UNICEF seeks to recruit a Nutrition Specialist Consultancy (Luanda Angola)
Job no: 514205
Work type: Consultancy
Location: Angola
Categories: Nutrition, Consultancy
Advertised: W. Central Africa Standard Time
Applications close: W. Central Africa Standard Time
Description
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.
Background and Justification
Chronic nutrition crisis caused by cyclic droughts/ floods phenomena have affected particularly the populations of the southern provinces of Angola in the past two years, resulting in an estimated 756,000 people in need of food assistance (Vulnerability Assessment Committee, 2015). Latest results from the Multiple-Indicator Cluster and Health Survey (IIIMS 2015-2016) reported that nearly 38 per cent of children under 5 years of age in Angola are stunted (too short for their age), 4.9 per cent are wasted, and 19 per cent are underweight.
Multiple violence and ethnic tensions in the Kasai Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, have resulted in the influx with registration of more than 35,411 Congolese seeking refuge and safety in Angola’s Lunda Norte Province (Biometric Registration 2018, UNHCR).
UNICEF Angola’s nutrition programme implementation strategy includes humanitarian response to both the DRC Refugees Crisis and the severe drought emergency in the Southern Provinces, and support to Nutrition Systems Strengthening through development of a National Nutrition Policy and a Strategic Plan for Stunting Reduction. Along with intensive WASH and health interventions, nutrition interventions, including Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM), Vitamin A supplementation and deworming and the promotion and support of Infant and Young Child Feeding practices, are being implemented in five most affected provinces, notably, Bié, Huila, Namibe, Cunene and Lunda Norte.
The Nutrition Specialist consultancy based in UNICEF Angola will fill a temporary gap during the period of July to December 2018.
Scope of Work
Goal:
Technical assistance to Government of Angola to support the implementation of the nutrition agenda, particularly for Policy Development to guide national investments and interventions in the population with focus on improved maternal and child nutrition and reduce the burden of preventable nutrition-related death, illness and disability.
Objectives:
The overall purpose of this position is to support the implementation of the nutrition agenda focused on: 1) enhanced nutrition governance for better resilience to emergencies through development of national nutrition policy and multi-sectoral strategic plan; 2) emergency nutrition response in 4 drought-affected provinces (Huila, Namibe, Bié and Cunene) and in the DRC refugee response in Lunda Norte province; 3) multi-sectoral stunting reduction program jointly implemented by health & nutrition, WASH and C4D in Huila, Bié and Cunene; and 4) monitoring, evaluation and reporting of progress from provincial and central levels.
Activities and Tasks:
Under the overall guidance of the UNICEF Chief of Child Survival and Development, in close coordination with the Directorate of Reproductive Health/ Nutrition National Program of the Ministry of Health, the Nutrition Specialist will be expected to perform the following functions:
1. Technical support to development of UNICEF Country Programme Document 2020-2022
- Facilitate and participate in internal workshop/s on overall strategic focus of the new country programme, specific strategies and potential country programme outcome and output, using results-based management and theory of change tools.
- Draft Strategy Note document for nutrition component.
2. Technical and operational support to development of national nutrition policy and multi-sectoral nutrition strategic plan
- Provide technical guidance and operational support to a team of international and national consultants in the process of elaboration of a national nutrition policy and a multi-sectoral nutrition strategic plan for Angola.
- Participate in discussions with government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other nutrition stakeholders on recommended policies, strategies, processes and best practices and approaches on stunting reduction and related issues to support achieving consensus on key strategic priorities for stunting reduction in Angola.
- Draft program briefs and other strategic program materials for advocacy purpose, information and management use.
3. Support to emergency nutrition response in drought affected provinces (Huila, Cunene, Bié and Namibe) and in the DRC refugee response in Lunda Norte province
- Provide technical support for the implementation of the community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) emergency intervention in the drought affected provinces (Huila, Cunene, Bié and Namibe) and in the DRC refugee response in Lunda Norte province.
- Provide technical guidance to provincial health departments for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the emergency nutrition programme to ensure effective CMAM program quality, in line with SPHERE standards.
- Participate in emergency preparedness initiatives, program development and contingency planning and/or to respond to evolving emergency.
- Assist to identify training needs of the nutrition focal points at provincial and district levels. Support the development of health staff through emergency nutrition capacity building activities as per agreed workplan signed with Provincial Governments.
- Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes and to ensure integration, coherence and harmonization of emergency programs with other UNICEF sectors and achievement of results as planned and allocated.
