Roster of Consultants - Facilitators for Training on the Inpatient Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition

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1.    Background

Please briefly describe why the work is needed and the context.
The WHO Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), through its Nutrition and Food Safety (NUT) Programme, provides technical leadership to support Member States in the adoption, adaptation, and implementation of WHO normative guidance to address all forms of malnutrition across the life course, including child wasting.

Despite progress over the past decade, the African Region remains off track to achieve the global nutrition targets. Child wasting continues to pose a major public health challenge, with an estimated 12.2 million children under five affected in the Region. Only a limited number of countries are currently on track to meet the World Health Assembly targets for the reduction of wasting. Severe acute malnutrition (SAM), particularly when associated with medical complications, remains one of the most significant contributors to preventable child mortality.

In response to persistent gaps, WHO, together with UNICEF and other partners, developed updated global guidance on the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema, published in 2023. This guidance is complemented by the WHO training course on the inpatient management of severe acute malnutrition, originally released in 2002 and subsequently updated in 2022 and 2025, which provides standardized, evidence‑based clinical approaches for the management of children with SAM and medical complications.

Several high‑burden countries in the African Region have updated their national protocols to align with the new WHO recommendations. However, limited availability of skilled facilitators and mentors continues to constrain the effective roll‑out of high‑quality inpatient SAM training, particularly in stabilization centres and inpatient therapeutic programme wards.

To address this gap, WHO AFRO will continue to support regional and country‑level training activities using the revised WHO training package. In this context, WHO AFRO seeks to establish a roster of qualified consultant facilitators with strong clinical expertise in the inpatient management of severe acute malnutrition with medical complications. The roster will enable WHO to pre‑identify and mobilize experienced experts, as needed, to support training, mentorship, and capacity strengthening activities across the Region.

2.    Deliverables

When mobilized, the consultant will support countries to:
•    Review and apply WHO‑approved training packages on the inpatient management of SAM with medical complications, ensuring technical accuracy and readiness for implementation at country level.
•    Conduct training of trainers (ToT) for national and subnational trainers using WHO standardized materials and competency‑based training approaches.
•    Support and/or deliver cascade trainings for health workers involved in inpatient SAM case management at facility and subnational levels.
•    Provide practical clinical mentorship during training activities conducted in hospitals or stabilization centres, as applicable.
•    Support WHO and Ministries of Health in identifying capacity gaps, implementation challenges, and priority follow‑up actions related to SAM case management.
•    Assignments may be implemented in development, fragile, or humanitarian settings, depending on country needs and programme priorities.

Deliverables will be defined in the individual contract and may include, as applicable:
Reviewed training materials: Technical review and feedback on WHO training packages for inpatient management of SAM with medical complications, including recommendations for contextualization of training delivery (without modification of clinical protocols).

Training of facilitators outputs: Delivery of ToT sessions for identified national or subnational trainers. List of facilitators trained, including profiles and level of competency achieved.

Cascade training outputs: Delivery and/or technical support to cascade trainings for health workers on inpatient SAM case management. - Summary of training sessions conducted, including number and cadre of participants trained and locations.

Clinical mentorship and practical support: - On‑site or embedded mentorship during practical training sessions, with documented key observations on clinical practice and quality of care.

Technical reporting and feedback: - A concise technical report summarizing activities conducted, key findings, implementation challenges, and recommendations for follow‑up support. - Structured feedback to WHO and national counterparts on facilitator performance, training effectiveness, and system‑level gaps affecting SAM case management.

3.    Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Identify the educational qualifications and expertise needed for the terms of reference outlined above.

Educational Qualifications

Essential: Master’s degree in medicine, Nutrition, or Public Health / Public Health Nutrition from a recognized institution.

Desirable: Advanced university degree (Master’s level or above) in a relevant field such as Paediatrics and Child Health, Public Health and Nutrition, International Emergency Health and Nutrition, or Epidemiology.

Experience

Essential
•    A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience, at national and/or international levels, in the prevention and management of acute malnutrition (child wasting) in infants and children under five years of age.
•    Demonstrated experience in the clinical management of severe acute malnutrition (SAM), including SAM with medical complications, in inpatient or stabilization settings.
•    Proven experience in the application and dissemination of WHO normative guidance on the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema.
•    Experience supporting the development, adaptation, or implementation of national strategies, guidelines, protocols, or operational tools related to acute malnutrition.
•    Documented experience in capacity strengthening, including delivery of training, training of trainers/facilitators, and supportive or formative supervision of health workers on SAM case management.

Desirable
•    Experience working in nutrition programmes in the WHO African Region, including fragile, conflict‑affected, or humanitarian settings.
•    In‑depth familiarity with the 2023 WHO Guidelines on the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema in infants and children under five years of age.
•    Participation in WHO regional or global technical consultations or workshops related to child wasting, including the 2023 WHO regional workshop on the care of children with wasting and nutritional oedema.

Skills/Knowledge

•    Strong technical expertise in the inpatient management of SAM with medical complications, aligned with WHO standards.
•    Ability to translate WHO normative and clinical guidance into practical training, mentorship, and on‑the‑job support for health workers.
•    Proven skills in adult learning and facilitation, including case‑based learning, clinical simulations, and competency‑based training approaches.
•    Ability to work effectively with Ministries of Health, WHO teams, and partners in diverse country contexts, including emergency settings

Languages and level required

Essential: Expert knowledge of English, or French, or Portuguese. 

Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of other UN official languages. 

4.    Technical Supervision

 The consultants will report to the Nutrition and Food Safety Team Lead. They will work in close collaboration with the respective WRs and nutrition focal persons in the WHO country offices.

5.     Remuneration 

Band level B: USD 7,000 - 9,980 per month.  

6.    Additional Information

•    This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level
•    Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
•    A written test and/or an asynchronous video assessment may be used as a form of screening.
•    In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
•    According to 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. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.
•    Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.
•    The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.
•    The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its staff. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.
•    Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int
•    An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
•    WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
•    WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
•    For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
•    WHO also offers wide range of benefits to staff, including parental leave and attractive flexible work arrangements to help promote a healthy work-life balance and to allow all staff members to express and develop their talents fully.
•    The statutory retirement age for staff appointments is 65 years. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered.
•    Please note that WHO's contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int.
•    This post is subject to local recruitment and will be filled by persons recruited in the local commuting area of the duty station.
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For roster VNs:

The purpose of this vacancy is to develop a list of qualified candidates for inclusion in this advertised roster. All applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application (whether successful or unsuccessful) upon conclusion of the selection process. Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently may be selected for consultancy assignments falling in this area of work or for similar requirements/tasks/deliverables. Inclusion in the Roster does not guarantee selection to a consultant contract. There is no commitment on either side.