Job Vacancy @ United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) – International consultant (Sierra Leone)
Job Description
Job no: 548557
Position type: Consultancy
Location: Sierra Leone
Division/Equivalent: Dakar (WCAR), Senegal
School/Unit: Sierra Leone
Department/Office: Freetown, Sierra Leone
Categories: Health, Nutrition
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.
And we never give up.
For every child, a future.
Please visit UNICEF Sierra Leone website here: www.unicef.org/sierraleone
Access to timely, quality, and reliable nutrition-related data are essential to support planning, management, and decision-making. A robust nutrition information system designed to continuously collect and interpret quality and reliable data on food, health, nutrition, and economic performance timely is needed to guide decisions on improving the nutrition situation of the population.
The lack of a consolidated view on how the different pieces of nutrition-related information together provide a coherent picture of the causes and outcomes of the nutrition problem, is globally recognized as a barrier to evidence-based decision-making in nutrition. Consequently, many decisions are made on partial data or contradicting evidence.
Objectives of the Assignment:
In Sierra Leone, nutrition-related data are generated from different information systems of different Government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). Consolidation of some information occurs to some extent including through consistent engagement for Cadre Harmonize, a regional analytical framework in the West and Central Africa region that serves as an early warning tool to prevent a food crisis. Despite this, there is a lot of room for improvement to harmonize efforts, regularize timely consolidation and dissemination of data from multi-sectoral sources to inform actions, reduce duplication and maximize use of limited resources, and strengthen nutrition information governance. Lack of strong nutrition surveillance system that monitors trends to early detect malnutrition epidemics with identification of affected locations, and vulnerable population and to trigger response activities is another challenge. The development of a national nutrition information strategy is a first step towards achieving a robust and holistic nutrition information management in the country.
Scope of Work:
National Nutrition Information Strategy Development
- Outline the major components of the national nutrition information strategy based on global recommendations and best practices, and national requirements based on evidence review. This includes the conduct of desk review of relevant nutrition related documents, such as national nutrition multi-sectoral strategic plan with common results framework (CRF), draft national health and sanitation policy, draft national health sector strategic plan, the draft Sierra Leone Health M&E Strategy (2021-2024), Cadre Harmonise, Food Security Monitoring System (FSMS) and other survey reports. Review existing information systems for nutrition in different sectors, including Health Management Information System (DHIS2), to assess their scope, opportunities, and limitations, as well as potential inter-operability and linkages between the different systems.
- Lead primary data collection from stakeholders to enrich the situation analysis of the current information systems for nutrition and to explore options for establishing a framework to collate information from multiple sources in order to inform multi-sectoral nutrition response through integration, consolidation, coordination, and improving data visibility. This includes design of data collection tools, actual data collection with support from a national consultant who will be responsible for coordination, field data collection, consensus building and negotiation.
- Based on the information collected / reviewed above, lead situation analysis of existing information systems for nutrition with support from national consultant. This should: i) outline their functionality, data sources with available data at different levels, system elements, features, structures/platforms, linkages, interactions, opportunities, and bottlenecks; and ii) map the actors that run those systems, their readiness to collaborate on data sharing and their requirements for doing so.
- Draft the strategy which, at a minimum, define the country’s nutrition information systems vision and strategic objectives; mapping of the existing information systems for nutrition and describing the relationship of each information system; describe the roles and functions of the governing authority and other bodies to establish and operationalize a framework to collate information from multiple sources in order to inform multi-sectoral responses; describe the roles and responsibilities of non-government actors and partners in the implementation of the strategy; theory of change on how information management can support the overarching goals of the sector, and results framework illustrating the processes and mechanisms for data consolidation, analysis, feedback, and reporting; capacity strengthening and resource requirements and timing for operationalizing a strategy; a roadmap detailing the required steps in strategy implementation and outlining the approximate expected costs of each step.
- Lead design of the consultation and validation process of the strategy which will be organized through the coordination support of a national consultant who will liaise with relevant authorities and stakeholders, and technical and administrative support of UNICEF Health and Nutrition Section.
- Finalize the national nutrition information strategy.
- Outline the major components of the national nutrition surveillance protocol consistent with global recommendations and requirements with high consideration of the country situation including national commitments based on evidence review
- Draft the protocol in consultation with relevant Ministry of Health and Sanitation directorates, including the data collection methods, sampling, frequency, and analysis tools for implementation of the protocol
- Lead validation of the draft protocol which will be organized through support from UNICEF Health and Nutrition Section
- Finalize the national nutrition surveillance protocol.
Please see attached ToR for detailed information. 
ToR Consultant – IP Nutrition Info Strategy Development.pdf
- Master’s degree in public health and nutrition, epidemiology, health/nutrition information technology, health/nutrition informatics, or health system management.
- The Contractor should have a minimum of 10 years’ experience working on health and nutrition information management systems.
- Ability to effectively grasp and incorporate inputs/feedback from multiple contributors.
- Previous UNICEF, UN and/or INGO experience in a similar role is desirable.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.
- Application to include financial proposal that will detail your daily/monthly rate (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference.
- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.
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.
Disclaimer: Careerical eConsult posts job listings for the convenience of job seekers. We do not endorse or recommend employers, and a posting does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Careerical eConsult explicitly makes no representations or guarantees about positions listed on our website. Careerical eConsult is not responsible for safety, wages, working conditions, or other aspects of employment. It is the responsibility of applicants to research the integrity of the organizations to which they are applying. We advise you to use caution and common sense when applying for any position with an organization or private party.
