TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT A MAPPING OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN SIX DISTRICTS (GULU, KANUNGU, LIRA, MBARARA, SOROTI AND KAMPALA METROPOLITAN).

REF: MHU/CSLTCY/004/MAP/2025

1.0 Introduction:

Mental Health Uganda (MHU) is an indigenous organization established in 1997 and formally registered as a national NGO in 2011. It was founded by individuals with lived experience of mental illness, alongside caregivers and service providers. MHU operates across all regions of Uganda, working to ensure equal access to services and opportunities for people with mental health conditions.

With over 25,000 members, MHU is the largest organization of people living with mental health conditions in Africa. Over the years, it has achieved significant milestones in advocacy for policy, rights, and legislative reforms; promotion of community-based mental health care; capacity building for district-level membership associations; livelihood support for individuals with lived experience of mental illness; rehabilitation and reintegration of homeless individuals from the streets of Kampala; user-led programming; and efforts to combat stigma and discrimination related to mental health.

MHU also operates a national toll-free mental health counseling line—0800 212121—accessible in multiple languages across all regions of the country, ensuring inclusive support for diverse communities.

The organization’s work is guided by international, regional, and national development and disability frameworks, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), World Health Organization Mental Health Policy Guidelines, Uganda’s National Development Plans, the Persons with Disabilities Act, and the Mental Health Act.

To operationalize its mandate of promoting the rights and wellbeing of people with psychosocial disabilities, MHU develops a strategic plan every five years. This plan serves as a roadmap for advancing inclusive, rights-based mental health programming across Uganda.

2.0 The Project:

Mental Health Uganda (MHU) successfully implemented the first phase of its youth-focused mental
health initiative, ‘Amplifying Youth Voices in Uganda’, from 2020 to 2024. This initiative aimed to
elevate the voices and strengthen the agency of young people living with mental health conditions,
along with their caregivers, across eight districts in Uganda. Building on the success of this first
phase, MHU—working in partnership with Youth Mental Health Norway and with support from the
Atlas Alliance—is now implementing the second phase of the initiative under a new title: the
Collective Action for Disability Rights (CADiR) Program, which runs from 2025 to 2029.

The overarching goal of the CADiR Program is to ensure that the rights of persons with disabilities are
fulfilled in Atlas Alliance partner countries, with a specific focus on Uganda. The program seeks to
improve the ability of persons with disabilities and their families to achieve full inclusion in all areas
of society. This includes enhancing their participation in decision-making processes, increasing
access to health, education, livelihood, social and empowerment opportunities, and strengthening
their resilience to climate change and disasters.

CADiR is implemented by a Consortium of Organizations for Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and is
structured around five thematic areas: Health and Rehabilitation, Human Rights and Advocacy,
Economic Empowerment, Inclusive Education, and Organizational Development and Inclusive
Climate Change Adaptation. Mental Health Uganda’s mandate falls under three of these thematic
areas—Health and Rehabilitation, Human Rights and Advocacy, and Organizational Development—
where it contributes actively to advancing the rights and well-being of individuals with mental health
conditions.

The Program is implemented in 06 districts, spread in all the major regions of the country ie Northern
region in Gulu district and Lira district; Central region in Wakiso district and Kampala district; Eastern
region in Soroti district and, Western region in Mbarara district and Kanungu district.

3.0 Context and scope of work:

MHU conducted a mapping of Mental Health service providers in Northern, Eastern and Western
regions between November and December 2020. A similar exercise was conducted in greater Mpigi
in May 2021 and again in January/February 2023 in Gulu and Wakiso. This was intended to identify
and document key mental health care services in the regions to enable Mental Health Uganda
provide accurate referral to callers for appropriate services, informed by updated database. MHU
therefore wishes to hire a competent and experienced Consultant to conduct a similar exercise in
Kampala Metropolitan, Kanungu, Mbarara, Gulu, Lira and Soroti districts.

The key actors or services to be mapped include;

a) Health facilities (Facilities providing mental health services)
b) Rehabilitation services for people with lived experiences of mental health challenges

c) Education (Institutions providing education/training services to children/people with lived
experiences of mental health problems)

d) Judiciary/legal support services within the districts

e) Police stations especially details of the child and family protection unit

f) Disability organisations with a specific component of care/support for people with lived
experiences of mental health challenges

g) NGOs providing specialised mental health services.

4.0 Timelines

The consultant will propose a detailed workplan/calendar after award of contract which is expected
to done by 17th October 2025.

5.0 Deliverables

1. Revised/final mapping tool

2. Mapping report

3. Database of all mental health services mapped

6.0 Roles and responsibilities

Mental Health Uganda

For the effective implementation of this exercise, Mental Health Uganda will support the external
consultant/team by providing the following:

• The existing mapping tool

• Organize entry meeting to among other things, review the mapping tool

• Organize a review meeting for presentation of the draft report

• Meet consultancy costs as per the contract signed.

The Consultant/firm

• Develop and submit the proposal

• Review and provide input into the existing mapping tool

• Conduct consultations with relevant departments of District Local Governments to identify
  and locate the facilities to be mapped

• Analysis of the data in accordance with the scope of the consultancy

• Produce the three deliverables (listed in Section 5 above) within the agreed upon timelines.

7.0 Qualification and experience of the consultant
○ A post graduate qualification in Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, Psychology,
Economics, quantitative economics, or any other relevant field.
○ A minimum of 7 years’ experience in designing and conducting research or studies
especially related to services provision

• A good understanding of disability rights and development agenda, especially mental health

• Demonstrated capacity to design and implement mapping exercises, including, development of data collection tools for both quantitative and qualitative methods with necessary level of technical rigor

• Strong analytical skills

• Excellent writing and presentation skills.

8.0 Award criteria

9.0 Payment Terms

10.0 Submission procedure:

Interested individuals/firms should submit a technical (methodology including personnel planning and timelines; comments on the Terms of Reference) and financial proposal plus a CV for the lead consultant not later than Friday 10th October 2025, to: The Executive Director, Mental Health Uganda on procurement@mhu.ug with the subject line “Mapping of Mental Health Services”.

All material for submission must be merged into one pdf file not exceeding 8 pages. Bidders do not have to include cover pages and or table of contents. Noncompliance to this requirement will make the offer incomparable to others and therefore lead to disqualification.

Note: MHU promotes zero tolerance for discrimination/harassment based on gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, religious beliefs etc. All staff, volunteers and contractors shall adhere to strict guidelines in order to facilitate “silent” inclusion. Consultants will also adhere to MHU’s safeguarding provisions – a set of procedures and practices designed to ensure that no harm comes to people as a result of contact with MHU’s programs, operations or people.