Consultancy to support the implementation of UNICEF Thailand’s Nutrition Operational Plan, UNICEF Thailand Country Office, Bangkok, Job No #577922

UNICEF Thailand Country Office is seeking a nutrition expert to support implementation of the Nutrition Operational Plan by building on existing initiatives and strengthening UNICEF TCO’s nutrition support to the Royal Thai Government.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfilling their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a better future

UNICEF works to ensure the rights of all children in the East Asia and Pacific Region.  This means the rights of every child living in this country, irrespective of their nationality, gender, religion or ethnicity, to:

• survival – to basic healthcare, peace and security;
• development – to a good education, a loving home and adequate nutrition;
• protection – from abuse, neglect, trafficking, child labour and other forms of exploitation; and
• participation – to express opinions, be listened to and take part in making any decisions that affect them.
  
  

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Thailand Country Office is seeking a nutrition expert to support implementation of the Nutrition Operational Plan by building on existing initiatives and strengthening UNICEF TCO’s nutrition support to the Royal Thai Government.

Background:

While Thailand has been relatively successful in reducing undernutrition in children over the last few decades, there are still pockets of undernutrition among poor populations.

While stunting among under-fives declined significantly in the 1980s and 1990s, rates have not shifted much since 2005. Stunting rates are higher than the mean for Thailand in poorer provinces, affecting over one third of children in Mae-Hong Son in the North and over a quarter of children in Ranong in the South.

At the same time, Thailand is experiencing a rapid increase in overweight and obesity. In the last 15 years, overweight and obesity prevalence has more than doubled among children under 5 years of age and quadrupled in 5–18-year-olds. Currently, around 1 in 8 children in Thailand is overweight or obese. The cost to health and to the economy is significant. Overweight and obesity is associated with chronic diseases such as diabetes type II, cardiovascular diseases, certain forms of cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and premature mortality. It can also lead to depression and lower school attainment.

Malnutrition in Thailand is closely associated with changes in diet from fresh, local foods to higher consumption of ultra-processed foods full of unhealthy fats, sugar, and salt. Thailand now ranks highest among 54 low- and middle-income countries for adolescent fast-food intake and sales of ultra-processed food and drink are rapidly increasing. These changes are being driven by the food environment in which access to healthy foods is decreasing while ultra-processed products are abundant, cheap, and heavily marketed.

The Government of Thailand, under the leadership of the Department of Health (DoH), is responding to the nutrition challenges through a range of legislative, policy and programming approaches. UNICEF Thailand Country Office (TCO) is supporting and enhancing government efforts and has recently developed a two-year Nutrition Operational Plan for 2025-2026. The plan adopts a systems approach with the food system at the center supported by contributions from other key sectors and integrated into broader programme approaches in Early Childhood Development, Education, Adolescent Development and Participation and private sector engagement.

In this context, UNICEF TCO is seeking a nutrition expert to support implementation of the Nutrition Operational Plan by building on existing initiatives and strengthening UNICEF TCO’s nutrition support to the Royal Thai Government.

Work assignment:

Assignment 1: Edit and finalise an existing draft of a joint UNICEF-WHO advocacy brief on the Draft Act to Control the Marketing of Unhealthy Food and Drinks, for the Minister of Public Health. This includes conducting a review of existing key advocacy documents and materials previously developed to ensure alignment and consistency with prior efforts. The brief should be concise, compelling, and action-oriented, designed to facilitate informed decision-making and garner support at the ministerial level.

Expected deliverable: Advocacy brief for the Minister of Public Health

Delivery Schedule: 30 January 2025 (2 days)

Assignment 2: Develop a policy brief to support the expansion of breastfeeding counselling, especially through online channels. The brief should provide the rational and evidence to advocate with high-level decision makers within the Ministry of Public Health and National Health Security Office. It can be built on an existing study and pilot conducted by Department of Health on online breastfeeding counselling.  

Expected deliverable: Policy brief on expansion of breastfeeding counselling, especially through online channels.

Delivery Schedule: 31 March 2025 (10 days)

Assignment 3: Support the development and implementation of UNICEF TCO’s campaign on healthy lifestyles for 2025, by providing nutritional expertise to the UNICEF team for the development on the nutrition context in Thailand, key messages, target audiences, and key activities.

Expected deliverable: Timely nutrition inputs for development and implementation of the Healthy Lifestyles Advocacy Strategy and campaign. 

