Senior Consultant to develop a national guideline on Maternal, Infant, and Young Child nutrition (MIYCN) in emergency, Kigali, Rwanda, 4 months (Work from office) - For Rwandan Nationals ONL

Consultant Programme & Policy

Overview

Develop national MIYCN guidelines to enhance nutrition for mothers and children in emergencies.

You have:

• An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in Nutrition, Public Health or related field, with experience in nutrition/MIYCN policy, strategy and guidelines development in the context of Rwanda.
• At least 8 years of professional experience in the Nutrition and/or Public Health field in emergencies.
• Previous experience in nutrition programming in the context of Rwanda.
• Knowledge of Rwanda’s nutrition in emergencies and outbreaks is an asset.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Fluency in English (verbal and written) and Kinyarwanda is required; knowledge of any other UN language is an asset.

Contract

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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.

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For every child, Nutrition

To learn more about UNICEF career and the work in Rwanda, please visit the country website https://unicef.sharepoint.com/sites/RWA/ or watch this video about UNICEF work in Rwanda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7B91m5Yzoc and UNICEF Careers | UNICEF Careers.

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Background:

In emergencies, maternal and infant nutrition is important to prevent illness and death. Adequate nutrition is particularly important in an emergency. Infants and young children are mostly vulnerable during emergencies, when circumstances can lead to illness, infection, and potentially death.

The onset of outbreaks like EVD, COVID 19, Marburg and others showed that infectious diseases can disrupt the environments in which malnutrition could increase among under five children. Disruptions to families, separation between a mother and her child, child nutrition and feeding can have negative consequences for children’s well-being, cognitive development and growth. In addition, measures used to prevent and control the spread of the disease can expose children to malnutrition. Isolation measures can sometimes negatively impact children, if either a caregiver or a child is placed in an isolation facility while the other remains at home. Children who are left alone or are without adequate nurturing care, adequate nutrition and supervision at home due to illness of the primary caregiver or who are isolated or quarantined in a facility are at increased risk of all forms of malnutrition, including wasting, stunting and/or exposed to death. This is particularly heightened for infant and younger children, as well as children with special needs like infant on exclusive breastfeeding. The urgency to handle medical response doesn’t necessarily consider other aspects of child nutrition.

Health emergencies such as EVD or COVID-19 are often led by the health sector and health professionals are often not giving importance to maternal, infant and young child nutrition. It is important that during the response to such emergencies, health professionals can identify critical child nutrition issues and refer them to the required personnel and services. Also, policies, standards and protocols should follow a holistic approach that considers the child’s best nutrition as a primary consideration.

Emergencies disrupt people's lives, potentially leading to risks in feeding and caring practices for infants and young children, alongside increased vulnerability to diseases and malnutrition.

In Rwanda, the EVD, COVID-19 and Marburg experiences showed that breastfed infants and young children are not fed appropriately during the pandemic. Young children separated from their sick mothers are not receiving appropriate nutritional care and caregivers do not have enough information and knowledge on appropriate child nutritional care and support in the context of emergency.

The lack of MIYCN guidance on how to take care of infant and young children during emergencies is affecting breastfeeding mothers and their young children during pandemics. This consultancy aimed to develop a Rwanda National Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition guidance aiming to establish a framework for protecting the nutritional well-being of mothers, infants, and young children, during crisis situations and respond to all issues related to child nutrition in emergency context.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

1. Assess the needs and gaps in term of Maternal, Infant, and Young Child nutrition in emergency context

Develop a comprehensive Rwanda National guideline on Maternal, Infant, and Young Child nutrition in emergency.

Key Tasks:

The consultant is expected to undertake the following activities:

1. Desk Review

Review of the global documents and national nutrition documents on maternal, infant and young child nutrition in humanitarian situation (policies, strategic plans, emergency SOPs and guidelines) and identify existing emergency guidelines in Rwanda to identify strengths and gaps on nutrition and maternal infant and young child nutrition in emergency.

Some of the key questions to be addressed include:

1. Are the guidelines and Emergency Response Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in line with UNICEF/WHO recommendations on MIYCN in emergencies?
2. Are programs operating in line with global MIYCN standards?
3. What is in the best place to use and implement the guideline?

4. How the guideline should be used to reach all stakeholders and beneficiaries?

5. Draft the Maternal, Infant and Young child nutrition Guidelines in emergencies

6. Convene a meeting with the nutrition stakeholders in Rwanda to discuss the proposed outline for the draft of the National Maternal, Infant and Young child nutrition Guideline

7. Develop the 1st draft of a comprehensive National MIYCN Guideline for Rwanda

8. Convene technical working group’s consultative meeting

9. Convene at least a 1-day working session with national and selected district hospital stakeholders to review and further refine the drafted MIYCN guidelines. The stakeholders must include, but not be limited to MOH/RBC, MINIGPROF/NCDA, UNICEF, WHO, HOSPITAL NUTRITIONISTS).

10. Share the draft MIYCN guideline with the key stakeholders for the final feedback

11. Produce a final draft of the MIYCN Guidelines for Rwanda

12. 1. Prepare a summary brief of the MIYCN Guideline (preferably one page) and a PowerPoint presentation with the key components from the guideline
    2. Develop a 'User-friendly’ summary version (in English and Kinyarwanda) of the MIYCN guideline
    3. Design and print detailed and summary versions of the guideline
    4. Plan and facilitate national dissemination workshops

13. Submit National MIYCN Guideline for Rwanda to the Rwandan government (MOH/RBC) for approval and signature

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

• Desk review global and national documents related to epidemics and emergency and assess the needs and gaps in term of Maternal, Infant, and Young Child nutrition in emergency context
• Draft the MIYCN Guidelines based on desk review findings and recommendations
• Engagement and consultation with various stakeholders to feed the draft E-MIYCN guideline
• Organize stakeholders meeting to present the draft of E-MIYCN guideline and any other follow-up meetings
• Finalize E-MIYCN guideline
• Produce a summary of the MIYCN Guideline for Rwanda and present/disseminate the Guideline

Deliverables/Outputs:

Payment 1: 20%

• Desk review report with gaps identified and recommendations

Payment 2: 80%

• First draft of E- MIYCN guideline
• List of various stakeholders met
• Stakeholder meeting report
• 2nd draft of E- MIYCN guideline with highlighted changes
• Final draft of MIYCN guideline
• Approved/signed MIYCN guideline

Duration and Location

The consultancy will be for 4 months from May 2024 to August 2025 and the consultant will be based in RBC & UNICEF.

Selection Criteria

Applications shall be assessed based on their technical and financial proposals. Maximum scores for technical and financial applications will be 75% and 25%, respectively.

Successful candidates in technical evaluation will have their most competitive, all-inclusive financial proposals evaluated too.

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

• An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in Nutrition, Public Health or related field, with experience in nutrition/MIYCN policy, strategy and guidelines development in the context of Rwanda
• At least 8 years of professional experience in the Nutrition and/or Public Health field in emergencies; sound experience in reviewing and drafting policies, strategies and guidelines.
• Previous experience in nutrition programming in the context of Rwanda.
• Knowledge of Rwanda’s nutrition in emergencies and outbreaks is an asset.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, excellent written and oral communication skills; effective organizational skills; high drive for results.
• High commitment; teamwork and strong interpersonal and intercultural skills.
• Fluency in English (verbal and written) and Kinyarwanda is required; knowledge of any other UN language is an asset.

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.

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Potential interview questions

Added 2 months ago - Updated 1 month ago - Source: unicef.org