Individual Consultancy: Individual contract to coordinate and support implementation of nutrition interventions through health system

Contract

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UNICEF is a UN organization mandated by the UN General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. In Lao PDR, UNICEF is working with its partners to support the Government to realize children’s rights on survival, development, protection and participation.

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.

And we never give up.

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UNICEF in Vientiane, Lao PDR is looking for an Individual Consultancy: Individual contract to coordinate and support implementation of nutrition interventions through health system. The duration of this assignment is 11.5 months, starting from 1 October 2022 to 15 September 2023. The consultant shall be based in Vientiane (Nutrition Centre or UNICEF) with occasional travel to the field.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

The consultant shall work closely with the Ministry of Health, specifically Center of Nutrition & Department of HealthCare and Rehabilitation, to coordinate and assist in scaling up IMAM program in target provinces and health facilities with high case load of acute malnutrition. The support will include technical support to strengthened coverage, continuity, and quality of interventions for screening, identification, referral and management of children with severe acute malnutrition. The consultant will support Center of Nutrition (CN) & Department of Healthcare and Rehabilitation (DHR) in planning, implementation, monitoring and review of the Inpatient and Outpatient management of severe acute malnutrition children through building linkages and coordination with multiple department including of provincial and district level health departments, academic institutions and other development partners to accelerate implementation of nutrition programming for prevention and treatment of sever acute malnutrition children. Other support will include for the pretesting and adjusting modules for a recently developed of e- learning course of IMAM including support to provide trainings for program managers and frontline workers on the identification, admission, treatment and follow up for children with acute malnutrition including the scale up of the e- learning course. The consultant will also assist with IYCF programming efforts including the technical and operational support for new cohorts of the Breastfeeding Accreditation (BFA) course to increase the number of certified breastfeeding counselors and increase access to qualified counseling services for pregnant and lactating women. Support will also be required to support the government in delivering quality training on optimal infant and young child feeding practices.

More specifically, in consultation with the UNICEF Nutrition Team, the consultant shall support in:

• Technical Support to Center of Nutrition & DHR in scaling up of IMAM program in target provinces / facilities by strengthening regular screening, early identification and referral mechanism of acute malnourished children.
• Support in roll out of cascade level IMAM trainings for both community and facility based management programmes.
• Support coordination meetings to strengthen information management system of IMAM program to assess the outcome of program and report on key IMAM indicators.
• Support the pretesting, revisions and roll out of e- learning wasting course for nutrition workers.
• Support in organizing meetings with MPSC, Center of Nutrition, and DHR to make sure that nutrition supplies are integrated into the main supply chain system and that stock outs don't occur in the targeted facilities.
• Support in coordination and facilitating IMAM/ IYCF technical core group meeting to discuss issues, challenges and solution to improve coverage and outcome of program.
• Technical support to ensure that the upcoming batches of Breastfeeding Accreditation (BFA) course is organized with quality standards and lesson learned of previous session are taken into consideration.
• Support coordination meetings with the Center of Nutrition and MCHC department to strengthen and improve preventative nutrition interventions implemented through health system, especially vitamin A, iron, and programing to improve breastfeeding practices.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Medical doctor with preferably pediatric background or similar qualification
• At least 10 years of proven experience of working with government health system and a good understanding of IMAM programming in the Lao context
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of training approaches, skills and expertise in leading trainings on both preventive and curative nutrition interventions.
• Familiar with global guidance and protocol of treatment and management of severe acute malnutrition programmes.
• Understanding of key OBGY/Pediatric/BF/EENC services and practices in Lao PDR
• In-depth understanding and knowledge of the government internal process and administrative procedures related to the IMAM programme
• Strong interpersonal communication, persuasion, and training skills;
• Good organization skills including advocacy and dialoging skills with the government officials at decision making levels.
• Strong Lao language skills
• Excellent written and spoken English, an advantage

Submission of applications:

Interested candidates are kindly requested to apply and upload the following documents:

• Letter of Interest (cover letter)
• CV or Resume
• Performance evaluation reports or references of similar consultancy assignments (if available)
• Financial proposal: All-inclusive lump-sum cost

The deadline for applications is 22 September 2022

Assessment Criteria:

For evaluation and selection method, the Cumulative Analysis Method (weight combined score method) shall be used for this recruitment:

a) Technical Qualification (max. 100 points) weight 70 %

• Degree/ Education in ……… (20 points)

• Medical doctor with preferably pediatric background or similar qualification

• Strong interpersonal communication, persuasion, and training skills

• Knowledge of …….. (20 points)

  • Familiar with global guidance and protocol of treatment and management of severe acute malnutrition programmes.
  • Understanding of key OBGY/Pediatric/BF/EENC services and practices in Lao PDR
  • Excellent understanding of key OBGY/Pediatric/BF/EENC services and practices in Lao PDR
  • In-depth understanding and knowledge of the government internal process and administrative procedures related to the launching the course training
  • Strong Lao language skills
  • Excellent written and spoken English, an advantage
• Experience in…….. (40 points)
  • at least 10 years clinical experience supporting IMAM program
  • Excellent knowledge and understanding of training approaches, skills and expertise in leading trainings on both preventive and curative nutrition interventions.
• Quality of past work (e.g. understanding, methodology) (20 points)
  • Assessment of previous work including good organization skills including advocacy and dialoging skills with the government officials at decision making levels
  • Reference checks

b) Financial Proposal (max. 100 points) weight 30 %

• The maximum number of points shall be allotted to the lowest Financial Proposal that is opened /evaluated and compared among those technical qualified candidates who have attained a minimum 70 points score in the technical evaluation.
• Other Financial Proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price.

The applicants should provide medical insurance covering medical evacuation for the whole duration of the assignment as part of the financial proposal submission.

The Contract shall be awarded to candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores, subject to the satisfactory result of the verification interview.

Please find the TOR here: Consultancy ToR Nutr in health sector for VA.pdf

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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.