4. Multi-sectoral stunting reduction program management, monitoring and delivery of results
- Provide technical support to establish and strengthen a nutrition monitoring system for the joint multi-sectoral stunting reduction program implemented in 3 provinces with high-burden stunting rates (Bié, Huila and Cunene).
- Actively monitor programs through field visits, quick surveys and exchange of information with partners and stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems and take timely decisions to resolve issues.
- Prepare/review partners’ reports to identify gaps, strengths and weaknesses in program and management and document lessons learned.
- Monitor and verify the appropriate use of sectoral program resources (financial, administrative and other assets) confirming compliance with organizational rules, regulations and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity and ensuring timely reporting and liquidation of funds.
5. Nutrition Programme implementation, monitoring and reporting:
- Provide technical inputs and support quality assurance of the iodine nutrition survey currently supported by UNICEF, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Fisheries.
- Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, program reviews and annual reviews with government and other counterparts to assess progress and to determine required action/interventions to achieve results. Track the progress in implementation and address bottlenecks and issues impeding sector response.
- Provide inputs and support the preparation of programme and donor reports, including inputs for revision of RAM, Nutridash and annual reports.
6. Networking, partnership building and Resource Mobilization
- Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with nutrition sector government counterparts, nutrition stakeholders and partners through active networking, advocacy and effective communication.
- Ensure strong participation in Nutrition coordination platform.
- Prepare communication and information materials for program advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership and support fund raising for nutrition programs.
- Participate and represent UNICEF in appropriate inter-agency discussions and planning on nutrition and related issues to collaborate with inter-agency partners on planning and preparation of emergency nutrition programs.
- Draft and provide quality inputs to donor proposals and contribute to internal resource mobilization efforts.
Work relationships:
The indicative duration and period for consultancy is of 6 months from July to 31 December 2018. The incumbent will be supervised by the Chief of the Child Survival and Development Section in UNICEF and will work in support of the Directorate of Reproductive Health/ National Nutrition Program of the Ministry of Health, and in close collaboration with FAO, WHO and Nutrition stakeholders at central and provincial levels.
This assignment will be based at the UNICEF Angola Country Office in Luanda, with in-country travelling to project implementation areas.
Outputs/Deliverables:
| Deliverables |
Duration (Estimated # of days) |
Timeline/ Deadline |
Schedule of payment |
| National Nutrition Policy/ Nutrition Strategic Plan developed and endorsed by nutrition stakeholders | July to December | July to December |
Monthly (lump sum) |
| Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative follow-up committee at central level and in 9 provinces formed and operational | July to December | July to December | |
| Four Mother support groups (MSG) created and active each in one of 4 municipalities of Huila, Cunene and Lunda Norte provinces | July to December | July to December | |
| 3 Farmers Field Schools are supported to integrate nutrition key messages on food diversification and food emergency stocks for drought/floods preparedness and response in emergency prone provinces | July to December | July to December | |
| Technical inputs provided to iodine nutrition study and final version shared with Regional Office for clearance | July to December | July to December | |
| 2019 Vitamin A and nutrition therapeutic products forecasts developed to cover both routine and emergency nutrition programs | July to December | July to December | |
| Joint field visits conducted with health, C4D and WASH team (at least 3) to monitor stunting reduction program implementation in provinces with high-burden of stunting (Huila, Cunene, Bie and Lunda Norte) and reported | July to December | July to December |
Payment Schedule
The lump sum payment schedule is monthly and tied to the completion of tasks/activities (deliverables).
There will be no interim payments; as all payments are linked to deliverables. Payment is upon satisfactory completion of deliverables.
Please note that the final monthly fees will be negotiated by HR.
Desired competencies, technical background and experience
Education
- Advanced university degree in one of the disciplines relevant to the following areas: Public Health & Nutrition, Health Sciences, International Health & Nutrition, Public Health & Nutrition Policy and Management, Family Health & Nutrition, Nutritional Epidemiology, Health & Nutrition Education, Health & Nutrition Promotion and Disease Prevention or other relevant discipline(s).
Work Experience
- Five (5) years of relevant professional work experience, including in developing countries.
- Experience in monitoring gender inequalities and in programming interventions that reduce these inequalities;
*A relevant first-level university degree (Bachelor’s), in combination with 7 years of additional relevant work experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Language Proficiency
- Fluency in English (verbal and written) and in Portuguese required
- Fluency in Spanish or Italian is a strong asset; and
- Knowledge of another UN working language is an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
The technical competencies required for this post are….
View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
Remarks:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.