C-IYCF Consultants at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries, including the United States. We aim to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities. In times of acute crisis, we mobilize rapid assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters. Each year, we and our partners reach millions of children in communities around the world. Join our dedicated and diverse staff in their work to improve the well-being of children everywhere.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Title: Integrating Early Childhood Development into C-IYCF Consultancy

Location: Abuja, Nigeria

Introduction
Providing every child with the best start in life is not only essential for the child’s individual well-being but is a necessary investment to protect human capital and achieve national development objectives. Early childhood is recognized as a critical time for healthy growth and development, building the basis for future attainments of every child. Therefore, scaling up interventions to support adequate nutritional intake and appropriate care practices, and optimizing the synergistic impact of such strategies, is of utmost importance.

Early childhood development (ECD) is all of the things a child needs to grow up with a strong, healthy body and brain - health care, good nutrition for mother and child, care and learning through play and stimulation, access to preschool, water and sanitation, and more. ECD is a ‘whole child’ approach. Every child has the right to grow up healthy, curious and intellectually stimulated, to be nurtured, and to live without fear, isolation, or violence. This snapshot shows how much more there is to do to ensure every child has this best start in life.

Integrating ECD into the WINNN implementation at the community level has become essential as a critical Child Safeguarding approach in ensuring that children accompanying their parents or care givers to ANC classes, Mothers Support or Care group meetings as well as CMAM OTP centres are safely and gainfully occupied to prevent abuse and exposure to dangers. It is anticipated that this will be accomplished through the creation of safe spaces for children with focus on ECD e.g. providing toys and nutrition information children at OTP centres and learning through play.

Project Background
Every single day, Nigeria loses about 2,300 under-five year olds and 145 women of childbearing age. Nigeria is the country with the 3rd highest absolute number of children who are stunted, recent studies show that 41% of children under the age of five are stunted, 23% are underweight, and 14% are wasted.2 14% of infants are born with a low birth weight.

Working to Improve Nutrition in Northern Nigeria (WINNN) is a 6-year project funded by DFID, which started in September 2011. The overall objective of the project is to reduce mortality through decreasing the incidence and prevalence of under nutrition in Nigeria with focus on Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Yobe and Zamfara States. The programme is implemented by a partnership that includes UNICEF, Save the Children and Action against Hunger (ACF).

The overall object of the WINNN programme is to build the capacity of the state and LGAs to implement nutrition interventions as routine services through existing PHC structures and to use evidence-based advocacy to improve political commitment to and government funding for nutrition interventions.

WINNN aims to improve maternal and child nutrition in Northern Nigerian through support to primary health care service providers for the implementation nutrition interventions as routine services through existing PHC structures, funded by the Government of Nigeria.   Behaviour change communication (BCC), outreach and counselling are key activities for the project under the IYCF output.

WINNN’s IYCF intervention promotes early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding for new-borns and infants, continued breastfeeding for at least 2 years and optimal complementary feeding practices for young children. It targets the first 1,000 days, from conception to two years of age, which provides a window of opportunity to prevent child deaths and ensure healthy growth and brain development.

Justification
Integrating ECD into the WINNN implementation at the community level has become essential as a critical Child Safeguarding approach in ensuring that children accompanying their parents or care givers to ANC classes, Mothers Support or Care group meetings as well as CMAM OTP centres are safely and gainfully occupied to prevent abuse and exposure to dangers. It is anticipated that this will be accomplished through the creation of safe spaces for children with focus on ECD e.g. providing toys and nutrition information children at OTP centres and learning through play.

The evidence for the direct effect of ECD interventions (early stimulation in the 0-3 years) on child development outcomes is quite strong and well documented. The Nutrition ECD approach will include the following;

• Age appropriate Talk & Play guidance
• Quality Interaction and responsive care
• Support for young mothers
• Responsive feeding

Specific Objectives
Objective 1:  Desk review of programme documents, logframe and business case to develop an ECD focused Safe Space for children 6-24 months in WINNN

Objective 2: Development of Nutrition ECD package for 1,000 days mother and Children 0-24 months:

• Production of pictorial ECD cards for Safe Spaces at OTP centres and IYCF Mothers Group
• Development of pictorial ECD IEC materials for household usage by 1,000 days mothers focused on responsive feeding and WASH

Objective 3:  Training of SCI Nutrition team, State, LGA  Government  Nutrition Officers on Nutrition ECD

• Development of training materials, agenda and presentation
• Facilitation of Nutrition ECD training workshop
• Review of exiting Nutrition ECD materials and adapting for use in Northern Nigeria
• Pre-test of materials during FGDs with 1,000 days mothers and children for their insight on graphics
• Development of Nutrition ECD TOT Manual

Objective 4: Documentation of Lessons Learnt

• In collaboration with the DNPM produce a position paper on the Integration of ECD in WINNN
• Development of SOP for Safe Spaces operation in WINNN
• Final report of consultancy

Consultancy Deliverables

• Submission of workplan in line with the 4 objectives above
• Report of desk review incorporating the following:
  • Review  of existing Nutrition ECD Materials
  • Review of WINNN programme documents to develop Nutrition ECD safe space strategy and implementation plan
• Development of Safe Space (focused on Nutrition ECD) strategy and implementation plan for WINNN
• Development of ECD Training materials for TOTs and Cascading to communities
• Facilitation of Nutrition ECD TOT for SCI Nutrition team and Sensitization workshops for  Government staff
• Development of Nutrition ECD pictorial cards/IEC materials for use in Northern Nigeria health facilities and households
• Technical oversight of the creation of Nutrition ECD safe spaces in WINNN implementing states
• Final report of consultancy with the following annexes:
  • Safe Space SOP for WINNN
  • Position Paper on the integration of ECD into WINNN IYCF and CMAM interventions
  • Lessons learnt and recommendation for future nutrition programmes

Person's Specification

• ECD and health professional with over 15 years of experience in international health facility and community-based program management, capacity building, and service delivery, recently transitioned to consultant status with Technical expertise in reproductive, maternal, new-born, adolescent, early child development/child health, nutrition, and family planning.
• Extensive experience with community mobilization for improved maternal, newborn, adolescent, and child health and nutrition (RMNCHN) and multi-sector leadership to advance strategies and best practices, and promotion of global strategies and innovative initiatives.
• Knowledge of the CORE Group ECD in Nutrition methodology is essential.
• Significant experience working with donor agencies such as DFID, EU and USAID

Supervision and Approval:

• Technical supervision for this work will be provided by the Deputy National Programme Manager WINNN. They will approve the deliverables and any questions or queries should be directed to her.

Estimated timeframe:

• Minimum of 30 days depending on proposed methodology and workplan

Proposal Instructions and Deadline: