Job no: 534915
Contract type: Consultancy
Level: Consultancy
Location: Rwanda
Categories: Nutrition
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Background
Stunting is still unacceptably high (35% of under 5 years old children ) and a major challenge affecting early childhood development in Rwanda. The Government of Rwanda through the National Early Childhood Development Program (NECDP) and other sector ministries and institutions that contribute to the provision of ECD services and different partners, have been implementing different interventions to reduce stunting. However, these efforts need to be strengthened to accelerate the reduction of stunting in order to achieve the National Strategy for Transformation (NST 1) set goal by 2024 to reduce stunting among children under 5 years old to 19%. Therefore, utilization of child scorecard is one innovative way that is going to help to accelerate the reduction of stunting through strengthened monitoring mechanism.
Child scorecard is a new and individualized tool that helps to monitor key measurements and interventions missed/received by both pregnant mothers and young children in the period of first 1,000 days of life. Scaling up the use of the child scorecard aimed to address the following 3 overall sets of stunting drivers/gaps in Rwanda identified through an assessment conducted in 4 districts last year.
– Limited understanding of stunting across some stakeholders
– Lack of tracking of all interventions targeting children at an individualized level
– Limited data usage and collaboration to drive evidence-based preventive actions at each level.
It will also be used as a diagnostic tool and a basis for counselling sessions to the parent/caregiver to drive behavior change and awareness, but also a unified tracking tools of information at child level to track individual child and proper application of interventions and provide a consolidated overview of the main areas to be addressed. It also strengthens the feedback loop whereby health and nutrition data are discussed by key stakeholders; gaps are identified, and solutions and guidance are provided on time to accelerate the prevention and reduction of stunting and enable children to achieve their full potential developmental growth. This approach of using child scorecard will facilitate data gathering and analysis for evidence-based and forward-looking intervention planning for stunting prevention.
From November 2019, NECDP and its partners started piloting this child scorecard in one village in Nyabibu District and the results are promising. Consequently, this model is now being scaled up to an entire sector to refine the proof of concept. The plan is to scale up the child scorecard model across the country.
Justification
The proposed consultancy will contribute to AWP activity 2.1.6 Support to Nutrition M&E as the child scorecard is a tool to track progress on access to different services as well as nutrition-related behaviors in individual families with young children. Consequently, this will allow caregivers and service providers to monitor and follow up each individual child leading to better access to services, improved nutrition behavior and, ultimately, better nutrition.
Objectives
Overall objective
The overall objective of this technical assistance is to strengthen the coordination and execution team scaling up the utilization of the nutrition child scorecard to monitor all interventions in line with stunting prevention received by under 2 children across the country and support the overall NECDP M&E using the MIS system as well.
Specific objectives
• Bring technical expertise to NECDP team on nutrition planning, M&E and innovative tools to monitor interventions received by targeted beneficiaries in the community
• Build capacity of community health workers and local leaders (mentorship, supportive supervision, training and oversight) for new and innovative tools to monitor health and nutrition interventions and strengthen data use in preventing and reducing stunting
• Coordinate the expansion of the stunting-free model using child scorecard in selected districts focusing on the child with tracking tools and awareness initiatives to empower caretakers and local stakeholders to find local solutions.
• Ensure the implementation of the program, gather and share all relevant data and foster cooperation amongst all actors
• Setup feedback loops between the village, cell, sector, districts and line Ministries to drive timely and evidence-based monitoring, solution finding and response
• Promote data usage and transparency across all pillars and lead the integration and digitalization of child scorecard to reduce the workload to the CHWs and accelerate data gathering where appropriate data
• Coordinate the process evaluation to continuously assess and improve the model and plan for possible impact assessment analysis for the project
Work Assignment
This technical assistance is expected to scale up effective planning, implementation and coordination of prioritized nutrition interventions with emphasis on stunting prevention and reduction interventions through the expansion and digitalization of the utilization of the child scorecard in selected districts and coordinate formal impact assessment of its utilization.
