UNICEF Georgia

National Nutrition Consultant forDeveloping of the Nutrition Standards for Preschool Institutions

Background

UNICEF Georgia is committed to ensuring that all children have access to high quality nutrition, water and sanitation services. A child’s early years are important for their future health and wellbeing and good nutrition during this time lays a healthy foundation for all of childhood and life in the context of proper hygiene conditions and sanitary settings. The malnutrition, including stunting is closely linked to poor sanitation and hygiene standards. Initiatives to improve child nutrition only is likely to have limited impact if not combined with improved hygiene and sanitation.

Children spent considerable amount of time in pre-schools, so food served in pre-schools is of key importance and should ensure appropriate energy intake and provision of required amount of micronutrients and vitamins. The preschool service provides also an excellent setting for promoting positive habits and attitudes to healthy eating and being active as part of a healthy lifestyle. The provision of nutritious food positively enhances not only a child’ health, but also allow the child to take full advantage of the learning opportunities in pre-schools.

According to the results of the WASH in Pre-schools survey undertaken by UNICEF in 2013[1], the striking inequalities in terms of WASH conditions persist between the mountainous rural regions and urban areas. The current hygiene standards and norms for pre-school institutions are outdated and cannot be applied for monitoring of the situation in terms ofwater supply and sanitation as well as organization of nutrition in pre-schools.The nutrition survey undertaken by UNICEF in 2009 in Georgia showed that prevalence of anemia is 22, 8% and stunting - 11, 3% among children under 5, which likely is the result of combination of poor nutrition, sanitation and hygiene.

The willingness to address the nutritionand WASH related problems in pre-school institutions has been clearly articulated by the new Government in power. In order to improve the WASH conditions in Georgia pre-school institutions, the MoES and the NCDC invited the UNICEF to provide the technical support in in developing of the following documents:

  1. the technical regulations (sanitary norms and standards) on water, sanitation and hygiene for pre-schools
  2. the technical regulations (sanitary norms and standards) on organization of the nutrition of pre-school institutions
  3. framework for monitoring of the WASH conditions in pre-schools to be incorporated into the Education Management Information System (EMIS)
  4. the nutrition standards for pre-school institutions
  5. the teacher’s guide on hygiene for early childhood education and school readiness.

All the above documents require different skills mix, therefore the tasks need to be outsourced to the different subject area experts:

  • National Hygiene consultant – to develop technical regulations (Doc.#1&2) and monitoring framework (Doc.#3)
  • National Nutrition consultant - to develop nutrition standards (doc.# 4)
  • Early childhood education consultant - To develop teacher’s guide (Doc.#5)

Thus, it is proposed to recruit 3 different subject area experts in order to strengthen the regulatory environment for improving WASH and nutrition situation in pre-schools. Considering the fact that the regulations above are very much interlinked, it is recommended that the consultants are recruited in parallel and tight coordination of their work is ensured.

Current ToR will focus only on the development of document #4, as explained above.

This initiative is in line with the early learning and preschool education law and national strategy on preschool and general education. It will contribute to the realization of children’s rights to health and development through improving the access to safe water and sanitation in pre-schools of Georgia. The equity issues should be taken into consideration during all stages of the process of developing of the abovementioned standards.

Overall Goal of the consultancy

The overall gal of the consultancy is to provide the technical assistance to the MoLHSA and National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC) in developing/revision and adoption of the Nutrition Standards for Preschool Institutions.

Scope of Work and Key Tasks

The process involves desk reviews of the relevant documentation, round table meetings, field visits and drafting the technical regulations.

It is recommended that the document should include: the revised nutrition standards for pre-school age group of children (from 2 to 6) taking into consideration the health status of children of Georgia of this age group; the menu for feeding of healthy children and children with specific conditions and health problems elaborated based on the nutrition requirements; information on the norms of the required vitamins, micro and micro nutrients and minerals for daily portion of food; list of recommended products for children of aged 2-6 years. The document should also include the samples of the recommended menus for breakfast, dinner, afternoon snack and supper also for healthy children and children with various health problems and conditions;and checklist for menu planning for pre-school management.

