Nutrition and Child Health Expert

DAI works at the cutting edge of international development, combining technical excellence, professional project management, and exceptional customer service to solve our clients’ most complex problems. Since 1970, DAI has worked in 150 developing and transition countries, providing comprehensive development solutions in areas including crisis mitigation and stability operations, democratic governance and public sector management, agriculture and agribusiness, private sector development and financial services, economics and trade, HIV/AIDS, avian influenza control, water and natural resources management, and energy and climate change. Clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and host-country governments.

1. Project Background:

The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Program is a cross-ministry and multi-donor program to reduce stunting in Zambia. The National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC) implements SUN as part of the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) 1,000 Most Critical Days Program.  SUN 2.0, the second phase of the program, has three major components: (1) Pooled Multi-Donor SUN Fund, (2) SUN Technical Assistance (SUN TA), and (3) SUN Learning and Evaluation. Working in parallel with the SUN Fund, the USAID/Zambia SUN TA program will provide support and direct technical assistance to sub-national local government officials in target districts to plan, implement, coordinate, and monitor integrated nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific activities to significantly reduce the rate of stunting among Zambian children under two.

USAID has identified two main objectives that address stunting, including (1) Adequate Quantity and Quality of Dietary Intake among Target Groups; and (2) Adequate Health Conditions for Biological Utilization of Nutrients. SUN TA interventions will increase access and availability of safe, diverse, nutritious food; adoption of better child feeding habits and household hygiene practices; and access to improved health, water and sanitation services. The project will prioritize sustainability by improving intra-household joint decision making and building capacity of local government and their stakeholders to ensure coordination, accountability, and learning, following the Scaling Up Nutrition model.

2. Location: Lusaka, Zambia, with frequent in-country travel

3. Objective:

The Nutrition and Child Health Expert will be responsible for the overall strategy development and implementation of the nutrition and behavior change activities and will provide technical support to achieve expected results. S/he will provide cross-cutting, strategic, and program implementation direction and management to promote demand for key SUN interventions at community and household level, while supporting sub-national government counterparts in meeting the demand generated. The Expert will work closely with the WASH Expert and Smallholder Livelihoods Expert to ensure a comprehensive integrated approach to meet the program objectives of reducing stunting. The Expert is also expected to work closely with the monitoring and evaluation team to ensure progress is being achieved towards program targets. S/he will establish and maintain close and effective liaison with relevant ministry and government officials, partners and country stakeholders to facilitate flow of information concerning research, policies, and programs and to stay abreast of current trends.

4. Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Serve as a key member of the technical leadership team in guiding the effective activity implementation and achievement of nutrition and child health objectives.
• Provide technical leadership, oversight, and capacity development for nutrition components of the project, ensuring linkages with other project components.
• Work with national and provincial (20% focus) and district and ward-level (80% focus) counterparts to develop annual work plans, coordinating with M&E team on indicators and target development.
• Provide TA to national and provincial (20% focus) and district and ward-level (80%) counterparts to support work plan implementation on nutrition and child health, including proper feeding practices, importance of good nutrition in pregnancy, breastfeeding, minimum adequate diet, dietary diversity, safe weaning food preparation, health facility well-baby/growth monitoring visits, and promotion and increased consumption of nutritious foods.
• In partnership with other key staff, establish and maintain positive relationships with project co-implementers; government ministries and departments, particularly the District -level Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Welfare, NGOs working in the area, and other key stakeholders.
• Attend partner coordination meetings as appropriate. Ensure that activities are coordinated with relevant stakeholders, including communities.
• Identify areas for additional TA from consortium partners.
• Coordinate with Field TA Manager and field teams to identify where DI assistance is required and work with the Grants and DI Manager to formulate a request.
• In collaboration with the technical and MEL teams, participate in analyzing and disseminating evidence to promote policy reforms that lead to improved nutrition outcomes at all levels.
• Other tasks as may be assigned by the Deputy Chief of Party for successful achievement of nutrition objectives.

5. Reporting and Supervision:

The Nutrition and Child Health Expert directly reports to the DCOP in activity implementation and management.

6. Qualifications

• A minimum of MSc/Master’s in Human Nutrition, international health, reproductive health;
• 10-15 years of progressive experience with increasing responsibility focused on integrated programming of human nutrition, child health, early childhood development, health communication, and promotion;
• 7-10 years of progressive experience in providing technical expertise to government(s) to reduce stunting, particularly in the areas of care, treatment, and prevention of malnutrition;
• Proven ability to interpret scientific studies, operations research and cost-benefit analysis and apply lessons to reach objectives; this will include using relevant data for advocacy on integration of high-impact practices at all levels of implementation;
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to adapt communication styles to a range of audiences, including professional and community stakeholders;
• Previous supervisory experience strongly preferred; and
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

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