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Qualifications

Purpose of consultancy

To contribute to the measurement and monitoring of nutritional status and nutritional care services among older persons under the WHO TAG4MHA (Technical Advisory Group for Measurement of Healthy Ageing) and WHO TEAM (Technical Expert Advisory Group on nutrition Monitoring).

Background  

The Member States have committed to improving the nutritional status of all ages, as evidenced by several declarations and goals — including a set of six global nutrition targets endorsed by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 2012 and the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 2), which aims to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030. 

More recently, global communities embraced a sweeping 10-years global plan of action to ensure all older people can live long and healthy lives, formally known as the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030).

The UN declarations recognize primary healthcare as the most inclusive, effective and efficient whole-of-society approach to ensuring older people’s physical and mental capacities and well-being. The declaration further highlights the fundamental role of healthy diets and healthy ageing, equitable and sustainable food systems – along with quality education, gender equality and women’s empowerment, access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and social protection mechanisms – in building healthier societies.

WHO HQ provides specialized technical support to Ministries of Health, WHO country and regional offices to accelerate the implementation of evidence-based nutritional care services for older persons to improve national ageing programmes. Specific support is tailored to country needs/situations and requests and in alignment with national and WHO country support plans. Monitoring the nutritional status of the older person and documenting the impact of public health actions on nutrition is critical to demonstrate the progress and the impact by 2030.

To this end, the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Ageing and the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO aims: 

1. To mainstream the measurement of nutrition care services in older persons within universal health coverage. 
2. To elevate the epidemiological profile of older persons with nutritional impairments (underweight and overweight).
3. To advocate for nutrition-inclusive strategies and action plans on healthy ageing.

Deliverables

• Task 1: Contribute to the development of technical guidance for the measurement of coverage of nutrition care services in older people.
  Expected by: July 2023.
  • Deliverable 1: Prepare a draft outline of the technical report in consultation with the WHO Technical Advisory Group (TAG4MHA and TEAM).
  • Deliverable 2:  Analyse the data with academic partners and consolidate the findings to prepare the technical guidance for countries. 
  • Deliverable 3:  Draft the technical guidance based on preliminary data analysis and discussion with the WHO Technical Advisory Groups.

• Task 2: Coordinate the data collection and the global estimation of undernutrition and overweight in older persons.
  Expected by: August 2023.
  • Deliverable 1: Review the best available population survey data on older persons that collect information about undernutrition and overweight in older persons.
  • Deliverable 2: Develop methods for producing global estimation of undernutrition and overweight in older persons. 
  • Deliverable 3: Prepare a manuscript complying with the GATHER guidelines for reporting the global prevalence of underweight and overweight in older persons.

• Task 3: Contribute to a policy brief on the multi-stakeholder action to address determinants and strategies to improve the nutritional status of older persons.
  Expected by: November 2023.
  • Deliverable 1: Review the policy documents gathered from Member States in the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing Process Evaluation Survey (2022-2023) and summarize the results.
  • Deliverable 2: Perform content analysis of national policy and action plans that includes nutrition care strategies.
  • Deliverable 3: Draft a policy brief for dissemination.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential:

• Advanced university degree in nutrition and public health.

Desirable:

• Advanced university degree in epidemiology.

Experience

Essential:

• At least 5 to 7 years’ relevant experience in nutrition and research.
• Experience in project management in international development.
• Track record of conducting literature reviews, evidence synthesis, data analysis, documentation and implementation.

Desirable:

• At least one year of experience in epidemiological research on nutrition. 
• At least one year of experience in global health estimates (e.g., meta-analysis of prevalence and incidence data).
• At least one year of experience in nutrition and research in ageing population.

Skills/Knowledge:

Essential:

• Excellent knowledge of WHO tools and guidelines on nutrition. 
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office applications including e-mail, PowerPoint, Excel, and word processing.
• Excellent knowledge of STATA or R software. 
• Excellent planning and organizational skills and ability to deliver under tight deadlines.
• Excellent knowledge of process, method and reporting of global health estimates.
• Excellent epidemiological and statistical skills in multi-country data analysis. 

Languages required:

Essential:  

• Expert knowledge of English.
• Intermediate knowledge of French.

Location 

• Off-site – Home based. 

Travel 

The consultant is expected to travel.

Remuneration and budget (travel costs are excluded):

Remuneration:

Band level B – USD 7,000 – 9,980 per month.

Living expenses (A living expense is payable to on-site consultants who are internationally recruited):

N/A

Expected duration of contract: 

9 Months. 

Additional Information

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO’s operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice. 
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
• Consultants working in Switzerland must register with the applicable Swiss cantonal tax authorities and social security authorities, within the prescribed timeframes (Guidelines issued by the Swiss Mission are available at: https://www.eda.admin.ch/missions/mission-onu-geneve/en/home/manual-regime-privileges-and-immunities/introduction/Manuel-personnes-sans-privileges-et-immunites-carte-H/Non fonctionnaires et stagiaires.html