National Nutrition Strategy Consultant

Terms of reference
National Nutrition Strategy- Kenya

Introduction

Malnutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies, is a significant public health problem in Kenya. As a matter of fact, malnutrition continues to be the single greatest contributor to child mortality (53%). Nutritional trends in the decade between 1998 and 2008 show no significant change in nutritional status of children less than five years with stunting rates stagnating at about 33% according to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS 1998, 2003 and 2008).

Today in Kenya, 2.8 million children are stunted. This is a serious national development concern as they are at a high risk of dying and if they survive, they are likely to be less productive in their adult life. Although the 2.8 million children may enrol later in school and even complete a few grades, their performance will be below their potential thus compromising the impact of free primary education. It is estimated that in 2010 alone, Kenya lost about KShs 95 billion due to the effects of stunting and this may increase to Kshs 2.4 trillion by 2030 if nothing is done to address the problem. According to the Kenya Nutrition Profiles (2010) about 704, 771 lives will be lost by then. .

Facts on the impact of malnutrition on mortality and disease in Kenya indicate that:
50,000 child lives lost every year because children are underweight
10, 000 child lives lost every year because children lack the protection of Vitamin A
11,000 child lives lost every year because children are not exclusively breastfed
400,000 children suffering mental retardation every year because they are not consuming iodized salt

In acknowledgement of the malnutrition situation in the country, the government has made effort in reducing hunger and malnutrition as reflected in a number of strategic documents such as the National Plan of Action on Nutrition (1994), the draft National Food Security and Nutrition Policy (2007) and, the Child survival and Development Strategy (CSDS) 2008-2015 among others. It is important to note that efforts in laying the strategic frameworks have not yielded noticeable results as malnutrition persists. A number of the policies and strategies are also yet to pass through the entire parliamentary processes and those that have done so, have been marked by weaknesses in implementation.

Indeed the national planning blue print, the Kenya Vision 2030 recognizes the importance of nutrition in its goal, to “transform Kenya into a globally competitive and prosperous nation with a high quality of life by 2030”. It is also arguable that the attainment of the first five Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is contingent on having a healthy and productive labour force thus the need to ensure that newborns are nourished and well cared for. At the International Conference on Nutrition (ICN) held in December 1992, 159 countries including Kenya, unanimously adopted a World Declaration and Plan of Action for Nutrition which stresses the determination of all actions to work together to eliminate hunger and all forms of malnutrition.

The national plan on nutrition for Kenya was developed in 1994 but its implementation has been weak. As such, Kenya does not have any strategy on nutrition for its citizens and there is need to develop a nutrition strategy especially in view of the new constitution and other relevant existing policy frameworks. In view of the foregoing, World Vision Kenya and Save the Children UK, in collaboration with UNICEF, MOPHS and other partners under the umbrella of the Nutrition Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC) seeks to hire the services of a qualified and experienced consultant to facilitate the process of reviewing the draft food security and nutrition strategy and developing a Nutrition strategy for Kenya.

Consultancy Description:
The overall purpose of this consultancy is to assist the government of Kenya to develop a 5 year costed National Nutrition Strategy (NNS). The consultant is expected to adopt an effective participatory approach that involves as many stakeholders as is possible. These must include the government; academic institutions, community representatives, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Donor agencies.

Specifically the consultant shall:
1)Review relevant documents and policies pertaining to the development of the NNS.
2)Organize and facilitate 1 day stakeholder workshops at national and provincial levels to facilitate the development of the NNS
3)Prepare a draft Strategy with a budget and monitoring framework, of not more than 50 pages
4)Organise a workshop to present the first draft NNS to stakeholders for their validation and comments
5)Submit final national plan of action for nutrition

Corresponding Responsibilities:
•Liaise with key internal and external stakeholders, including WVK, SCUK, UNICEF, government, consultants and other civil society representatives
•Work closely with nutrition and Advocacy teams in both SCUK and WVK to plan and coordinate the stakeholder workshops.

Duration of Assignment:
•The assignment is assigned 60 calendar days. The consultant is expected to develop a work plan for undertaking the assignment in consultation with the ICC.

Expected Outputs
The consulting firm/consultant is expected to produce the following results and deliverables:
•A professionally done National Nutrition Strategy. The plan should not be more than 50 pages in length including the budget, monitoring framework and all annexes. The final document should be submitted in both soft and hard copy.
•A thorough report of the Stakeholders’ Workshops and
•A popular version of the Strategy

Qualification And/Or Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required For The Assignment:
-Advanced academic degrees (at doctoral/postdoctoral levels) in nutrition or international development ;
-A minimum of five (5) years hands on experience working in nutrition at national and international levels; experience in participatory methodologies and processes for policy framework development is required;
-Excellent facilitation skills, and experience in working with governments, donors and civil society
-Excellent group leadership, coordination and work management skills
-Demonstrated expertise in eliciting evidence-based knowledge and developing relevant policy recommendations
-Demonstrated strong analytical, research and writing skills
-Strong communication, documentation and presentation skills;

Save the Children (UK) recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to equal employment opportunities and the protection of children from abuse.

View the original article here