National consultant Nutrition Sensitive Social Protection

Organizational Context

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential. In Lao PDR, UNICEF partners with the Government and other organizations to promote and protect the rights of children and women, with over 50 years of service in the country.

Job Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to provide coordination, analysis, tool development, training support, and reporting to support the drivers of wasting analysis and strengthen referral systems for identified cases of wasted children. The consultant will contribute to strengthening the linkages between nutrition and social protection programs, aiming to improve outcomes for children. This role is crucial in developing and implementing strategies that address the root causes of child wasting through integrated social protection mechanisms. The consultant will play a key role in enhancing the capacity of local partners and government structures to effectively manage and respond to child malnutrition, ensuring sustainable impact and improved child well-being.

Responsibilities

The National Consultant for Nutrition Sensitive Social Protection will be responsible for coordinating and engaging with stakeholders, including government ministries, NGOs, and community representatives, to ensure alignment and effective implementation of nutrition-sensitive social protection initiatives. This includes facilitating meetings, workshops, and consultations to gather input and build consensus. The consultant will provide data and documentation support for the drivers of wasting analysis, which involves collecting, organizing, and analyzing relevant data to identify key factors contributing to child wasting. Furthermore, the consultant will support the development of referral instruments and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for identified cases of wasted children, ensuring a clear and effective pathway for intervention and support. This includes designing tools and guidelines that facilitate timely identification and referral. The consultant will also support training curriculum development and rollout, creating training materials and delivering training sessions to build the capacity of relevant personnel and partners in nutrition-sensitive social protection approaches. Finally, the consultant will be responsible for reporting and technical documentation, preparing regular progress reports, analytical reports, and other technical documents to capture lessons learned and inform future programming.

Work Experience

Minimum 7-10 years of experience in social protection, nutrition-sensitive programming, or systems strengthening. Proven experience in nutrition-social protection linkages, child wasting, or vulnerability targeting. Experience with Social Registries, MIS systems, PMT design, or digital tools. Knowledge of Lao government structures, policies, and sub-national systems.

Skills

Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement, Data Analysis, Tool Development, Training Support, Reporting, Technical Documentation, Nutrition-Sensitive Social Protection, Child Wasting Analysis, Referral Systems Strengthening, Social Protection Programming, Public Health, Development Studies

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