National – Strategy Planning Consultant

The food and nutrition situation in Eswatini has remained challenging and may continue to deteriorate, especially with regard to chronic malnutrition, if corrective actions are not taken now. According to MICS (2014), the prevalence of the chronic malnutrition is at 25.5 percent amongst the under five children. Malnutrition is a result of complex, cross-cutting social and economic issues which require coordinated efforts for effective interventions. Although many institutions and organizations are involved in nutrition activities in the country, there is little or no coordination among them. Therefore, there is need to have a strong coordination mechanism for guiding the development and implementation of food and nutrition interventions that will ensure a well-nourished, healthy and productive nation and minimize or eliminate all forms of malnutrition. In an effort to respond to the nutritional needs of the Swazi population, the government established the National Nutrition Council (NNC) through the Act of Parliament of 1945 which is mandated to promote and coordinate food and nutrition activities and to technically advise the government accordingly.

The National Nutrition is expected to contribute to improved food and nutrition security in Eswatini through strengthened institutional structure as well as the development of the legal framework. This will be achieved specifically through conducting a situational analysis on NNC operations as well as development of strategic documents. To be able to undertake all these duties and deliver as expected by the various stakeholders that it convenes, National Nutrition Council needs a strong technical as well as strategic team to effectively spearhead all processes and coordinate all the stakeholders. In addition, National Nutrition Council will need to have an institutional home and strategic direction to deliver on its mandate. Through this TCPf support, the NNC will be able to mobilize adequate financial resources that complement the government’s contribution if it is to function effectively and have a decisive impact on improving nutrition across the life cycle. Therefore, this project will contribute to the strengthening of the National Nutrition Council to promote a comprehensive national response to the prevailing household food insecurity and malnutrition through coordinated multi-sectoral action.

The overall impact will be improved coordination and implementation of nutrition interventions for improved health and nutrition status of the population. The government of Eswatini will also make informed decisions in the allocation of resources for food and nutrition security in the country.

Reporting Lines

The consultant shall be under overall supervision of the FAO Representative for Eswatini (FAOR), the direct supervision of the Assistant FAOR and the technical supervision of FAO’s the Sub-Regional Office for Southern Africa (SFS)’s Nutrition Officer with FAO RAF and the Nutrition and Food Systems Division (ESN) and in close consultation with the National Project Coordinator (NPC).

Technical Focus

Operational and logistics implementation of programme activities.

Tasks and responsibilities

Based on the outcome of the Situational Report on NNC, the consultant shall\:

• Facilitate the formation of a small multi-stakeholder core group to develop the draft NNC Strategy and the Action Plan
• Organize and facilitate a planning workshop with the core group on developing the draft Strategy and Action plan
• Develop a draft strategy
• Organize consultative meetings with key stakeholders to discuss and finalize the draft Strategy and Action Plan
• Finalize the Strategy and the Action Plan which will describe the way NNC will use the Strategy
• The Action Plan will identify\:
• What actions will occur and at what scale the proposed actions are the most relevant (regional, sub-regional and/or national levels)
• A timeline for the actions – commencement and completion
• What resources (both financial and human) are needed to carry out the proposed actions and how those resources could be mobilized
• Who are the technical and financial partners that could support the implementation of the Proposed actions
• Strategy and how the collaboration and the communication could be structured to implement effectively the NNC Strategy
• Carry out others activities as required by the Project Coordinator and/or the FAOR.

• At least a Masters in Food and Nutrition, Food Security or related fields
• Minimum of 5 years of (post masters) professional experience in nutrition and food security activities
• National of Eswatini or resident in the country

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Relevance of academic qualification.
• Extent of relevant experience in food and nutrition research, assessments, and planning.
• Level of working languages (English essential).
• Extent of relevant technical experience
• A proven understanding of the Eswatini food and nutrition sector
• Good communication and presentation skills
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning and programming

• Ability to work independently as well as an effective team player
• Proficiency in spoken and written English and SiSwati
• Knowledge of local culture
• Ability to write technical documents clearly and concisely

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.