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Job Summary

Support to Formulation of Comprehensive Food and Nutrition Security Strategic Framework for Afghanistan

Location: Afghanistan
Duration 30 working days; starting date immediately / ASAP


Food and nutrition insecurity is a major concern in land-locked, low-income Afghanistan. Some 7.4 million people – 31 percent of the population – are food-insecure and another 5.4 million people – 23 percent of the population – are vulnerable to food insecurity. In particular, the prevalence of chronic malnutrition is high amongst children while both women and children experience micronutrient and iodine deficiency disorders.
Despite recognition at the global level of the multiple causes of food and nutrition insecurity and the need for comprehensive and coordinated approaches to overcome its adverse effects, Afghanistan has no overarching policy and strategic framework for tackling the interrelated causes of widespread food and nutrition insecurity in the country, i.e. limited availability, restricted accessibility and poor utilization of food as well as vulnerability of large segments of the population to shocks.
The mandate for food and nutrition security is currently dispersed across several jurisdictions that concentrate only on specific aspects of the problem. Although this fragmentation of oversight and the lack of an overarching policy framework for food and nutrition security in Afghanistan are challenges to an integrated assault on the multiple, multi-dimensional causes of food and nutrition insecurity, opportunities exist for the international community to support the development of a national food and nutrition security strategic framework and to assist with strengthening of requisite institutional capacities.
Recognizing the need to address food and nutrition insecurity through partnership in the agricultural sector, FAO and WFP recently concluded a Letter of Intent (LoI) that will facilitate joint support of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in six thematic areas including support to national food and nutrition security policy development.

Duties & Responsibilities

The Comprehensive FNS Strategic Framework development process, from inception (i.e. consultations and research) to validation, is expected to be phased over a 5 to 6 month period with related capacity building efforts to follow immediately thereafter. In furtherance of this process, the Food Security Programmes Consultant will be tasked with the following responsibilities:

To identify programmes and projects of key actors in food security (government, donors/UN agencies, private sector, NGOs); and

To categorize these programmes and projects using the food security typology (i.e. availability, access, utilization, disaster preparedness and management)
Programme information that is collected and presented should include, but not be limited to the following:
1) Programme/Project Title:
2) Planned Programme / Project period, current status of implementation
3) Main actor(s) and their role (Overall responsibility, funding, implementation, ….):
4) Programme / project budget, funded by:
5) Geographical coverage (nationwide, provinces, districts, …….)
6) Main programme / project type of interventions/activities.
7) Addressing /focusing on which aspect of food security (availability, access, utilization, nutrition, disaster preparedness and management, food security information), brief explanation:
8) Brief assessment of programme/project performance: good practice/failure (if evidenced by evaluation reports, stakeholder views, etc.),
The study will be based on available food security programme documentation and contacts with relevant stakeholders in government (i.e. MAIL, MRRD, MEW, MoLSAMD, MoPH – different departments), United Nations organizations (i.e. FAO, UN-Ocha, UNDP, WFP, UNICEF, WFP, WHO), important donors (USAID, EC, JICA, ….) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Duration of assignment: 30 working days.

Job Requirements

Academic Qualifications:
University degree in agricultural economics, economics or other related fields of social science.
Technical Competencies and Experience Requirements:
Expert with at least 5 years of experience in policy, programme and project development, planning, implementation and monitoring in fields of agriculture, food and nutrition security in Afghanistan. Good communication skills and training experience as well as excellent written and spoken English is also required.
Solid understanding of food security concepts and of data and information requirements for policy, programme and project formulation are also required.

Submission Guideline

Ms Hildegard Tuttinghoff
UN World Food Programme
Kabul, Afghanistan
Email: Hildegard.Tuttinghoff@wfp.org

Functional Area

Agriculture

Countries

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