Niger: Nutrition Specialist, P3, Maradi/Niger

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children's rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world.

For every child,an advocate

Niger is characterized by some of the worst nutrition statistics in the world, and faced serious food and nutrition crises in 2005, 2010 and 2012. The last published national survey, conducted in August 2016, suggests a national prevalence of acute malnutrition of 10.3 per cent with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) prevalence of 1.9 per cent. GAM and SAM are especially pronounced among infants and young children aged 6-23 months old, signifying the importance of intrauterine retardation, non-optimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices and infectious diseases playing major role than only the common believe that food insecurity is the only/major driver of undernutrition in children in Niger.

Niger has also been involved in management of conflict affected population (refugees) of neighboring countries (Nigeria and Mali). As of February 2015, the humanitarian situation in Niger, especially in Diffa region, bordering Nigeria, has significantly changed, linked to Boko Haram related insecurity. Prevalence in three of five refugee camps in Tillabery and Tahoua regions (Abala, Tabarbarey and Mangaïzé camps) and two sparsely populated nomadic districts of Diffa suggest heightened vulnerability with reported rates above the critical threshold (>15 per cent GAM).

Currently there is expanded program for treatment of acute malnutrition, delivered through about 1000 health facilities throughout the country, reporting admission of over 350,000 children, on yearly basis for the past 5 years. While program expansion and quality has been encouraging there remain major challenges in the treatment program mainly related to supply chain management and progressively decreasing financial resources.

Current momentum in the country is conducive to program both lifesaving emergency nutrition interventions as well as linkages to medium and long-term preventive interventions. UNICEF has been supporting the Government in addressing undernutrition at the strategic level during the development of the first ever multisectoral nutrition security for Niger and its action plan; in addition UNICEF supports direct multisectoral approaches in the field often jointly with other UN agencies or other development partners.

For more information, please visit our webpage: https://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/niger.html

How can you make a difference?

Accountable for formulation, design, planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation of Nutrition project(s) to ensure overall efficiency and effectiveness of the project management, delivery and accomplishment of project goals and objectives.

Accountable for ensuring that all aspects of the Nutrition project/programme promote gender equality, and for collaborating to mainstream key features across all related sectors of the country programme.

This will involve:

1. Timely sectoral analysis, input, support and collaboration to the Situation Analysis and its periodic update made for effective project planning, development and management.

2. Knowledge management effectively promoted through drafting/finalizing key Nutrition sectoral programme documents and reports, sharing good practice, lessons learned, and ensuring knowledge/information exchange.

3. Quality of rights-based, gender-sensitive Nutrition projects/programmes effectively promoted, and coherence, synergy and value added to project management process through results-based management.

4. Sectoral work plan and activities formulated, implemented and monitored, ensuring alignment with the defined project strategies and approaches, with special attention to gender/sex disaggregated data or relevant indicators.

5. Project delivery, evaluation and reporting carried out efficiently, rigorously and transparently in compliance with the established guidelines and procedures.

6. UNICEF’s global goals effectively promoted through advocacy and policy dialogue in the Nutrition sector.

7. Proper and timely UNICEF and Government accountability ensured regarding supply and non-supply assistance as well as disbursement of programme funds for the Nutrition sector.

8. Effective communication and networking achieved through partnership and collaboration, ensuring that gender-specific feature and requite issues are highlighted.

Within the delegated authority and under the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be assigned the primarily, shared, or contributory accountabilities for all or part of the following areas of major duties and key end-results.

1. Project Planning, Development and Management.

Enhance effective project, sectoral or inter-sectoral planning, development and management by leading, guiding, coordinating and supporting the timely completion of the Situational Analysis and its periodic update through accurate and complete monitoring and analysis, addressing gender inequality and determinants of gender equality; ensure the timely preparation or finalization of sectoral input.

2. Knowledge Management.

Further promote knowledge management by drafting or finalizing sectoral documents and reports such as the Country Programme Recommendation and Plans of Action as well as through orientation and training programmes targeted to Government authorities. Ensure exchange of knowledge, information, experience or lessons learned; provides solid technical recommendations on major programme directions and on introduction of new initiatives in the country.

3. Rights-Based Projects through Results-Based Approach.

Promote the quality of rights-based Nutrition projects and programmes through participation in the formulation of programme/project goals, strategies and approaches, especially those that increase gender equality. Bring coherence, synergy and added value to sectoral or project management processes using a gender-sensitive, results-based management approach to planning and design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

4. Sectoral Work Plan Development, Implementation, and Monitoring.

Takes primary responsibility for the development of the sectoral work plan and technical decisions as well as for project management, implementation and monitoring of assigned project/sectoral activity, in compliance with the defined project strategies and approaches, with an emphasis on promoting a shared understanding and approach to reducing gender inequalities and achieving gender mainstreaming.

Ensure the appropriateness of financial, administrative and supply documentation; verify that Nutrition project expenditures are within allotments and that data is consistent with the project information and database (e.g., Vision). Follow up on queries or initiate corrective action on discrepancies.

5. Project Delivery, Evaluation and Reporting.

Ensure project, sectoral or inter-sectoral efficiency and delivery through a rigorous and transparent approach to evaluation. Participate in major evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sector review meetings with government counterparts, ensuring that quantitative and qualitative lessons learned in gender equality in nutrition are included as a standard feature. Ensure the preparation of annual Nutrition sector status reports.

6. Promotion of UNICEF’s Global Goals

Promote the organization goals of UNICEF through advocacy and policy dialogue through active engagement in communication, networking and participation at every opportunity inside and outside UNICEF, leveraging the strength of UNICEF mission, goals and programmes and focusing on the contributions of gender equality in achieving these goals.

7. UNICEF and Government Accountability.

Coordinates with Operations and Supply staff on supply and non-supply assistance activities ensuring proper and timely UNICEF and Government accountability. Certifies disbursements of funds, monitors and submits financial status reports to management in compliance with the regulations and guidelines.

8. Communication, Collaboration, Networking and Partnership.

• Ensure exchange of information, experience, identify new strategies and courses of action to accelerate/improve delivery of services and achieve Nutrition programme requirements and objectives. Conduct field visits to monitor programmes and conduct periodic programme reviews with Government counterparts and other partners, employing qualitative as well as quantitative gender sensitive monitoring methods as useful.

• Collaborate with Communication and Programme Communication groups to ensure development of effective communication materials and strategies to support advocacy and social mobilization efforts.

• Coordinate with Regional Advisers and HQ Officers. Collaborate with other Project or Programme Officers to ensure the integration of the project/sectoral programme with other sectors, ensuring that interventions to reduce gender inequalities are mainstreamed across the sectors.

• Collaborate with the Operations and Supply Sections and Government authorities to establish and maintain sound internal controls supportive of Nutrition project or sectoral planning and implementation, to coordinate financial and supply management requirements as well as to ensure accountability.

• Interact with Government and other partners, NGOs, UN and bilateral agencies in the different stages of Health programme/project implementation to follow up on agreements and recommendations. Provide technical support and guidance on appropriate technical, financial and institutional capacity building measures to achieve Nutrition programme goals.

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Our core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

Functional Competencies

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds 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=506739