The national nutrition consultant is requested to work closely with National Hygiene consultant as well as with the early childhood education consultant.In addition the national nutrition consultant will be working in tight coordination with the following stakeholders and experts: UNICEF education team, the National Center for Disease and Public Health, National Pediatric Association, G. Natadze Scientific-Research institute of Sanitary, Hygiene and Medical Ecology, National Nutrition Association, the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES), pre-schools division of the MoES, pre-school task force working on the development of the Law on Early and Pre-school education, task group working on school readiness program piloting and implementation, national pediatric association.

Deliverables and Timelines

Tasks / Timeframe / Deliverables
1. Review the relevant national as well as international guidelines, recommendations and research reports related to the child nutrition, health, growth and development (Nutrition Survey undertaken by UNICEF Georgia in 2009; survey “Improving Health and building Prosperity”, UNICEF, 2012; the national WASH in Pre-school survey results; existing national guidelines for pre-school institutions; hygiene standards/guidelines/manuals from different countries in the field of nutrition and WASH in Pre-schools, etc.). / 1 May – 20 June, 2015 / Recommendations for content and outline of the technical regulations (by May 10, 2015)
2. Consult and coordinate with Government partners and key stakeholders on the draft outline of the preschool nutrition standards / The draft out lines will be ready by May 15, 2015
3. Prepare the early drafts of the pre-school nutrition standards / Early draft for the discussion with the key stakeholders will be ready by June 5, 2015
4. Work with the national hygiene consultantin order to incorporate the draft preschool nutrition standards into the abovementioned technical regulations. / By June 15, 2015 (the draft nutrition standards will be incorporated into the technical regulations, although there will be regular coordination of work of both hygiene and nutrition consultants)
5. In coordination with the UNICEF education team discuss the early drafts of the pre-school nutrition standardswith the state and non-state stakeholders in coordination at one day workshop for obtaining their comments and recommendations / The workshop will be held by June 20, 2015
6. Prepare the second drafts of the pre-school nutrition standards / June 21 - July 15, 2015 / To be ready by June 30, 2015
7. Discuss the second draft of the pre-school nutrition standardswith the counterparts and UNICEF education team and national experts / To obtain their comments on the second drafts by July 15, 2015
8. Final draft of the pre-school nutrition standards / 16 July – 31 August, 2015 / July 31, 2015
8. Discuss the final drafts of thepre-school nutrition standards with with the key stakeholders through one day workshop / By August 10
10. Final editing of the pre-school nutrition standards / The final edited document to be delivered by August 31, 2015

Supervision and reporting responsibility

The UNICEF Health Education Officer will provide the supervision and performance review. The National nutrition consultant’s performance will be evaluated against the following criteria: timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, and quality of the products delivered.

Remuneration

40 % of the consultancy fee will be delivered upon satisfactory and timely completion of the deliverable 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The remaining 30 % will be paid upon provision of the deliverable 6&7, the remaining 30 %-upon completion of the deliverable 8, 9, &10.

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.

Eligibility criteria

  • Advanced university degree in Public Health
  • At least five years’ experience experience in analyses, policy and strategy formulation in the field of food and nutrition
  • Knowledge of global policies, framework, norms and standards on food and nutrition as well as child growth and developmentfor education institutions
  • Experience in development of the national guidelines, norms and standards, including nutrition standards and norms.
  • Good understanding of the procedures related to the development and adoption of the national norms and standards
  • Excellent analytical thinking, report writing and communication skills
  • Experience in working with UN organizations; working with UNICEF will be advantage
  • Fluency in Georgian and English

Estimated duration of the contract

Approximately 4 months

Official travel involved if any

The consultancy does not envisage the official travels. However if this will be necessary, UNICEF will issue the separate travel authorization.

How to apply

Interested candidates are requested to submit their Cover Letter; Curriculum Vitae and Completed UN Personal History Form (P11) to UNICEF by e-mail: with ref. subject: GEO/SSA/2015/004 - National Nutrition Consultant.

Application deadline: COB 17th May 2015.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted

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[1] WASH in Pre-schools Survey, UNICEF, 2013.