Consultancy – Technical assistance on child overweight and nutrition for school age children and adolescents, UNICEF EAPRO, Bangkok, Thailand

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 fulfilling 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, a better future

UNICEF works to ensure the rights of all children in the East Asia and Pacific Region.  This means the rights of every child living in this country, irrespective of their nationality, gender, religion or ethnicity, to:

• survival – to basic healthcare, peace and security;
• development – to a good education, a loving home and adequate nutrition;
• protection – from abuse, neglect, trafficking, child labour and other forms of exploitation; and
• participation – to express opinions, be listened to and take part in making any decisions that affect them

 

How can you make a difference?

The Nutrition Section, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Region Office (EAPRO) is seeking an individual consultant to  provide technical assistance to countries in the East Asia & Pacific (EAP) region to implement strategies and programs to prevent childhood overweight and obesity, and to improve the nutrition of school-age children and adolescents. In addition to this technical assistance in these thematic areas, the consultant will lead related UNICEF EAPRO knowledge management efforts.

 

Background:
The EAP region is experiencing a dramatic increase in overweight and obesity among children and adolescents. The rate has trebled between 2000 and 2016 in children aged from 5 to 19 years. Nearly one in three children aged 5 to 9 years is now either overweight or obese. Seven out of 14 countries in the region (China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) will have over 1 million obese children by the year 2030 making up one third of the global burden of child obesity. The World Bank has described obesity as a ‘global ticking time bomb’ threatening an explosion of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, premature death and serious consequences for national economies.

In its Strategic Plan 2018-2021, UNICEF committed to addressing overweight among all children 0-18 and to supporting strategies to improve nutrition of primary school-age children and adolescents. Guided by its 2019 Programme Guidance on the Prevention of Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents, UNICEF is now supporting an increasing number of national governments in the design and implementation of related policies and programmes. In the EAP region, this support is made available to national governments in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pacific Islands, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

In addition to its country-level work, UNICEF has engaged in novel partnerships to understand and address barriers to healthy eating. This work includes the collection of dietary intake data through U-reports and novel surveys conducted among urban slum dwellers, performing digital marketing scans to measure children’s exposure to unhealthy foods and beverages, and partnering with celebrity chefs to help families and children reconnect with food, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, EAPRO with other partners has successfully advocated for the ASEAN Secretariat to develop regional guidances and standards related to nutrition, including ASEAN Guidance and Minimum Standards on School Nutrition, Front of Pack Labelling, and Marketing of Foods and Beverages to Children.

The overall objective of the consultancy will be to provide technical assistance to UNICEF Country Offices in EAP and to implement regional knowledge management efforts on the prevention of overweight and obesity and the nutrition of school-age children and adolescents. Building on existing work, the consultancy will serve to support at least 9 countries with programmatic and advocacy assistance, guide country-level landscape analyses, create novel partnerships on retail environments and school nutrition, and contribute to fundraising.

 

Work Assignment

Under the direct supervision of UNICEF Regional Nutrition Advisor, the Senior Consultant will lead the regional office support to Country Offices on programmes to prevent childhood overweight and obesity and to improve the nutrition of school-age children and adolescents. As an authoritative and expert adviser, the Consultant will promote critical thinking and introduce technological and programme innovations, approaches and good practices. The Consultant will then lead the development of state-of-the-art knowledge products. The assignments will focus on the following areas:

1. 1. 1.  

1. Technical Assistance to UNICEF country programs
a. Support UNICEF offices in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pacific Islands, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam to address child overweight through creating improved regulatory and legislative environments, including on food and beverage marketing, front of pack warning system labels, fiscal measures and school food environment policies.
b. Provide focused support to the UN Thematic Working Group on NCDs in Thailand.
c. Provide technical support to general programmes to improve the nutrition of adolescents and school-age children.
d. Support fundraising for national- and regional-level programmes.

2. Data, evidence and knowledge products
a. Provide technical support to countries to identify gaps in current data and generate evidence on topics related to child overweight prevalence, its determinants, the landscape of existing policies and programmes.
b. Assist countries in measuring the effects of COVID-19 on diet quality.
c. Conduct reviews on school food environments. 
d. Develop a research agenda on urban retail environments with leading academic institutions.
e. Produce quality knowledge products of various types – peer reviewed articles, UNICEF reports, policy briefs, case studies, advocacy pieces, multi-media materials, presentations and contribute to funding proposals.
f. Support the development of ASEAN Guidance and Minimum Standards on School Nutrition, Front of Pack Labelling, and Marketing of Foods and Beverages to Children.
g. Contribute to dissemination of guidance and tools to UNICEF staff through webinars, network meeting and other means.

 

For Work Schedule and Deliverables, please refer to attachment.

 VA2020-97 Nutrition – Provide technical assistance on child overweight and nutrition for school age children and adolescents.pdf

 

Estimated Duration of Contract:   11.5 months during March 2021 – February 2022

 

Official Travel: Consultant will be expected to work in the EAPRO Bangkok office and may also work from home. Travel in the EAP region may require.

 

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

General requirement:

• Work within the core values of UNICEF and the standard terms and conditions of UNICEF individual Consultant Contracts.

Education and work experiences requirement:

• Postgraduate Degree (at least Master’s Degree) in public health or nutrition.
• At least twelve (12) years’ experience with proven record of accomplishment and exposure dealing with nutrition programmes, especially on overweight and nutrition of school-age children and adolescents at the policy, evidence, advocacy, and programme levels.
• Experience of knowledge of legislative measures on overweight and NCDs like fiscal measures, marketing restrictions and labelling.
• Experience of nutrition or health related research and analysis, including formative research.
• Demonstrated competency in technical (including peer-reviewed articles) and advocacy writing, reviewing, editing, and production/publication.
• Experience of nutrition counseling and communication and training.
• Sound interpersonal skills, including experience in cross-cultural environment and international settings. Demonstrated ability to motivate people, influence stakeholders and work effectively with people at all levels of the organisation and across multiple organisations and commitment to collaborative work practices.
• Demonstrated sound and wide-ranging oral communication and writing skills in English.
• Relevant experience in the Southeast Asia region is an asset.
• Competency in computer skills with sound knowledge of Microsoft Office, ideally data software (STATA or SPSS).
• Proven ability for accuracy under pressure and adherence to deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, take initiative and innovate.

 

Interested candidates are requested to submit CV or P-11, full contact information of minimum 3 references, availability, and proposed monthly professional fee in USD by 4 January 2021.

 FORM P11.doc

 

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People, and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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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.

 

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.

 

UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children