Short-term Individual Consultant to support Nourishing Food Pathways “Food Culture and Consumer Food Choices"

 

Short-term Individual Consultant to support Nourishing Food Pathways “Food Culture and Consumer Food Choices"

To be conducted between 1 May – 31 December 2023

1. Background

I.1.    About the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

Driven by a vision of a world without malnutrition, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) was created with the support of major donors at the UN Children’s Summit in 2002. GAIN, with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, mobilizes public-private partnerships and provides financial and technical support to deliver nutritious foods to those people most at risk of malnutrition. Working with partners, we aim to support and advise governments, businesses, and development partners as they build and mobilize food and nutrition plans to advance nutrition outcomes. Our programs enable better diets via large-scale food fortification, multi-nutrient supplements, nutritious foods for mothers and children, and enhancement of the nutritional content of agricultural products. GAIN is delivering improved nutrition to an estimated 800 million people in more than 40 countries. Looking ahead, GAIN aims to improve the access of 1.5 billion people to nutritionally enhanced staple foods, improve the access of 25 million people to healthier diets, and support positive food system change in 10 countries by 2027.

I.2.    About GAIN’s Food System Governance programs’ “Nourishing Food Pathways” initiative.

Nearly 3.1 billion[1] people cannot afford a healthy diet. Efforts to ensure ‘’no one is left behind’’ and everyone is food and nutrition secure are thwarted and negative impacts are multiplied by the convergence of numerous challenges such as climate, conflict, economic instability, health, and poverty. It is widely agreed that there is an urgent need to further accelerate progress toward the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Sustainability Development Goals. A significant output of the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) is the 100+ food system transformation pathways that countries, Indonesia included, have designed and committed to as their practical road maps to rapidly reshaping food systems for people and the planet. Countries are presently attempting to move forward from pathways commitment and design to implementation with mobilized resources. Fundamental to the implementation of these pathways are mandates and delivery relationships across multi-levels of governments as well as inclusive engagement of multi-stakeholders towards just food system transformation. To support countries in these efforts, GAIN launched its multi-stream, Nourishing Food Pathways (or Pathways) program, in Africa and Asia.

 

There are 6 workstreams in the NFP initiative which deliver the 3 main outcomes.

1)     Improve consumption of safe nutritious food, in an environmentally sustainable way, in 10 countries. These foods are the foundation of healthy diets which address all forms of malnutrition including non-communicable diseases (NCDs)^[2]

2)     Strengthen support systems within each country to continue to develop and implement pathways.

3)     Provide inspiration and guidance for other countries and stakeholders as pathways are developed and implemented.

Together, the six workstreams will strengthen and support the implementation of country food system pathways to accelerate progress toward the SDGs, especially SDG2.

This consultancy work particularly will focus on pathways Workstream 3.2 which aims to build supportive food cultures in low-income countries through country demand generation alliances in the country, and Workstream 5.2 which is to work with the private sector in the country to identify ways to motivate low-income consumers to base food choices on health & environment benefits.

II.        Objectives of the Consultancy

GAIN seeks the services of a consultant to work with the GAIN country team and in close collaboration with Project Lead/s at GAIN Global on short-term full-time basis consultancy work. She/he will be responsible for the day-to-day delivery and implementation of the NFP program particularly for the workstream WS.3.2 and WS 5.2

1.       Scope of Work

The consultant will be supervised by the Program Manager and work closely with the Head of Programme/Senior Policy Advisor at the GAIN Indonesia office and the Project Lead/s at GAIN Global. S/he will provide management and administrative support to the Program Manager, focusing on tracking the progress and status of project activities. S/he shall bring accurate, reliable, and professional skills to this role as well as strong resource management skills, established relations with external key stakeholders as well as participatory techniques, and capable administration skills.

The consultant plays an internal coordination role in GAINs cross-functional project teams and supporting the work of service providers, and where appropriate supporting more senior members of the project team with external engagement.

She/he is responsible for liaising with GAIN staff on the project components and ensuring that project outputs and activities are successfully implemented within approved plans, budgets, timelines, and quality standards.

1.1.   Specific Tasks

Resource Management

·     Facilitate accurate project budgeting and forecasting processes, ensuring that activities costs are kept within budgets.

·     Develop Terms of Reference for project consultants/suppliers hired on a short-term basis and ensure the proper delivery of technical services and submission of technical and other reports within ethical and procurement standards and guidelines.

·     Maintaining a central database of all project documents and materials, such as meeting summaries, status reports, action items, and deadlines

·     Ensure timely monthly project reporting on program progress achieved, program plans, changes in direction, and challenges encountered.

·     In collaboration with the Project Manager, develop project summaries, collate lessons learned, and draft best practice documents.

·     Supports the Project Manager in preparing donors’ reports in collaboration with project teams, technical teams, funding teams, and support teams.

·     Develop appropriate narrative reporting and financial accounting documentation for the Project Manager’s review in order to meet GAIN and donor requirements.

