Consultant Nutrition

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is the frontline humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. On average WFP reaches more than 130 million people with food assistance in around 80 countries. In 2024 WFP approved a new Nutrition Strategy which focuses on supporting countries to achieve zero hunger through improved nutrition with prevention and treatment of all forms of malnutrition a central part of this strategy. In support of this shift in programming WFP will play a bigger role in addressing micronutrient deficiencies around the world through its food assistance programmes. Food fortification is one strategy to increase vitamin and mineral intake among the general population and has proven to be effective in prevent and control micronutrient deficiencies.
This includes making sure that nutrient rich rations are provided when WFP distributes food and making sure that to the fullest extent possible the food WFP purchases internationally regionally and locally is appropriately fortified for the environment where it will be delivered and maximizes the nutritional impact of interventions. Further WFP plans to explore other modalities to encourage governments assistance programmes and markets to provide or encourage the use of fortified commodities and ultimately to encourage local fortification of local crops in contexts where it is appropriate feasible and cost effective.
Food fortification has been central to WFPs global food systems agenda since 2004. WFP works across the fortification value-chain. This includes providing technical assistance to farmers and millers using WFPs vast purchasing power and to increase demand for fortified foods by working with governments and academic institutions to develop standards and advocating for fortification.
Over the past 10 years WFP together with a number of partners has worked on research and implementation of fortification programs including rice wheat flour and fortification programs. This position will provide technical support to Country Offices (COs) and other WFP global offices on all aspects of food fortification including fortification of staples such as rice wheat flour maize meal and local production of fortified nutritious foods management of Specialized Nutritious Foods development projects capacity building and technical support around quality assurance and quality control.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
The consultant will work on the following topics:

Support and coordinate the technical assistance provided to COs in alignment with Regional Programme teams and other teams/divisions of Rome Global Office of WFPs food fortification programmes globally.

Work closely with other teams/units and divisions of WFP to increase proportion of fortified foods produced procured and distributed through WFP operations and government-led programmes.

Support in improving quality and cost-efficiencies in integrating fortified foods through product and programme innovations.

SPECIFIC TASKS:
Support and coordinate the technical assistance provided to COs in alignment with Regional Programme teams and other teams/divisions of Rome Global Office of WFPs food fortification programmes globally.

Provide technical guidance in the planning design implementation and monitoring of field-based fortification programmes as well as to PPGN units as needed.

Support COs in designing and conducting analytical studies to inform WFPs decision making on appropriateness of adopting Food Fortification programmes in WFP operations and/or government-led programmes in a country or region. This would entail support in designing and conducting feasibility studies such as landscape analysis scoping missions acceptability studies value chain analysis and others as required by context.

Provide technical support to COs in creating an enabling policy environment for integration of fortified foods into WFP operations and government-led programmes. This would entail review and inputs on national and/or regional policy documents national and regional regulatory standards and others to facilitate increased integration of Fortified Food int institutional programs of WFP and governments.

Advise/guide COs in identifying key entry points to integrate Fortification into supply -demand ecosystem of the country or region. This would entail activities including identifying the most-appropriate institutional demand programmes and support to key supply chain actors to integrate food fortification in WFP and government-led programmes;

Support COs in improving quality and compliance of fortified foods produced and distributed through WFP operations and government-led programmes. This would entail review and input into quality monitoring protocols and guidelines analyses of results of monitoring and others to inform programme design and implementation activities for improved compliance.

Work closely with other teams/units and divisions of WFP to increase proportion of fortified foods produced procured or distributed through WFP operations and government-led programmes.

Work closely with Supply Chain division and FSQA units in developing technical guidelines specifications and standards and others to increase the proportion of fortified foods into WFP operations and government-led programmes.

Participate and contribute as required in internal cross-functional committees working groups and task-forces to further the integration and scale up of fortified foods into WFP operations and government-led programmes;

Work closely with other teams of PPGN and support analytical evidence generation research and other activities related to integrating and/or scaling up fortified foods into WFP operations and government-led programmes. This would include support to MIMI FNG MFI-N scoping tool for local food solutions and others.

Serve as resource person on Food-tech aspects of fortified foods integrated and/or part of WFPs priorities such as Fortified Staple foods SNFs Specially Formulated Foods (SFFs) and other product categories identified under Local Food solutions.

Work across WFPs teams units or divisions to foster and support research activities prioritized by WFP on fortified foods. This would include activities such as shelf-life studies landscaping of technologies for fortification and others to inform technical committees and workings groups of WFP for enhancing product or programme efficiency.

Support and coordinate with regional offices and other global offices to further integration of fortified foods into WFP-operations and government-led programmes.

Represent PPGNs technical stand point on matters related fortified foods in forums (internal and external) as required

Provide any other support as required by the PPGN director to support WFPs objectives and mission.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education: The candidate must have an advanced degree related to international nutrition food security or food technology/ food science.
Experience: A minimum of 3 years of experience preferably including nutrition food (rice) fortification food technology food science food-value addition food value chains for fortified foods food security project planning and management and nutrition programming.
Knowledge & Skills:

Strong Communication abilities to engage with various stakeholders from different sectors and backgrounds ability to interact with leaders and external audience with maturity and tact ability to interact with vulnerable people groups.

Collaborative spirit able to liaise with a wide range of people at all levels and across different cultures and to act with credibility and diplomacy.

Outstanding organizational and time-management skills with an ability to plan ahead anticipate requirements problems and obstacles and an ability to juggle competing priorities successfully and to work to tight deadlines.

Strong drive self-motivated and able to work with a high degree of autonomy.

Fully committed and motivated to achieve the aims of the UN World Food Programme

Mobility: Willing to work in multi-cultural settings and travel to different field locations and including challenging operating environments.

Publications: Academic publications in the field of food fortification health or nutrition a benefit.
Languages: A second UN language (especially French) in addition to English would be preferred.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.