Nutrition and Retail Consultant (CST Level I), RBDakar

Nutrition and Retail Consultant (CST Level I), RB Dakar

🚩 Vacancy Announcement n°: 827902

📢 Job Title: Advocacy Officer (Consultant level I)

✨ Contract type and Grade: Regular Consultant (Full time)

📧 Duration: 11 months

✅ Unit / Division: Nutrition unit

📍 Duty Station: Regional Bureau Dakar, Senegal

⏰ Closing date: 05 July 2023

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles. Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance. Female Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), a highly prestigious, reputable & world’s largest humanitarian organization, operates in more than 120 countries and territories, bringing life-saving assistance in emergencies, building pathways to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change and supporting sustainable and resilient livelihoods for a world with zero hunger. At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do, and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high-performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: UN World Food Programme (WFP), and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

The Regional Bureau Dakar (RBD) provides policy guidance, technical support, and oversight for operations in 19 countries west and central Africa where WFP’s efforts contribute towards the eradication of hunger and malnutrition.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

In West and Central Africa, several factors threaten the food security and nutritional status of the population, but especially of women and children under five. These include household food insecurity, conflicts and armed violence, population displacement, high levels of childhood illnesses and water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, fragile health systems, poor access to clean water and sanitation, and chronic poverty.

In May 2020, the number of food insecure people in the Central Sahel was estimated at 4,8 million, of which 1,6 million, or one third, in the Liptako Gourma area. The nutrition situation is equally worrying with an estimated number of 2,8 million wasted children, of which close to 40% in the Liptako Gourma area.

In this region, a combination of humanitarian, development and peacebuilding interventions are being implemented and complement each other. This nexus of short-term (emergency response) and medium-to long term programming (development approach) is essential to ensure the appropriate balance between emergency response to acute shocks and strengthening of systems so resilience of nations, systems, communities and populations to new future shocks is improved.

The CRIALCES – project (Réponse à la CRIse ALimentaire au CEntre Sahel : support nutritionnel et relèvement) aims to reverse the negative trend with regards to economic and job opportunities as well as the nutrition status of women and children in the targeted areas in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Building on existing initiatives, it will contribute to the sustainable development of food- and nutrition security in selected communities in order to reinforce their capacities to prevent and mitigate impact of disasters and crises. To reach these objectives, the CRIALCES – project will apply a food systems approach, reinforcing simultaneously the food production, preservation, processing and consumption of nutritious foods at local, decentralised and national levels.

In this project, WFP will apply its CBT-approach interacting directly with the retail sector. The project will benefit from relevant support from the different technical units in WFP Regional Bureau (RBD) e.g Smallholder Agricultural Market Support (SAMS) unit, Cash Based Transfers (CBT) unit and others and at WFP Headquarters (Nutrition, SCOT, etc.). The project also complements other nutrition interventions, using Specialised Nutritious Foods (SNF).

ACCOUNTABILITIES / RESPONSABILITIES

Under the supervision of the Regional Nutrition Officer (data and knowledge management), and in close coordination with relevant technical colleagues in RBD and WFP Country Offices (Monitoring, Evaluation, VAM, Nutrition, Budget and Programming Unit, Supply Chain, etc.), the Consultant will be responsible to oversee day–to-day details in the area of Nutrition & Retail, and Market-Based Nutrition Solutions, considering other interventions using SNF.

In close coordination with relevant technical colleagues in RBD and CO’s, the incumbent will:

Provide Support to Retail Supply Chains:

• Identify bottlenecks in the retail supply chain and propose improvements, including the quantification of investment required and the return on the investment
• Implement approved improvements working together with internal and external partners
• Conduct preparedness actions that enable cash-based assistance in emergencies
  • Standby agreements
  • Pre-positioning of emergency cash response equipment
  • Supporting emergency preparedness drills/simulations
• Contribute to pilot market development activities in coordination with other units (HQ/RB & COs) in particular in collaboration with SAMS, Supply Chain and other stakeholders, linking production units, smallholder farmers, retailers and to our beneficiaries
• Act as Nutrition & Retail focal person for WFP Western Africa Regional Bureau.

Understand and Influence Consumer Preferences to promote nutritious food choices

• Analyse monthly transactions from retailers to understand consumer preferences, considering market prices and non-affordability of a nutritious diet.
• Contribute to consumer and retail healthy diets perception analysis.