Delivery Schedule: 15 April 2025 (10 days)

Assignment 4: Provide global evidence and technical assistance to support the engagement of food retailers for creating healthier retail environments, including facilitation of discussions with target retailers and the development of a “Thailand Package”, consisting of industry best practices and global case studies. The consultant will also prepare a PPT to be used in meetings with retailers, linked to the content of the package.

Expected deliverable: Thailand “Retailers Package” and PPT, containing rationale for retailers’ engagement, international good practices, and capacity building materials finalised and disseminated with key retailers.

Delivery Schedule: 15 May 2025 (15 days)

Assignment 5: Provide technical support to review existing province-wide strategies in the Southern Border Province to improve food environments, diets, and address stunting and overweight among the poorest children. This includes: (a) reviewing key documents and programmes from provincial health office and other partners (b) identify the areas in the current plan/strategy where UNICEF can provide support, with clear action plan; (c) attending key meetings and (d) developing the concept note and agenda for a partners’ workshop to update the strategy, including facilitation where relevant. Local support will be provided by UNICEF to manage the review of available Thai documents and facilitate key conversations with stakeholders.

Expected deliverable: Draft updated strategy for the Southern Border provinces, with actionable roadmap developed at the provincial level.

Delivery Schedule: 30 July 2025 (20 days)

Assignment 6: Enhance TCO ability to provide nutritional support in emergencies including capacity strengthening of partners. Local support will be provided by UNICEF to manage the review of available Thai documents and facilitate key conversations with stakeholders.

Expected deliverable: Standard Operating Procedures developed for nutrition in emergency (NiE), including on BMS in emergency. Capacity of implementing partners is strengthened to implement the SOPs on NiE.

Delivery Schedule: 30 August 2025 (15 days)

Assignment 7: Technical review of policies, plans, data, and programmes framing/focused on school nutrition environment in Thailand (secondary review supplemented by key informant interviews). Local support will be provided by UNICEF to manage the review of available Thai documents and facilitate key conversations with stakeholders. Expected deliverable: Rapid assessment of school nutrition environment in Thai public schools with recommendations for the Ministry of Education and UNICEF engagement (aligned with the National Nutrition Plan (2023-2027).

Delivery Schedule: 30 September 2025 (15 days)

Assignment 8: Update existing document on the progress of the Marketing Act. The updated document should provide a clear and comprehensive overview of the current status and trajectory of the Marketing Act, reinforcing its importance for advancing public health goals. The consultant will update the existing document to include relevant 2024 information.

Expected Deliverable: Updated document on the progress of the Marketing Act

Delivery Schedule: 15 October (5 days)

Assignment 9: Provide technical support to the Bureau of Nutrition (BoNU) and UNICEF in moving forward all aspects of the Draft Act to Control the Marketing of Unhealthy Food and Drinks. This includes: (a) providing inputs to the development and roll out of the advocacy strategy for the Act; (b) attending key meetings with BoNU and partners to revise the Act, to develop the Nutrient Profile, and provide technical inputs on implementation and enforcement, (c) providing technical input as required to the WHO’s STOP Obesity initiative and the RECAP initiatives.

Expected deliverable: a) Timely technical inputs into an overarching advocacy strategy and plan for the Marketing Act.; b) Preparation of information/briefings and participation in key meetings with BoNU and key nutrition partners.

Delivery Schedule: 30 October 2025 (25 days)

Duration of Contract:    6 January – 30 November 2025

Duty Travel:  A maximum of 4 trips (total) will be required for the Southern Border Province and Northwest provinces.

Payment Schedule:

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

• An advanced University degree in nutrition from a recognized university
• A minimum of fifteen years of experience in developing nutrition strategies, including evidence generation, policy, and advocacy, in the areas of prevention of overweight and obesity, school nutrition and environment, and early childhood malnutrition.
• Previous experience of engagement of food retailers for creating healthier retail environments
• Previous experience with government/development partners at senior levels.
• Previous experience of work with international organisations.
• Knowledge of the nutrition context in East Asia.
• Ability to work with local language documents via use of ai translation tools; and proven ability to conceptualize, write briefs, concept notes, and nutrition updates in English language.

Interested candidates are requested to submit CV, full contact information of minimum 3 references, availability, technical proposal, and financial proposal by 26 December 2024.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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. 

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants. Consultants are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.