Consultancy to Provide Technical Assistance in Iodized Salt Situation Analysis Tender

Procurement Summary

Country : Tajikistan

Summary : Consultancy to Provide Technical Assistance in Iodized Salt Situation Analysis

Deadline : 02 Sep 2018

Other Information

Notice Type : Tender

TOT Ref.No.: 26110483

Document Ref. No. :

Competition : ICB

Financier : United Nations Secretariat

Purchaser Ownership : -

Tender Value : Refer Document

Purchaser's Detail

Purchaser : UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND
37/1 Bokhtar Street Dushanbe, 734025 Tel: +992-44 600.01.90 / 44 600.01.91 / 44 600.01.92 Fax: 44 6000196
Tajikistan
Email :dushanbe@unicef.org
URL :http://www.unicef.org/

Tender Details

Tenders are invited for Consultancy to Provide Technical Assistance in Iodized Salt Situation Analysis in Tajikistan.

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.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child,

Tajikistan was among the first countries in Central Asia to adopt a national law on iodization of table salt (2002, amended in 2007), but Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) remains a heath challenge especially in the south and in mountainous areas of Tajikistan. According to the 2016 Tajikistan Micronutrient Status Survey, the national median urinary iodine concentration (MUIC) for children 6-59 months and women of reproductive age (87.5 µg/L and 75 µg/L, respectively) was below the threshold value of 100 µg/L. For both groups, iodine concentration had fallen substantially since 2009. Moreover, IDD remains a significant public health problem in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) and Dushanbe (73.5 µg/l and 73.9 µg/l, respectively). Major efforts have been made by the Government and various donors in responding to the problem of IDD through Universal Salt Iodization (USI). Latest data (2012 DHS survey) indicates that over 84% of households sampled used iodized salt, but it varies from 75% in District of Republican Subordination (DRS) to 90% in Sughd. Despite the relative moderate coverage, a household survey conducted in Khatlon (using titration) in 2015 revealed that the mean salt iodine content of 600 salt samples was 3.86 mg/kg, which is too low to supply sufficient iodine to the population. The same survey also found that the majority of respondents (77%) knew about iodized salt while 74% reported actually using iodized salt.

The iodized salt situation analysis will build on previous iodized salt situation analyses such as the one conducted in 2016 which recommended specifically to:

§ Identify the extent and origins of deliberately produced un-iodized salt products targeted for human consumption.

§ Conduct a rapid but comprehensive study on the costs and benefits of selling raw salt to large producers vs. processing and marketing an iodized product.

§ Conduct a production and market characterization of salt in Tajikistan (manufacturers capacity and actual production, location, market sharing and geographic coverage).

§ Identify actions in collaboration with the salt industry to eliminate any counterfeiting of salt packages or the diversion of large bulk bags for unintended purposes.

How can you make a difference?

The proposed international consultancy aims to identify the potential supply-side barriers from producers- perspective, including production efficiency, regulatory issues, and governmental roles for improving production, distribution and use of high quality iodized salt.

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT:

The consultant will work closely with UNICEF Tajikistan, salt producers, food corporations, wholesalers, retailers, government regulatory bodies, and other relevant partners to conduct an update to the situation analysis. The update should cover at minimum the following:

1. To review and document the past and present situation of the iodized and non-iodized salt markets in Tajikistan; retrace the existing background of salt iodization in Tajikistan since 2000 and document all initiatives that have taken place in this field;

2. To understand and document the dynamics of each sector from producers, wholesalers and retailers: map/size the sector including the small-scale producers, identify the main players and document the marketing chains.Â

3. To assess and document the terms and volume of production, import and trade of salt, supply of KIO3 and to identify physical, economic, regulatory and behavioral factors that affect consumption of iodized salt and ensure the successful implementation of the national salt iodization programme.

4. To identify the main large-scale producers, salt mines, and salt lakes, assess volumes produced and potential production figures, KIO3 supply routes and describe production processes, including potential bottlenecks.

