Job Vacancy: Job title: Request for Consultant: Market Shaping for Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS)
Job description: Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world – government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators – to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results. Then we share what we learn so others can achieve results for development, too.
We have a unique and vibrant culture at R4D. Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of our work environment and help advance our mission. Diversity-of ideas, identities, perspectives and backgrounds-is vital to who we are and what we do. We seek people who embrace these values and will help reinforce them. Our work culture is collaborative, creative and entrepreneurial. We operate based on trust and respect. Teams across the organization frequently collaborate on programmatic work and support each other in continuously building a better R4D.
R4D’s practice area works with change agents to ensure that markets are transformed sustainably to drive increased access to (and improve appropriate use of) essential commodities, such as childhood pneumonia diagnosis and treatments, maternal health supplies, and nutrition supplements. R4D achieves this by aligning priorities and incentives of key market actors including policymakers, procurers, manufacturers, and financiers at the global and country levels to develop and execute solutions for underserved markets at scale.
1.2. Multiple Micronutrient Supplement Project Overview:
Micronutrient deficiencies and malnutrition in pregnant women contribute to poor pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight, small for gestational age, and preterm births. Supplementation of iron and folic acid (IFA) has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be included in antenatal care (ANC) programs, for the prevention of anemia. However, multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) have proven to be a more cost-effective option that provides both IFA and additional micronutrients.
The “Market Shaping for Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS)” project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation aims to support the development and costing of holistic roadmaps outlining strategies that will accelerate the introduction and scale-up of MMS in Nigeria and Ethiopia and develop sustainable strategic financing options for MMS.
In Nigeria, R4D plans to work at the federal level and in two states – Kano and Kaduna. This project will focus on costing the strategies and interventions identified in the roadmaps to identify the resources required to introduce and scale-up MMs, development of sustainable financing strategic options in consultation with major stakeholders to identify future options to finance MMS, and strong engagement with technical working groups and task forces at the federal level and in each state to coordinate with multiple stakeholders on the introduction and scale-up of MMS.
2.0 The Opportunity
R4D is looking for a consultant in Kano state, with proven experience in stakeholder engagement and management in the nutrition space, the conduct of market surveys and diagnostics, development and costing of strategies and interventions identified in roadmaps and demonstrated support optimizing resource mobilization for nutrition commodities or programs to support the goals of the MMS project. The consultant will provide technical, operational, and decision-making support to the state governments and partner organizations whilst still working closely with the R4D team in Abuja, Nigeria and Washington, DC, USA.
2.1 Duties and Responsibilities
- The consultant will:
Conduct Project kickoff/landscaping to form connections with government stakeholders and understand their needs and priorities regarding MMS introduction and scale-up, leveraging existing organization’s connections.
- Support the identification of the key stakeholders (e.g. government, donor, implementing partners) technical experts and technical working groups or task forces on MMS in state responsible for decisions leading to MMS scale-up, and determine what their priorities and possible areas of alignment are with R4D.
- Lead engagement and strong relationship building with these key stakeholders over the course of the project
- Review/update comprehensive database of stakeholders including partner organizations, technical experts, state officials.
Support UNICEF and state stakeholders in the development and costing MMS introduction and scale-up roadmaps in two focus states
- Develop diagnostics brief to inform implementation priorities and further investments using available literature, program experiences and approaches. As relevant, possibly with additional investment depending on scope, conduct relevant root-cause analyses, or solutioning support with relevant stakeholders.
- Defining the costing methodology and approach, identifying the costing elements and unit and collecting costing information to conduct analysis, in collaboration with UNICEF and other state actors.
- Using in-state engagements, define potential roles of other partner organization and state government officials for costing process and share with team.
- Provide costing technical support to the state MMS taskforce to be established as a sub-committee under the State Nutrition Technical Working Group (SNTWG) to ensure the roadmap has the required level of depth.
- Support the production of a draft costing of the roadmap, review and finalize costing of the roadmap with stakeholders
- Provide regular updates to Abuja team on progress of the roadmap process facilitation for efficient and effective collaboration.
- Synthesize findings into a sharable document and share with the team.
Identify sustainable financing strategic options for MMS scale-up
- Develop summary diagnostics analyzing current ANC supplementation resource mobilization options and challenges.
- Identify short-term and long-term strategic options for funding MMS at state level.
- Co-create with State MDAs (SMOH, SPHCMB/SPHCDAs, DMCSA, Ministry of Budget/Planning etc), partner organizations (UNICEF, WHO, USAID etc) and other necessary stakeholders, relevant, appropriately structured recommended financing mechanisms based on strategic options outlined.
2.2 Qualifications and skills.
Required: * Master of public health (MPH), MSC in Applied Nutrition or Master of Public Health in Nutrition or related field.
- A minimum of 10 years of experience working in the public health and nutrition sector, with 5 years of work experience in any of the north-western states in Nigeria
- Proven experience in developing and costing nutrition or health related roadmaps and financing components to inform investments in health.
- Strong financial skills in budget preparation and cost analysis.
- In-depth knowledge of state specific’ financial guidelines and regulations
- Experience engaging with Government Health officials
- Proven experience working with International Donor Agencies, at Federal and State levels
- Proficient in both communicative writing and technical writing, including developing presentations and speaking to external stakeholders, paying excellent attention to detail.
- Strong organizational skills, and ability to lead a workstream, working both independently and in cooperation with a multicultural team.
- Ability to think creatively and strategically.
- Relevant computer software skills (including, at a minimum, the standard applications in MS Office).
Strongly desired: * A strong background in and knowledge of health and especially nutrition commodities, including regulatory systems, financing, procurement, quality, and the supplier landscape in Nigeria (Kano state kpreferred).
- Strong existing relationships with donor agencies like UNICEF and priority partners in Kano health and nutrition sector, including stakeholders at the Ministry of Health, state-level procurement agency, NAFDAC, implementing partners, donors, as well as clinicians and patients at the health facility level.
- Experience in collecting and analyzing financing, quantification and procurement data for health and nutrition products.
- Demonstrated expertise in conducting financial analysis for efficient and effective introduction and/or scale-up of nutrition commodities.
2.3 Period of Performance
- In this role, the Consultant will work closely with a variety of state-level stakeholders and members of the R4D market shaping team in Nigeria, and Washington D.C. to carry out the above-mentioned activities for Phase 2 of the work (between February 2024 and October 2024), with a possibility of extension to Phase 3 (November 2024 – May 2025) based on performance and fit.
2.4 Required level of effort and payment schedule. * Over the course of the consultancy, R4D estimates an average of 15 days of work per month plus additional local transport reimbursement expenses. However, this estimate is only meant to provide an illustrative estimate of expectations. Given the nature of this work, the actual days of work per month may fluctuate and will be determined by the specific activities agreed upon between the Consultant and R4D. The Consultant will be required to submit a timesheet each month and will be reimbursed based on documented days worked.
Interested applicants should please provide their resume/CV and indicate their daily rate (in USD) in the application.
Results for Development is an EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled/Affirmative Action Employer committed to fostering
and nurturing an energetic, collaborative and diverse workforce. R4D provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits.
Location: Kano, Kano State
Job date: Thu, 11 Jan 2024 23:15:08 GMT
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