Pakistan: Consultant Infant Young Child Feeding - Nutrition

Justification and Purpose of assignment

The nutrition indicators in Pakistan are amongst the worst in the world. In 2011, the first National Nutrition Survey (NNS) in a decade was conducted. It found that more than 40 percent of the children suffer from chronic malnutrition and over 15 per cent from acute malnutrition. These high rates are among the highest in region and have not shown any improvement over the decades. Micronutrient deficiencies are highly prevalent. Infant and young child feeding practices are poor and inappropriate. Furthermore, 58 percent of households in Pakistan are food insecure and 29.6 percent are considered to be living in a state of moderate or severe hunger. Food insecurity and under nutrition are largely a problem of inequitable access by the poorest and most vulnerable to an adequate and diverse diet. Low nutrition indicators are also an outcome of poor educational and low levels of knowledge about infant and young child diet and healthcare. Frequent childhood illness is also a contributing factor, especially illnesses such as diarrhea, measles and pneumonia.

Emergencies exacerbate the nutrition crisis in Pakistan. The 2010, 2011 and 2012 monsoon floods intensified malnutrition for populations that were already suffering from emergency levels of malnutrition before these disasters hit. Without immediate attention, this on-going nutrition catastrophe will continue to be a significant factor in the high morbidity and mortality rates of children in Pakistan.

The UNICEF Pakistan is currently carrying on a number of responsibilities to strengthen to scale-up coverage and quality of life-saving interventions. UNICEFs programmatic response in nutrition focuses on prevention chronic malnutrition and treatment of acute malnutrition to the most affected and deprived population. UNICEF is currently working in partnership with the government, other UN agencies and NGOs to strengthen the management of acute malnutrition, Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices, micronutrient supplementation in Pakistan. Key result areas aim to (a) increase coverage of integrated packages of high impact nutrition interventions, including life-saving interventions; (b) improve practices and; (c) enhance policy environment.

Nutrition emergency interventions, mainly Community Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) are being implemented in emergency affected and food insecure district of Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan Provinces with the support of UNICEF. The emergency response reached an enormous scale, reaching up to 870 locations by the end of 2012, at the peak of the emergency. However, quality in implementation, particularly concerning IYCF and development of capacities requires further attention and support to improve the performance and enhance the impact of the programme. UNICEF Pakistan would therefore like to hire an IYCF International nutrition expert to provide support to the implementation of the emergency nutrition programme in Pakistan. Furthermore the hired International consultant will contribute in development of IYCF community based program implementation in Pakistan.

Duty station

Islamabad, travelling to Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi, Pakistan

Objectives:

a) Develop a strategic Road Map (review that identifies problems and suggests approaches to help integrate and strengthen IYCF support in both preventive and treatment programmes)

b) Draft ‘Operational Guidelines for Community IYCF’ compatible and harmonized with CMAM Guidelines

c) Draft IYCF Partnership and Cooperation Agreements to introduce and strengthen IYCF component.

d) Strengthen delivery of IYCF-related services through updated job descriptions (ToRs) for CHWs, LHWs and related reporting protocols and tools

e) Conduct capacity-building activity: train Facilitators/Trainers (TOT) on Community IYCF, and mentor newly-trained Facilitators/Trainers for roll-out training

Deliverables with Tasks:

Deliverable 1: Road Map to Improve IYCF Programme Implementation.

Task 1.1: Review relevant documents including project proposals and monitoring reports to identify current challenges and problems hindering effective IYCF implementation and community mobilization.

This includes also discussions with UNICEF staff, implementing partners, monitoring partners, governments and other stakeholders and institutions involvement in the nutrition programme implementation. Field visits and community level interviews are to be conducted to complement information and allow data interpretation and contextualization.

Task 1.2: Review the outcomes of the IYCF/Maternal Nutrition Planning and Programming Workshop (January 2013) to contribute to the development of the Road Map.

Task 1.3: Formulate the road map report to improve the IYCF programme Implementation.

Deliverable 2: Operational Guidelines for Community IYCF, harmonized with CMAM Guidelines.

Task 2.1: Review the up-dated CMAM Guideline (2013) and the IYCF Guideline for Facilities.

Task 2.2: Develop interview guides for Task 2.3

Task 2.3: Conduct interviews: seek input into the process for development of the IYCF Operational Guidelines through consultative meetings (e.g., the IYCF Working Group, the CMAM Working Group); provincial input from Punjab (Lahore) , Sindh (Karachi), Balochistan, and Peshawar and submit Interview report.

Task 2.4: Draft IYCF operational guideline.

Deliverable 3: Templates for Partnership and Cooperation Agreements with the objective of introducing and strengthening the IYCF component.

Task 3.1: Review existing CMAM PCAs for IYCF introducing or strengthening the IYCF component.

Task 3.2: Update the templates for partnership agreements (PCA) with regard to the integration of IYCF activities within the narrative, the log-frame and the Implementing Partner’s (IPs) reporting requirements and system.

Deliverable 4: Updated materials to support Community IYCF (CHWs, LHWs,).

· Task 4.1: Coordinate with the Government to maximize / optimize the focus on IYCF through the review and recommendations for update of:

· Review and make recommendations for updating the TORs of community health workers, Lady Health Workers (LHWs), etc. with regard to IYCF

· Review training curricula and make recommendations for updates.

· Review existing IYCF-related communications materials and make recommendations for adaptation.

· Task 4.2: Review the IYCF module of the nutrition information system and the reporting protocol updated by the Technical Working Group (TAG); and support the government in integration of information on IYCF into a government nutrition information systems (NIS) as a component of their ongoing HMIS or government reporting systems.

Deliverable 5: Capacity-strengthening/training on community-based IYCF.

· Task 5.1: Preparing training material for community –based IYCF TOT.

· Task 5.2: Conduct training for Facilitators/Trainers in Community IYCF [TOT]

Deliverable 6: Consultant mission report.

· Task 6.1: Draft mission report that will outline the key findings, gaps and key recommendations on a way forward for further submission to UNICEF, Pakistan for review and feedback.

· Task 6.2: Submission of final mission report with identified gaps and key recommendation with action plan which specify also the time frame against each key recommendations.

Time-Frame

80 working days.

Payment Terms:

30 percent of payment to be made upon submission of the detailed work-plan and first draft of the roadmap.

Final 70 percent of payment to be made on successful delivery of the remaining consultancy outputs.

International Consultant will be entitled for R&R, DSA, and terminal & travel charges as per UNICEF policy.

Qualifications or specialized knowledge/experience required:

Education

Advanced university degree in one of the disciplines relevant to the following areas: Public Health & Nutrition, International Health & Nutrition, Family Health & Nutrition, or other relevant discipline(s).

Work Experience

At least 8 years professional work experience in emergency and development nutrition, including behaviour change communication, and IYCF and CMAM

Experience in project implementation and operational aspects of partnership agreements for nutrition and IYCF implementation (i.e. PCA/FLA, requirements, rules and regulations, reporting and financial management).

Demonstrated experience to advance and update technical standards and guidelines to improve quality in implementation, including cooperation and communication skills dealing with partners at different levels.

Proven skills in capacity development at various levels, training experience.

Field experience in region of deployment.

Ability to conduct and document data analyses, including collating and presenting data, monitoring and evaluation, progress reporting.

Verbal and written fluency in English

Interested candidates are requested to fill in attached P-11 form and send us at pakjobs@unicef.org.
Kindly mention position name in the subject of email.