Track Non-Affordability of a nutritious diet: Situation Analysis & Intervention Modelling

Support all analysis related to the non-affordability of nutritious foods (based on initial FNG-analysis in the region) with the objective to enhance the food security and nutrition situation analyses and to improve integration of nutrition objectives into WFP-interventions. This includes, but is not limited to, following tasks:

• Adjust ongoing assessment and analysis work through Cost of Diet (CotD) analyses, including modelling scenarios and sub-national trend analysis
• Desk-based research to gather and review secondary data and information sources relevant to FNG analysis in order to provide a context-specific framework for interpretation of modelling- and trend analysis results (malnutrition characteristics, availability and access to food and nutrients, nutrient intake, qualitative information on barriers to nutrient intake and influencers of dietary practices for key target groups, market information, poverty and -food-assistance programmes, retail strategies, Social Behaviour Change Communication, etc.)
• Perform cross-cutting analysis around availability, access and affordability of nutritious foods, incl. on SNF, and impact on coverage of nutrition programmes.
• Act as FNG- focal point in RBD

Understand past, current and future use/needs of SNF in the region

1. Support analyses of Fortified Foods, including SNF and other needs to assist in the establishment of periodic dashboards, trend analysis and forecasts in the region.
2. Monitoring the resource pipeline for all modalities with a special emphasis on Fortified Foods, including Specialized Nutritious Foods (SNF) to maximize operational effectiveness, following standards and processes, and providing reports, dashboards allowing informed decision making by management.
3. Monitoring of fortified food stocks, including SNF at all stages of the Supply Chain (POs, High seas, overland; in country) against planned distributions to alert in case of absorption, BBD, or TDD issues.
4. Follow up and support discussions with UNICEF on prevention and treatment of wasting in the region.
5. Provide relevant inputs to different workstreams related to different strategies, incl. alternatives, for procurement of SNF.
6. Act as SNF-focal point in RBD.
7. Perform any other related activities as assigned by immediate supervisor.

Education:

You have

Advanced university degree (Master's degree equivalent, BAC+4/5), recognized by https://www.whed.net/home.php in statistics, social sciences, nutrition, public health, logistics, procurement, food technology, economics, business administration, international programme management or any other relevant field OR a first university degree (Bachelor's degree equivalent, BAC +3) in the same disciplines with additional years of experience.

Experience:

You have:

At least three (3) years of progressively responsible professional post-graduate experience in the area of Market-Based Nutrition Solutions such as cost of diet analysis, and affordability analysis in relation to market food monitoring.

Languages:

Fluency (level C in reading, writing and speaking) in English and French.

Knowledge & Skills requirements:

• Excellent writing, conceptual and analytical skills including the ability to present complex processes and issues clearly to a heterogeneous audience and in an actionable manner.

• Proficiency in advanced excel (and/or SPSS type software)
• Good communication, writing and facilitation skills;
• Understanding of cross-functional relationships and integrating priorities for successful collaboration.

• Ability to network and function well in a multi-cultural context and working with diverse teams.
• Willingness and ability to travel in difficult terrain with minimum amenities

Deadline for application: 05 July 2023

WFP Value Proposition

• Meaningful and impactful careers – Our day-to-day work makes a difference in the lives of the people we serve.
• Continuous learning and training – We provide learning tools for our staff to continually develop their careers.
• Multicultural and stimulating working environment – We encourage gender and cultural diversity to make our teams stronger.

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU APPLY

• All employment decisions are made based on organisational needs, job requirements, merit and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
• No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Join Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.
• Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply. WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
• Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance
• WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.
• WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to conduct such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination.
• All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore undergo rigorous background verification internally or through third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may lead to disqualification or termination of employment.

Special Notice on WFP RBD office relocation:

WFP and other UN Agencies will be moving to the new United Nations House, presently under construction in Diamniadio, 30 kilometres from downtown Dakar. The name of the duty station for this position will remain Dakar, Senegal.

Special recommendation

Before you apply, please confirm that

• You have the experience we are looking for
• You possess the academic requirements
• Your on-line profile and CV are correct, accurate and up to date, (your CV should include your employment history, academic qualifications, and language skills. Please avoid pictures and tables in your CV.

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