Consultant – Development of the National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity

Consultant – Development of the National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity – (2500103) 

Contractual Arrangement: External consultant

Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days): 70 days

Job Posting

: Jan 10, 2025, 4:01:50 AM

Closing Date

: Jan 24, 2025, 10:59:00 PM

Primary Location

: Malaysia-Kuala Lumpur

Organization

: WP_MYS Malaysia

Schedule

: Part-time 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that the deadline for receipt of applications indicated above reflects your personal device’s system settings. 

Purpose of the consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the Ministry of Health Brunei Darussalam in the development of the National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity, to improve the health care delivery as a life course approach.

Background

Overweight and obesity form a major risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes with negative impacts on the quality of life of those affected. The prevalence of obesity among children, adolescents and adults is rising around the world. Childhood obesity is associated with a higher chance of obesity, premature death and disability in adulthood. In 2016, 28.2% of adults in Brunei Darussalam were reported to be obese, a slight increase from 27.2% in 2011. Overweight and obesity affects about half of Bruneian children aged 5-19 years (33.5% and 18.2% respectively), the highest being among those aged between 10 and 14 years old (NHANSS 2014).

The rise in obesity has been attributed to energy imbalances resulting from various factors such as changes in lifestyle; increased availability and subsequent overindulgence in high calorie and sugar content of food and drink; and sedentary lifestyles. The Global School-based Student Health Survey 2019 reported that about 40% of adolescents in Brunei Darussalam drank carbonated soft drink one or more times per day and only 11.5% of adolescents participated in at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day.

At the 75th World Health Assembly in 2022, Member States adopted new recommendations for the prevention and management of obesity and endorsed the WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity. As a response, WHO has also developed the Health Service Delivery Framework for Prevention and Management of Obesity. In view of this growing public health concern, the Ministry of Health Brunei Darussalam has requested support to develop the National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Brunei Darussalam.

A short-term consultant is required to provide support in this process from situational analysis to finalization of the National Strategic Plan. It is expected that a situational analysis be conducted in Q1 2025, followed by in-person stakeholder consultation workshops in Q2 2025, to develop and finalize the National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Brunei Darussalam. The subsequent launch of the national strategy will be done by the country in early 2026.

Deliverables

By working closely with the WCO, WPRO and HQ technical units, the consultant will be responsible for providing high quality technical support to MOH and other partners, to achieve the following outputs:

Output 1 Support the development of the National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Brunei Darussalam:

Deliverable 1.1: Conduct the situation analysis including desk-based review of the existing national strategic plans and other relevant documents of the country, as well as regional and global (February-March).

Deliverable 1.2: Conduct stakeholder consultations (interviews and workshops) as part of the situation analysis, including online and through an in-person mission (April).

Deliverable 1.3: Prepare a draft of the strategic plan (April-May).

Deliverable 1.4: Conduct stakeholder consultations on the developed draft, including online and through an in-person mission (June).

Deliverable 1.5: Prepare a final version of the strategic plan, incorporating guidance from the WHO and the Ministry of Health (June-August).

Methods to carry out the activities

Review and compile relevant overweight and obesity prevention strategies applicable to Brunei Darussalam.

Work with stakeholders within and outside of the MOH and facilitate the discussions.

Conduct literature search, gather data and conduct relevant analysis, draft technical briefs, presentations.

Maintain regular communication and engagements with WHO and with MOH by emails, video calls, face-to-face meetings, etc.

Closely work with WHO and MOH for documentation, such as drafting the strategic plan, guidance notes, progress reports, etc

Provide technical support under the supervision of technical leads in the WHO Country Office and WPRO.

Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

Essential: First university degree in medicine, public health, health policy, nutrition from a university recognized in the International Association of Universities’ Worldwide Database of Higher Education Institutions, Systems and Credentials (WHED).

Desirable: Postgraduate (master’s level) qualification in public health, nutrition. Formal training in obesity prevention and management.

Experience

Essential: Minimum five years’ work experience in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, clinical interventions, or obesity prevention and management. Experience developing national strategic plans. Relevant international experience is necessary. 

Desirable: Relevant work experience in WHO, other UN agencies, relevant nongovernmental organizations.

Skills/Knowledge:

Knowledge of the specific or technical area related to obesity prevention and management.

Familiarity with the WHO recommendations and frameworks

Good communication skills and a teamwork spirit

Strong writing skills and a good attention to detail

Persistence in follow-up, tact, and diplomacy in working with diverse stakeholders.

Languages and level required

Expert knowledge of English

Location

Off-site: Home-based with expected travel to Brunei Darussalam

Travel

Consultant may be required to travel to Brunei Darussalam to meet with MOH and other stakeholders.

Remuneration and budget

Remuneration: USD 350 (daily), part-time equivalent to 70 days 

Expected duration of contract: 6 months, February to August 2025 

Additional Information

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