Niger: Advocacy Activities Consultant - Niger

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Contract length: 10 days

The role

Niger is one of the countries of the Sahelo-Saharan zone where the prevalence of malnutrition is the highest, according to the nation-wide survey on the nutritional status of children led by the National Institute of Statistics in 2015:

• The prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) according to the weight-for-height index at the national level was 15% for children aged 6-59 months. As the emergency threshold for GAM has been set at 15% by the World Health Organization, Niger is already in a situation of emergency. This prevalence rate is close to that of 2014 (14.8%) and significantly higher than that recorded in 2013 (13.3%).
• Regarding the rate of severe acute malnutrition (SAM), it was estimated at 4.5 percent, well above the rates recorded in 2014 (2.7%) and 2013 (2.6%), and exceeds the 2 percent emergency threshold in all regions of Niger. The country is therefore in an emergency situation.
• With a national rate of 46.4%, chronic malnutrition (6-59 months) as it is experiencing a slight decrease but remains high.

In Niger, the treatment of acute malnutrition is based on a National Protocol implemented in health facilities (local health centers, districts, and hospitals of the Ministry of Public Health) erected in "CRENAM - CRENAS - CRENI".

However, the implementation of national nutrition care protocol is still largely based on humanitarian organizations that support almost all of the resources both human and financial structures in charge of the care of malnutrition.

Despite this disturbing context it disputed a low integration of nutritional activities within State structures.

Since 2005, Save the Children has supported the most vulnerable populations of the three Eastern regions of Zinder, Maradi and Diffa in their continuing combat against malnutrition. In fact, since 2014 Save the Children, in partnership with ECHO-Nut and SUN Alliances, have been conducting an advocacy campaign with the Government, parliamentarians, local authorities and local residents in order to improve the care of malnutrition.

The aim of this campaign was to persuade them of the need for their involvement in order to promote the participation and budget contributions by municipalities and districts to address malnutrition. This has resulted in a series of political information-awareness meetings, as well as dialogues at local and national levels. All this was supported by research which enabled us to identify the underlying problems related to the nutrition theme and to formulate relevant recommendations.

To permit our actions to cover this Research-Action-Advocacy on the issues of health and nutrition that Save the Children has conducted a number of studies and analyses. These relate in particular to:

• the integrated management of acute malnutrition (IMAM);
• the human resource requirements for the care of acute malnutrition;
• the multi-sectoral integration of nutrition;
• budget analysis of the annual action plan of the Ministry of Health.

Our aim is to develop a set of messages structured around the results of these analyses in order to support all our advocacy actions on nutrition.

SCI-Niger requires the services of a very experienced consultant whose responsibility will be to develop the key messages on the basis of the above studies.

1 Overall objectives of the activity:

Develop key messages on the basis of the results of the various analyses-studies conducted by SCI Niger in the nutrition sector.

III. Specific responsibilities

To achieve this overall objective, a few specific activities are planned to be conducted by the consultant:

1 Analyze the study reports in coordination with the National Advocacy Officer and with the technical support of the Child Rights Governance Advisor of SCI Niger. 2 Develop convincing and realistic messages on the basis of these tools to enable SCI Niger to effectively support its advocacy activities in favor of nutrition. 3 Provide technical expertise to the advocacy and communication teams of SCI Niger for the effective use of these messages.

1 Results expected

For this consultancy, the expected results are:

• Realistic and convincing key messages developed on the basis of the documents provided by SCI Niger in order to ensure/encourage convincing results in its advocacy efforts to promote good nutrition in Niger.

• A document providing guidance for efficient use of the key messages.

  1 Work environment:

The consultant (s) will work under the supervision of the Adviser on governance of the rights of the child of SCI Niger during the whole period he will pass to the SCI Niger service which will be ten days (10 calendar days). If necessary he/she will have support from the information-communication team at the Niger office.

Contractual arrangements:

• The consultant should seek formal approval of SCI Niger before hiring any other consultant, potential provider of additional services;

• The fees of the consultant will be paid as follows:

  • 25% on the signing of the contract
  • 75% after transmission of the deliverables

• NB: the financial proposal must include 16% of the total amount for consultants' taxes in Niger.

Qualifications and experience

Highly experienced in research and analysis of public health policies, he/she must:

• At relevant higher degree in the areas of expertise desired such as medicine, public health, epidemiology or other social sciences (demography, sociology and related disciplines) ;
• Good capacity for analysis and synthesis;
• A minimum of 3 years of experience in research and monitoring-study of health projects;
• Experience in the process of developing and/or implementing strategic health and nutrition documents at the country level or international;
• Significant experience in the studies management in the field of development in general and health especially for the account of SCI or other international organizations;
• Significant experience of advocacy and communication for development initiatives;
• Knowledge of cross-cutting themes such as gender and human rights in general and especially those of the children;
• Excellent writing and communication capacities in French;
• Knowledge of English would be an advantage;
• Work experience with SCI would be an asset.

We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

To see a full a job description, please visit our website at www.savethechildren.net/jobs

Please apply in English or French using your CV and covering letter as a single document, including your salary expectations for this role.

Application Email: Please apply with a covering letter and up-to-date CV to: 'Fsy.81198.3830@savethechildrenint.aplitrak.com'