If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

To support the design, dissemination and roll out of global public goods related to nutrition administrative data including the DHIS2

Nutrition packages and related guidance on nutrition information systems. Coordinate global stakeholder groups and multiple partners to co-create DHIS2 individual tracker and liaise with University of Oslo on software development.

Scope of Work:

This consultancy supports a few ongoing projects related to nutrition information systems in the Data & Analytics nutrition team at UNICEF HQ:

Conducting a light-touch evaluation of the EC-NIS project

EC-NIS was implemented by UNICEF and WHO with financial support from the European Commission in five countries – Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Uganda and Zambia – starting April 2020 and will be completed by the first quarter of 2025. The overall objective of this project is to strengthen national nutrition information systems (NNIS) and increase uptake of nutrition information to enhance knowledge for policy, programme development, implementation and monitoring. A light-touch evaluation to summarize key achievements and lessons learned is planned in the last year of the project.

Guidance on Nutrition Information Systems

UNICEF develops normative global guidance on nutrition information systems to support countries. One new area of work is the effort to develop a consolidated guidance on nutrition monitoring with the UNICEF-WHO technical expert group on nutrition monitoring. The UNICEF-WHO five-module Fundamentals Series on national nutrition information systems released in 2021 is enhanced by the supporting technical notes on specific issues and is a useful tool for countries establishing and refining their NIS. The guide on administrative data for nutrition needs to be updated as guidance is reviewed and evolves. The consultancy will support the development of background materials for the additional technical notes, and contribute to the consolidated guidance on nutrition monitoring, and update the guide on routine administrative nutrition data.

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

In close collaboration and working with the Unit Chief, Nutrition Data and staff in the Data &Analytics Nutrition Team and the Nutrition and Child Development Programme and global partners, the incumbent is responsible for conducting a light evaluation of the EC-NIS project and contribute to monitoring and evaluation (M&E)-related technical products as follows:

Deliverable 1: Collate background materials and draft evaluation report. This deliverable will involve holding a first series of stakeholder interviews, background document reviews, and summarizing the results according to the evaluation plan. Stakeholder interviews include all UNICEF, WHO, and EU staff across the 5 countries, as well as government counterparts and headquarter stakeholders; final list to be discussed and agreed with the project steering committee.

Deliverables/Outputs:

Most interviews and background reviews conducted
Presentation of initial findings
Document comparing and synthesizing technical documents/guidance developed across 5 countries
First draft of evaluation report

Delivery deadline: November 15, 2024

Deliverable 2: Second draft of evaluation report based on feedback from project group

Deliverables/Outputs:

Further interviews with external stakeholders to inform recommendations
Second draft of evaluation report

Delivery deadline: January 30, 2025

Deliverable 3: Present evaluation findings to EC-NIC project stakeholders, finalize report and associated background documents

Deliverables/Outputs:

Participation to a stakeholders meeting
Final evaluation report and related documents

Delivery deadline: March 31, 2025

Deliverable 4: Finalization of nutrition administrative data guidance. A draft guidance already exists, and requires final refinements based on last round of comments.

Deliverables/Outputs:

Updated guidance based on final comments from global stakeholder review

Delivery deadline: October 31, 2025

Deliverable 5: Contribution to the consolidated nutrition guide. This includes drafting a summary of the administrative data guide to be a section of the consolidated nutrition monitoring guide and other contributions needed.

Deliverables/Outputs:

Draft section on nutrition administrative data for the consolidated guide

Delivery deadline: Dec 31, 2025

Deliverable 6: Support development and drafting of other materials such as technical notes, indicator reference sheets, etc.

Deliverables/Outputs:

Technical guidance documents
Summary report of technical topics with content and format as agreed with project staff

Delivery deadline: Dec 31, 2025

** Include travel if applicable (destination and estimated number of days)

One trip to EC-NIS project-end workshop (tbc)

Qualifications

Education:

Master’s degree related to at least one of the following disciplines: Nutrition, Epidemiology, Public Health, Monitoring and Evaluation, Health Information Systems, Data Science, Health Communications or a relevant field.
The individual should be highly proficient in a range of PC/web applications, including but not limited to: MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook.

Work experience:

At least 8 years of solid professional work experience in a relevant field;
Extensive evaluation experience, preferably in nutrition
Previous writing experience; proven experience in writing of guidance related to monitoring would be an asset;
Previous experience in producing/writing training, dissemination, and communication products;
Good knowledge of nutrition programming, monitoring and evaluation, and related technical fields;

Competencies:

Ability to work independently with minimum supervision
Excellent communication skills in English;
Excellent written skills in English, of publication standard;
Strong organizational, planning, and analytical skills
Strong organizational, planning, and analytical skills
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of one other UN working language an advantage.

Requirements****:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system
Upload copy of academic credentials
Financial proposal that will include:
the costs per each deliverable and the total all-inclusive (lump-sum) fees for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
- travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
- Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, as applicable.
- Indicate your availability
Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

Health Insurance:

The Consultant is fully responsible for arranging at their own expense, such as life, health, and other forms of insurance covering the term of the Contract as he or she considers appropriate. The Consultant is not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to UNICEF and United Nations staff members.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

Apply now

Added 3 hours ago - Updated 3 hours ago - Source: unicef.org