Purpose of the work
The Department of Nutrition and Food Safety is seeking a consultant to develop the UNICEF-WHO outpatient training package in the management of wasting and/or nutritional oedema (acute malnutrition) for policy-makers, practitioners and field level implementers.
Background
Globally, 47 million children under 5 years old are wasted and of these, over 14 million are severely wasted. Although significant progress has been made, the overall rate of admissions continue to be low and services largely unavailable or inaccessible. In the context of the UN Global Action Plan for Child wasting launched in 2020, several countries have developed their roadmaps to action to achieve the SDG goals of reducing wasting by <3% by 2030. To that end, policy and programmatic guidance are key elements to support countries, policymakers, practitioners and field implementers deliver the most evidence-based quality services to children affected by severe wasting. WHO is currently reviewing its guidelines for the prevention and management of wasting/nutritional oedema, and the new recommendations will be published in 2023. As part of this process, WHO in collaboration with UNICEF will develop an outpatient training package that will be developed with review from the WHO-UNICEF Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Wasting and Nutritional Oedema (Acute Malnutrition) and relevant global and regional working groups.
Worked to be performed
Deliverable 1: Review of existing training packages on the management of children with wasting and/or nutritional oedema (including the WHO training course for the inpatient management of severe acute malnutrition);
The consultant will undertake an exhaustive and complete review of training packages already developed and finalized for the management of children with wasting and/or nutritional oedema. Those training packages will be listed by agency/authors that published the training package, year of publication, website/platforms for dissemination, content developed, content which would need updating in light of the new guidelines and gaps identified.
Deliverable 2: Outline and structure of the training package developed and approved by WHO and UNICEF focal points;
Based on existing training packages including the WHO training course for the inpatient management of severe acute malnutrition, the consultant proposes an outline and structure for the training package that is developed in collaboration with key focal points at UNICEF and WHO.
Deliverable 3: Development of the technical content of the outpatient training package;
Based on deliverables #1 and #2 in addition to the upcoming new WHO recommendations for the management of children with wasting and/or nutritional oedema, the consultant in close collaboration with UNICEF and WHO focal points will develop the technical content of the outpatient training package. The consultant will ensure that latest evidence-based recommendations are included and that the content is regularly shared with focal points through emails and regular meetings.
Deliverable 4: Global and regional consultations with key stakeholders such as the UNICEF-WHO TAG on Wasting and Nutritional Oedema (Acute Malnutrition), regional working groups on wasting, etc.;
Once the first draft of the outpatient training package will be finalized and approved by UNICEF and WHO focal points, a series of consultations will be held with key global, regional and potential country-level working groups such as the UNICEF-WHO TAG, the GNC-Technical Alliance Wasting Global Thematic Working Group (GNC-TA GTWG), regional working group on wasting, etc. For these consultations, powerpoint presentations and emails will be used with clear deadlines given to each group.
Deliverable 5: Final training package for the outpatient management of children with wasting and/or nutritional oedema (acute malnutrition) approved and submitted;
Following the global/regional/country-level consultations, the consultant will work on the finalized training package that will be approved and adopted by UNICEF and WHO.
Specific requirements on qualification, experience, skills and languages
Educational qualifications
Essential: Minimum and advanced university degree in Nutrition or associated public health discipline.
Experience
Essential: Over 10 years of experience in nutrition policy development, programming, humanitarian and development context;
Desirable: firsthand experience in the development of training modules for practitioners/field level workers and in the provision of programmatic and technical guidance related to child wasting.
Skills/knowledge
Essential: Training skills, organizational skills, outstanding communication skills with high ability to write and speak in a clear and practical manner.
Language required
Essential: Expert knowledge of English
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of French
Location
Home-based, off-site, no travel expected
Remuneration
The remuneration of the contractor is based on experience according to the WHO pay scale.
Payband range C (USD 500 – 625 per day)
Planned timelines
Expected duration of contract: 11 months (part-time: 110 days over 11 months)
Starting as soon as possible.
How to apply
- Kindly send your CV and cover letter to the following e-mail address nutrition@who.int before 24 February 2023.
- Please include “Consultant-UNICEF WHO Outpatient training package” in the subject matter of your email application.
- Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.