National consultant to support the national nutrition information strategy development and national nutrition surveillance protocol development, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 7 Months

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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.

For every child, a future.

Please visit UNICEF Sierra Leone website here: www.unicef.org/sierraleone

How can you make a difference?

Access to timely, quality, and reliable nutrition-related data are essential to support planning, management, and decision-making. A robust nutrition information system designed to continuously collect and interpret quality and reliable data on food, health, nutrition, and economic performance timely is needed to guide decisions on improving the nutrition situation of the population.

The lack of a consolidated view on how the different pieces of nutrition-related information together provide a coherent picture of the causes and outcomes of the nutrition problem, is globally recognized as a barrier to evidence-based decision-making in nutrition. Consequently, many decisions are made on partial data or contradicting evidence.

Objectives of the Assignment

In Sierra Leone, nutrition-related data are generated from different information systems of different Government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). Consolidation of some information occurs to some extent including through consistent engagement for Cadre Harmonize, a regional analytical framework in the West and Central Africa region that serves as an early warning tool to prevent a food crisis. Despite this, there is a lot of room for improvement to harmonize efforts, regularize timely consolidation and dissemination of data from multi-sectoral sources to inform actions, reduce duplication and maximize use of limited resources, and strengthen nutrition information governance. Lack of strong nutrition surveillance system that monitors trends to early detect malnutrition epidemics with identification of affected locations, and vulnerable population and to trigger response activities is another challenge. The development of a national nutrition information strategy is a first step towards achieving a robust and holistic nutrition information management in the country.

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the development of Sierra Leone National Nutrition Information Strategy, which will be led by an international consultant

Scope of Work:

Facilitate stakeholder and resource mapping to support desk review.

Support coordination and field data collection from stakeholders to enrich the situation analysis of the current information systems for nutrition and to explore options for establishing a framework to collate information from multiple sources in order to inform multi-sectoral nutrition response through integration, consolidation, coordination, and improving data visibility.

Coordinate consultation with stakeholders to validate and endorse the strategy through consensus building and negotiation.

Deliverables:

• Map stakeholders, information systems, and strategies to support desk review.
• Field data collection from stakeholders (e.g. involve consultation) to inform the design of the strategy.
• Consultation with stakeholders to validate and endorse the strategy through consensus building and negotiation.

Please see attached ToR for detailed information. ToR Consultant - National - Nutrition Info Strategy Development FV.pdf

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

• Master’s degree in public health and nutrition, epidemiology, or health system management.
• The Contractor should have a minimum of 5 years’ experience working on health and nutrition with managerial and coordination role.
• Ability to effectively grasp and incorporate inputs/feedback from multiple contributors.
• Previous UNICEF, UN and/or INGO experience in a similar role is desirable.

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.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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.

Consultants and Individual contractors are responsible for paying any taxes derived from the earnings received from UNICEF.

• Application to include financial proposal that will detail your daily/monthly rate (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference.
• 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.

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.