A National Consultant is required to design and deliver training for local breastfeeding and lactation counsellors, strengthen community-level capacity, and support the creation of a sustainable national network of skilled counsellors who can contribute to breastfeeding promotion including in emergencies.

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For every child, the right to Health 

Breastfeeding remains a key public health priority in Turkmenistan and represents one of the most effective interventions for improving child survival, optimal growth and development, and the long-term health of both infants and mothers.

National data from MICS 2019, MICS 2024 and the TNMS 2024 indicate that breastfeeding is nearly universal, reaching 96.7% in 2024. Notable progress has been achieved in early initiation of breastfeeding, which increased from 73.0% in 2019 to 84.7% in 2024, reflecting improvements in maternity care practices and the implementation of Baby-Friendly Hospital standards.

However, these gains have not translated into sustained exclusive breastfeeding, as rates of exclusive breastfeeding under six months declined from 56.5% to 35.5%, with 23.8% of infants receiving mixed feeding. Significant disparities persist, with the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rates observed in Ashgabat city (20.3%), Balkan velayat (24.3%), and among wealthier households, where only 15.2% of infants in the richest quintile are exclusively breastfed compared to 48.7% in the second quintile. These patterns suggest increased exposure to breast-milk substitute marketing, reduced reliance on breastfeeding, changing social norms, and gaps in effective breastfeeding counselling, particularly among urban and higher-income populations. Recent analyses of breastfeeding practices underscore the need to:

• strengthen simple practical, real-time counselling skills among health and community-based workers,
• integrate breastfeeding support into routine newborn, postnatal, nutrition and home-visiting services, and
• deliver clear, consistent messages to family members.

How can you make a difference? 

The purpose of this assignment is to provide technical assistance to strengthen national capacity on breastfeeding and IYCF. The consultant will train health care workers, volunteers, educators, national red crescent society of Turkmenistan (NRSCT) members, and community leaders to improve knowledge and skills in supporting mothers and caregivers.

Training of Lactation Counsellors with a Focus on Emergencies:

The programme for preparing local breastfeeding and lactation counsellors and supporters - drawn from the local workforce and volunteer networks, including members of the National Red Crescent Society of Turkmenistan (NRCST) - will consist of two-day training sessions, conducted in Ashgabat city and field-based technical supervision and quality assurance in 3 velayats. The training will be structured into modular sessions and will combine theoretical instruction with practical, skills-based exercises, including the use of breastfeeding simulation tools.

The programme will cover, at a minimum, the following critical topic areas:

• Counselling skills
• Breastfeeding: importance of breastfeeding and how breastfeeding works
• Assessing a breastfeed
• Positioning and attachment of the baby at the breast
• Common breastfeeding difficulties and their management
• Expressing breast milk

Development of training programme and materials:

The training programme and materials must be based on evidence-based sources, WHO/UNICEF trainer’s guides such as “Breastfeeding Counselling: A Training Course” and “Infant and Young Child Feeding Counselling: An Integrated Course”, as well as IFRC guides on the protection of breastfeeding in emergency settings.

The materials should be adapted to be accessible and appropriate for a multidisciplinary audience, including health professionals, educators, volunteers, and staff of the National Red Crescent Society of Turkmenistan (NRCST), and shall not be limited to participants with a medical background.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  TOR_Lactation and Breastfeeding Counseling_for posting.docx

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum requirements:

• Advanced Medical Degree with knowledge of newborn and pediatric quality of care standards. Certified Breastfeeding (BF) Trainer. ;
• Strong practical expertise in infant and young child feeding (IYCF) and breastfeeding support, with proven experience in developing and facilitating Training of Trainers (ToT) and caregiver education programs;
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in the above areas;
• Knowledge of United Nations human and child rights standards, UNICEF’s values and ethical standards; Cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Excellent command of Turkmen and Russian, both oral and written

Desirables:

• Design and develop the full suite of training content for the Training-of-Trainers (ToT), including the curriculum framework, session plan, instructional materials (presentations and participant handouts), and knowledge assessment tools (pre- and post-tests), ensuring alignment with current WHO and UNICEF guidelines. 
• Conduct a technical review and national adaptation of the Turkmen-language Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies Operational Guidance, ensuring alignment with the Turkmenistan health system context
• Plan, organize, and facilitate three (3) two-day in-person training sessions for lactation counsellors, delivered in Ashgabat city, in accordance with the approved Training-of-Trainers methodology and training materials.
• Direct observation of newly trained trainers during initial training or counselling sessions to assess competency, adherence to IYCF-E and lactation counselling standards.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

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Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable eligible and suitable female candidates and persons living with a disability are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

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Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

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