Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results. Then we share what we learn so others can achieve results for development, too.
We have a unique and vibrant culture at R4D. Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of our work environment and help advance our mission. Diversity—of ideas, identities, perspectives and backgrounds—is vital to who we are and what we do. We seek people who embrace these values and will help reinforce them. Our work culture is collaborative, creative and entrepreneurial. We operate based on trust and respect. Teams across the organization frequently collaborate on programmatic work and support each other in continuously building a better R4D.
1.2. Multiple Micronutrient Supplement Project Overview
Micronutrient deficiencies and malnutrition in pregnant women contribute to poor pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight, small for gestational age, and preterm births.[1] Supplementation of iron and folic acid (IFA) has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be included in antenatal care (ANC) programs, for the prevention of anemia.[2] However, multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) have proven to be a more cost-effective option that provides both IFA and additional micronutrients.
The “Market Shaping for Multiple Micronutrient Supplement (MMS)” project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation aims to build a holistic market shaping strategy for the introduction and scale-up of MMS in Ethiopia. This project will articulate co-created and holistic strategies for Ethiopia, including an evidence and advocacy roadmap, which will be comprised of evidence strategy and demand generation and advocacy strategy/roadmap.The evidence and advocacy roadmap will outline tactics for generating and applying evidence for decision-making, demand generation, and advocacy. The project will also collaboratively co-create a market shaping roadmap grounded in the four market enabling factors: regulatory, financing, supply, demand).
2. The Opportunity
R4D is looking for a consultant, based in Ethiopia, to support and contribute to the Evidence Generation components of MMS Market Strategy. The individual will support and facilitate the collaborative development of the evidence strategy. He/She will coordinate and work closely with R4D Ethiopia and Washington, DC team members, and another consultant, who will lead the demand generation and advocacy strategy.
2.1 Duties and Responsibilities
- Working closely with the R4D team, the consultant will:
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Objectively collate existing evidence of clinical outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and implementation research findings, with a special inclusion of emerging evidence in ongoing demonstration research in Ethiopia conducted by partners.
- Support the identification of a small working group of key stakeholders and technical experts with whom we will co-create a focus geography-specific evidence strategy. Then, jointly with the project team and that working group:
- Identify the primary stakeholders (e.g., national level policymakers, healthcare professional associations, nutrition experts, etc.) who would be evaluating and making decisions on MMS
- Identify what types of evidence are required (e.g., efficacy, feasibility, cost-effectiveness at the global, national to sub-national level, etc.) for the respective decision-makers’ review and determination on MMS.
- Map and compare the collated available evidence to the types of evidence required,
- Lead the co-creation of an evidence strategy that lays out steps to be taken to either leverage existing evidence or generate additional relevant evidence.
- In line with the evidence strategy, synthesize existing evidence and transfer them into a sharable document to be at the hand of the key champions and decision makers
2.2. Deliverables
- Detailed work plan, at first week from the date of signing of the contract
- Evidence mapping tool and mapping of key stakeholders for evaluation of evidence and decision on MMS
- Report on existing evidence and evidence gaps analysis
- Evidence strategy with clear recommendation on packaging existing evidence and generating new evidence
2.3 Required Qualifications:
- PhD or Master of public health (MPH), MSC in Applied Nutrition or Master of Public Health in Nutrition or related field.
- A minimum of 10 years of experience working in the public health and nutrition sector, particularly in Ethiopia.
- Proven experience of conducting operational research on Health and Nutrition.
- Strong experience on evidence generation for informing policy decision
- Proven expertise on conducting analysis for efficient and effective introduction and/or scale-up of nutrition commodities.
- Demonstrated track record of successfully creating and managing stakeholder relationships within Ethiopia health and nutrition sectors.
- Strong existing relationships with priority health system partners within government, non-government and other cross-cutting sectors, including stakeholders at the Ministry of Health, the national drug authority, implementing partners, donors, local civil society organizations, among others
- Experience uncovering focus areas that need to be targeted to advocacy and policy guiding materials through qualitative and quantitative analysis, and using a hypothesis-driven approach and designing solutions in iterative manner, leveraging empirical evidence where necessary.
2.4 Period of performance:
- In this role, the Consultant will work closely with a variety of country-level stakeholders and members of the R4D Market Shaping team in Ethiopia and Washington, DC to carry out the following list of indicative activities over first 6 months of period after contract signing, with a possibility of extension based on required, performance and decision with donor.
2.5 Payment schedule:
- R4D will pay the consultant on successful delivery of each deliverable as per the LOE and daily professional fee agreed in the contract agreement for each deliverable. In addition, R4D will reimburse travel-related expenses in line with its travel policy.
2.6 Reporting
- The Evidence Generation Consultant will report to a designated senior team member and maintain a functional relationship with all team members at country and global level, government stakeholders, and other development/implementing partners working on micronutrient deficiencies and malnutrition in pregnant women.
3. To apply
- Interested applicants should please provide their resume/CV, in addition to a cover letter clearly stating daily rate, as well as an estimated number of days LOE required to complete the work detailed above, broken down by deliverable.
- For any questions about the consultancy, please contact Yodi Tesfaye at ytesfaye@r4d.org.
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and nurturing an energetic, collaborative and diverse workforce. R4D provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits.
