Senior Nutrition and Health Promotion Consultant, Athens, Greece, 5 months, (Seconded to General Secretary of Public Health, Ministry of Health)

Consultant Medical & Health Programme & Policy

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.

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, health.

UNICEF became operational in Greece in early 2016 as an outposted team from the Regional Office of Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) to respond to the significant influx of refugee and migrant children and their families at that time. Following several years of engagement with national stakeholders, UNICEF and the Government of Greece made a decision in January 2020 to formalize the agency’s presence in the country as a full-fledged Country Office. The office falls under the auspices of the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia located in Geneva, which supports the work of 22 Country Offices within its geographical scope, reporting in turn to global headquarters in New York. Within the framework of a mandate for all children in Greece, UNICEF and Greece are now working to address the needs of all vulnerable, marginalized and left-behind children in the country.

In the context of the Country Programme for Greece (2022-2026) approved by the UNICEF Executive Board in February 2022, UNICEF and the Government of Greece have agreed on national targets for children, concerning health, education, social protection, child protection, justice and youth employability. Regarding the health and nutrition agenda, and within the context of the National Action Plan on Public Health 2021-2025 and the National Prevention Programme ‘’Spyros Doxiades’’, UNICEF is scaling up programming to address the high prevalence of child overweight and obesity in the country through the following pillars:

(i) advancement of an enabling environment including strengthening regulations, policies, and strategies to promote healthy diets, practices, and services for the prevention of childhood obesity,

(ii) programmes that strengthen the primary prevention of child overweight and obesity, including actions to improve nutrition in infancy and early childhood, prevention intervention programs at the school and community/municipal level, as well as developing awareness raising campaigns for social and behavioral change,

(iii) interventions to enhance secondary and tertiary prevention and response programmes,

(iv) establishment of a European Regional Centre on Child Obesity as a platform to enable exchange of lessons learned, good practices, and proven effective approaches to address childhood obesity among and within EU member states,

(v) development of strategies and programmes focusing on achieving social and behavioral change so that children and their caregivers across Greece make more informed lifestyle choices.

How can you make a difference?

In close collaboration with the responsible state authority, UNICEF is seeking to support with technical expertise the management and coordination of the National Nutrition Programme in addressing child overweight and obesity.

Under the guidance and supervision of the Nutrition Specialist and the General Secretary for Public Health, the Consultant will support the implementation of the child overweight and obesity programme in the context of the Greece Country Programme 2022-2026 already agreed with the Government, and in partnership with all relevant stakeholders and partners.

The Consultant seconded to the General Secretariat of Public Health will be responsible for providing technical assistance and support for programme design, planning and implementation, ensuring alignment with plans and agreed specific goals, objectives and targets using results-based approaches and methodologies and provide scientific and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes to ensure achievement of results as planned.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline

Technical and scientific support to programme implementation

- Provide technical guidance to relevant state authorities on policies, strategies, processes and best practices on nutrition and related issues to support programme development and implementation and ensure scientifically sound delivery of results.

- Participate in technical discussions with national partners, and stakeholders to promote nutrition issues especially in the prevention and management of overweight and obesity.

- Participate in strategic programme discussions on the planning and management of the Prevention of Overweight and Obesity programme.

- Draft policy papers, briefs and other strategic programme documents.

- Provide scientific support throughout all stages of programming implementation to ensure achievement of results as planned.

Coordination, networking and partnership building

• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with nutrition sector government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge.
• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies, and to determine national priorities/competencies to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable results.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

- Keep abreast, research and propose best and cutting-edge practices in nutrition management and information systems. Assess and share best practices and knowledge.

- Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure optimum efficiency and sustainability of achieved results.

Monthly progress report on:

1. Technical proposal as regards the ToR for the legal and operational framework review

2. Draft TOR for establishing coordination and steering committee of the National Action to fight child obesity 3. Technical report on the revised timeframe of the National Action to fight child obesity

End May 2023

Monthly progress report on: 4. Final endorsed TOR for establishing coordination and steering committee of the National Action to fight child obesity

5. Technical report on the final endorsed revised timeframe of the National Action to fight child obesity.

6. Technical report on the design of the detailed project activities per strategic partner

End June 2023

Monthly progress report on: 7. Technical ToRs for experts regarding the legal and institutional framework review

8. Technical report on the concept note to establish the European Regional Centre to fight child obesity

End July 2023

Monthly progress report on:

9. Technical report on the design and development of the school based prevention materials 10. Technical report on the design of the promotion of physical activity at local and regional level

End August 2023

Monthly progress report on: 11. Technical inputs provided to the legislative and operational framework review and recommendations

12. Technical input on the scientific activities of establish the European Regional Centre to fight child obesity

End September 2023

Monthly progress report on: 13. Technical input provided to the development of the study regarding the dietary patterns of parents and children and the relevant methodology

14. Technical inputs provided to material intended to inform pediatricians and promote awareness

End October 2023

Monthly progress report on: 15. Technical draft inputs for the national network with associated bodies of the GS of Public Health to address child overweight and obesity

16. Technical draft report on the adjustment and

End November 2023

delivery of prevention activities at local level through the associated bodies of the GS of Public Health.

End November 2023

Monthly progress report on:

17. Technical input regarding the content development for digital tools and applications for healthcare professionals and parents

End December 2023

Monthly progress report on:

18. Finalized TORs for the national network with associated bodies of the GS of Public Health to address child overweight and obesity

End January 2024

Monthly progress report on:

19. Technical inputs to identify gaps, strengths and/or weaknesses as well as key lessons learned for program implementation.

End February 2024

Monthly progress report on:

20. Report on technical input on the Action Plan for the promotion and delivery of prevention activities at regional and municipal level

End March 2024

Monthly progress report on:

21. Final sustainability plan to ensure optimum use of achieved results

22. Final capacity building plan to state and non-state stakeholders on nutrition related best practices.

End April 2024

ToR_Senior_Nutrition Expert_Obesity seconded to MoH.pdf

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

• An advanced university degree in one or more of the following fields is required: nutrition, dietetics, health promotion and health education, health/nutrition research.
• A minimum of six years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: nutrition, health promotion and health education, public health, nutrition research, planning and management.
• Experience in health/nutrition programme/project development and management in an academic/research organization is an asset.
• Experience in coordinating interventions for the prevention of overweight and obesity is an asset.
• Fluency in Greek and English is required.
• Knowledge and understanding of human rights/child rights.
• Experience in networking and coordination activities including public and civil society stakeholders is a plus.
• Excellent communication, facilitation and negotiation skills.
• Strong analytical and report writing skills.
• Fluency in Greek and English.
• Initiative, passion and commitment to UNICEF mission and professional values.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants are invited to:

a. complete their UNICEF profile

b. attach latest CV and Motivation Letter

c. Indicate all-inclusive monthly fees for the aforementioned deliverables

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, 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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Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org