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

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, 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 under the form of a Greece Country Office. This office falls under the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia located in Geneva, which supports the work of 21 Country Offices within its geographical scope, reporting in turn to global headquarters in New York. Within the framework of an expanded mandate for all children in Greece, UNICEF and Greece moved towards an even greater collaboration and partnership in order 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 March 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 childhood 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 childhood 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 Initiative on Childhood 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 development and planning of the national nutrition program in addressing childhood obesity.

Under the guidance and supervision of the Nutrition Specialist (Childhood Obesity), the Consultant will support the implementation of the childhood 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 Secretary of Public Health will be responsible for providing professional 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 and allocate.

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

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.Policy papers, technical reports and briefs of issues of expertise relevant in addressing obesity

Number of technical meetings, discussions with key stakeholders

Participate in Steering Committee and Project Board

Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results - Oversee the implementation of the national programme, ensuring alignment with agreed plans, objectives and targets - Plan and/or collaborate with internal and external partners to establish monitoring benchmarks and performance indicators. - Develop progress reports for the Ministry of Health to assess progress and to determine required action and interventions to achieve results. - Develop program reports to identify gaps, strengths and/or weaknesses in programme management. Identify lessons learned and use knowledge to further inform programming. - Actively monitor projects through field visits, surveys and/or exchange of information with partners and stakeholders to assess progress. Identify bottlenecks and potential problems, and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.Monthly progress reports on programme management, including analysis of bottlenecks and solutions.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.

Establishment of a network with all relevant stakeholders for the national program of addressing childhood obesityInnovation, 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.Develop sustainability plan to ensure optimum use of achieved results Provide capacity building to state and non-state stakeholders on nutrition management and best practices.

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.

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 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.

Remarks:

Candidates are asked to indicate their required all-inclusive fees for the services to be provided. UNICEF Office in Greece applies a standard remuneration scale for Individual Contractors/Consultants providing technical support to Government Institutions and National Authorities, taking into consideration the professional and academic experience of the incumbent, the functions that the consultant is tasked to carry out, as well as the local labor market. The final rate will be negotiated with the candidate upon recommendation by the selection panel.

Payment will be made on a monthly basis, based on agreed deliverables and a submission of progress reports to UNICEF by the consultant, upon approval by the direct supervisor. Monthly progress reports will be brief, produced in English and summarize key activities, achievements and challenges faced during the reporting period, priorities for the next reporting period, highlighting any support needs from or recommendations for UNICEF.

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants are invited to:

a. complete their UNICEF profile

b. attach latest CV and Motivation Letter (http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_53129.htm))

c. Indicate a monthly fee for the aforementioned deliverables

Equipment

IT Equipment will be provided to the consultant, upon availability, to carry out the deliverables. Interested applicants are expected to have already the necessary IT equipment (lap top, mobile phone).

All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants/ Individual Contractors apply.

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 health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).