Chronic undernutrition is a significant public health problem in Nepal, where over forty per cent of children under five years of age suffer from stunting. The consequences of stunting are serious, life-long and irreversible. Chronic malnutrition accounts for at least one third of deaths in children aged under-five. Those who survive under-nutrition are at increased risk of morbidity, poor physical growth and decreased cognitive function resulting in lower academic performance, low economic productivity and increased risk of degenerative diseases like diabetes and obesity, later in life. To this end, the Nepal Government has recognized that addressing chronic malnutrition is a prerequisite for accelerated achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the foundation of broad social and economic growth. During the National Nutrition Seminar held in October 2010, the negative impact of under-nutrition on the social, economic and human capital development was highlighted, with consensus reached to urgently address the problem. It was also agreed that it must be considered a priority in the government’s plans, with a call to tackle this through a multi-sector approach.
The National Multi-sector Nutrition Plan (MSNP) for accelerated improvement of maternal and child nutrition (2013-2017)[1] has been prepared by five key government sectors, under the coordination and lead of the National Planning Commission (NPC), in collaboration with all key development partners. The MSNP offers a package of activities/interventions with priority strategic objectives by sector that are tailored to the specific characteristic and needs of different Districts. It is expected that the MSNP could contribute to a reduction by one third of the current prevalence of chronic malnutrition, and help stimulate long-term progress towards reducing this problem so that it is no longer an impeding factor for Nepal’s human capital development. The MSNP includes actions to enhance inter-sector collaboration and coordination, strengthening multi-sector monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track progress, financial and human resources as well as identifying gaps and future needs to ensure the commitment and capacity to implement it in a sustainable manner. A key feature of the MSNP is its decentralized design and implementation, through participatory bottom-up planning involving the Village Development Committees (VDCs) and District Development Committees (DDCs).
An integral component of the MSNP is a robust Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system which will be developed, and is the focus of the University of Washington technical assistance. Key indicators have been proposed to track the implementation and evaluate the impact of the MNSP, while existing data sources have been reviewed. It is evident that existing management information system (MIS) across the key sectors are extensive but will not provide sufficient information for effective monitoring of the MSNP. In addition, while there are periodic national surveys (e.g. NDHS, NLSS, MICS), they are not frequent enough nor disaggregated to the District or the VDC level for effectively evaluating its impact. To this end, focused attention is required to strengthen existing systems, while also identifying additional data to assure robust information may be available to guide program implementation.
The UW has been asked to support the development of a detailed monitoring and evaluation framework which will entail a careful review of the MSNP logical framework, further refine core indicators for each of the key monitoring levels – process, output, and outcome indicators, and consideration of the most appropriate and feasible sources of data. This work will lead to an implementation plan for M&E which will be developed and field tested through a consultative process involving the Central Bureau of Statistics, National Planning Commission, and the five key Ministries.
Project:
UNICEF and the University of Washington Global Center for Integrated Health of Women, Adolescents and Children (Global WACh) have partnered to support the monitoring and evaluation of the Maternal and Young Child Nutrition Security Initiative in Asia (MYCNSIA) Program. MYCNSIA is an initiative started in 2011 to identify innovative interventions and program delivery models to improve maternal, infant and young child nutrition in five Southeast Asian countries (Bangladesh, Laos, Indonesia, Nepal and Philippines). The University of Washington has been contracted to support the monitoring and evaluation of MYCNSIA and will work closely with the UNICEF Regional Offices, individual UNICEF country offices and key stakeholders and partner organizations where MYCNSIA is being implemented.
We are currently looking for a University of Washington student to work with the UNICEF office in Nepal to support the design and implementation of a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system for a new Multi-Sector Nutrition Program (MSNP). This is a very exciting and important piece of work that will help inform global efforts in the scaling up national nutrition programs which integrate interventions from different sectors, including health, agriculture, social protection and education to reduce the burden of chronic undernutrition. The student will work in-country with the support of Seattle-based UW faculty and the UNICEF Nepal country office. All travel and in-country expenses will be paid along with a stipend while the student is in the field. Length of stay will be 4 months, beginning as early as 1 January, 2014.
Note: There is potential for dissertation or thesis work and independent study credit. We encourage students to apply even if they are unsure of their ability to travel during the timeframe given below.
Opportunity:
• The MYCNSIA fellowships offer a unique opportunity to work closely with UNICEF country offices and key stakeholders responsible for national nutrition programs
• MYCNSIA fellows will gain valuable experience working in the field on real world projects with measurable results
• Fellows will leverage the infrastructure, experience, and global resources of the UW and UNICEF to support projects and create documents that will be used to influence global policy decisions
• Fellows will gain experience in the monitoring and evaluation of nutrition projects, with a specific lens on the first 1,000 days – the window of opportunity from pregnancy to two years of life when nutrition is most critical
• Potential thesis and dissertation topics
Qualifications:
• Prior experience living and working in a developing country or multi-cultural setting
• Ability to stay in country for extended length of time (4 months)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong analytical skills and expertise with computer statistical software, particularly SPSS
• Overall GPA of at least 3.0
• Interest and experience in one or more of the following: monitoring and evaluation, nutrition, maternal child health, implementation science,
• Ability to work both independently and within a diverse group setting
• Self-motivated with a desire to drive project completion
• Commitment and ability to maintain regular contact with technical backstopping team from remote locations and/or time zones
• Priority will be given to students with background and expertise in infant and young child nutrition, maternal nutrition or breastfeeding programs in developing countries, with a focus on M&E and policy development
Logistics:
• All travel and related expenses will be paid
• A monthly stipend and basic living allowance will be paid while in country
Eligibility and Application:
Eligible students must be matriculated graduate-level students at the University of Washington (undergraduates, recent graduates, and medical residents are not eligible).
Application Deadline: 5:00pm Wednesday, November 20th, 2013
To apply, please submit the following via email to Andrew Lewis (lewisar@uw.edu):
• Current Resume/CV (no more than 5 pages)
• Statement of interest (1 page, 1 inch margins, 11 pt. font)
• Recent unofficial UW transcript
• Two letters of recommendation, at least one from previous employer of faculty mentor (1 page, 1 inch margins, 11 pt. font).
