National Consultant: Prevention and Management of Wasting and Nutritional Oedema at 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: National Consultant: Prevention and Management of Wasting and Nutritional Oedema

Job No: 585487
Location: Kano
Contract type: Consultant
Duration: 8 Months
Level: Consultancy
Categories: Nutrition

Organizational Context and Purpose for the job

• In December 2023, WHO released updated guidelines for the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema (acute malnutrition) in children under five.
• These guidelines supersede the 2013 version and include 21 recommendations and 12 good practice statements across four focus areas:
  • Management of infants <6 months at risk of poor growth and development
  • Management of children 6–59 months with wasting and/or nutritional oedema
  • Post-recovery interventions
  • Prevention of wasting and nutritional oedema
• The guidelines emphasize a mother/caregiver-infant pair approach, integration of nutrition services into health systems, and context-specific implementation strategies.
• The 2023 WHO guideline update on the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema in infants and children under 5 years is being piloted in five countries worldwide and Katsina, Nigeria is one of them.
• This pilot project in Katsina State aims to adapt and implement these guidelines within the local health system and community structures.
• The pilot is jointly implemented by the government, UNICEF and WFP and has many new programmatic elements including the identification and management of children 0-6 months at risk of poor growth and development, sub-classifying moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) into high-risk MAM and other MAM, with UNICEF responsible for HR-MAM, the concept of satellite OTPs, introducing ECD activities, and integrating prevention with management etc.
• The pilot will not only be inform the nutrition programme in Nigeria but will also help other countries to learn more about programming in challenging circumstances, focusing on both prevention and management of malnutrition.
• Thus, to help improve the quality implementation of the various activities including the newer activities; data collection, analysis and its use; identify gaps in the capacity of the health workers; and identifying gaps in the programme implementation and leading to a quick response, a senior level national consultant with the requisite clinical and program management experience will be recruited to support the pilot on a day-to-day basis to be posted in Katsina.
• UNICEF seeks to hire a senior technical consultant to support the implementation of key activities as part of the acceleration plan for pilot implementation of revised 2023 WHO Guidelines on prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema among children under five in Katsina state.

Expected results:

• The consultant will contribute to the following system strengthening results:
• Operational protocols, job aids and tools finalized and aligned with the revised WHO guidelines.
• Health workers, programme managers, and community health workers in Katsina have capacity and deliver services according to guidelines.
• Ensure the implementation of facility and community maternal, infant and young child nutrition services with focus on the First 1,000 days Life, management of SAM and supplementation of high-risk MAM conducted across 10 pilot LGAs according to guidelines
• A sub-pilot undertaken for children 0-6 months of age at risk of poor growth and development
• Ensure good quality data collection with in-depth analysis for seeing the trends and identifying any gaps.
• Conduct field monitoring of the programme and on the job capacity building of the health personnel
• No stock-out and effective utilization of programme supplies ensured
• Programme reports submitted timely.

Scope of Work

• Technical Support & Adaptation:
  • Contextualize planning and implementation of the four focus areas of the WHO guidelines in Katsina State as a pilot project for Nigeria.
  • Support the development and implementation of operational protocols and tools aligned with the guidelines.
  • Assist in updating project guidelines, training materials and monitoring tools.
  • Lead the sub-pilot on caring for children 0-6 months at risk of poor growth and development
  • Ensure the inclusion of activities related to ECD at SCs, OTPs and at the community level
  • Support field visits of various stakeholders
• Capacity Building:
  • Facilitate training workshops for health workers, programme managers, and community health workers in Katsina.
  • Develop job aids and supervision tools for frontline workers.
  • Identify any emerging capacity gaps and provide on-the-job training.
• Stakeholder Engagement:
  • Coordinate with Katsina State Ministry of Health, State Primary Health Care Agency, State Hospital Services Management Board, Local and International NGOs, CSOs/CBOs, UN agencies and community leaders.
  • Support Technical Advisory Group (TAG) activities and consultations.
• Monitoring & Evaluation:
  • Provide mentoring, monitoring and supportive supervision to frontline health workers and community nutrition volunteers on appropriate use of tools for tracking implementation progress in Katsina.
  • Support attainment of project indicators and ensure reporting in National Health Information Systems.
  • Monitor the supplies and ensure no stack-outs as well as ensure no stock diversion or misuse, reporting to the appropriate authorities for quick resolution.
• Documentation & Reporting:
  • Prepare monthly progress reports and a final implementation report.
  • Document lessons learned and best practices for scale-up in other Nigerian states.
  • Provide input for the donor reports
  • Share the final version of various training packages developed and used in the pilot

