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Wasting Cascade Pilot - Technical Assistance Consultancy/Nutrition unit, Data and Analytics, New York, DAPM/ Req# 580551

Apply now Job no: 580551
Contract type: Consultant
Duty Station: New York
Level: Consultancy
Location: United States
Categories: Research, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

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, HOPE

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

The release of the 2023 WHO guideline on the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema (‎acute malnutrition)‎ in infants and children under 5 years[1] and the Global Action Plan (GAP) on Child Wasting[2] prompted renewed efforts to accelerate the prevention and treatment of child wasting. A new global guidance on monitoring child wasting programmes that is fit for purpose and relevant to the current programming context is needed to support programme strengthening efforts as countries work to align their policies and programmes with the most recent global guideline.

A three-day Global Technical Consultation in November 2024 on Monitoring the Child Wasting Cascade convened partners and national counterpoints to discuss key components of monitoring and the child wasting cascade, including wasting caseload estimation, screening, treatment, relapse and prevention. A total of 150 participants joined the consultation including national counterparts from the Ministries of Health and Institutes of Statistics of 27 countries across all seven UNICEF regions joined the consultation, as well as technical counterparts from other key agencies working on nutrition and non-governmental organizations.  In the consultation, it was recognized that pilot testing of the proposed new and/or improved indicators was needed prior to producing the final guidance.

The lessons learned from the piloting will help to inform the development of global guidance on monitoring of the child wasting cascade. This guidance will include indicators and the recommended analyses to follow the child population through the steps of prevention, screening and treatment of child wasting.  The guidance will also include methods for assessment of the target populations, calculation of locally contextualized estimates of annual burden of acute malnutrition and guidance on the monitoring of screening, referrals, treatment admissions, exits and relapses, and coverage estimates. The global guidance intends to provide recommendations on monitoring of wasting programming for all contexts and will contribute to efforts for the global monitoring of wasting.

The piloting will address outstanding monitoring issues identified to improve the regular monitoring of child wasting programming.  The comprehensive set of indicators needed to follow children through prevention services, screening, treatment and potential relapse or reoccurrence will support countries to strengthen monitoring and be the main reference for standardized indicators for programmes to address child wasting. 

The details of the pilots will be decided upon through coordination between UNICEF data and analytics and program group with the country counterparts.

The purpose of the contract is to support the pilot testing of proposed methods and indicators for the monitoring of the Child Wasting Cascade. There will be comprehensive pilots with monitoring indicators for screening, treatment and prevention implemented in at least two countries and smaller scale specific topical pilots implemented in other countries. For more information on the piloting activities, please see -  Concept note for piloting monitoring indicators and methods for the global guidance on the Wasting Cascade.docx

Scope of Work:

  1. Develop analysis and work plans for pilot testing in coordination with UNICEF and country counterparts.

The analysis plans will include:

  • Purpose of pilot and research questions
  • Identification of key stakeholders and their roles in the pilot
  • Documentation of methods to conduct pilot
  • Explanation of how the data are to be analysed to answer research questions

The work plans will include:

  • Process to secure all necessary approvals for conducting the pilot
  • Activities and frequency of data collection/ aggregation
  • Time plan for data analysis
  • Monthly feedback to implementation partners
  • Production of final reporting of pilot activity
  1. Provide technical assistance to ensure the effective implementation work plans for data collection, aggregation and analysis of wasting cascade data
  • Introduction and launch of piloting activities
  • Monitoring the implementation of the work plan
  • Ensure monthly collection / aggregation of data with analysis and feedback documented and provided to implementing partners
  1. Support for elaboration and documentation of lessons learned
  • Final data analyses in coordination with country counterparts
  • Summary of monthly feedback provided back on analyses
  • Documentation of lessons learn from piloting exercise

Timeline:

The analysis and work plans will be produced in April 2025, followed by the launch of the piloting activities in May 2025.  Monthly reviews and updates will be due from end May until September 2025 and a final report due in September 2025.

 

 
Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Work Assignment Overview/Deliverables and Outputs/Delivery deadline

  1. Coordinate the development of protocol/ plan for comprehensive pilot testing in two countries and smaller pilots in other countries (10 days)
  • Final analysis and work plan for comprehensive pilots in two countries and all other small-scale pilots

15 April 2025

  1. Coordination of implementation of work plan including aggregation and analysis of data (40 days)
  • 5 monthly progress reports summarizing key activities, challenges and outcomes from pilot implementation
  • 17 Aggregated data analysis from pilot testing, including trends, gaps and preliminary insights
  • Coordination summary outlining stakeholder engagements, action points and next steps

30 April 2025

31 May 2025

30 June 2025

31 July 2025

31 August 2025

3.  Final analysis of data collected / aggregated during the pilots and consolidation of feedback provided by month with documentation of lessons learned ( 10 days)

  • Final analysis and lessons learned document

31 August 2025

Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in public health, global health, epidemiology, or a related field

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

  • A minimum of 2 years of experience In public health, global health, epidemiology, or a related field.
  • Solid experience and expertise in monitoring and measurement, and familiarity with health management information systems and administrative systems. Experience in conducting research on monitoring tools in a public health field is an asset.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills to present concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences
  • Experience working in public health program monitoring, ideally with experience in wasting programming.
  • Previous
  • Experience in collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders to integrate diverse perspectives.
  • Attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality work
Requirements:
Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and 
- Upload copy of academic credentials 
- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :
o the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
o travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR. 
o Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
o Indicate your availability 
- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant. 
U.S. Visa information:
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.  
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process 
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 committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.
According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
Remarks:  
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 
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: Eastern Daylight Time
Deadline: Eastern Daylight Time

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