International Consultant to support the adaptation of the 2023 WHO guideline on the prevention and management of wasting in children under 5 years to the Syrian context, Damascus, Syria, 80 working days (Remote/in person)

Join UNICEF as an International Consultant to support the adaptation of the 2023 WHO guideline on the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema (‎acute malnutrition)‎ in infants and children under 5 years to the Syrian context. You will contribute to the promotion of children’s rights in Syria, by 1. Reviewing the current national CMAM guideline to identify strengths and implementation gaps. 2. Based on the implementation gap analysis from task 1 above, conducting a stakeholder meeting to adapt the 2023 WHO guidelines to the Syrian context. 3. Updating the existing CMAM implementation tools including registers, patient cards, monitoring and reporting tools, training materials in alignment with the updated CMAM guideline.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

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Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, an advocate.

UNICEF Syria was established in 1970 and has been working with partners to help empower children to fully claim and enjoy their rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

UNICEF works with partners across Syria to deliver supplies, services, and expertise in areas of Child Protection, Education, Health, Nutrition, Water, Hygiene and Sanitation for every child. UNICEF also provides humanitarian assistance when needed.

Syria continues to face one of the most complex emergencies in the world. Unprecedented humanitarian needs are compounded by displacement inside the country and across its borders, extensive destruction of civilian and social services infrastructure, devastating impacts on the economy, and most importantly, the breakdown of the social fabric that stitched the country together for decades.

Today, 90% of people in Syria live in poverty, most are unable to make ends meet or bring food to the table. Families have had their resources depleted, with limited employment opportunities, skyrocketing prices, and shortage of basic supplies. For most people, the current socio-economic challenges represent some of the harshest and most challenging circumstances they have faced since the beginning of the crisis in 2011.

The February 2023 earthquakes in north Syria and Türkiye have added agony to an already catastrophic situation, increasing the strain on services, causing displacement, and inflicting widespread damage. Many families lost their main breadwinner due to death or injury, at a time when the economic situation was already dire, resulting in millions of people unable to meet their basic needs.

In 2024, 16.7 million people need humanitarian assistance[1]. This is the highest number of people in need ever recorded in Syria since 2011. The number of children in need – more than 6.5 million – has increased by seven per cent in the past year alone. This is largely due the ongoing conflict, continued displacements, the unprecedented economic crisis, deepening poverty, and unemployment. The COVID-19 pandemic, the hike in price of commodities triggered by the overall global economic situation and the impact of sanctions are further compounding the dire situation.

For information of the work of our organization, please visit our website: UNICEF Syria  

Background on the Assignment:

More than a decade of conflict and complex humanitarian crisis has had a devastating impact on the nutrition situation of children under five years old. The crisis period has seen a reversal of the gains of the previous investment to reduce undernutrition. The number of children under the age of five suffering from wasting in 2024 is the highest ever, with an estimated 300,000 children urgently requiring life-saving care and treatment for wasting. According to SMART Survey 2023, the prevalence of Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) increased to 4.8% up from 1.7% in 2019. The deterioration is largely attributable to inadequate care practices, poor access to nutritious food and quality services against a backdrop of prolonged conflict and displacement. The Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) in Syria is relatively new. The first ever CMAM guidelines were developed and rolled out in 2016 initially implemented in 22 health facilities nationally. Over time, the program has expanded with a national reach of 284 health facilities in 2024.  The program is led by the Ministry of Health, with implementation support largely contributed by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and UN agencies. UNICEF works with WHO and WFP to support the Ministry of Health (MoH) to oversee the implementation of the CMAM program. Specifically, UNICEF is responsible for the treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) without complications, WHO for SAM with complications, and WFP for moderate wasting. A CMAM technical working group (TWG) comprised of UN agencies and CSOs was established in 2022 under the umbrella of the nutrition cluster in Syria to enhance program collaboration and coordination.

In light of the 2023 WHO guideline on the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema (‎acute malnutrition)‎ in infants and children under 5 years, there is consensus among stakeholder in Syria to review and update the 2016 national CMAM guideline.

The selected candidate will work with UNICEF, Ministry of Health, and the CMAM TWG, that also includes WFP and WHO, to perform the assigned tasks.

How can you make a difference? 

The purpose of the assignment is to support UNICEF Syria Country office to achieve the following objectives.

1. Review the current national CMAM guideline to identify strengths and implementation gaps.
2. Based on the implementation gap analysis from task 1 above, conduct a stakeholder meeting to adapt the 2023 WHO guidelines to the Syrian context.
3. Update the existing CMAM implementation tools including registers, patient cards, monitoring and reporting tools, training materials in alignment with the updated CMAM guideline. 

If you would like to know more about this assignment, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:

 ToR CMAM Guideline_(VA).pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

I. Academic qualifications:

Master’s degree in Public Health/Nutrition, or a related field.

A first-level university degree with additional 2 years of required relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

II. Work experience / Technical competencies:

• Minimum of 8 years of experience and knowledge of the prevention and management of wasting and nutritional oedema (‎acute malnutrition)‎ in infants and children under 5 years.
• Demonstrated evidence of having worked on developing CMAM guidelines at global or country level.
• Demonstrated writing and oral communication skills, in particular for the development of technical documents.

III. Language requirement:

Fluency English (both written and verbal) is required. Knowledge of Arabic language is a MUST.

IV. Competencies:

For every Child, you demonstrate..

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

EVALUATION PROCESS (OF APPLICATIONS):

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

1. Applications through UNICEF’s Talent Management System (TMS)
2. Cover Letter
3. CV.
4. Financial quote as lump sum for professional fees only, Travel & Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) will be covered by UNICEF Syria.
5. Examples of previous work/proposed methodology/approach to managing the project
6. At least 3 Referees from Direct Supervisors

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, including paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

General Remarks:

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Visa Requirements remark

The assignment includes 15 days to be performed in Syria, subject to the VISA approval; otherwise, the assignment can be done fully remotely.