CONSULTANCY POSITION
Nutrition Cluster Coordinator
VACANCY#: UNICEF/MLW/2015/042
1.BACKGROUND
Malawi Nutrition situation is gradually deteriorating and the nutritional status of children is expected to get worse due to drought and hunger occasioned by up to 30% crop failure. Notably, the Malawi situation is more complicated because the flood recovery and the drought are overlapping with each other, therefore the cases of acute malnutrition are expected to increase considerably because of the underlying causes to malnutrition at play coupled with food insecurity challenges the population is facing. Recent data from Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) survey 2015 estimates that up to 2.8 million people living in 25 districts are currently affected by drought and looming hunger as a result of the flood emergency which occurred in January 2015. Both the MDG endline survey and SADC data sources estimate Global Acute Malnutrition at 3.8% and 4% respectively with SAM at 1.1%.
In Malawi the nutrition cluster is led by the Department of Nutrition and HIV/AIDS (DNHA) in the Ministry of Health with UNICEF as Cluster Co-lead. The nutrition cluster approach in Malawi is recently established with new structures which requires dedicated Nutrition Cluster Coordinator’s effort on a regular basis to steer it to another level. UNICEF as the nutrition cluster co-lead, is therefore recruiting a Nutrition cluster coordination specialist to support the DNHA with effective coordination of the Nutrition Cluster functions and emergency nutrition interventions in line with the core mandate of the nutrition cluster.
UNICEF Malawi is therefore, looking for an international consultant to be responsible for supporting and strengthening the capacity of the DNHA to lead the nutrition cluster at national level.
2.SCOPE OF WORK
The Nutrition Cluster Coordinator will have a joint responsibility for UNICEF and Nutrition Cluster partners both at national and sub-national level supporting DNHA in the efficient management and functioning of the sub-national nutrition cluster to:
· Establish and maintain an appropriate humanitarian coordination mechanism
· Strengthen pre-exiting sectoral coordination through increased predictability and accountability.
· Build complementarity of partner actions avoiding duplication and gaps
· Ensure adequate resources are mobilized and are equitably allocated for the effective functioning of the cluster and its response.
· Ensure effective and comprehensive integration of relevant cross-cutting issues, including, gender, WASH, environment, food security, social protection, health and HIV.
· Maintain flexibility within the cluster to respond to changes in the operating environment, evolving requirements, capacities and participation
· Effectively use and transfer information to, from and between cluster participants and other stakeholders
· Interact with other clusters (including through inter-cluster coordination for a), humanitarian actors, government counterparts, and relevant authorities for operational planning, engagement and active contribution of operational partners,
· Be accountable to the affected population through effective and inclusive consultative and feedback mechanisms.
· Monitor progress and performance of the six core cluster functions.
Core cluster functions:
1. Supporting service delivery
· Provide a platform to ensure that nutrition service delivery is driven by the agreed strategic priorities.
· Develop mechanisms to eliminate duplication of service delivery
2. Informing strategic decision-making of the HC/HCT for the humanitarian response;
· Coherent needs assessment and gap analysis involving all relevant partners (across other sectors and within the sector).
· Analysis to identify and address (emerging) gaps, obstacles, duplication, and cross-cutting issues.
· Prioritization, grounded in response analysis
3. Planning and strategy development
· Ensure predictable action within the sectoral group for Identification of gaps.
· Develop Sectoral plans, objectives and indicators directly support realization of the HC/HCT strategic priorities
· Application and adherence to existing standards and guidelines
· Clarify funding requirements, prioritization, and cluster contributions to HC’s overall humanitarian funding considerations (Flash Appeal, CAP, ERF/CHF, CERF)
4. Advocacy and Resource Mobilization
· Undertake advocacy activities on behalf of cluster participants and the affected population.
· Identify core advocacy concerns, including resource requirements, and contribute key messages to broader advocacy initiatives of the HC and other actors.
· Advocate for donors to fund humanitarian actors to carry out priority activities in the sector concerned, while at the same time encouraging sectoral group participants to mobilize resources for their activities through their usual channels.
5. Monitoring and reporting the implementation of the cluster strategy and results; recommending corrective action where necessary
· Use of monitoring tools in accordance with agreed minimum standards, regular report sharing, progress mapped against agreed strategic plan, any necessary corrections identified.
· Ensure adequate monitoring mechanisms are in place to review impact of the sectoral working group and progress against implementation plans;
6. Contingency planning/preparedness for recurrent disasters whenever feasible and relevant.
· National contingency plans are identified and shared; risk assessment and analysis carried out, multisectoral where appropriate; readiness status enhanced; regular distribution of early warning reports.
7. Accountability to affected populations
· The nutrition cluster coordination specialist is accountable to: UNICEF Chief of Nutrition, who will in turn ensure that the post holder is provided with all necessary support and guidance, and that any issues that arise relating to “double-hatting” are addressed.
8. Training and Capacity Development
· Promote/support training of staff and capacity building of humanitarian partners;
· Support efforts to strengthen the capacity of the national and local authorities.
3.EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE
· Advanced University degree, preferably at an advanced level, in Nutrition or Public Health Nutrition or Global Health for Nutrition.
· At least 5 years’ experience progressively responsible for humanitarian work experience with UN and/or NGO, including program management and/or coordination in the first phase of a major emergency response relevant to the cluster.
· Extensive work experience relevant to this post may be considered as a replacement for formal qualifications.
· Extensive work experience outside the humanitarian sector which is relevant to this post may be considered as a replacement for humanitarian experience.
· Formal training in cluster coordination is an advantage
4.DURATION
11 months
HOW TO APPLY:
5.METHOD OF APPLICATION
Qualified candidates ) are requested to submit a cover letter, performance evaluation report (if applicable), CV and Personal History Form (P-11 form) to be downloaded from the websitehttp://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_53129.html), a financial proposal (including all eligible fees, transportations and DSA for desktop research, data collection, and fieldwork, communication, presentation costs)on or before 16 October 2015 via e-mail address:hrmalawi@unicef.org
NOTE:
· UNICEF is committed to gender equality in its mandate and its staff. Well qualified candidates, particularly females are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Only shortlisted applicants will be acknowledged.
- Applications sent through the post office or hand delivered is not accepted.
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