Home-Based International Consultancy to conduct a regional landscape analysis of trends and predictors of young children’s diets in some countries in UNICEF’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region (43 working days)

UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia is looking for a home-based international consultant is to undertake a regional landscape analysis of trends of complementary feeding indicators, their key determinants and status of complementary feeding programmes in selected countries. The exercise will also study country-level examples of good practice and others that did not work well, that will inform development of Regional policy briefs and guidance on complementary feeding to prevent double burden of malnutrition.

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For every child, adequate nutrition

1. Background

Every child has the right to adequate nutrition. Good nutrition is also an investment in the future of children and nations. Nutritious diets fuel children’s growth, drive brain development, strengthen learning potential, enhance productivity in adulthood and pave the way to more sustainable and prosperous societies. With the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, the world is preparing to tackle the ambitious objective of ending all forms of malnutrition by 2030.

There is convincing evidence that good maternal nutrition, optimal breastfeeding and infant and young child feeding practices are critical to ensure appropriate growth and development as well as to reduce the risk of developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), for both mothers and children, across the life course.

In the region, still more than 12 percent of the children are stunted in their early years, and in several countries more than 25% of children are affected by anemia. The region is also seeing the world’s biggest rise in obesity among under-5-year-old children (80% increase in 2018 compared to the indicator in 2000).). The double burden of malnutrition, in Europe and Central Asia which starts during the early years of life and gets deteriorated during the second decade of life. After West and Central Africa, the rate of exclusive breast-feeding in Europe and Central Asia is the 2nd lowest globally (30%) and the rate of breastfeeding at the age of 2 is the lowest globally (28%). This means every year among the over 6.1 million births in the region, 4.3 million babies are deprived of optimum feeding during the first 6 months of life.

Given the rapidly rising rates of obesity and over-weight in the region, one can conclude that inadequate infant and young child feeding plays a key role in the development of NCD risk factors during early years of life. 

Aggressive marketing of breastmilk substitutes (BMS) and ready to use complementary food for babies, the absence of quality and effective Infant and Young Child Feeding counseling services, and lack of community awareness on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding are among the main barriers world-wide. The inappropriate promotion of foods for infants and young children, including those which are lacking the necessary nutrients or are high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fat threaten appropriate feeding practices and the nutritional status of children. In addition, lack of availability and access to all food groups as well as poor skills and knowledge of families, prevents children having the dietary diversity they require.

Although 69% of children in the region are experiencing timely introduction of complementary foods, only 28% of them are enjoying a minimum acceptable diet during their 6-23 months of age. In a way that the quality of these complementary foods is usually inadequate to address nutritional needs of infants and young children. 

Hence, UNICEF ECARO has prioritized support to countries in the region in accelerating interventions aimed at improving the diets of young children that will contribute to reduce double-burden of malnutrition (stunting and obesity) in early years.  UNICEF ECARO intends to conduct a Regional landscape analysis of trends and predictors of young children’s diets in a select number of countries in the region as an initial step towards understanding the early child nutrition situation in the region. The findings of the regional landscape analysis will inform development of Regional strategy and policy briefs and guidance as well as inform prioritization of country level areas of action.

2. Objective

The objective of this consultancy is to undertake a Regional landscape analysis of trends of complementary feeding indicators, their key determinants and status of complementary feeding programmes in selected countries. The exercise will also study country-level examples of good practice and others that did not work well, that will inform development of Regional policy briefs and guidance on complementary feeding to prevent double burden of malnutrition.

3. Scope of Work

The landscape analysis will cover six core countries in UNICEF’s ECA Region ( Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, Serbia) that will provide a representative assessment of early child nutrition with a focus on diets of young children 6-23 months. The end product will be a region-wide analysis with recommendations for approaches for improving the diets of young children. This regional landscape analysis will inform the development of a regional framework for complementary feeding that will guide countries in the ECA region on accelerating progress towards prevention of child stunting and obesity.