The technical assistance is expected to undertake the following activities listed deliverables:
• Provide technical support to the NECDP for planning, delivery and coordination of prioritized nutrition actions at the national, district, sector, cell and village level related to the scale up and digitalization of the utilization of the child scorecard
• Produce a detailed design and implementation plan to scale up the child score card in assigned districts
• Map nutrition interventions and stakeholders in assigned districts
• Coordinate the process of fine-tuning the model based on feedback from villages/cells/sectors/districts where the child score card is being implemented and different national level stakeholders to come up with the most integrated and efficient model
• Coordinate cascade trainings targeting ToTs, local leaders and CHWs in the assigned districts
• Assess and leverage the existing platforms such as Parents’ Group to build joint accountability on stunting prevention and reduction in their community and help reinforce positive behavior using all tools required to scale up the child scorecard
• Assist in aggregating all data collection instruments that CHWs must use and their workflows to determine the optimal way to reduce their workload and digitize the data collection
• Advise and support the integration and digitalization process of the child score card to reduce the workload to the CHWs and improve the availability and quality of community-based data in coordination with the Maternal, Child, and Community Health (MCCH) Division’s project to digitalize CHW’s workflow
• Strengthen feedback loops by incorporating the child scorecard into current planning processes and encourage discussion of nutrition data in different meetings and forums from village to district level and national level
• Coordinate M&E activities to continuously assess and improve the utilization of the child scorecard including process evaluation and formal impact assessment and enhance continuous learning
• Perform analyses using the NECDP Management Information System (MIS) and suggest improvements to the data visualization
• Engage other government and non-government stakeholders in the use and improvement of the NECDP MIS
• Any other relevant tasks needed by the NECDP to support the advancement of the stated objectives.
Deliverables
1. Detailed implementation plan for the scale up of the child scorecard available
2. Cascade trainings on the child scorecard in assigned districts are conducted and training report is available
3. The child scorecard is reflected in ongoing CHW digitalization activities
4. The child scorecard is reflected into planning processes at all levels (community to national)
5. Child scorecard process evaluation and impact assessment is conducted and report available
6. The NECDP MIS system is improved, including terms of visualization of data and relevance for planning, building on inputs from all relevant stakeholders
Evaluation Criteria
The Technical proposal is weighted at 70% and 30% for the Financial proposal.
Please note that the final remuneration will be negotiated by HR.
General Conditions: Procedures & Logistics
The technical assistants will be based at the NECDP under supervision of the Nutrition Department as well as the Coordinator of the NECDP and collaborate closely with the NECDP team and other stakeholders supporting the project. The NECDP will facilitate the TAs to be integrated into all the other sectors and stakeholders concerned.
Desired competencies, technical background and experience
• Master’s degree in public health or Nutrition with a bachelor’s degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Social Sciences or similar.
• At least 5 years’ experience working with multi-stakeholder platforms and processes, or other complex collaboration platforms across sectors
• Experience in evaluation of program related to nutrition, maternal and child health
• Experience in developing, implementing health, nutrition and M&E tools is an asset
• Experience to work with different GoR Ministries such as MINISANTE, MINEDUC, MINALOC, MIGEPROF, MINAGRI and MINEMA is an added value
• Excellent communication, analytical and writing skills
• Fluency in oral and written English, French is required.
• Fluency in Kinyarwanda is an added advantage.
How to Apply
UNICEF is committed to gender equality in its mandate and its staff. Well qualified candidates, particularly females are strongly encouraged to apply.
Interested candidates should send their complete Personal History (P11) form, which can be downloaded form (http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/P11.doc). or a CV/resume, as well as a cover letter explaining what makes them suitable for this consultancy. The application package should be submitted to UNICEF’s online recruitment system.
Qualified and experienced candidates are requested to submit a letter of interest including a Technical Proposal outlining a road map for review and implementation timeline. In their letter of interest, candidates should highlight their previous work experience relevant to the assignment, the attributes that make them suitable, their proposed approach to the assignment.
Only successful candidates from the technical evaluation exercise will be contacted and requested to submit their most competitive Financial Proposal.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
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.
Advertised: South Africa Standard Time
Deadline: South Africa Standard Time
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