Consultant - Malnutrition Study for LINE Project at Oxfam Nigeria

Oxfam is an international confederation of 17 organizations (affiliates) committed to creating a just world without poverty. In Nigeria Oxfam works in the areas of Economic Justice/Sustainable Livelihoods, Humanitarian Programming to save lives, Advancing Gender Justice and Good Governance, adopting a right based approach.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Consultant - Malnutrition Study for LINE Project

Location: Bauchi State

Background
The Livelihoods and Nutritional Empowerment (LINE) Project is a 60-month initiative implemented by Oxfam in the State of Bauchi, Nigeria with funding from Global Affairs Canada (GAC). LINE Project aims to promote agriculture-driven economic growth and improve living conditions for 10,000 rural farmer households (60% women) with a specific focus on women and youth.

LINE will be implemented in six Local Government Areas (LGAs): Gamawa, Shira, Darazo, Ningi, Alkaleri and Tafawa Balewa. As a market-based agricultural initiative, the project will focus on the following value chains: maize, sorghum, sesame, dairy and meat (beef, mutton and goats) and will seek to enhance access to markets through collaboration with relevant stakeholders and key private sector actors. LINE Project is expected to result in:

• Increased yields in selected livestock and crop value chains for 10,000 rural farmer households (60% women).
• Improved agricultural business-enabling environment which is responsive to the needs of women, men, and youth members of farmer households.
• Improved nutrition for vulnerable farmer households, especially women and children.
• Bauchi state is among the states with the highest prevalence of stunting in Nigeria. More than half- 54.2% of the children are stunted, out of which 24.2% are severely stunted1. The prevalence of low birth weight in the state ranges from 11-20%2, and worse still 20.1%-29% of children under 5 years of age are underweight – 8.8% of them severely. Although about 80% of the state population depends on agriculture for their livelihood, the level of malnutrition is wide spread in all its regions. In the six target LGA, baseline report for the LINE project showed that the households dietary practices are insufficient to meet adequate nutrient needs. This is even more pronounced among children. The daily diets consumed consist mainly of carbohydrate based food and is highly deficient in protein especially animal sources, and micronutrients.
• The impact of malnutrition is long lasting with intergenerational consequences. Efforts to identify and address malnutrition in women and children are essential to breaking the cycle of poverty and facilitating development.
• In other to assess the nature and extents of malnutrition and its worsening conditions in the targeted LGAs, LINE project intends to conduct a malnutrition study and needs the services of a highly experienced consultant with expertise in conducting nutritional surveys.

Overall Objective of the Consultancy

• Assess the prevalence of wasting, stunting and underweight in the target communities.
• Determine the factors, including underlying social and cultural norms and gender inequalities that influence food production, purchasing, resource allocation, food preparation and consumption and caregiving practices of households that affect nutrition outcomes
• Evaluate to what extent the impact of human and environmental resources, economic systems and political and ideological factors contribute to malnutrition of women and children in Bauchi State.

Specific Deliverables
By end of December 2017, the consultant is expected to accomplish the following:

• Review existing literature on the nature, extent and causes of malnutrition from published materials on the internet, relevant institutions/Ministry of Health in Bauchi State and Nigeria
• Propose a methodology to conduct the Malnutrition Study.
• Hold planning meetings at the six target LGAs for the LINE project with LINE community Liaison Assistants, Nutrition Officers, ward focal persons as well as the community leaders to facilitate selection of communities and respondents for the study.
• Develop a field operation manual as well as a survey questionnaire for the study following internationally approved approaches
• Deliver training to at least 30 research assistants (specifically with nutrition qualifications) on the field operations and data collection using Kobo Collect (Mobile data collection). The training should include a Pre-Test of the survey instrument
• Conduct the survey in the 6 target LGAs
• Conduct a validation workshop on the findings with LINE Project staff, partner staff and relevant stakeholders in Bauchi State
• Write a final draft report on the study.

Application Closing Date
27th November, 2017.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Application Letter and Curriculum Vitae to: [email protected]

Note

• Oxfam has opened up this consultancy to a limited number of consultants with in-depth knowledge of the northern Nigeria context and Nutrition in Nigeria.
• Decision will be reached by November 29th, 2017 and the successful candidate will be contacted. Work will commence on December 1st, 2017 at Oxfam field Office in Bauchi State. If by November 29th, you have not heard from Oxfam, you have probably not made it to the final stage this time around.