programme Manager based in Thailand and will receive necessary support from the YHP team and relevant partners, as applicable. The YHP team will provide the consultant with access to all relevant programme documents and resources as needed to carry out the assignment effectively.

How to apply? 

Submit the application to Thailand.procurement@plan-international.org referencing-consultants “LESSON LEARNED REPORT FOR THE YOUNG HEALTH PROGRAMME IN Thailand” by 24 April 2025 Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early. We reserve the right to extend the closing date at any time.