National Consultant – Undernutrition Mapping at Upazila Level

ঢাকার চাকরির খবর

Job title: National Consultant – Undernutrition Mapping at Upazila Level

Company: World Food Programme

Job description: .

Are you ready to change lives and save the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people?

If yes, this opportunity is for you!

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles. Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is a leading organization delivering food assistance and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. We also support governments of developing countries in their efforts to eliminate hunger and malnutrition by addressing the underlying causes and disparities in access to food and good nutrition to ensure that no one is left behind in line with the Agenda 2030, Sustaining Peace and Agenda for Humanity. WFP is particularly focused on Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and Goal 17 (Partnerships). Delivering on our mandate of Zero Hunger requires us to have a diverse, inclusive and gender-balanced workforce.

The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to WFP is recognition that ending hunger is a critical first step towards global peace. WFP recognizes that one of the greatest contributions it can make to humanity is to provide a voice to the 690 million hungry people in the world. The Nobel Peace Prize gives us a platform to make their needs heard and to mobilize support for the assistance they need.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Through the adoption in 2015 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) nations are increasingly taking the lead in sustainably improving the wellbeing of their populations and building their own capacities to design and deliver effective anti-hunger solutions. To fulfil its mission to end global hunger, and to support national governments in doing this, WFP provides nations with direct capacity to respond to hunger-when such capacity is missing or inadequate-or increasingly, facilitates national capacity to end hunger and improve food security by supporting national food security and nutrition systems and services.

Background

Bangladesh has made impressive progress in economic, social and human development fronts over the past decade, with steady annual growth of 6-7 per cent, and fairly stable domestic debt, interest rates and exchange rates. However, the country is yet to overcome many challenges as it remains a low-income country with substantial poverty, inequality and deprivation. About 24 percent of the population are living below the poverty line and a significant proportion (12.9 percent) in extreme poverty. Despite the significant progress made in reducing malnutrition over the past over the past 20 years, poor nutrition remain a serious concern in Bangladesh. The country is facing tipple burden of malnutrition with rates of high rates undernutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies, combined with increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity particularly among women in reproductive age, but also among children under the age of 5 years. The 2019 MICS estimated the prevalence of stunting to 28.0 percent, wasting 9.8 percent and underweight at 22.0 percent, while the prevalence of overweight has increased from 1.6 percent in 2012-13 to 2.4 percent among children under the age of 5 years in 2019.

WFP is an important partner of the Government of Bangladesh for the implementation of its strategies related to poverty and hunger eradication, nutrition and social protection. WFP has obtained considerable experience in developing tools like poverty and malnutrition maps to support the Government in identifying vulnerable areas and population. The malnutrition mapping is a statistical exercise to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition at sub-national levels using Small Area Estimation (SAE) method on Census data and relevant survey data. With the publication of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019, time has come to update undernutrition maps. WFP partnered with BBS under an MOU for production and dissemination of the Undernutrition Map 2019. WFP will appoint a consultants to conduct the technical analysis part of it.

JOB PURPOSE

The objective of this exercise is to update the undernutrition maps up to the Upazila level using Small Area estimation technique.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

The consultant will be responsible to carry out the following activities:

  • Identification and examination of relevant data sources and reports to determine which show potential over Census data for use in SAE of undernutrition indicators (MICS 2019, Population and Housing Census 2011, etc.)
  • To assess the feasibility of disaggregation/prediction of division level malnutrition indicators to lower level administrative units applying the SAE technique.
  • Review of the data from the Population Census and Nutrition Surveys, make adjustments to the methodology when appropriate and conduct a final analysis generating undernutrition estimates following ELL method.
  • Identification, listing and preliminary matching of relevant indicators from the census and selected survey(s) that apparently are similar enough to be used for SAE of stunting, wasting, underweight and overweight.
  • Merging and cleaning the selected survey data to create a dataset containing the identified variables, suitably re-coded, together with the relevant Census/survey variables and regional indicators, then merging Census data with the survey data.
  • Finalizing the set of nutrition indicators to be used in the SAE in consultation with experts from WFP, BBS and other technical committee members.
  • Developing and testing preliminary statistical regression models, including estimation of variance components, for height-for-age (for stunting prevalence) and weight-for-age (for underweight prevalence),
  • Cleaning available census data for compatibility with the final survey dataset used for model development,
  • Trial production of preliminary estimates of underweight and stunting using available census data.
  • Assessment of the quality and precision of the preliminary estimates of underweight and stunting.
  • Briefing the technical committee, BBS and WFP on the feasibility of SAE for the set of indicators and the levels of aggregation.
  • Preparation of the final report.
  • Enhancing the knowledge and skills of key BBS and WFP staff on applying SAE.

Implementation modality:

The technical exercise would be conducted by the consultant in collaboration with the BBS and WFP. The BBS will ensure access to all required data (Census, MICS and other as necessary). The consultant will perform the above-mentioned activities with regular guidance of the Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) Unit and Nutrition Unit, WFP-Bangladesh, and will have regular contact with WFP to obtain and incorporate their inputs, comments and suggestions related to the findings under all the activities mentioned above. The consultant will be directly reportable to the Head of VAM unit, WFP.

Deliverables:

  • Upazila level estimates for height-for-age (for stunting prevalence), weight-for-height (wasting prevalence and overweight prevalence) and weight-for-age (underweight prevalence);
  • Technical report (both in English and Bangla) on the SEA technique to produce malnutrition maps;
  • Knowledge sharing to BBS and WFP stuff on Technical details of the SAE exercise.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced University degree in Economics or Statistics , Social Sciences or other field relevant to this. Ph.D would be preferable.

Experience : 15 or more years of professional experience in related field.

Language : Fluent in English and Bangla.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Type of Contract: Special Service Aggrement (SSA) WAE Contract

Duty Station: Dhaka, Bangladesh

Contract Duration: Six (06) months (When actually employed)

No. of position: One (01)

Remuneration: As per UN Salary scale

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

5 June 2021.

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Female applicants and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

WFP is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organisation. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the selection & recruitment process, and for work-related needs upon joining the Programme. WFP has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority or discrimination. All selected candidates will, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) , International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAQ Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.

Expected salary:

Location: Dhaka

Job date: Tue, 01 Jun 2021 04:17:01 GMT

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