Context
Optio is a nonprofit organization currently working across Latin America to increase access to reproductive health and justice for women and girls. We partner with strategic allies to advance reproductive justice through litigation, increasing access to essential medicines, capacity building, and advocacy. Grounded in a human rights and gender equity framework, our efforts aim to drive structural changes that ensure lasting autonomy, dignity, and the full realization of rights for women and girls.
In 2026, Optio will build on our work in Latin America by expanding to other regions where abortion laws are restrictive and access to sexual and reproductive health services remains limited. In the United States, we aim to deepen our understanding of the reproductive health landscape to assess where our expertise could have the greatest impact.
Objective and Scope of Work
We are seeking a consultant to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment in the United States to identify barriers, opportunities, and strategic entry points for advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), with a particular emphasis on access to safe abortion. The assessment will inform Optio’s potential role and impact within the U.S. reproductive health landscape.
Key activities will include:
- Legal and Policy Analysis:
Review state-level laws, regulations, and health policies related to reproductive health—particularly abortion—and access to essential medicines, such as emergency contraception and medical abortion. - Stakeholder Mapping:
Identify and map key stakeholders, including NGOs, service delivery providers, abortion networks, advocacy and policy organizations, and relevant government bodies. - Power and Influence Assessment:
Identify both supporters and opponents of SRHR and safe abortion access, and assess their influence on the legal, policy, and service delivery environments. - Landscape Review of Initiatives:
Document ongoing national, state, and local efforts to expand or protect access to care, highlighting the key partners involved and the populations served, especially in states with restrictive legal frameworks. - Opportunity and Risk Analysis:
Evaluate enabling factors and potential risks for advocacy and programmatic interventions in the current U.S. context.
Based on the above analysis, the consultant will identify 3–5 areas of unmet need in reproductive health access that align with Optio’s organizational strengths, values, and current approaches.
Methodology
The Consultant will conduct desk research in addition to interviews and focus groups with key informants, where feasible. The process should be guided by a gender-sensitive and rights-based approach.
Deliverables
- Workplan, including timeline, data collection approach, and sources
- Narrative methodology
- Stakeholder mapping report
- Assessment report, including collected data and identified gaps/opportunities
Timeline
Approximately 4 months, July through October, 2025.
Qualifications
Required:
- Proven experience conducting needs assessments, stakeholder analysis, and policy reviews in the field of SRHR, public health, or reproductive justice.
- Demonstrated knowledge of abortion policy and advocacy in the United States.
- Experience working with the key players in the SRHR space in the United States, particularly those working to secure abortion access.
- Strong communication, research, analytical, and facilitation skills.
To Apply
Interested applicants should submit their CV and brief cover letter by June 20, 2025.
Submit applications to morgan@optio.org with subject line “US Consultancy – [Last Name]”