Social and Behaviour Change Communication Expert (Nutrition), - Consultant Tender

Procurement Summary

Country : Thailand

Summary : Social and Behaviour Change Communication Expert (Nutrition), - Consultant

Deadline : 16 Sep 2018

Other Information

Notice Type : Tender

TOT Ref.No.: 26687459

Document Ref. No. :

Competition : ICB

Financier : United Nations Secretariat

Purchaser Ownership : -

Tender Value : Refer Document

Purchaser's Detail

Purchaser : WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME
Nr. 2, 7th Floor, Wave Placee Building Nr. 55 Wireless Road Lumpini, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330 Phone: +66-2-6554115 Fax: +66-2-6554413
Thailand

Tender Details

Tenders are invited for Social and Behaviour Change Communication Expert (Nutrition), International Consultant, Thailand.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Organization Name: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP)

Administrative Duty Station: Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBB), Bangkok, Thailand. Consultant will work from home station

Position Title: Social and Behaviour Change Communication Expert (Nutrition)

Type of Contract: International Consultancy (When-Actually-Employed)

Duration of Assignment: 40 Days, to commence as soon as possible until 31 December 2018

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

BACKGROUND

Assisting 80 million people in around 80 countries each year, the World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide, providing food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. WFP focuses on adequate nutrient intake as a prerequisite to good nutrition and health. Ending malnutrition in all its forms entails increasing the availability, access, consumption and demand for safe and nutritious diets that meet, but do not exceed, the nutritional requirements of vulnerable groups.

In Asia and Pacific region, an increasing number of countries has graduated from low to middle income status, however economic development is not equally distributed across populations, and social gains do not keep up. In addition, most countries are prone to disasters which can reverse gains previously made and affect most of those people already vulnerable to poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition. Asia hosts the largest burden of malnutrition globally with it having about 55 percent of the world-s 151 million stunted children, 68 percent of the world-s 51 million wasted children and a significant proportion of the global population experiencing micronutrient deficiencies including 400 million women of child bearing age in the Asia and Pacific countries. In addition, rates of overweight and obesity are rising rapidly. Governments are increasingly cognizant of the huge economic and human losses linked to malnutrition; as such 12 countries in Asia and Pacific region have joined the global Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement and developed multi-sectoral nutrition policies and action plans.

WFP in the Asia & Pacific region focuses on supporting countries scaling up policies and programs that prevent all forms of malnutrition, in particular stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies. In support of these objectives, WFP-s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific based in Bangkok, Thailand [1] provides strategic and technical guidance to WFP Country Offices to support nutrition specific and sensitive national agendas. Specific focus areas of work include i) Leveraging national social protection programs and safety nets to enhance access for vulnerable groups to nutritious diets and knowledge; ii) Work with public and private sector to produce affordable nutritious foods for young children, adolescents and women and promote demand for and consumption of nutritious diet, and iii) Addressing nutritional needs in crises response and emergency preparedness. In addition to policy and advocacy work for nutrition, WFP leverages scale up of post -harvest fortification, especially of rice; Social and Behavior Change communication (SBCC) for nutrition; evidence generation around nutrient gaps for vulnerable groups; and creation of scalable program models for the prevention of malnutrition, and treatment of acute malnutrition.

Of focus in this consultancy, is paying special attention to SBCC to define its role out in the region and respond to immediate technical guidance needs by countries. Its notable that SBCC has been reflected in most of the countries- strategic plans (CSP) and is linked with both nutrition specific and sensitive programs implementation in the region. WFP has developed an SBCC guidance which complements the Nutrition Policy, endorsed in 2017, which indicates the importance associated with this strategic approach in positively influencing behaviors and social norms that impact on diets and good nutrition. Essential components/ stages of SBCC implementation are noted and country support through these stages is needed. Some of the areas requiring specific support include formative research that inform gaps in knowledge and practice benefiting nutrition; promotion of demand for nutrition service through awareness raising and enhancing essential services- uptake in benefit of optimal nutrition wellbeing of target audience. Increased demand for nutrition services (like community management of acute malnutrition, micronutrient supplementation, use of fortified foods, etc), promotion of appropriate childcare and feed practices like breastfeeding, appropriate complementary food, health seeking behaviour, optimal food preparation methods, etc can be realized when government and partners embrace SBCC approach.

This proposed consultant will accelerate support to WFP country offices and the respective government on SBCC and develop an action plan for longer term SBCC roll out in the region.

[1] Regional Bureau Bangkok (RBB) has offices in in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, DPRK, India, Lao PDR, Philippines, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste, Indonesia, the Pacific Islands

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The main purpose of this consultancy is to develop a regional SBCC action plan which will serve as a roadmap for country offices and the Regional Bureau in Bangkok to evolve in the area of SBCC for nutrition

ACCOUNTABILITIES/ RESPONSIBILITIES

· Review of SBCC related activities in the CSP

Critically review the various SBCC related activities mapped out in CSPs and categorize them in relation to focus audience / beneficiary group and program activity, or other relevant categories.

· Assess capacity to carry out SBCC activities at country level

Through consultations with WFP country offices, assess required and available capacities at country to undertake SBCC activities (WFP internal and external stakeholders); identify capacity gaps and possible solutions (capacity gap analysis)

· Identify technical and strategic partnerships

From consultations with country offices, map out organizations with focus and expertise in SBCC operating in countries of Asia and Pacific region, and at regional level. Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships at regional level that can benefit countries

· Develop a regional SBCC action plan

Aligned with WFP-s corporate SBCC strategy, develop a regional action plan defining issues to be addressed, activities to be implemented and how, timeline and support needs. The plan will address the following areas associated with SBCC, among others:

-Characteristics of SBCC activities to be carried out by WFP in the region as part of their Country strategic plan (audiences, methodologies, type of program that uses SBCC etc)

-Capacity needs and gaps of WFP country offices, and strategies to address these (capacity development, partnerships, support models, others)

-Technical & strategic partnerships and networks

-Budget

-Funding opportunities, if any

· Provide technical and strategic support needed by countries

During the contacts with country office, the SBCC expert will assume an advisory role to support country offices on technical and strategic matters related to SBCC (e.g. timing of formative research, reviewing Tors for formative research etc)

DELIVERABLES

1. A map of SBCC activities (to be) carried out by WFP in the region, organized by agreed categories

2. A map / overview of international/regional and national stakeholders (including academic institutions) with expertise in SBCC (for nutrition) developed

3. An SBCC action plan including the role of potential partners, resource requirement and timeline

4. Summary of any issues or points that arise during the consultations e.g. unmet support requests or other, that need to be taken forward (hand over note)

The consultant will work in close collaboration with the Regional Bureau-s nutrition team and country office-s nutritionists. One or two travels to a country may be required.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Master-s degree in social and behavioral sciences, as well as training in public health nutrition, communications, anthropology or a related field.

Experience:

· Eight years of professional experience implementing or advising social and behavioural change interventions related to health and nutrition.

· Experience implementing large-scale SBCC programs in public health nutrition

· Experience designing and conducting formative research and monitoring and evaluation related to social and behaviour change

· Work experience with the UN or WFP would be an asset

Knowledge & Skills:

· Excellent interpersonal skills required, including strong professionally communication ability;

· Advocacy and networking skills with a broad range of stakeholders including government, private sector, civil society, academia, NGO and international cooperation

· Knowledge of formative research methods with familiarity in qualitative methods;

· Advanced computer skills with proficiency in Windows, Microsoft office;

· Knowledge of UN system would be an asset

· Knowledge of WFP programmes is an

Documents

 Tender Notice