Nutrition Officer (Early childhood development and nutrition)

Details

Mission and objectives

UNICEF, also known as the United Nations Children’s Fund, is a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. The agency is among the most widespread and recognizable social welfare organizations in the world, with a presence in 192 countries and territories. UNICEF’s activities include providing immunizations and disease prevention, administering treatment for children and mothers with HIV, enhancing childhood and maternal nutrition, improving sanitation, promoting education, and providing emergency relief in response to disasters.

Context

Early Childhood Development is a multidimensional process that involves an ordered progression of cognitive, physical, language, motor, socioemotional and regulatory skills and capacities during the period between zero to eight years of the child’s life. Proper care and development in these early years (particularly birth to three) provides the building blocks for lifelong health, educational achievement and economic productivity, which will last throughout childhood, adolescence and adulthood. For children to reach their development potential, they need nurturing care, that is, the conditions that enable communities and caregivers to ensure their good health, nutrition, security, safety, responsive caregiving and opportunities for early learning.
Kenya has adopted the Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) in its endeavor to enhance ECD for children aged 0-8 years. For the operationalization of the framework, an enabling environment has been provided through a country-level ECD policy coupled with a national advocacy and Communications strategy. Multisectoral stakeholders have also taken collective action at both national and county levels to develop evidence informed social and behavior change communication (SBCC) package for increased ECD knowledge and heightened adoption of appropriate nurturing care practices by caregivers and their social influencers. The ECD communication package dabbed KUWA KOCHA has been pretested nationally.
The line ministries involved in NCfECD, have forged a multi-sectoral partnership and collaborative action which is key in supporting the NCfECD to achieve common goals. The ECD policy, further promotes the use of the NCfECD framework, emphasizes ‘integration and mainstreaming of ECD in development planning, implementation and evaluation across line ministries and departments of the national and County governments respectively.’ The comprehensive newly developed Social Behaviour Change Communication assets are a demonstration of multisectoral collaboration.
There is abundant evidence that NCfECD is beneficial to the child. The 2016 Lancet series on Early Childhood Development (ECD) highlights the significant value of investing in ECD for learning, productivity, health, and social cohesion along the life course. The Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health (2016-2030) which is at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals, envisions a world in which every woman, child and adolescent realizes their rights to health and well-being; both physical and mental. A key part of this vision is that young children’s human rights are safeguarded in order for them to survive and thrive.
To provide the requisite technical support to NCfECD is Kenya, UNICEF KCO is seeking the services of a qualified and competent professional to strengthen institutional capacity (technical, programmatic, leadership) ECD programme.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of Nutrition Specialist, MIYCAN for UNICEF Kenya [, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
•The officer is responsible for the planning, administration, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of specific activities, data analysis and progress reporting on NCfECD.
•Support the operationalization of the UNICEF Kenya Country Office ECD task force workplan
•Will be responsible to support the UNICEF, internal ECD coordination meetings and other identified coordination structures.
•Support in the coordination and planning of the dissemination of the KUWA KOCHA campaign package
•Any other tasks that may be required (within reason) to achieve the objective of this assignment
Main Duties and Responsibilities
•Participate in the development of the UNICEF ECD task force work plan(s) and ensures compliance with specific assigned objectives.
•Provide support to focal UNICEF staff and partners to manage and implement Programme/projects as agreed in the task force meetings, conduct periodic programme reviews, and prepare programme/project status reports required.
•Participates in technical development of relevant guidelines, strategies, policies by the government and supports their implementation as guided by the supervisor.
•Supports the development of partnership programmes and documents for the NCfECD services implementation
•Participates in meetings with ministries responsible for NCfECD programme/project.
•Assist in the development and/or introduction of innovative approaches, methods and practices in project management and evaluation with a focus on NCfECD.
•Contribute towards the preparation of the situation analysis by compiling data, analyzing, and evaluating information, ensuring accurate and timely input of programme information in the issuance of status reports.
•Ensure effective communication and networking is developed and maintained through partnership and collaboration with the various sectors, government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information, coordination and knowledge to facilitate programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve programme goals on maternal and child rights as well as social justice and equity.
•Support preparation of communication and information materials for KCO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund raising for NCfECD programmes.
•Supports and participates in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual reviews with the government and other counterparts to assess programmes/projects and to report on required action and interventions at the higher level of programme management.
•Undertakes field visits to monitor programmes and contributes to periodic programme reviews with government counterparts and other partners.
•Provides technical advice and assistance to government officials and other partners in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of ECD programming.
•Participates in intersectoral collaboration with other programme colleagues, members of the development community, including NGOs, UN and bilateral agencies in the exchange of information relating to the ECD agenda.
•Support county level implementation of NCfECD agenda in line with national policies, strategies and plans working closely with UNICEF Zonal Office focal points.
•Perform any other duty as may be assigned by supervisor
Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:
•Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day).
•Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country.
•Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities.
•Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
•Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers.
•Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.