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National Consultancy: Nutrition Consultant, Abuja, Nigeria, Home-based (3 months)

Apply now Job no: 573119
Contract type: Consultant
Duty Station: Abuja
Level: Consultancy
Location: Nigeria
Categories: Nutrition

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. 

For every child, Commitment.

How can you make a difference? 

Nigeria has continued to experience emergencies/crisis situations of various forms and dimensions, which has resulted in an increase in the incidence and prevalence of malnutrition and in some cases high mortality rates. While the main form of emergency is related to the insurgency in the northern part of Nigeria particularly the Northeast and banditry in the Northwest, Nigeria is also prone to other forms of emergencies. This includes flooding, community and herdsmen/farmers clashes, disease outbreaks such as cholera, measles, COVID-19, meningitis, Lassa Fever among others.

To build the capacity to respond to these emergencies, in 2018 Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoH) in collaboration with UNICEF held a Training of Trainers (ToT) for staff of FMoH and other Partners on Nutrition in Emergency. This was subsequently stepped down to states such as Akwa-Ibom, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta and Yobe states. Within this period, FMoH carried out special interventions in the northeast dubbed “Health Intervention Programs with Food and Nutrition”. RUTF and MNP as well as other medical materials were procured and distributed to IDP Camps in Borno state with FMoH staff rendering supportive supervision in the holistic health intervention programme.

Though partners may have existing documents that guide their nutrition in emergency programming, the country does not have a uniform guideline. Consequently, there is a need for the country to harmonize existing strategies for nutrition interventions during humanitarian and public health emergencies and come up with one national document that will guide and direct every player in emergencies. In 2022, the FMoH and UNICEF initiated the process to develop the national strategy on nutrition in emergency. The draft document was prepared in November 2023 and needs to be finalized and validated by the national stakeholders.

UNICEF is seeking to hire a consultant to provide quality, timely and professional support to the FMOH in finalizing the draft national strategy on nutrition in emergency. The consultant shall also support the FMOH in facilitating stakeholders meeting for the development of the addendum for the national Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) guideline.

Scope of Work:

The main purpose of the assignment is to provide technical support for the finalization of the National Strategy for Nutrition in emergency in collaboration with relevant Nutrition partners and Stakeholders. The consultant will be work closely with the funding organisation, UNICEF (the Nutrition specialist) and with the government, the Nutrition Division Federal Ministry of Health as well as nutrition stakeholders. The consultant’s deliverables are as follows:

1.Finalization of the National NiE strategy:

  1. Desk review of the existing draft strategy to incorporate the recommendations from the Global Nutrition Cluster and other stakeholders to ensure the national strategy is aligned with global and national best practices.
  2. Ensure that the strategy is user-friendly and explicit for all cadre of Healthcare Workers.
  3. Facilitate one stakeholders’ technical review and validation meetings.
  4. Collate inputs/comments from the stakeholders’ review meetings to produce a clean copy.
  5. Submit the final edited draft of the National Strategy on Nutrition in emergency to the FMOH for approval.

2.Development of the Addendum for the IMAM guideline:

  1. Facilitate one National stakeholders’ meeting for the development of the Addendum for the National IMAM guideline other tasks may be deemed necessary.

Expected results:

  1. A User-friendly National Strategy on Nutrition in Emergency, explicit for all cadre of Healthcare Workers.
  2. A draft Addendum for the National IMAM guideline for the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema.

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

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

Education:

  • At least Master’s degree in public health nutrition preferred or other relevant field, such as Public Health, Epidemiology and Pediatrician/Physician.

Experiences:

  • Experience in management of comprehensive Nutrition response in emergencies.
  • Minimum five years of relevant work experience in nutrition programming including Nutrition in emergencies etc.
  • Previous experience with multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder program planning, development, review, and evaluation.
  • Demonstrate analytical and research skills, review and synthesis of data, information, and planning experience.
  • Demonstrated experience in undertaking such work, including development of Strategies, Policies, Guidelines etc (examples to be submitted with application).

Language Requirements:

  • Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. 

Remarks:  

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

Applicants must submit their financial proposals along with this application. Applications without these will not be considered. Use this form to provide your financial proposal.  All-Inclusive Financial Proposal Form (1).docx

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts. 

Advertised: W. Central Africa Standard Time
Deadline: W. Central Africa Standard Time

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