Consultancy: Support roll-out of UNICEF’s agenda on Improving diets of children 6-23 months of age, Nutrition Section, PD - NYHQ, Requistion #514160

To support the roll-out of UNICEF’s agenda on improving diets of children 6-23 months of age.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

Background & Rationale

As part of its new strategic plan (2018-2021), UNICEF has renewed its commitment to improving the diets of young children in the first two years of life with primary focus on advancing the work on complementary foods and feeding.

To accelerate the progress in this area, UNICEF plans to update the existing Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) programme guide to reflect recent thinking and evidence, define the action frameworks for multi-sectoral actions to improve young children’s diets, support UNICEF regional and country offices with simple tools to adapt global guidance into regional and country frameworks, facilitate use of recently released first foods videos and evidence generation in this area.

Though the work on updating UNICEF’s programming guide will be a major component of this consultancy, the consultant will work closely with the Nutrition specialist and other members of the Early Childhood Nutrition (ECN) team at UNICEF HQ as a team to advance the agenda of strengthening UNICEF’s programming on complementary foods and feeding practices.

UNICEF’s Programming Guide on IYCF was developed by UNICEF in 2011. Since then, the guide has been serving as a single reference document on IYCF programming to guide programme planners and implementers in countries across the regions. Between 2011 and 2018, IYCF programming evidence has evolved and we have better understanding of the IYCF programme approaches together with global updates and recommendations. With this and drawing on experience of using the existing guide, there is a need to update the existing IYCF programming guide to

1. reflect most recent evidence and recommendations,
2. provide detailed programme guidance on complementary feeding, especially defining its linkages with other sectors, and,
3. update/revise the narrative to be ‘actionable’, concise, user friendly and visually appealing.

The updated programming guide will be split into separate, stand-alone modules that will allow the user to refer only to the modules relevant for their specific needs. Development of complementary feeding module will require additions of new information including updating the evidence base, conceptual framework, programme pathways and frameworks for multi-sectoral actions (especially with agriculture, social protection, WASH, early childhood development, health, as well as private sector).

With this background, UNICEF HQ is seeking to hire a full-time consultant, who will work closely with Nutrition Specialist and other members of the ECN team at UNICEF HQ to advance the agenda of strengthening UNICEF’s programming on complementary foods and feeding.

Purpose: To support the roll-out of UNICEF’s agenda on improving diets of children 6-23 months of age.

Tasks:

The consultant will work closely with the Nutrition Specialist and other team members of ECN unit to support roll-out of planned milestones to advance the agenda of improving young children’s diets with primary focus on 6-23 months age group. The planned milestones include updating UNICEF’s existing IYCF programming guide, supporting UNICEF regions and country offices in developing complementary feeding frameworks/strategies/plans, roll-out of first foods video series, and development of simple tools to support regional and country offices in advancing programmes to improve complementary foods and feeding practices.

The key tasks under this consultancy will include:

Updating UNICEF’s existing IYCF programming guide

Updating UNICEF’s IYCF programming guide will involve multiple tasks, including, but not limited to developing the structure of programme guide, literature review, drawing programme pathways and developing multi-sectoral action frameworks. There are some modules which will need to be updated, whereas others will need to be developed. For example, for some modules (HIV and infant feeding, BFHI and new Code resolutions), updated global guidance is available, which will need to be incorporated into the revised structure of programming guide. However, development of complementary feeding module will require drafting of new sub-modules and involve following tasks:

• Literature review and updating the evidence with up-to-date advances in complementary feeding programming and its relevance to prevention of malnutrition. The review will focus on updating the available evidence around ‘why’, ‘what’ and ‘how’ of improving young children’s diets during the complementary feeding period (6-23 months). Both published and unpublished literature will be reviewed.
• Revisiting existing conceptual frameworks around stunting, complementary feeding and diet quality linkages to food systems, to draw out a framework highlighting key drivers of young children’s diets
• Developing action framework/s with defined programme pathways and linkages with other delivery systems namely health system (including WASH), food systems (including private sector), social protection systems, community systems (including early childhood development) as well as media and communications. This critical task will require consultations with UNICEF colleagues from other sections as well as with external partners. Development of action framework will be done by interweaving the various programme strategies (situation analysis, advocacy, system strengthening, financing, monitoring and evaluation) to address key barriers hindering improved access to nutritious, affordable and sustained young children diets.
• Coordinate the review and finalization of the complementary feeding module
• Develop briefs and presentations (and other tools as needed) for key components of module to facilitate consensus building and sharing with partners and regional offices

Note: The modules will be laid out by professional designer and will be web-based.

Support roll-out of UNICEF’s First Foods videos: This will involve supporting the countries in adapting and contextualizing the recently launched first foods videos and document experience and lessons learned in using the videos to improve complementary feeding practices.

Supporting UNICEF regions in development of regional complementary feeding frameworks: Working together with Nutrition specialist at UNICEF HQ, the consultant will provide support to the regional offices in adapting the global guidance to regional framework, plans and strategies. This will involve development of presentations, briefs and other tools to simplify global guidance together with review and feedback to regional and country documents as needed.

 Coordination with other sectors, UNICEF regional and country offices as well as partners: Work on programme guide, and facilitating the use of UNICEF’s first foods videos will involve coordination with multiple sectors within and outside UNICEF as well as with UNICEF regional and country offices worldwide.

Supporting ECN unit in expanding complementary feeding programmes and evidence generation: The consultant will work closely with the Nutrition specialist at UNICEF HQ as a team to advance the agenda of strengthening UNICEF’s programming on complementary foods and feeding practices. This will involve responding to critical opportunities and programme needs during the duration of consultancy.

Time frame:

Start date: 15 Aug 2018
End date: 31 July 2019

Location: Office-based, stationed at UNICEF, Headquarters, NY

Deliverables and payment schedule: The sequence of deliverables listed below are around the programme guide. However, as detailed in the tasks above, the consultant may have to work on more than one tasks depending upon the need. Therefore, the sequence of deliverables can change during the course of consultancy.  

Key competences, technical background, and experience required:

• An Advanced University Degree (Master's) in Public Health Nutrition, Nutritional Epidemiology, International Health and Nutrition, Maternal and Child Nutrition, or other nutrition-related science field is required.
• A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience in Public Health Nutrition
• Proven experience in the area of complementary feeding programming, IYCF programme design and implementation and in conducting literature reviews is a major asset.
• Expertise in Infant and Young Child Nutrition is an asset.
• Excellent writing, communication, coordination and organizational skills
• Demonstrable analytical and research skills, review and synthesis of data and information
• Excellent oral and written English skills are required.

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable). Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

Remarks

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.