Deliverables:
The tentative schedule of deliverables is proposed below and is subject to the start date.

• Deliverable 1:
  • Contextualize planning and implementation of the four focus areas of the WHO guidelines in Katsina State as a pilot project for Nigeria.
  • Support development, fine tuning and implementation of operational protocols and tools aligned with the guidelines.
  • Develop training materials and other tools for 0-6 months at risk of poor growth and development
  • Support in establishing mother support groups and in implementing various preventive activities (including ECD) at the community level.
  • Support field visits of various stakeholders
  • Ensure timely and good quality reports from all the SCs and OTPs.
  • Support data analysis at the state level and recommend timely action.
  • Share monthly progress report.
• Deliverable 2:
  • Build the capacity of SC and OTP staff on the management of children 0-6 months at risk of poor growth and development.
  • Establish links between the SC and OTPs for the follow-up of children 0-6 months at risk of poor growth and development.
  • Provide on the job training of SC staff in two SCs.
  • Establish ECD activities in three SCs.
  • Identify any emerging capacity gaps in the OTPs and provide on-the-job training.
  • Field visit to 15 OTPs and at least 5 community-based activities for prevention of malnutrition.
  • Support field visits of various stakeholders
  • Ensure timely and good quality reports from all the SCs and OTPs.
  • Support data analysis at the state level and recommend timely action.
  • Share monthly progress report.
• Deliverable 3:
  • Provide on the job training of SC staff in three SCs.
  • Establish ECD activities in four SCs.
  • Identify any emerging capacity gaps in the OTPs and provide on-the-job training.
  • Field visit to 20 OTPs and at least 5 community-based activities for prevention of malnutrition.
  • Support Technical Advisory Group (TAG) activities and consultations
  • Support field visits of various stakeholders
  • Ensure timely and good quality reports from all the SCs and OTPs.
  • Support data analysis at the state level and recommend timely action.
  • Share monthly progress report.
• Deliverable 4:
  • Monitoring visit to 4 SCs.
  • Field visit to 10 OTPs and at least 5 community-based activities for prevention of malnutrition.
  • Ensure timely and good quality reports from all the SCs and OTPs.
  • Support data analysis at the state level and recommend timely action.
  • Based on the inputs from the field visits and interaction with the field staff, revise all the training packages (SC, OTP and MYICN)
  • Share monthly progress report.
• Deliverable 4:
  • Field visit to 3 SCs and 5 OTPs
  • Provide input for the donor reports
  • Document lessons learned and best practices for scale-up in other Nigerian states.
  • Prepare monthly progress reports and a final implementation report.
  • Share the final version of all training package (SC, OTP and MYICN

Requirements
Education:

• Advanced Degree in Pedaitrics, Nutrition, Public Health, or related field

Experience:

• Minimum 8 years of experience in nutrition or public health
• Extensive experience in managing Stabilization Centre for the management of children with SAM with medical complications and OTPs will be preferred
• Experience in facilitation of training on the management of children with wasting and nutritional edema at national or state level
• Proven experience with WHO guidelines and health system strengthening
• Strong coordination and communication skills
• Proficiency in MS Excel, PowerPoint and Word
• Experience in Nigeria’s Health System

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required, and Local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

• UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

Application Closing Date
12th November, 2025.