Country: Uganda
Closing date: 11 Jul 2019
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, a fair chance
Uganda is one of the over 190 countries and territories around the world where we work to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease, and discrimination place in a child’s path.Together with the Government of Uganda and partners we work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, the objectives of the Uganda National Development Plan, and the planned outcomes of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework.
Visit this link for more information on Uganda Country Office https://www.unicef.org/uganda/
How can you make a difference?
Under the supervision of the Nutrition Specialist (Governance) the consultant will provide technical support to the Office of the Prime Minister to coordinate the implementation of the Uganda Nutrition Action Plan by supporting Sectors and Local Governments to effectively coordinate the implementation of the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition actions.
Background
Although Uganda has made tremendous progress in reducing the number of people living below the poverty line, its progress in reducing undernutrition remains slow partly due to its multiple causes. According to UDHS 2016, an estimated 29% of children below 5 years of age are stunted or too short for their age. Wasting affects 4% of children in the same age category and approximately 1% suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition. Micronutrient deficiencies of iron and vitamin A are also widespread among children and women of reproductive age. Five out of every ten children (53%) under the age of five and three out of every ten (32%) women are anemic.
Malnutrition affects all regions of the country but variation and similarities exist, with Karamoja (35.2%), West Nile (33.9%), Acholi (30.6%) and Lango (22.3%) having some of the highest prevalence rates for stunting. In addition, for Karomoja and West Nile, similar patterns are seen for wasting, each standing at 10%, respectively. Aside from stunting, all these regions have a high prevalence of anemia among children and women of reproductive age with minimal differences between them. Standing at 71%, Acholi has the highest prevalence of anemia among children below the age of 5 years and 47% in women of reproductive age. Anemia prevalence among children under five stands at 67.7%, 61.0% and 56.4% respectively for Karamoja, Lango and West Nile regions. The prevalence of anemia among women stands at 39.4% in Lango, 39.6% in West Nile and 32.0% in Karamoja regions.
If not timely addressed, malnutrition stifles learning outcomes for pupils and students, reduces the individual productivity of a worker and causes illnesses and diseases. This makes malnutrition one of Uganda’s most fundamental challenges for human development.
The government of Uganda is in the process of finalizing the first ever multi-sectoral National Nutrition Policy (2019-2025) with its attendant Action Plan, the UNAP II (2019-2025). The Action plan has clearly identified priority interventions, hence defining the framework for multi-sectoral nutrition implementation for Uganda.
UNICEF is one of the key partners supporting GoU to scale up nutrition interventions as outlined in the UNAP (Uganda Nutrition Action Plan). UNICEF supports planning, implementation and monitoring of nutrition actions at National and district levels.
UNICEF with support from the European Union under the DINU (Development Initiative for Northern Uganda) project is supporting an action focused on strengthening nutrition governance for improved nutrition outcomes for children and women in 15 districts of Northern Uganda (Moroto, Abim, Kaabong, Amudat, Napak, Pader, Moyo, Yumbe, Adjumani, Nebbi, Koboko, Omoro, Zombo, Otuke and Kole).
The joint UNICEF/EU Action (2018/2021) will contribute to the operationalization of the Uganda Nutrition Action Plan II (UNAP II) as well as the National Development Plan . Within this framework, UNICEF Uganda will strengthen the capacity of the Government of Uganda to facilitate multi-sectoral coordination and actions. This will be achieved by promoting a multi-stakeholder evidence-based dialogue aimed at increasing the level, effectiveness and efficiency of investments in priority nutrition actions.
The Joint UNICEF/EU action has 3 result areas;
Result 1. Improved capacity of multi-sectoral nutrition coordination structures at district level to coordinate, plan, cost, monitor and mobilize resources for nutrition actions
Result 2. Improved capacity of sectors - Health, Agriculture, Education, Water and Sanitation, and Gender and Social Development - to plan, budget, implement at scale and monitor nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions at district level
Result 3. Enhanced capacity of district governments to inform their programming based on data collection and analysis
Since February 2017, UNICEF has provided support to OPM through a consultant for day to day coordination of the UNAP implementation. Alot has been achieved in the areas of coordination and partnership, district-level support supervision and monitoring, policy development, district action planning, learning and experience sharing at national and district level and development of capacity building tools for nutrition governance, among other achievements. The consultant also has to be very instrumental in providing technical support to the 15 DINU districts to develop Multi-sectoral Nutrition action Plans at district, subcounty, minicipal, Town council/Division levels . While this support has resulted into strengthening of the UNAP secretariat functions, an additional eleven months engagement is still required to further strength the role of the UNAP Secretariat, as per mandate. For 2019 going forward , the UNAP secretariat is tasked with facilitating the process of finalization and implementation of the new policy and strategic plan (UNAP II ) and given the limited Human resource within the secretariat, this calls for continued technical assistance to the department of Strategic Coordination and Implementation at OPM to move the nutrition forward .
To be able to deliver on the 3 results above at national and local government level will require additional technical assistance to the Office of the Prime Minister. UNICEF proposes to recruite an individual consultant to support the process.
Key Tasks:
1. Support and facilitate National level multi-sectoral nutrition coordination efforts
2. Improved capacity of multi-sectoral nutrition coordination structures at district level to coordinate, plan, cost, monitor and mobilize resources for nutrition actions
3. Improved capacity of sectors - Health, Agriculture, Education, Water and Sanitation, and Gender and Social Development - to plan, budget, implement at scale and monitor nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions at district level
4 .0 Enhanced capacity of district governments to inform their programming based on data collection and analysis
Toqualify asan advocate for every child you will have…
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
The competencies required for this post are….
View our competency framework at
http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
Remarks:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
How to apply:
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization. To apply, click on the following link http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=523502