National Nutrition Specialist

Organizational Setting

In the Central Dry Zone (CDZ) of Myanmar, nearly 25 percent of the population is below the national poverty line and about 50 percent are landless. The lack of livelihoods in this region is the key driver of poverty and has led to high incidence of malnutrition and food insecurity. To assist the Government of Mynamar to develop sustainable solutions to mitigate the situation in the CDZ, FAO is delivering technical assistance as part of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP). The technical assistance is focused on (i) Good Agricultural Practices, (ii) Household Nutrition Promotion, (iii) Monitoring and Evaluation, and (iv) Off-Farm Employment. The theory of change of the project is based on the fundamental premise that a market-driven approach is needed to help smallholder farmers sustainably increase their income and improve their livelihoods, food security and nutrition). To this end, FAOMM is seeking a National Nutrition Specialist to support the strengthening of capacities in agriculture-nutrition linkages at Union, Region and township levels and develop a Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) strategy and package and backstop its implementation.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the overall supervision and guidance of FAO Representative in Myanmar and the direct supervision of the Senior Agronomist. S/he will work in consultation with Assistant FAOR (Programme), Food Security Impact, Resilience, Sustainability and Transformation (FIRST) policy officers and key stakeholders. Technical guidance will be provided by the Lead Technical Officer from the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Work closely with CSOs to provide technical support for the implementation of multi-sectoral nutrition activities in the Central Dry Zone (CDZ).
• Closely work with FIRST team to identify existing and new interventions (under MS-NPAN) that will be implemented through CSOs, Ethnic Service Providers and Private Sectors in both national level and sub-national geographical area.
• Support capacity strengthening of nutrition stakeholders, partners, and actors at the townships level on nutrition with the aim of institutionalizing nutrition in regional and township level planning.
• Engage with CSOs to identify local nutrition issues and underlying causes, respective roles and responsibilities, and opportunities for integrating nutrition into planning and budgeting.
• Take stock of SBCC materials and modalities that have been successful, and lessons learned in the CDZ and identify possible partners, synergies with ongoing programmes, and explore prospective opportunities for collaboration.
• Provide technical support in nutrition SBCC (Social Behaviour Change Communication) rollout for improving dietary diversity and nutrition, backstopping its implementation, and supporting the handover to responsible partners and stakeholders.
• Organize dissemination workshops/trainings with the implementing CSOs partners and relevant nutrition stakeholders to build their capacity on nutrition.
• Technically support CSOs partners to effectively conduct nutrition awareness sessions at community level.
• Facilitate a study on available and underutilized crops in collaboration with an existing Technical Co-operation Project and organize a forum to share lessons learned to develop appropriate messages.
• Participate and provide technical inputs to nutrition partners especially nutrition networks, Nutritional Technical Working Groups, SUN (Scaling up Nutrition) and UN nutrition clusters for dissemination of Food Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) in the project areas for establishing a basis for public food and nutrition security of the most vulnerable households through education and awareness raising
• Work with implementing CSOs partners with experience in the CDZ and a networks of community facilitators, to carry out nutrition SBCC activities and associated trainings on nutrition sensitive agriculture.
• Work closely with research partners to identify information gaps and support the design of studies including the CSOs partners’ baseline.
• Support FAO office with nutrition-related activities as required.
• Perform other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Master Degree in Nutrition or related field
• At least 10 years’ experience in the development and application SBCC in emerging economies.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English
• Myanmar Nationality

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Conversant with and knowledgeable of food and nutrition security situation in Myanmar
• Experience with Opt foods or other diet modelling techniques/linear programming preferred.
• Experience in using effective Behavior Change Communication skills to communicate and promote dietary diversity and nutrition messages to the general public
• Strong working relations with nutrition partners/actors
• Experience in working with a UN agency or international NGO is desirable.
• Good computer skills (Word, Excel, email, PowerPoint)

Selection Criteria

• Expertise in nutrition including experience with nutrition education services, facilitation of adoption of novel approaches, and integration with FIRST.
• Experience engaging with diverse stakeholders, from land users to ministerial staff.
• Extent of relevant experience with internationally funded projects.
• Experience in international, geographically dispersed, and inter-disciplinary teams.
• Prior preparation and submission of written reports for an international developmental agency, a governmental department, or a major NGO.
• Proven capacity and experience in working with community level, national and sub-national levels

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help please contact: [email protected]
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.