Key Tasks & Methodology for the Landscape Analysis

Under the direct supervision of UNICEF ECARO Health and Nutrition Specialist and in consultation with ECD specialists, the consultant will:

1. Task 1: Develop Methodology and approach for Landscape analysis

• Review key relevant background documents to the assignment to understand the expected deliverables (Country level strategies, policies and relevant guidelines)
• Develop a methodology and approach for conducting the regional landscape analysis in line with the methodology framework and data consolidation tools
• Discuss with UNICEF ECA regional Office Nutrition and ECD Specialists to review terms of reference and objectives of the landscape analysis, finalization of methodology and tools

2. Task 2: Conduct a secondary analysis on complementary feeding for 6 countries in ECA with the following components

• Analysis of National surveys and major studies for the 6 core countries (MICS, DHS, National Nutrition Surveys, national dietary intake survey and other relevant studies) to study the trends (where available) and predictors (enablers/barriers) as well as determinants of complementary feeding indicators, specifically Minimum Dietary Diversity, Minimum Meal Frequency (MMF) and Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD) and consumption of animal source foods, 
• Review of additional literature on the rates of consumption of ready to use complementary food
• Reviewing the nutritional content of a sample of available ready to use complementary food from each of the countries and to check the labeling information in regards with sugar, salt and fatty content and to compare with the global recommendation.
• Looking into a number of common traditional recipes from the lens of timeliness, MDD, MAD and the salt, fat and sugar content

3. Task 3: Conduct an in-depth desk review of literature, existing policy environment and programme actions for complementary feeding in the 6 core countries:

• Review strategies, implementation and monitoring, for improving young children’s diets from selected countries (double-burden of malnutrition and poor IYCF)
• Review the extent to which legal frameworks support appropriate diets/foods for children (legal framework review, regulation of promotion, subsidies/taxes on specific foods, trade restrictions import/export of highly nutritious foods), regulation and standard related to ready to use complementary feeding
• Review the IYCF counselling services from dimensions of effectiveness, sustainability, coverage and accuracy of content of IYCF counselling
• Key informant interviews by the MNCH managers/ nutrition managers in the 6 countries regarding the lessons learned
• To develop a draft key findings report
• To develop and finalize 7 policy briefs one for the region and 1 per each of involved countries

4. Task 4: In collaboration with UNICEF ECARO and 6 UNICEF COs and key partners review findings from the landscape analysis and prioritize key barriers and gaps in the delivery and uptake of complementary feeding interventions

• Share landscape analysis with key stakeholders (UNICEF CO representatives, government focal points, academia and research institutions, NGO partners, UN agencies)
• Adjust and finalize the key findings report, priorities and draft recommendations as necessary with inputs from the stakeholder group and develop synthesis report summarizing the status, trends and determinants of complementary feeding indicators.
• To get 7 policy briefs reviewed and finalized

• All reports and presentations should be submitted in English
• The contractor will complete all activities and deliverables listed above within the allotted time-frame.
• The contractor is required to facilitate briefings and orientation and to allow rapid review and endorsement of the method and the main report remotely.
• The Consultant will be responsible for organizing and coordinating all skype meetings with the counterparts as required.

5. Travel and Insurance:

The work is to be completed off-site at the awarded consultant’s location.  Only remote surveys/ calls / Webinars etc. should be conducted, except for a 5-day stakeholder meeting, when the consultant will be expected to travel.  All travel expenses will be paid by UNICEF. The consultant will travel by the most direct and economical route in economy class. UNICEF will pay the daily subsistence allowance as per UN-approved rate. The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN DSS Security certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card. The dates for the travel will be determined in consultation with the supervisor.

6. Budget and terms of payment

The assignment will be funded form UNICEF OR Thematic fund for Nutrition fund with an estimated amount of USD 30,000. The consultancy fee shall be paid as detailed in the above matrix and upon approval of relevant deliverables by UNICEF.

7. Conditions of Work

The consultant shall use his/her own facilities to manage the work, but, where circumstances demand otherwise, shall be allowed to make use of available UNICEF office space, computer and internet facilities with prior notification and arrangement with the supervisor and UNICEF Admin/ICT. The provision of these facilities by UNICEF shall be subject to their availability

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

• Master’s degree in Nutrition, Public Health or public Health nutrition  
• Minimum of 8 years of experience working in IYCF programs
• Experience in conducting landscape analysis and assessments is a must
• Familiarity with IYCF programming context in the Europe and Central Asia
• Experience in qualitative data collection, analysis and synthesis
• Experience working with governments, NGOS, UN agencies or other relevant development partners is an asset.
• Excellent writing skills
• Fluency in spoken and written English
• Knowledge of Russian language is an asset

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

To apply:

• Please complete your profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system. Please provide (attach) a Personal History Form (P-11) highlighting previous engagements which meet the qualification criteria described above. Personal History Form (P11) can be downloaded from: https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_consultancy_assignments.html
• Please provide a pager of technical methodology for running this landscape analysis. Applications submitted without the methodology pager will not be considered.
• Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

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.

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

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