Nutrition Consultant (National Consultancy) at the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (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.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Nutrition Consultant (National Consultancy)

Job no: 573051
Location: Abuja
Contract type: Consultant
Duration: 3 months
Level: Consultancy
Categories: Nutrition

How Can You Make a Difference? 

• Nigeria has continued to experience emergencies/crisis situations of various forms and dimensions, which has resulted in an increase in the incidence and prevalence of malnutrition and in some cases high mortality rates. While the main form of emergency is related to the insurgency in the northern part of Nigeria particularly the Northeast and banditry in the Northwest, Nigeria is also prone to other forms of emergencies. This includes flooding, community and herdsmen/farmers clashes, disease outbreaks such as cholera, measles, COVID-19, meningitis, Lassa Fever among others.
• To build the capacity to respond to these emergencies, in 2018 Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoH) in collaboration with UNICEF held a Training of Trainers (ToT) for staff of FMoH and other Partners on Nutrition in Emergency.
• This was subsequently stepped down to states such as Akwa-Ibom, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta and Yobe states. Within this period, FMoH carried out special interventions in the northeast dubbed “Health Intervention Programs with Food and Nutrition”. RUTF and MNP as well as other medical materials were procured and distributed to IDP Camps in Borno state with FMoH staff rendering supportive supervision in the holistic health intervention programme.
• Though partners may have existing documents that guide their nutrition in emergency programming, the country does not have a uniform guideline. Consequently, there is a need for the country to harmonize existing strategies for nutrition interventions during humanitarian and public health emergencies and come up with one national document that will guide and direct every player in emergencies. In 2022, the FMoH and UNICEF initiated the process to develop the national strategy on nutrition in emergency. The draft document was prepared in November 2023 and needs to be finalized and validated by the national stakeholders.
• UNICEF is seeking to hire a consultant to provide quality, timely and professional support to the FMOH in finalizing the draft national strategy on nutrition in emergency. The consultant shall also support the FMOH in facilitating stakeholders meeting for the development of the addendum for the national Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) guideline.

Scope of Work

• The main purpose of the assignment is to provide technical support for the finalization of the National Strategy for Nutrition in emergency in collaboration with relevant Nutrition partners and Stakeholders.
• The consultant will be work closely with the funding organisation, UNICEF (the Nutrition specialist) and with the government, the Nutrition Division Federal Ministry of Health as well as nutrition stakeholders. The consultant’s deliverables are as follows:

Finalization of the National NiE strategy:

• Desk review of the existing draft strategy to incorporate the recommendations from the Global Nutrition Cluster and other stakeholders to ensure the national strategy is aligned with global and national best practices.
• Ensure that the strategy is user-friendly and explicit for all cadre of Healthcare Workers.
• Facilitate one stakeholders’ technical review and validation meetings.
• Collate inputs/comments from the stakeholders’ review meetings to produce a clean copy.
• Submit the final edited draft of the National Strategy on Nutrition in emergency to the FMOH for approval.

Development of the Addendum for the IMAM guideline:

• Facilitate one National stakeholders’ meeting for the development of the Addendum for the National IMAM guideline other tasks may be deemed necessary.

Expected results:

• A User-friendly National Strategy on Nutrition in Emergency, explicit for all cadre of Healthcare Workers.
• A draft Addendum for the National IMAM guideline for the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema.

Knowledge / Expertise / Skills Required
Education:

• At least Master's Degree in Public Health Nutrition preferred or other relevant field, such as Public Health, Epidemiology and Pediatrician/Physician.

Experiences:

• Experience in management of comprehensive Nutrition response in emergencies.
• Minimum of five years of relevant work experience in nutrition programming including Nutrition in emergencies etc.
• Previous experience with multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder program planning, development, review, and evaluation.
• Demonstrate analytical and research skills, review and synthesis of data, information, and planning experience.
• Demonstrated experience in undertaking such work, including development of Strategies, Policies, Guidelines etc (examples to be submitted with application).

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

Application Closing Date
2nd July, 2024.