Consultant - Develop Stories to Promote Nutritious Food Consumption at Helen Keller International

Helen Keller International (HKI), established in 1915, is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to saving the sight and lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Headquartered in New York City, HKI currently conducts programs in 21 countries in Africa and Asia, as well as in the United States.

HKI implements integrated package of cost-effective interventions that are proven to improve maternal and child nutrition. HKI supports policies and programs on food fortification, vitamin A supplementation, infant and young child feeding, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, community-based management of acute malnutrition and prevention and treatment of neglected tropical diseases. At the core of HKI’s programs is advocacy and social behavior change communication to various stakeholders. HKI also undertakes cutting-edge research to influence policy decisions and inform program quality.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Consultant to Develop Stories to Promote Nutritious Food Consumption Among children Ranging From the Age of 5-7 Years Old

Location: Abuja
Job Field: Consultancy

Background

• USAID Advancing Nutrition is the Agency’s flagship multi-sectoral nutrition project, led by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI), and a diverse group of experienced partners. Launched in September 2018, USAID Advancing Nutrition implements nutrition interventions across sectors and disciplines for USAID and its partners.
• The project’s multi-sectoral approach draws together global nutrition experience to design, implement, and evaluate programs that address the root causes of malnutrition. Committed to using a systems approach, USAID Advancing Nutrition strives to sustain positive outcomes by building local capacity, supporting behavior change, and strengthening the enabling environment to save lives, improve health, build resilience, increase economic productivity, and advance development. In Nigeria, the project aims to meet the following objectives

Objectives of the Project

• Objective 1: Strengthen multi-sectoral linkages and coordination through technical assistance to the Government of Nigeria, the Mission, and implementing partners
• Objective 2: Support the Government of Nigeria to strengthen wasting prevention and treatment services
• Objective 3: Generate evidence and test innovative approaches to improve nutrition programming and inform future designs.

Preamble on the Activity

• Children aged 5-7-9 years are at a critical age for their cognitive and physical development. Proper nutrition during this age group is essential for their growth and development. However, many children do not consume a balanced diet that includes all the essential nutrients. In FY22, USAID Advancing Nutrition organized consultation workshops with various food systems actors in Kebbi, Sokoto and Bauchi where priority food groups were identified and selected. USAID Advancing Nutrition Project intends to use the findings from these consultations (alongside other consultations) to promote the consumption of nutritious food including micro-nutrients in children using storytelling. To achieve this, the project is seeking to contract a qualified and experienced consultant.

Schedules and Deliverables
The contractor is responsible for the timely submission of the following deliverables, as part of the SOW:

• Identify and invite relevant stakeholders  to participate in the consultation; Develop a consultation protocol, including the agenda, discussion questions, and data collection tools; Facilitate the consultation and capture the key insights and recommendations from the stakeholders; Analyze the data collected from the consultation and provide a summary report of the findings across Bauchi, Kebbi, and Sokoto states.
• Develop a creative brief that outlines the objectives, target audience, key messages, and tone of the stories; Develop a storyline and script for each story; Ensure that the stories are age-appropriate, culturally relevant, and aligned with the recommendations from the stakeholders’ consultations.
• Identify the most effective channels to disseminate the stories; Develop a dissemination plan that outlines the timeline, budget, and key performance indicators for the campaign; Provide recommendations on measuring the campaign's impact and improving the dissemination strategy.
• The total LOE is approximately 32 days non-consecutive. All required deliverables and reports shall be submitted to the Senior Program Advisor, USAID Advancing Nutrition

Tentative Timeline:

• The anticipated duration to complete this task is 32 LOE, between April to June 2023.

Ethical and Legal Matters
The ownership of the draft and final documentation belongs to the agency and the funding donor exclusively. The document, or publication related to it, will not be shared with anybody except USAID Advancing Nutrition has approved of it. USAID Advancing Nutrition is to be the main addressee of the report. USAID Advancing Nutrition is likely to share the training report with the following groups:

• Donors 
• Various coordination bodies
• Government stakeholders

For independent consultancies, the consultant must not have any links to project management or any other conflict of interest that would interfere with the independence of the activity.

Intellectual Property Right

• All documentation related to the assignment (whether or not in the course of duties) shall remain the sole and exclusive property of USAID Advancing Nutrition.

Consultant Qualifications
The consultant will have the following minimum qualifications:

• Minimum of a Master’s Degree in Nutrition, Public Health, Communications or a similar related field.
• 10+ years of experience in nutrition / public health programming.
• Knowledge of Multisectoral approaches in Nutrition Interventions and Nutrition-specific interventions (Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition: prevention and treatment). 
• Proficient in English (written and oral communication skills).
• Experience in developing literature and crafting narratives for children and young readers
• Strong personal discipline and capacity to respect deadlines, even under pressure.
• Experience in writing high-level reports. 
• Have strong communication skills
• Strong personal discipline and capacity to respect deadlines, even if under pressure.
• The ability to work closely in a team, to be patient, adaptable and flexible.

Application Closing Date
14th April, 2023.