Call for interest for Consultants ¿ Nutrition Specialist  IFAD - Rome, ECG Division

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation. 
The Strategy and Knowledge Department (SKD) provides expert guidance on IFAD's strategic direction, thematic priorities and technical quality of IFAD’s operations. It plays a critical role in providing technical expertise to operational teams to enhance development effectiveness, by generating and disseminating IFAD’s development knowledge and evidence on strategic themes, and encouraging innovative application of cutting-edge global knowledge and evidence in IFAD investments to support countries to tackle their most complex development challenges in fostering inclusive and sustainable rural transformation. SKD is composed of the (i) Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division (ECG); the (ii) Sustainable Production, Markets and Institutions Division (PMI); and the (iii) Research and Impact Assessment Division (RIA).
ECG is composed of two clusters: (i) Environment and Climate Change Cluster; (ii) and the Social Inclusion Cluster. ECG takes the lead in integrating crosscutting themes of environment and climate, nutrition, gender, youth, and indigenous peoples into IFAD's portfolio, with the aim of strengthening the quality and impact of IFAD’s operations. ECG also contributes to the generation of evidence and knowledge on these themes, and facilitates their use in IFAD-funded projects and activities. In addition, ECG provides guidance and support to ensure the inclusion of marginalized groups, particularly women, indigenous peoples and rural youth, into IFAD operations. Addressing environmental, biodiversity and climate change issues are inseparable from IFAD’s mission to overcome poverty. “Improving the nutritional level of the poorest populations in developing countries” is a principal objective of the Agreement establishing IFAD. The Fund’s approach to nutrition mainstreaming entails primarily promoting investments in nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems targeting smallholder producers, who are crucial to the world's food security and nutrition. 
The IFAD Nutrition Team is located in the Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion (ECG) Division, which takes the lead in the themes of environment and climate, nutrition, gender, and youth into IFAD's mainstreaming agenda and provides guidance and support to ensure the inclusion of indigenous peoples and the marginalized and most vulnerable rural people in IFAD’s investments.

Post's organizational accountability

IFAD is establishing a roster of qualified, experienced and motivated Nutrition experts to work as consultants to provide first-rate services to advance the execution of IFAD’s nutrition action plan.  
Successful candidates will be retained on the roster based on performance and during which IFAD HQ can contact them and regional divisions for consultancy work as need arises.    IFAD will directly liaise with consultants on the roster according to needs to initiate the contracting process.

Key results expected / Major functional activities

Areas of expertise/experience that may be required of Water, Rural Infrastructure and Energy consultants may include:

A.    General Areas of experience: 

• Authoritative technical expertise designing and implementing nutrition sensitive agriculture, food systems and rural development programming and policy processes (country, regional, global level as relevant); 
• Knowledge of global, country food and nutrition security  governance and policy frameworks, Scaling up nutrition and related  networks, multi-sectoral platforms at all levels, UN Nutrition and other initiatives;  
• Provision of nutrition technical guidance/knowledge to governments, implementing partners as well as inspiring other specialists and programme staff to develop and implement viable and quality nutrition sensitive programmes and strategies;
• Strong analytical skills to identify systematic issues (both programmatic and operational) affecting the nutrition of most vulnerable groups, define impact pathways and develop viable tailored solutions to address context specific nutrition challenges in rural development projects;  
• Promoting innovation and designing research, measurements and knowledge management activities, including documentation and dissemination of good practices; 
• Capacity building, and training of trainers on various aspects of nutrition sensitive agriculture and food systems  for governments, project staff, IFAD staff (etc.); 
• Evidence-based policy processes, know-how in the formulation of concrete and actionable policy recommendations based on hard evidence (going beyond simple data interpretation) 
• Knowledge of other mainstreaming themes and social inclusion priorities (including Indigenous Peoples) at IFAD and how they link with nutrition, opportunities of building synergies and minimising negative effects - Gender, Youth, Indigenous People, Environment and Climate change 

B.    Specialised areas of expertise 

Nutrition Education and SBCC:

• Experience in conducting formative, qualitative research and KAP surveys
• Experience in developing nutrition education curricula/modules such as those to be integrated in extension systems and Farmer Field Schools  
• Formulation of SBCC tools and outreach resources 
• Experience with Qualitative research methods and data Analysis Software (i.e. CAQDAS packages, NVivo, Atlas.it, etc.)