·     Taking on the project management role in the absence of the project manager

·     Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Project Coordination, Planning, and Implementation

·     Managing the project schedule, activity plan, and tracking of progress and deliverables from service providers

·     Support the PM and Project Lead in the design, and planning of the scope, activities, and objectives of the project.

·     Support the PM and Project Lead in procurement, including managing RFP and contracts of executing agency/partners.

·     Drafting the necessary project documentation during the planning, design, and implementation phases, as per the GAIN Project Management Guidelines (PMG) i.e results framework, work plans, etc.

·     Under the guidance of the Head of Programme and Project Lead, coordinating and scheduling project review meetings at regular cycles and preparing documentation of findings.

·     Facilitate implementation of project activities in compliance with the policies and best practice standards of GAIN.

·     Support the Project Manager in providing feedback or recommendations to the Project Lead on procedures for project implementation.

Project Management Coordination

·     Identifying, tracking project issues on an ongoing basis, and resolving them where appropriate.

·     Escalating, and proactively reporting to the Project manager and Project Leads to issues that require wider attention and resolution.

·     Helping to monitor risks as per contingency plans.

·     Contributing to a culture of mutually accountable partnership with other teams within GAIN (HR, KL, Finance, IT, Comms) that supports programs and projects.

 

2.       Estimated Duration of Contract

The consultancy assignment will be conducted over 8 months period from May 2023 – Jan 2024

3.       Key Deliverables

The consultant is expected to complete and submit the deliverables based on the time schedule that will be agreed upon between the consultant and the country and global team. Deliverables may include, but are not limited to, the following:

·     Workplan, with activities, sub-activities, and project dependencies

·     Draft Request for Proposals / Terms of Reference for service providers

·     Field Visits with service providers

·     Review reports/deliverables from service providers

·     Support donor reporting

·     Invoice processing and vendor payments

·     Project database (GAIN SharePoint) with all project documents

·     Day-to-day communication with external and internal key stakeholders including follow-up activities and refinement of the reports.

 

4. Key Roles and Responsibilities

4.1.     GAIN Responsibilities

§  Provide background information on GAIN’s Food System Governance programs’ “Nourishing Food Pathways” initiative and previous documents related to Food System in Indonesia.

§  Provide background information and contact details of key internal stakeholders.

§  Provide detailed feedback on all the deliverables sent by the consultant.

§  Facilitate a gainhealth.org email and access to GAIN share point.

§  Transfer payments as per the agreed contract and based on approval of deliverables. 

4.2.   Consultant Responsibilities

The consultant will conduct the assignment by fulfilling the contractual arrangements in line with the TOR and contract agreement.

 

5. Required Qualifications

The consultant will be selected based on the following set of skills and competencies:

Experience

·       Experience working on development programs with multiple stakeholders such as government, community-based individuals, organizations, and/or non-governmental organizations.

·       Experience in project management, financial and administration systems

·       Previous experience delivering projects on time and on budget.

·       Experience working in multi-cultural as well as low- and middle-income country contexts. Experience in Indonesia is essential, with experience elsewhere in Asia a benefit.

·       An understanding of food systems, public sector governance, and/or nutrition is preferable.

·       Skilled research administrative experience.

·       Proven teamwork experience.

·       Strong research and reporting writing experience: quantitative and qualitative methods. Community-based participatory research skills are a benefit. (University research studies experience is satisfactory

 

Competences (Skills and Attributes)

• Robust, best practice research and reporting skills: quantitative and qualitative methods. Community-based participatory research skills are a benefit.
• Accurate, reliable, and proactive research task-related administrative skills.
• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills in English and Bahasa.
• Skilled and experienced working with a diversity of team members and/or stakeholders including low-income communities and public sector elected and appointed officials.
• High level of professionalism and integrity.
• Good judgment and problem-solving skills.
• Computer literacy with good Excel, MS Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint skills. Experience using a referencing program as well as a statistic and/or qualitative programs are an advantage. SharePoint experience is a benefit.
• Fluent written and verbal English

Education:

• Undergraduate-Honours degree with robust experience or Master’s degree or equivalent recognized international accreditation in project management and/or Bachelor’ degree in business management, international relations, sustainable development, economics, development studies, public health or related field

 

6. Submission Process and Evaluation Criteria

Proposals for this engagement must be sent by email to GAINIndonesia@gainhealth.org with the subject line Consultant for Food Culture and Consumer Food Choices not later than midnight 05 May 2023

The following requirements in the proposal indicate a list of the significant criteria against which proposals will be assessed. This list is not exhaustive and is provided to enhance the applicant’s ability to respond with substance.

• Cover Letter with suggested fee (monthly basis).
• Resume that highlights experience related to this Consultancy.
• Two references.

 

 

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[1] FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. 2022. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022. Repurposing food and agricultural policies to make healthy diets more affordable. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc0639en

[2] In Annex 1 we suggest that improving the diets of 3 million people sustainably and enduringly is a reasonable aspiration for MMW2.  Our assumptions are as follows: (1) for a recent 5 year $100m programme in 6 countries