5. To identify obstacles and barriers to full implementation of the national USI programme, identify existing quality assurance and regulatory efforts of the government and stakeholder actors, including potential/existing bottlenecks.

6. To identify/propose appropriate strategies for interventions and concrete next steps to increase the availability and marketing of adequately iodized salt to progress towards achieving USI including recommendations on how to sustainably remove supply-side barriers related to the production of quality iodized salt and highlight the areas where significant contributions can be made.

The methodology for conducting the required analysis would include:

1. A desk/literature review of the 2016 salt situation analysis and other relevant documents, that provide background information and existing knowledge on salt iodization and iodized salt legislation, production, utilization, marketing and consumption in Tajikistan, including an assessment/status update of progress made towards the recommendations of the 2016 salt situation analysis

2. Visit the main salt production and distribution centers and collect production and commerce statistics.

3. Focus group discussions/ in-depth interviews with salt producers, inspection agencies, and local government officials;

4. Interviews, focus-group discussions, or mini-surveys involving population, wholesalers, retailers, and food industry to assess their willingness to pay for high-value, iodized salt.

5. The consultant will work with UNICEF and other stakeholders to finalize the exact methodology

The findings will inform recommendations for optimizing universal salt iodization in Tajikistan.

KEY DELIVERABLES:

1.Work plan, methodology and instruments for the assignment submitted. Deadlines: 10 September 2018;

2.Debriefing on the preliminary findings after the initial field visits. Deadlines: 30 September 2018;

3.First draft of the report, detailing the assessment results and recommendations submitted for UNICEF review. Deadlines: 20 October 2018;

4.Final updated report, incorporating the feedback provided by UNICEF. Deadlines: 30 November 2018

Payment Schedule:

· Del 1. -25% of consultancy fee upon UNICEF approval of the work plan, methodology and instruments;

· Del.2-3 -25% after submission of the first report;

· Del. 4 - 50% of consultancy fee upon UNICEF approval of all deliverables.

Estimated duration of contract and remuneration:

The total duration of the exercise will be three (3) months from September 2018 to November 2018.

The selected consultant will work for a period of 40 working days.

Travel involved:

Consultant is expected to travel to Tajikistan. Travel plans to be pre-approved and agreed to by UNICEF Tajikistan.

Travel paid for by UNICEF shall be based on economy class travel, regardless of the length of travel. Costs for accommodation, meals and incidentals shall not exceed applicable daily subsistence allowance (DSA) rates, as promulgated by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC). Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for assuming costs for obtaining visas and travel insurance.

Supervision:

Consultant will report to UNICEF Nutrition Officer.

Insurances:

UNICEF does not provide or arrange life or health insurance coverage for consultants and individual contractors, and consultants and individual contractors are not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to United Nations staff members. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for assuming all costs related to required inoculations, vaccinations and medical examinations.
Consultants and individual contractors are fully responsible for arranging, at their own expense, such life, health and other forms of insurance covering the period of their services as they consider appropriate. The responsibility of UNICEF is limited solely to the payment of compensation for service-incurred death, injury or illness as per the provisions detailed below.

Recourse:

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.

Ethical considerations:

Adequate measures should be taken to ensure that the process responds to quality and ethical requirements. The contracted consultant should be sensitive to beliefs, manners, and customs and act with integrity and honesty in their relationships with all stakeholders. It should also protect the anonymity and confidentiality of individual information.

Mandatory trainings:

Consultants and individual contractors, regardless of contract duration, must complete the applicable mandatory trainings. The link will be provided during the selection process for the successful candidates.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education: Advanced University Degree in Economy, Food Science, Public Health, Nutrition or Social Science.

Work Experience: At least 5 to 8 years of experience in qualitative and quantitative research analysis and relevant work experience in the field of food production, food control, and food trade.

Competencies: Working experience in Eastern Europe or Central Asia (ECA) region.

Technical Knowledge: Excellent facilitation, analytical and report writing skills.

Language: Fluency in English. Communication in the Russian language is an asset.

Qualified candidates are re

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