International Consultant – Nutrition Advisor

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WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.  Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

POSITION DETAILS

JOB TITLE: International Consultant – Nutrition Advisor
TYPE OF CONTRACT: CST II
DUTY STATION (City, Country): Kigali – Rwanda
DURATION: 11 months

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 27 June 2024

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The World Food Programme (WFP) in Rwanda is currently implementing its Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2019-2024. The country office is working closely with the Government of Rwanda to strengthen national systems and capacities in across various systems including the food system, a key driver of food and nutrition security and resilience. In that regard, WFP delivers various forms of policy engagement, technical assistance and capacity strengthening. To date and aligning with the vision of the government, various activities are implemented with the enabling role for impactful, scalable, and transformational change that is sustainable.

Therefore, the World Food Programme (WFP) in Rwanda is looking for a Nutrition Advisor to carry out a critical new function to support the re-positioning of WFP within the transformational Agenda of the government. The Advisor will position the 2G CSP with a focus on nutrition integration, impact, and One UN focus. Specifically, to enhance the narrative for WFP’s leadership status in forums relating to area of specialization, for example food and nutrition security, food systems, livelihoods and resilience while engaging in humanitarian, transition and development through direct participation, briefings, information products and other materials. This will allow to detect and act on the challenges/opportunities WFP bring to support government.

Over the years, WFP through a partnership approach has worked to predominantly work on the health sector. The “One UN Joint Nutrition Project: Effectively Fighting Chronic Malnutrition- Stunting” project has been a three-phase joint UN project by the SDC implemented since 2013. Each phase has had a different focus and attempted to alleviate different drivers of stunting. Although Rwanda has seen significant decline in stunting rates in the past decade, decline appears to be stagnating. A recent gap analysis (May 2024) identified several gaps; Unclear impact pathways and linkages to stunting, unclear how effective agriculture interventions impact on diets and nutrition, limited focus on social protection and improved economic access to diets. The linkages are particularly unclear food systems and nutrition. This presents an opportunity to build on WFP corporate focus on making the food systems work for healthy diets and contribute to nutrition in Rwanda.

WFP Rwanda, through its upcoming Country Strategic Plan positions nutrition as across cutting to impact prevention to stunting in a multisectoral manner.

The country office is therefore seeking a Nutrition Advisor to review, reorient and strategically package WFP’s contribution on nutrition to government in the Rwandan context.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direct supervision of Head of Program, the incumbent will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Distilling country office management vision, WFP corporate priorities, and drawing upon sectoral
priorities for NST2 in sectors relevant for WFP’s mandate. Develop a nutrition strategy covering how
WFP supports government objectives to contribute to addressing malnutrition through healthy diets
in Rwanda, under the next Country Strategic Plan (2025-2029).
2. Advise on opportunities for nutrition-integration programming and opportunities across WFP
programmes and Strategic Outcomes and develop these into strategic concept notes.
3. Produce a strategy and associated strategic communication materials that articulate the new business opportunities for engaging in the current and potential UN Joint programs including articulating the country office’s approach and positioning to prevention of stunting.
4. Contribute to building inhouse staff capacity through mentoring with a clear learning plan.
5. Support external engagement with government and preparation of key events such as Steering committee, Scaling Up Movement gathering and Strengthened M&E strategies.
6. Contribute to representing WFP in external fora and capacity building initiatives and support broader partnership (e.g., IFAD; IFIs and UN agencies)

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT

1. Lead in supporting other work streams to improve and integrate nutrition.
2. Concept notes and proposals for prioritised entry points for nutrition integrated programming
3. Technical support provided for integrating nutrition into WFP portfolio with a strong focus in the prevention, integration and joint programming.
4. Standard power points, talking points on WFPs position in relation to nutrition, diets and food systems and nutrition.
5. High level nutrition strategy paper on WFP engagement on Nutrition in Rwanda for 2025-2029

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Education:

An Advanced Degree in International Nutrition, Agriculture, Food Systems, Resilience Food Security, Health or other area relevant to nutrition-sensitive/integration programming.

Experience:

1. At least 6-10 years programming experience, relevant particularly to nutrition (e.g. nutrition sensitive agriculture, school feeding, social protection, food systems resilience etc.)
2. Experience with strategy development and advisory relevant to different types of programmes (e.g., safety nets, pro-smallholder programming) related to nutrition and food security.
3. Experience working with national government.
4. Experience in capacity development desirable.

Knowledge & Skills:

1. Knowledge of multi-sectoral drivers of malnutrition required.
2. Knowledge of global and country level nutrition architecture required.
3. Knowledge of scientific methods and ability to critically analyse emerging global evidence for robustness, quality, and relevance.
4. Ability to work independently.
5. Good interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work in multicultural setting.
6. Excellent written and oral communication skills required.

Languages:

Fluency in English and excellent writing skills required. Working knowledge of another UN language.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Qualified females and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
This position is open for international candidates only.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Application deadline: 27 June 2024

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WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to conduct such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore undergo rigorous background verification internally or through third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may lead to disqualification or termination of employment

WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.