International Consultancy – A consultant to review and update Maternal, Infant and Young Child Feeding Nutrition (MIYCN) guidelines, training and communication materials, UNICEF South Sudan for 90 days

Under the leadership of Nutrition Department, MoH and with the support of UNICEF, WFP, WHO, and the Malnutrition prevention technical working group and selected implementing partners, the consultant will lead the review process of the documents/materials.
• The consultant will be based in Juba and will work with the team on ground to develop a plan of action for the review process.
o Develop a workplan with timelines for completion of each activity in the review process.
o Organize consultative meetings as necessary and when needed.
o Undertake a desk review of available documents in the area of this work
o Update the malnutrition prevention TWG on progress of the work.
• Facilitate a validation workshop for the revised document/materials, take note of all comments provided and incorporate them into the materials before finalizing.
• Finalize the MIYCN training and communication materials and present them to MOH for printing and dissemination.
• Facilitate two training of trainers with the developed MIYCN training materials

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Background
South Sudan continues to grapple with persistent nutrition insecurity stemming largely from disabling socio-economic and political conditions, exacerbated by a long history of shocks, including years of conflict, droughts, and flooding as well as suboptimal maternal and childcare practices and gender disparities in the one hand and widespread and repeated episodes of childhood illnesses on the other hand.
The prevalence of wasting in South Sudan has been consistently high, among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the 2023 food and nutrition monitoring system (FNMS), the prevalence of wasting among young children in South Sudan is estimated at 17.7 per cent, above the WHO emergency level (15 per cent). According to the current projections, in 2024 approximately 1.65 million of children will need care for wasting in the country, with 480,000 children with severe wasting and 1.17 million with moderate wasting. From April to July 2024, 5.83 million people (46 per cent of the total population) with high levels of acute food insecurity 7.1 million (56 per cent) will face acute food insecurity.
In South Sudan, recent data suggests that 60 per cent of children are exclusively breastfed during the first six months of their life (FSNMS Round 27 Report), and the situation did not change during these last four years. Although breastfeeding is an accepted cultural norm in the country, age-appropriate nutrient-dense complementary feeding of children from 6-24 months remains a significant challenge. The Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring System (FSNMS round 28) indicates that only 4.7% of children in South Sudan attained the Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD) required for growth and development. The proportion of children receiving the recommended Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD), is 21%, and the meal quality does not meet the required standard, affecting the composite indicator (MAD) negatively.
As a key strategy, the Government of South Sudan is implementing integrated interventions for prevention and treatment of malnutrition. Promotion and MIYCN counselling on optimal practices is provided to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in all nutrition sites. This includes promotion of exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months, promotion of optimal breastfeeding to young children up to 24 months, introduction of quality age-appropriate complementary feeding from 6 to 24 months. Implementing partners set up mother to mother support groups, they organize cooking demonstration and support kitchen gardens around nutrition sites.
Although the country has the national guideline for prevention of malnutrition activities, there has been a gap in having harmonized training materials and data collection and reporting tools for MIYCN and hence the need to review and update these tools to facilitate harmony across all partners implementing nutrition in South Sudan. The update of MIYCN material will align South Sudan documents with the new 2023 global UNICEF community IYCF materials as well as the 2023 WHO guideline on complementary feeding.
This review will also take into consideration the new 2023 WHO recommendations on prevention of wasting and nutritional oedema which will be incorporated into the materials.
UNICEF provides technical support and guidance to strengthen data, monitoring and evaluation systems for nutrition, development of strong results frameworks, as well as strengthening the capacities of governments and partners for results-based management. The review of these training and data collection materials will strengthen the national and subnational data and information systems to allow timely and good-quality data to track progress and achievement of quality MIYCN services.
Background
South Sudan continues to grapple with persistent nutrition insecurity stemming largely from disabling socio-economic and political conditions, exacerbated by a long history of shocks, including years of conflict, droughts, and flooding as well as suboptimal maternal and childcare practices and gender disparities in the one hand and widespread and repeated episodes of childhood illnesses on the other hand.
The prevalence of wasting in South Sudan has been consistently high, among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the 2023 food and nutrition monitoring system (FNMS), the prevalence of wasting among young children in South Sudan is estimated at 17.7 per cent, above the WHO emergency level (15 per cent). According to the current projections, in 2024 approximately 1.65 million of children will need care for wasting in the country, with 480,000 children with severe wasting and 1.17 million with moderate wasting. From April to July 2024, 5.83 million people (46 per cent of the total population) with high levels of acute food insecurity 7.1 million (56 per cent) will face acute food insecurity.
In South Sudan, recent data suggests that 60 per cent of children are exclusively breastfed during the first six months of their life (FSNMS Round 27 Report), and the situation did not change during these last four years. Although breastfeeding is an accepted cultural norm in the country, age-appropriate nutrient-dense complementary feeding of children from 6-24 months remains a significant challenge. The Food Security and Nutrition Monitoring System (FSNMS round 28) indicates that only 4.7% of children in South Sudan attained the Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD) required for growth and development. The proportion of children receiving the recommended Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD), is 21%, and the meal quality does not meet the required standard, affecting the composite indicator (MAD) negatively.
As a key strategy, the Government of South Sudan is implementing integrated interventions for prevention and treatment of malnutrition. Promotion and MIYCN counselling on optimal practices is provided to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in all nutrition sites. This includes promotion of exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months, promotion of optimal breastfeeding to young children up to 24 months, introduction of quality age-appropriate complementary feeding from 6 to 24 months. Implementing partners set up mother to mother support groups, they organize cooking demonstration and support kitchen gardens around nutrition sites.
Although the country has the national guideline for prevention of malnutrition activities, there has been a gap in having harmonized training materials and data collection and reporting tools for MIYCN and hence the need to review and update these tools to facilitate harmony across all partners implementing nutrition in South Sudan. The update of MIYCN material will align South Sudan documents with the new 2023 global UNICEF community IYCF materials as well as the 2023 WHO guideline on complementary feeding.
This review will also take into consideration the new 2023 WHO recommendations on prevention of wasting and nutritional oedema which will be incorporated into the materials.
UNICEF provides technical support and guidance to strengthen data, monitoring and evaluation systems for nutrition, development of strong results frameworks, as well as strengthening the capacities of governments and partners for results-based management. The review of these training and data collection materials will strengthen the national and subnational data and information systems to allow timely and good-quality data to track progress and achievement of quality MIYCN services.
Purpose of Activity/Assignment
Review/update the existing training and communication materials for MIYCN, develop IYCF- E assessment tools, new UNICEF community IYCF counselling materials, and incorporate recommendations from the New 2023 WHO guidelines into the updated materials.

