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Background and Justification

The Government of Burundi recognizes that adequate nutrition is a prerequisite for human growth and development and it has shown high-level political commitment towards addressing all forms of malnutrition as demonstrated in various strategic documents such as the Vision of Burundi as an Emerging Country in 2040 and a Developed Country in 2060, Burundi’s National Development Plan (NDP 2018-2027), the Nutrition Strategic Plan 2019-2023, the second generation of the Multisectoral Strategic Plan for Food Security and Nutrition (PSMSAN II, 2019- 2023) and Vision 2025.

The overall purpose of this assignment is to conduct a comprehensive landscape analysis of the nutrition of school-age children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years in Burundi, identifying systemic gaps, trends, and opportunities across policies, programs, data sources, stakeholder engagement, and the school food and nutrition environment.

The objectives of the study are to:

1. Analyse available data sources to understand the nutritional status of school-age children and adolescents, disaggregating the data across demographic factors to identify trends and gaps.
2. Collect and analyze data on dietary intake and school-age children and adolescents’ knowledge and attitudes on nutrition to inform targeted interventions and policies.
3. Collect and analyze data to better understand the status of school food and nutrition environments including food availability and affordability.
4. Review and evaluate existing policies, legislation, and programs including youth-led initiatives aimed at malnutrition prevention among school-age children and adolescents, identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement.
5. Identify key stakeholders across relevant sectors involved in malnutrition prevention efforts, mapping out their roles and influence to facilitate collaboration and collective action.
6. Estimate the total cost of recommended interventions to improve the nutrition of school-age children and adolescents.

Expected results

The outcome of the assignment will guide the development and implementation of policies and programmes aimed at improving the nutrition of school-age children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years in Burundi. Additionally, findings will provide the necessary evidence to update the multisectoral nutrition and food security strategy, ensuring it is more attuned to the specific nutritional needs of school-age children and adolescents.

The consultant is expected to produce the following key deliverables:

• Inception Report: Design the approach for data collection and analysis including relevant tools, implementation plan and key stakeholders to be involved. Relevant and available global protocols and guidance meant for this age group should be used and adapted to the Burundi context. Data collection tools should be included in the inception report.
• Stakeholder Meetings: With the support of UNICEF Burundi CO, organize bilateral meetings (in person preferred) with various stakeholders including the Ministry of Health/National Integrated Food and Nutrition Programme, and Ministry of Education. Seek stakeholders’ feedback on the inception report and engage with them in validating findings, and refining the study purpose, including the scope of primary data collection. Finalize the inception report by incorporating feedback.
• Draft Landscape Analysis Report: Conduct the landscape analysis and compile a draft report (including all aspects detailed in the TORs). Present the draft report to the technical team for input and formulation of key recommendations. Recommendations should also encompass suggestions for modifying data collection tools to address any gaps in the existing data.
• Draft School Food and Nutrition Environment Report: Production of a systems framework for action on the nutrition of children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years with a clear set of sector-specific recommendations for policy, programmes, and services and ways to address the evidence gaps.
• Draft Costing Report: A comprehensive report detailing the estimated total costs of recommended interventions (resulting from the landscape analysis and the school food and nutrition environment report) for school-age children and adolescents in Burundi, with a breakdown of resource requirements.
• Final combined report, PowerPoint presentations, advocacy brief, and infographics. Finalize the landscape analysis report, the school nutrition environment report, and the accompanied costing of recommended actions, while incorporating comments/changes suggested by the technical team. Prepare a presentation for the report, an advocacy brief with key asks/recommendations, and key action frameworks.
• Dissemination workshop: to UNICEF BCO, RO, and government stakeholders.

Payment Schedule

Minimum Qualifications required:

Masters in one of the following disciplines: Public Health, Nutrition, Public Policy. CVs of involved professionals should be made available upon submission of a technical proposal.

Work Experience

The consultant should have experience in quantitative and qualitative primary data collection, managing field workers including their training, literature review, and writing peer-reviewed articles in the field of public health nutrition, and childhood malnutrition prevention in low-income countries. Excellent documentation and report writing skills (in English and French) and the ability to work in a multicultural environment is necessary.

Experience working in ESAR Region, in school environments, and for UN agencies (especially UNICEF) will be considered an asset.

Specific requirements for the consultant:

Essential: Proficiency in English and French is required; experience of a minimum of 10 years in quantitative and qualitative research; field worker management, including training; releasing studies on childhood malnutrition prevention, policy, and programme design for the prevention of malnutrition; stakeholder engagement; intervention costing experience.

Desirable: Knowledge of school-age children and adolescent nutrition, and school nutrition environments.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

Administrative issues

• The contract will run for 12 months (120 billable days) and it is expected that the consultant will be paid for completed deliverables according to the timeframe stipulated in the TOR and under the proposed contractual arrangement.
• The Burundi Country Office will cover all costs associated with in-country stakeholder meetings and primary data collection.
• The focal point for this work will be the Nutrition Specialist SACA_N, Food Environment, OWO ESARO, with oversight from the Regional Advisor Nutrition.
• The consultant is expected to be home-based during the 1^st phase and required to be available as and when required during the working period 10 am to 4 pm Nairobi time. The consultant is expected to be available for scheduled weekly update meetings.
• The consultant is expected to travel to Burundi. Travel will be in economy class. If the consultant is required to quarantine while traveling, UNICEF ESARO will pay for the quarantine if not organized by the host country. Travel will be by the most economical fare and reimbursement will be as per UNICEF policy.
• The selected candidate is solely responsible for ensuring that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract.

Conditions

• The consultancy is based remotely. No office space or equipment will be provided by UNICEF and will be the sole responsibility of the consultant.
• The consultant is expected to use their IT equipment (laptop, cell phone, etc.), where operating communication costs – long-distance calls, internet if any should be part of the overall quoted fees (no reimbursement will be applied).
• As per UNICEF DFAM policy, payment is made against approved deliverables. No advance payment is allowed unless in exceptional circumstances against bank guarantee, subject to a maximum of 30 percent of the total contract value in cases where advance purchases, for example for supplies or travel, may be necessary.
• The candidate selected will be governed by and subject to UNICEF’s General Terms and Conditions for individual contracts.
• As per UNICEF DFAM policy, payment is made against approved deliverables. No advance payment is allowed unless in exceptional circumstances against bank guarantee, subject to a maximum of 30 percent of the total contract value in cases where advances purchases, for example for supplies or travel, may be necessary.
• Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.
• Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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 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.
• Consultants are responsible for determining and meeting their tax or duty liabilities in accordance with local or other applicable laws. UNICEF does not issue statements of earnings to consultants.

How to apply

Qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter, CV or P11 form, their technical proposals, and a writing sample to the online recruitment portal (Talent Management System) or email provided.

Interested candidates to indicate their ability, availability, and rate (daily/monthly) expressed in US$ for international consultants or KES for national consultants to undertake the terms of reference. The fees should be inclusive of other costs incurred such as travel/return ticket, VISA, and subsistence allowances for international consultants who will be based in Nairobi.

Applications submitted without a fee/ rate will not be considered.

Remarks: 

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

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions, or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterward in your assignment.

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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible for ensuring that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.