Nutrition Metrics:

• Knowledge of nutritional assessments and in particular of the measurement of the MDD-W indicator;
• Experience of designing and conducting nutrition assessments in integrated agricultural and rural programmes;
• Experience in nutrition data analysis, reporting and communicating evidence to various target groups.

Nutrition sensitive value chain analysis:

• Experience in designing nutrition sensitive value chains investments
• Knowledge of analysing opportunities to integrate nutrition in the various segments of value chains -production, processing and marketing, consumption
• Food product formulation and food safety:
• Experience in formulation of innovative and culturally nutrient dense food products based on local production that are locally acceptable 
• Understanding of national policy and legislation on food transformation,  commercialisation and food safety
• Knowledge of the principles of Food Science and Technology, Food Safety and Food Quality Management.

C.    Additional skills: 

• Problem solving: Strong systemic and structured thinking, ability to identify and dissect problems into components and formulate a comprehensive set of creative viable and sustainable solutions and strategies.
• Facilitation: Ability to facilitate technical discussions in diverse technical teams  
• Team Work: Fosters a cohesive team environment
• Written communication: Ability to use written communication as a main tool in profession; clear, succinct and convincing written communication; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language.
• Client orientation: Strong critical thinking combined with communication skills to liaise between the business and technologies to understand business problems and needs, document requirements and identify solutions.
• Verbal communication: Clear, succinct, and convincing verbal communication; highly professional, balanced, and diplomatic language.
• Time management: Adherence to deadlines under time constraints and pressure.
• Computer skills: full command of Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) and common internet applications

D.    Other working experience:

• Experience working in for international organisations INGOs, Other UN Agencies, IFIs, research, etc.
• Country specific experience: including local languages
• IFAD experience- COSOP/project design, implementation support missions, MTRs (added advantage, if missing, candidate to train on these aspects)
• COSOP/Project design  
• Supervision missions/MTR/completion 
• IFAD’s mainstreaming nutrition approach, criteria and core indicators 
• SECAP requirements
• Social inclusion- Targeting, gender, youth and IPs

Minimum recruitment qualifications/requirements 

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Level - Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) from an accredited institution  
• Areas of study: Nutrition, Public Health, Agriculture, Rural Development, Natural Resource Management, Food Science and Technology, food security, Food systems, Social studies or related fielD. Degree must be from an accredited institution listed on https://www.whed.net/home.php
• Experience: 
  Senior-level expert – 9 years plus experience, or
  Mid-level expert- 5 to 8 years’ experience, or
  Entry-level expert – 3 to 5 years’ experience.

(optional) The advanced university degree may be substituted by a first university degree and at least four (4) additional years of relevant professional experience over and above the minimum number of years of experience as stipulated above.

• Language Skills 
  Fluency in the English language (speaking, reading and writing), and depending on country context, ability to fluently communicate in one of the following languages: French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian

Other information

Applicants that meet the qualification and experience requirements indicated above may be contacted for informal phone interviews. Proof of academic requirement, work experience and references will be checked. Applicants will be placed on the roster only upon positive outcome of such checks and they will be informed accordingly.
Rostered consultants may be contacted for assignments. Honorarium will be commensurate with the applicants' qualifications, experience and skills as well as the nature and complexity of the assignment.
Consultants are not considered staff of IFAD. This consultancy assignment does not carry any expectation of employment, extension or conversion to another type of contract with the Fund. The number of days in which services can be rendered in any 12-month period is limited to 240, and the number of days in which services can be rendered in any 60-month period is limited to 960.
In the interest of making most cost effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are selected for further assessment. Applicants who do not receive any feedback within three months should consider their application unsuccessful.