Roster Call: Nutrition Officers (Consultancy), Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

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, SUSTENANCE****.

With over 850 indigenous languages and one of the most ethnically diverse populations, widespread poverty, and gender inequality make it hard for many children to realize their rights. In Papua New Guinea, UNICEF’s works effectively both ‘upstream’ (with governments) and ‘downstream’ (at the grassroots level) to carry out its mission through a programme of cooperation jointly developed with the government guides our work in the country.

How can you make a difference?

In PNG, almost half of the children under-five are stunted according to the Health Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2009/2010. Papua New Guinea (PNG) has the highest rates of all dimensions of child malnutrition in the region and is off-track on all the global nutrition targets. UNICEF is supporting the Government of PNG in the implementation of Direct Nutrition Interventions that address immediate causes of stunting. This actions are implemented in select provinces while at the same time supporting multisectoral coordination as part of the Governments Fast-Track Initiative to address stunting.

Since 2021, UNICEF has successfully trialed and modeled the delivery of nutrition services - DNIs - in the three platforms of health facilities, communities and in schools. The proofs of concept have been run in the three provinces of National Capital District, Western Highlands as well as Western province. This has been achieved using dedicated human resources based at the provincial level in the form of Nutrition Support Officers. Following the successfully trialing, UNICEF in 2023 has scaled this approach to cover more provinces with this support. The overall objective is to improve the coverage of nutrition services among children and women in PNG. The NSO will be based at the PHA and will work closely with the provincial leadership to support multisectoral coordination, provide supportive supervision to front line health care workers, mentor and support them on an ongoing basis.

UNICEF is building a roster of qualified candidates ready to be deployed to work at provincial level whenever a position becomes available. The placement of a candidate in the roster does not obligate UNICEF in any way to hire a candidate. Contracts will only be issued whenever posts and funding becomes available.

Work Assignment

• Facilitate coordination, planning and review meetings with government.
• Facilitate working sessions with health care workers at health facility and community levels.
• Conduct field visits to provide on the job technical support, coaching /orientation and or training of front-line health workers.
• Lead engagement with relevant sectors for the implementation of multisectoral approaches to nutrition.
• Support to programme development and planning.
• Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
• Technical and operational support to programme implementation.
• Networking and partnership building
• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building.

Duration: 11.5 months

As a champion for every child, qualifications are…

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required: nutrition, public health, nutritional epidemiology, health sciences, nutritional epidemiology, or another health-related science field.
• Minimum 2 years of relevant work experience in nutrition, analysis, and data management. Experience with information systems, statistical analysis including the use of relevant software.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Willingness to travel and work in field environments.
• Fluency required in English and TokPisin.

For every Child, you demonstrate… our core values of Commitment, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability

This position is a short-term assignment and doesn’t give rise to a long-term permanent post with the organization.

Applicants are required to include in their applications a financial proposal which includes a lumpsum amount for consultancy fees, local transportation and other miscellaneous costs. Breakdown or details of the fee will be much appreciated.

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.

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.

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.

UNICEF does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, or orientation).

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