Main Duties and Responsibilities
• Develop a plan for the review and update of the MIYCN training and communication materials.
• Develop/update harmonized MIYCN training modules for health and nutrition workers and community nutrition volunteers.
• Revise/update the existing MIYCN communication materials and counselling cards
• Revise the concept of kitchen garden and mother-to-mother support group.
• Incorporate recommendations from the 2023 New WHO guideline into the revised/updated documents/materials.
• Incorporate the new UNICEF community IYCF counselling materials into the revised documents.
• Develop IYCF-E assessment and reporting tools
• Present updated documents/materials to the Malnutrition prevention TWG for comments/review/adoption
• Facilitate a validation workshop for the revised document/materials.
• Finalize the MIYCN training and communication materials and present to MOH.
• Present a printable version of the document/ materials to MOH.
• Facilitate two training of trainers with the new training materials.

Deliverables
• A plan of action to guide / methodology of the review process is available.
• Revised materials available: harmonized updated training materials, data collection and reporting tools, IYCF-e assessment tools, communication materials/counselling cards, are available.
• Validation workshop facilitated.
• Inputs from the workshop incorporated into the revised documents.
• Final MIYCN training and communication materials presented to MOH.
• Printable version of the document/materials available.
• Report of two training of trainers available

Scope of Work
Under the leadership of Nutrition Department, MoH and with the support of UNICEF, WFP, WHO, and the Malnutrition prevention technical working group and selected implementing partners, the consultant will lead the review process of the documents/materials.
• The consultant will be based in Juba and will work with the team on ground to develop a plan of action for the review process.
o Develop a workplan with timelines for completion of each activity in the review process.
o Organize consultative meetings as necessary and when needed.
o Undertake a desk review of available documents in the area of this work
o Update the malnutrition prevention TWG on progress of the work.
• Facilitate a validation workshop for the revised document/materials, take note of all comments provided and incorporate them into the materials before finalizing.
• Finalize the MIYCN training and communication materials and present them to MOH for printing and dissemination.
• Facilitate two training of trainers with the developed MIYCN training materials.

Deliverables
1. Development of plan of action to review the MIYCN materials.
a) Develop plan of action
b) Review of existing MIYCN training and communication materials 15 days 20%
2. Review and update the existing MIYCN documents/materials.
a) Incorporate recommendations from the 2023 New WHO guideline into the revised/updated documents/materials.
b) Incorporate the new UNICEF community IYCF counselling materials into the revised documents.
c) Develop IYCF-E assessment and reporting tools 35 days 40%
3. Facilitate a validation workshop for the revised document/materials a) Documents/materials presented in a validation workshop.
b) Comments from validation workshop incorporated into the materials.
c) Final copy of training and communication materials available 20days 20%
4. Present printable version of the document/materials to MOH
a) Provide technical support to the graphic designer for printable version of the final documents.
b) Present the final copy of the document and materials to MOH. 15days 10%
5. Printing and dissemination 5days 10%

Qualification
• Master’s degree in nutrition, Public Health, or related field
• 5 years of experience in research on nutrition
• 5 years’ experience in planning and designing nutrition programmes
• Experience in developing nutrition documents
• Good writing and analytical skills
• Proficiency in English
• Excellent interpersonal skills, and ability to promote collaboration and consensus building.
• Experience in nutrition programme design and implementation.
Language Requirements:
• English
• Fluency in local language is an asset Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:
• Proven technical expertise for conducting ‘qualitative research’ and data analysis.
• Experience in developing documents on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF)
• Experience in developing and designing documents for nutrition.
• Familiar with South Sudan/ ESARO context

All Applications Must be accompanied with detailed technical and financial proposal.

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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. 

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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.