International Nutrition Specialist

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), received funds from the European Union (EU) to implement the project PROMOVE Agribiz – Improving Rural Competitiveness in Nampula and Zambézia Provinces, Mozambique, with the overall objective of contributing to a sustainable, inclusive and broad-based economic growth and poverty reduction in the context of national food and nutrition security and climate change. The project will achieve the objectives through (i) improving the food and nutrition security and resilience of smallholders and climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive agriculture, and (ii) enhancing rural competitiveness by improved participation of smallholders in economic activities, economic diversification, improved access to rural services and improved rural investment.

Under the project FAO will lead several components, including, (i) the market oriented sustainable production systems development; (ii) the agricultural policy dialogue; (iii) the institutional and community capacity building; and (iv) market linkages by providing tailored innovative solutions that improve sustainable and resilient production systems. In the result area for nutrition, the project will ensure application of measures that contribute towards addressing micronutrients deficiencies and prevention of chronic malnutrition. The project focuses on enhancing the production and availability of diversified food, nutritional education and social behaviors change communication for the promotion of appropriate healthy and nutritional behaviors practices.

To this end, FAO is recruiting an international nutritionist specialist, to support the implementation and delivery of the PROMOVE Agribiz nutrition results in all districts according to the PROMOVE/Agribiz Project Document.

This position is based in Maputo city, Mozambique with frequent travel to the target districts.

Reporting Lines

The international Nutrition Consultant will work under the general supervision of the FAO Representative, the direct supervision of the Project Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) and the SFS Nutrition Officer in collaboration with RAF and HQ Food and Nutrition Division (ESN), and in close collaboration with UNICEF, WFP, MISAU and SETSAN and other government institutions and development partners working on food and nutrition security in Mozambique.

Nutrition education, nutrition sensitive Agriculture, behaviour change communications and food security.

1. Strengthen multi-sectoral coordination of food security and nutrition at district level, building capacity and mainstreaming nutrition agenda in the district planning;
2. Promote synergies with other interventions, in particular with UNICEF - PROMOVE Nutrição and strengthen linkages with provincial and national levels, according to SETSAN coordination structures. Particular attention to complementarities at field level will be given in Gurué, the only overlapping districts for PROMOVE Agribiz and PROMOVE Nutrição;
3. Adapt training and education packages for integrating nutrition in the Farmer Field schools, based on existing materials already developed under the MDG1c;
4. Integrate nutrition education and social behaviour change communications (SBCC) through a combination of FFS with the Care Group approach to ensure targeting of the vulnerable women and children focusing on the first 1 000 days;
5. Promote integrated home gardens with small livestock targeted at vulnerable women for increasing production and consumption of high nutritive value crops including bio-fortified varieties, fruits, etc.;
6. Support the development of food based dietary guidelines for Mozambique as a tool to foster healthy eating habits and for promoting food safety and nutrition wellbeing as well as a guide for food, nutrition and agriculture policy.
7. Collaborate in undertaking relevant research to establish the effectiveness of agriculture-nutrition linkages for improved nutrition status;
8. Develop key messages on nutrition. Develop message dissemination tools – tailor made for each type of target audience.
9. Provide technical orientation and back stopping to the National Nutritionist and support the implementation of the project outputs related to nutrition;
10. Document and share project outcomes and impacts and promote the visibility of the project
11. Any other tasks required to optimize the impact of the programme.
12. Produce a comprehensive consultancy report for the assignment;

• Advanced university degree in Nutrition and related subjects together with at least five years field experience on planning, implementation and monitoring of programmes related to improving nutrition, health and hygiene practises at community level
• With at least 10 years of experience in Nutrition education, social behaviour change communication (SBCC) methodology
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of another FAO language (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian) for Consultants. For PSA.SBS working knowledge of English.

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

• Working knowledge of Portuguese would be a strong asset.