REACH, Renewed Efforts against Child Hunger and Undernutrition is a UN inter-agency partnership (FAO, UNICEF, WHO, WFP and IFAD) committed to building institutional capacity and facilitating a multi-sectoral process to help national governments plan, prioritize and manage more effectively nutrition actions among multiple stakeholders. REACH has a dual role of, a) facilitating and supporting the effectiveness of government and multi-sector/multi-stakeholder platform for nutrition and b) facilitating synergized effort of the UN system in nutrition, convened by the Resident Coordinators/Humanitarian Coordinators.
REACH, together with the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition (UNSCN), is part of the UN Network for Nutrition that supports the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement. SUN represents an unprecedented collective global commitment by nutrition stakeholders, including governments, donors, UN agencies, CSOs and the business sector to creating a sustainable and systemic change to improve nutrition. Formed in June 2010, the SUN Movement has gained considerable momentum and helped make nutrition a priority at national as well as at international level in countries committed to reducing malnutrition levels. As of December 2013, over 40 countries have officially joined the SUN movement. REACH supports SUN processes at country level as part of its greater efforts to enhance nutrition governance and collaboration across sectors and stakeholder groups.
REACH is anchored in the UN system and draws on the vast expertise of the UN agencies while also catalysing increased efficiency and collaboration between the main UN partners on nutrition at country level (FAO, WHO, UNICEF, WFP). Currently, REACH operates in 12 countries (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Chad, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda), with support by the Secretariat. With increasing global efforts to scale-up nutrition actions, there has been a rising demand for REACH support to countries burdened by high malnutrition levels.
The World Food Programme, as host of the REACH Secretariat is developing a roster of qualified individuals for the position of REACH Facilitators (consultants and/or fixed term staff at P4 level or equivalent). The REACH Facilitator will be based in government and will oversee the country-specific REACH engagement, liaise with multiple stakeholders across the multi-sectoral nutrition landscape and develop capacity through the overall REACH implementation process. The Facilitator will work in a team of other experts based on the country needs and REACH model adopted.
Under the overall supervision of the Heads of Agencies from the four REACH UN agencies (or their designates) and with direct reporting lines to the government SUN focal point, the Country Facilitator will be responsible for the following duties:
Strategic planning and analysis
· Lead completion of complex analyses (e.g. nutrition analysis, stakeholder mapping, delivery mechanism analysis, policy analysis etc.), utilizing and adapting REACH tools and ensuring that national and sub-national counterparts are able to maintain and utilize tools as needed;
- Identify key stakeholders and facilitate consensus on country nutrition related priority interventions;
· Identify and facilitate linkages with other in-country initiatives and processes to avoid duplication and ensure the value-addition of REACH activities;
· Facilitate and catalyse the review/development and documentation of a costednational multi-sectoral nutrition plan to scale-up nutrition interventions, with a clear common results framework;
· Facilitate a scale-up conversation of country priority interventions with clear details of annual targets and delivery mechanisms to be used to scale-up interventions;
· Support integration of nutrition into multi-sectoral plans and operational budgets of relevant sectors and sub-national units.
Multi-sectoral/Multi-stakeholder Coordination
· Support process management and facilitation of multi-stakeholder coordination mechanisms among UN agencies, government, NGOs, academic, private and public sector and donor partners;
· Support capacity gap assessment and advise on appropriate institutional arrangements for multi-sectoral coordination on nutrition and food security plan utilizing REACH capacity gap assessment guidance, case studies and experience;
· Support development and implementation of a capacity development plan for functional capacities;
· Support development or refinement of coordination mechanism TORs;
· Strengthen linkages of nutrition coordination mechanisms between sub-national and national levels.
Advocacy
· Support development and implementation of a national advocacy strategy for nutrition;
· Liaise with partners to support countries to develop a nutrition investment case for high level advocacy;
· Identify strategic opportunities for advocacy and facilitate development of common advocacy messages and materials;
Information management and tracking
· Facilitate definition of joint metrics and identifying/developing a common monitoring and evaluation system to measure implementation progress with respect to national nutrition plan, utilizing and adapting REACH tools;
· Support national counterparts to develop a coverage dashboard to support scale-up discussions with the multi-sectoral group;
· Liaise with other partners to support countries to put in place nutrition financial tracking systems.
Knowledge sharing
· Facilitate the experience-sharing of good practises and lessons learnt among sub-national and central levels as well as between REACH countries;
· Document REACH country process and lessons learnt through case-studies and regular updates.
UN coordination in nutrition
· Facilitate synergized/integrated effort of UN system for coordinated support to government;
· Support development of a UN strategy in nutrition;
· Facilitate joint UN programs/programming
Management and Administration
- Coordinate and supervise the REACH team in-country (short-term consultants, national and international staff as required);
- Work with the UN finance officer to oversee REACH financial resources in-country;
- Prepare regular progress and donor reports;
- Perform other related duties as required.
Qualifications & Experience Required
Education:
· Advanced university degree in public policy or administration, management, public health, nutrition, agriculture, or related field.
Experience:
· At least 8 years of professional post degree experience (3 of which international) in managing nutrition, food security, public health programs, policy processes;
· Experience in managing multi-parties and multi-sector working groups in international settings;
· Experience in institutional capacity building at the national level;
· Experience in monitoring and evaluation mechanisms;
· Field experience in the country of deployment is highly preferred;
· Previous working experience with governments, donors and civil society organizations is an asset; and
· Experience in decentralization processes is desirable.
Technical Skills & Knowledge:
· Technical background in nutrition, food security, and/or health; OR technical background in management and change management;
· Knowledge of the UN System is an asset;
· Advanced skills in Excel and PowerPoint; and
· Familiarity with large organizational structures with headquarters, regional, and country level operations.
Competencies:
· Proven ability to strengthen capacity of national counterparts and partners to sustain activities and decentralised processes;
· Strong skills in facilitation, project management, team-building, and conflict resolution or mediation;
· Ability to manage and conduct large and complex analyses, including collating and presenting multi-source data; monitoring and evaluation and progress reporting;
· Strong action management and teamwork skills: ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor own work plan and those relevant to the team and partners; ability to follow up deadlines; accuracy and attention to details and high quality deliverables; and
· Excellent communications and interpersonal skills; ability to influence and interact with senior level decision-makers across different organizations and cultures; to act with credibility, tact and diplomacy on sensitive issues and discussions.
Language:
- Working knowledge of English or French is essential.
Intermediate knowledge of one other UN official language (Arabic, French, English, Spanish, Russian or Chinese) or Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages) is desirable.
How to apply:
Step 1: Create your online CV.
Step 2: Click on “Description” to read the position requirements and “Apply” to submit your application.
NOTE: You must complete Step 2 in order for your application to be considered for this vacancy.
Deadline for applications: 31 January 2014
WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status. Qualified female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are encouraged to apply.
