Nutrition Officer (Outposted to SADC), Temporary Appointment for 364 Days, Gaborone, Botswana, ESARO At United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

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, hope!

For more information about our programme, please visit our website:www.unicef.org/esaro/

How can you make a difference?

1. Support the Directorate Social and Human Development (SHD) in undertaking substantive technical work on Nutrition

• Provide technical and strategic input to the Directorate SHD pertaining to the design and implementation of the SADC nutrition-related projects, programmes and activities including relevant advocacy initiatives.
• In collaboration with UNICEF, support adoption and monitor the implementation of nutrition programmes and policies for  overweight prevention, maternal nutrition, school age/adolescent and early childhood nutrition (focusing on complementary feeding and standards for national laws on the Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes) including large scale food fortification and multiple micronutrient supplementation; decision on full institutionalization and scale up of integrated management of acute malnutrition; and guidance for school nutrition policies.
• Provide technical support and facilitation for the implementation of the SADC Food and Nutrition Security Strategy (2015-2025) and of the SADC-UNICEF action plan for nutrition 2023-2025.
• Coordinate with relevant SADC Sectors/bodies and Directorates SADC Secretariat engaged or involved with the implementation of the RISDP 2020-2030, particularly Health, Agriculture, Industrial Development and Trade, WASH and Education.
• Coordinate inter-linked and cross-cutting areas relevant to the nutrition focus area, including climate change.
• Monitor policy, financing, and evidence developments on nutrition at regional and international level.
• Provide support on additional assignments related to the core role on Nutrition within the Directorate SHD as agreed and guided by both the Director and UNICEF ESARO, on the understanding that these additional tasks do not interfere with the accomplishment of the core Nutrition assignments.
• Strengthen coordination mechanisms by assessing the effectiveness of the existing national and sub-national fortification coordination and oversight structures in the Member States.

2. Support and service the Meetings and other relevant events of the Health Ministerial and Senior Official Levels, Technical and Steering Committee, Member State hosted meetings and events on Nutrition, training sessions, meetings in other SADC Platforms including in other SADC directorates as well as UNICEF and external meetings.

• Prepare the necessary nutrition-related documents required for various regular SADC meetings including agenda, discussion papers and drafting reports.
• Act as a resource person and facilitator on Nutrition at meetings and trainings, with guidance   from Director SHD and SPO Health and Nutrition.
• Assist the host organisation and/or sectoral/cluster chair in preparing for meetings and/or other special events.
• Participate in meetings related to Nutrition of the SADC directorates of Agriculture, Education, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Industrial Development and Trade; help position nutrition within these directorates.
• Participate in external meetings relevant to nutrition, such as UNICEF ESARO nutrition section weekly meetings, monthly ESARO-country office calls, UNICEF Nutrition Network Meeting, UNICEF-hosted monthly partners’ meetings, African Union Commission and other nutrition partner’s meetings that supports implementation of SADC nutrition priorities.

3. Support the relevant bodies of the SADC Community

• Provide necessary support in the implementation of relevant decisions / follow-up requirements from Ministers of Health and other SADC Sectoral Ministerial Committee related to Nutrition.
• Coordinate and/or collaborate with other relevant bodies/directorates for harmonised or complementary activities related to nutrition.
• Convene the Annual Food and Nutrition Steering Committee jointly with Food and Agriculture and Natural Resources directorate (FANR).

4. Assist in producing SADC publications on nutrition and to populate the SADC Nutrition Report and scorecard

• Take the lead in preparing the update of the and Nutrition Profiles and SADC Nutrition
• report, to be published annually in collaboration with the Member States, UNICEF, WHO, WFP and FAO.
• Liaise with SADC Member States, UNICEF, WHO and FAO to populate the SADC Accountability scorecard for Nutrition and to package the information for advocacy, high level meetings, publications, and reports.
• Promote stronger linkages between food security and nutrition data collection instruments including Regional Vulnerability Assesments and Analysis and SARCOF in collaboration with the Agriculture and Disaster Risk Reduction Divisions.
• Assist in producing and obtaining endorsement for various joint publications on nutrition with UN agencies and other SADC partners, including training package on Public Finance for Nutrition, guidance, tools, research, advocacy materials, reports, and others.

5. Provide technical support on large scale food fortification programming to SADC member states focusing on government engagement and advocacy, coordination, guidance development and monitoring and enforcement.

• Conduct quarterly food fortification coordination meetings with regional partners to facilitate adoption and acceleration of SADC food fortification standards in SADC member states.
• Support convening of SADC member states for large scale food fortification learning and capacity building events organized by various regional partners including UNICEF.
• Take lead in conducting and updating the food fortification situational analysis in SADC member states.

Key Expected Results

The task deliverables will be applied during the duration of the assignment.

Indicative final flagship results include the following:

1. Annual nutrition reports and nutrition scorecard
2. Reports on the domestication of SADC nutrition frameworks with the following breakdown:

• At least 8 SADC Member States adapting and adopting action framework for complementary feeding
• At least 12 SADC Member States with large Food Fortification National Standards and Regulations aligned to SADC minimum Standards.
• At least 8 Member States adopting the Maternal Nutrition Framework
• At least 5 Member States with Code revisions that include the WHA 69.9 recommendations.
• At least 6 Member States pursuing at least one policy/legislative measure for overweight prevention
• At least 8 Member States pursuing two or more focus areas on nutrition of school age children and adolescents

3. A set of regional guidance on nutrition of school age children/adolescents and overweight prevention is produced
4. A SADC position on use of MMS as the micronutrient supplement of choice for pregnant and breastfeeding women is adopted
5. A SADC decision on mainstreaming and scale up of treatment of wasting is adopted
6. SADC Ministers of Health flagship projects and decisions implemented such as the SADC Centre of Excellence for Nutrition.
7. Evidence of nutrition mainstreamed across sectors specifically Health, Agriculture, Education, Social Welfare, DRR, and WASH.
8. Regional Concepts on Food systems and social Protection for nutrition developed and advocacy sessions held with Member states.
9. Advocacy and capacity opportunities created on public financing for nutrition for the Member States.
10. Advocacy briefs and support to government engagement mechanisms to promote and encourage the uptake of large-scale food fortification and compliance with regulations and standards for SADC Member States.

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

Nationality: Applicants must be nationals of any SADC Member State.

Education:

University Degree in nutrition. Advanced degree is an added advantage.

Experience:

• At least two (2) years’ experience with proven record of accomplishment and exposure dealing with nutrition programmes, in development and humanitarian settings across the life cycle especially on infant and young child feeding, food fortification, maternal nutrition, overweight prevention and nutrition of school-age children and adolescents at the policy, evidence, advocacy, and programme levels.
• 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 working with international or intergovernmental organizations or Governments

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English (spoken and written). French or Portuguese an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates from diversified background are encouraged to apply.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY