Maternal Nutrition/IYCF/ECD Counselling Review in ESA Region

Goal and objective:

To understand how maternal nutrition/IYCF/ECD counselling is integrated in the building blocks of health systems in selected countries of the region and is being delivered at both health facility and community levels. A comprehensive understanding of the health system bottlenecks and enablers to fully integrate and deliver quality maternal nutrition and IYCF/ECD counselling services at facility and community level will be obtained in order to identify and prioritize context specific barriers and enabling factors to inform the design of evidence-based policies and programmes to deliver skilled counselling support and nutrition and ECD education that is fully integrated within all building blocks of the health system. The findings will help to guide countries to better integrate maternal nutrition/IYCF/ECD counseling in the building blocks of the health system. A two-tier assessment is proposed: a multi-country scoping (in the 15 ESAR countries using the package), and a deep dive in four countries (to be decided in the inception phase of the consultancy).

Desired Competencies, Technical Background And Experience

• Education: An Advanced University Degree in Public Health Nutrition, Nutritional Epidemiology, International Health and Nutrition, Maternal and Child Nutrition, or other Nutrition-related science field including Early Childhood Development is required. *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience in public health/nutrition assessment, planning, management, health and nutrition systems strengthening, policy research at the international level, including in low and middle income countries;
• Experience of IYCF and ECD counseling programmes an asset
• Must exhibit UNICEF Core Values of:
• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability
• Sustainability
• The Consultant must have the following competencies:
• Work collaboratively with others
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• English both oral and written is a must and ability to read, analyze and interpret complex documents

Administrative issues

• The Consultant will be working remotely with potential travel to up to four countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique) in the ESA region for which the UNICEF office would cover subsistence allowances and travel costs. The consultant is expected to complete the deeper dives within 10 days for each country.
• Consultant will need to make their own travel arrangements and will be reimbursed for travel costs and subsistence allowance in line with and limited to those payable by UNICEF.
• Monthly progress meetings will be scheduled throughout the contract duration.
• When requested, the Consultant should be available for scheduled meetings between 10 am to 4 pm Nairobi time.
• 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.
• The Consultant 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