National Consultant to Support Development of the National MIYCN Guidelines, Vientiane, Lao PDR, 6 months, Remote, no travel required

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For every child, the right to health.

How can you make a difference?

Lao PDR continues to face high burden of child undernutrition, particularly during the critical first 1,000 days of life. Despite progress over the past decade, malnutrition remains a leading underlying factor contributing to child morbidity, mortality and poor cognitive development. The Lao Social Indicator Survey III (LSIS III, 2023) highlights persistent gaps in infant and young child feeding practices in Lao PDR. Nationally, 42 per cent of newborns are breastfed within one hour of birth, and 45 per cent of infants aged 0–5 months are exclusively breastfed. Continued breastfeeding declines sharply, with only 36 per cent of children aged 12–23 months still receiving breastmilk. Complementary feeding practices remain particularly weak: among children aged 6–23 months, only 49 per cent meet minimum meal frequency, 44 per cent achieve minimum dietary diversity, and just 32 per cent receive a minimum acceptable diet that meets both diversity and frequency standards. Marked disparities persist by geography, ethnicity, maternal education and household wealth, with children in rural and ethnic minority communities consistently less likely to meet recommended IYCF practices. These findings underscore the need to update and strengthen national Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) guidelines to improve the quality, consistency and equity of nutrition counselling and service delivery across Lao PDR.

The National Consultant will support the overall guideline development process by providing technical and coordination assistance to the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and the international consultant. Specifically, the consultant will facilitate engagement with relevant stakeholders, coordinate meetings and consultations with the national guideline development task force, compile and review national policies, guidelines, and evidence, and provide contextual inputs to ensure that the Maternal Nutrition and IYCN Guidelines are aligned with national priorities and implementation realities. The consultant will also support the organization of technical review meetings and validation workshops, document feedback from stakeholders, assist in incorporating agreed revisions into draft guidelines, and contribute to the finalization of guideline documents and related materials for submission to the Ministry of Health and UNICEF. Through close collaboration with government counterparts and partners, the consultant will help ensure national ownership, technical coherence, and timely completion of the guideline development process.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  TMC0007286 - External TOR.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in nutrition, public health, medicine, or a related field

• Work Experience:
• At least 8 years of professional experience in maternal, infant and young child nutrition, including guideline development or revision;
• Demonstrated experience working with governments and UN agencies in Lao PDR;
• Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing.
• Skills:
• Strong knowledge of WHO/UNICEF MIYCN guidance;
• Proven facilitation, writing, and coordination skills;
• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills;
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and have the initiative to work independently to meet deadlines;
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision.
• Language Requirements: Excellent English and Lao language skills, oral and written

For every Child, you demonstrate...

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UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template)  Financial proposal template - TMC0007286.docx