Title: Nutrition Research Assistant (Consultant)
Title of Project: Improving Dietary Diversity and Diet Quality through Systems Innovation – A Pilot Study in Vietnam
Background
Part of the CGIAR Humidtropics Programme, Bioversity International is leading the Nutrition cluster in the Humidtropics CRP. Bioversity International together with its national partners are currently piloting a participatory methodology in Vietnam. The project aims to assess local food biodiversity and identify opportunities for improving diet quality and diversity for women of child bearing age and children between 12-23 months through the promotion, production and use of locally available foods in a locally acceptable and sustainable way that also simultaneously improves other system elements (markets, productivity, natural resource management etc.).
The position will be based in Hanoi, Vietnam with frequent travel to Son La and under the supervision of the project Manager.
In2015, Bioversity is organising in Son La and Hanoi (Vietnam) 1) participatory workshops with intervention communities, Humidtropics innovation and R4D platforms to identify, prioritize and design agricultural/nutrition interventions and 2) implementation of the innovative participatory nutrition-agricultural interventions (the latter starts in 2015 and goes on in 2016). This will happen in close collaboration with the broader Humidtropics CRP partners in the North West Vietnam.
Key Responsibilities (In collaboration with Bioversity Scientists)
1.Assist with and perform in-depth data analysis on agrobiodiversity and dietary intake data gathered in Aug-Dec 2014.
- Using the available data, identify possible entry points for agricultural and dietary diversity.
- Develop analysis and recommendation reports and prepare scientific manuscript drafts on baseline data and participatory intervention cycle for publication in internationally peer reviewed journals
2.Assist with the participatory community engagement cycle of the project
- Assist with logistical arrangements
- Design and contextualise appropriate communication tools and other field materials to be used with communities and Humidtropics innovation platforms to communicate the results of baseline study
- Prepare and implement the participatory cycle of intervention prioritization and design with communities and respective Humidtropics platforms
- Facilitate participatory focus groups with minority ethnic group farming communities and higher level stakeholders to communicate results of baseline study
- Facilitate workshops to identify possible local solutions to nutrient gaps
3.Assist with the implementation and monitoring of interventions with rural minority ethnic group communities as part of this project.
- Assist with logistical arrangements and networking with local counterparts
- Travel to the field for medium periods of time (e.g. 1 month)
- Deliver nutrition interventions together with local counterparts
- Monitor process of intervention and provide regular progress reports
- Report on and document the participatory cycle of intervention prioritization and design
4.Assist with the representation of Bioversity with key partners in the region
- participate and represent Bioversity International in high-level meetings within the action site (North West Vietnam)
- Assist with logistical arrangements and partnership development with local counterparts
5.Perform other duties as required
Availability
- Full time
- Must be able to travel frequently to Mai Son for medium periods of time (e.g 1 month)
Essential Requirements + competencies
- Masters Degree in Public Health, Nutrition or related field
- At least 3 year experience working in nutrition and public health sector
- Some experience working in rural areas with community groups
- Quantitative and Qualitative data analysis and efficient use of statistic software (e.g. STATA)
- Can work independently within a dispersed international team
- Strong interpersonal, communications and teamwork skills; courtesy, tact and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different cultural and national backgrounds.
- High degree of judgment and initiative; ability to multi-task and to work with a high degree of independence within assigned areas.
- Fluent in Vietnamese
- Advanced written and spoken English
Desirable competencies
- Intermediate Vietnamese-Thai
- Some experience with Agriculture
- Experience working with minority groups
- Understanding of Monitoring and Evaluation methods and tools
- Familiarity with Participatory Research methods
Terms and Conditions
The contract with be for an initial 12 months (with possibility of renewal) with a starting date of April 1 2015. Applicants are to send a 1 page cover letter with their CV to [email protected] [1] and copy [email protected] [2] by April 10 2015.
NB: Bioversity International will be the sole owner of all the questionnaires, field notebooks and datasets generated under this project, therefore all materials (tools, questionnaires, field notebooks and datasets) shall be deposited at Bioversity International in due form by the end of the contract.