Consultant – Support in strengthening preparedness for Nutrition in Emergencies, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO), Bangkok, Thailand

The Nutrition Section, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office is seeking an individual consultant provide technical support to strengthen capacities of Nutrition programme staff in EAP UNICEF Country Offices, counterparts, and partners in in emergency preparedness and response.

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 fulfilling 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, a better future

UNICEF works to ensure the rights of all children in the East Asia and Pacific Region.  This means the rights of every child living in this country, irrespective of their nationality, gender, religion or ethnicity, to:

• survival – to basic healthcare, peace and security;
• development – to a good education, a loving home and adequate nutrition;
• protection – from abuse, neglect, trafficking, child labour and other forms of exploitation; and
• participation – to express opinions, be listened to and take part in making any decisions that affect them

How can you make a difference?

The Nutrition Section, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office is seeking an individual consultant provide technical support to strengthen capacities of Nutrition programme staff in EAP UNICEF Country Offices, counterparts, and partners in in emergency preparedness and response.
 

Work assignment (remote/ home-based modality, not office-based), Expected deliverable and Delivery schedule:

The consultant will work under the guidance of the EAPRO Nutrition specialist to carry out assignments in the following areas:

Assignment: Support in the review and updating of the EAP Nutrition in Emergencies (NIE) Toolkit, including

a) Review CCCs and EAP NIE Toolkit and map references and tools that need to be updated

b) Develop and maintain country emergency profile mapping and current country practices for preparedness and response to emergencies related to nutrition

c) Update NIE toolkit and work with both Emergency and KM teams to develop and update tools including guidance and materials on simulation exercises (SimEx);

d) Compile information on regional examples of resilience in nutrition; develop case studies and advise/ promote opportunities for COs to integrate resilience-based approaches into their planning and implementation of their nutrition programs

e) Review capacity building needs and activities and outline a regional /county-based capacity building plan and support capacity-building workshop(s) and other capacity building activities with target countries and at regional level, if appropriate. 

f) Support the drafting and finalization of case studies and human-interest stories Share good practices, lessons learned, evaluations and ensure knowledge/information exchange in the area of NIE

g) Conduct regular searches of literature, research, agency updates and any other relevant information and package to share on nutrition in emergencies and management of acute malnutrition

Expected deliverables: Compilation of studies and initiatives and country profiles on NIE, Updated NIE Toolkit with SimEx guidance, capacity building plan for NIE, case studies and NIE Information package, Activity Progress Reports and Conference Calls

Delivery schedule:

• Every 30th of the month – Monthly Activity Progress Reports and conference calls

• 15 June 2024 – Compilation of profile maps and practices for preparedness and response to emergencies

• 30 July 2024 – Draft updated NIE toolkit

• 30 Aug 2024 – Capacity building plan based on needs

• 30 Oct 2024 –Updated NIE toolkit with inputs from countries

• 30 Nov 2024 – Scoping review and at least 3 summary topics for case studies and/or human-interest stories on NIE

• 30 December 2024 – Pre-tested Toolkit with a few countries (UNICEF colleagues)

• 31 Jan 2025 – Reviewed production notes for case studies and/or human-interest stories

• 15 Mar 2025 – Final NIE toolkit; final case studies and/or human-interest stories
              

Duration of Contract:  22 May 2024 – 31 March 2025
 

Duty Travel:  No travel required for this assignment.
 

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

1. Postgraduate Degree (at least Master’s Degree) in public health or nutrition. 

2. At least six (6) years of experience with a proven record of working in nutrition at the policy, evidence, advocacy, and programme levels.

3. Experience in nutrition or health-related research and analysis

4. Experience in developing programmatic frameworks and toolkits on nutrition. Experience in emergencies is an asset.

5. Experience in developing knowledge management and advocacy products

6. Relevant experience in the Southeast Asia region is an asset.

 

Interested candidates are requested to submit CV, full contact information of minimum 3 references, availability, and proposed daily professional fee in USD by 14 May 2024.

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.

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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.