Country: Bangladesh
Closing date: 25 Sep 2019
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Background:
The Government of Bangladesh is committed to invest in nutrition and has been developing various policy documents integrating nutrition and food security in order to achieve SDG goal. The national nutrition policy (NNP) has been endorsed in 2015, align with NNP the second National Plan of Action for Nutrition (NPAN2) has been formulated with identified priority strategic actions.
The NNP 2015 and NPAN2 emphasize the need for strengthening of multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder and multi-level collaboration and coordination under revitalized Bangladesh National Nutrition Council (BNNC) chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister which will be responsible for nutrition governance, policy coordination and leadership in implementation of different ministries nutrition activities which is also a mandate of Scaling Up Nutrition movement in country.
Currently with the endorsement of NNP 2015 and the high priority accorded to the BNNC, there has been rigorous efforts by the GOB for revitalization and restructuring of the BNNC. Furthermore, being an early riser of SUN countries, Bangladesh has committed to achieve WHA, ICN2 and SDG targets through mobilize financial resources and effective utilization, advocate and communicate for nutritional impact and strengthen institution’s capacity.
Being a UN Network for SUN (UNN), UNICEF is currently supporting revitalization and restructuring of the BNNC as part of achieving strategic objective of SUN movement to sustain an enabling environment for effective actions for nutrition. Additionally, since 25 August 2017, influx of approx. 9.2 m Rohingya has created a vulnerable and deteriorating situation in Bangladesh, particularly in Cox’s bazar with a population of 2.29 m. This district faces the poorest access to basic social services in the country creating crisis level nutrition and food insecurity and health status; its poverty level is well above Bangladesh national average with high level of unemployment and poor investment in the economic sector and infrastructure. 49.5% children are stunted, 40.5% are underweight a, 10.1 are wasted, 32.3% children born with less than 2500 gm weight- all of these key nutrition indicators are much higher that national average. Even before the Rohingya influx, one in every five household already had poor and borderline food consumption patterns and only 55% of the population used improved sanitation- worse than national average. Overall 33% live below the poverty line and 17% extreme poverty line. After Rohingya influx, DPs, INGOs, LNGOs are supporting Government to manage this crisis through various interventions within the camp. Simultaneously, through different survey and assessment, evidence generated that this influx contributed to a vicious cycle which will only get worse without actions with a medium to longer term vision.
Considering above context, Government of Bangladesh, EU and UNICEF has jointly initiated a multisectoral intervention (DEVCO) to support efforts to address systemic changes required not only to lessen the need for humanitarian aid in Cox’s bazar, but also to complement and strengthen existing development efforts. It will aim to improving access to basic social services in safe and protective environment- in education, psycho-social support , food and nutrition insecurity and water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH) for Rohingya refugees and host communities based on their specific needs- where Bangladesh National Nutrition Council (BNNC) is closely linked to establish, functional and strengthen inter-ministerial coordination to address this multi-sectoral initiative involving different actors of Bangladesh Government.
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Purpose of Assignment:
To attain Govt. commitment towards SUN movement and SDG, it is required to turn the NNP into action through operationalized the NPAN2. Successful implementation of NPAN2 across relevant 22 ministries is therefore needed an enabling environment with strengthen multi-sectoral coordination at national levels. With BNNC steering the national level coordination, efforts need to be ongoing to strengthen the sub-national level coordination in order to aligned with common results.
UNICEF has a strategic goal to contribute to reduction of stunting in Bangladesh in line with WHA and SDG commitments and SUN movement. UNICEF does have an opportunity to support BNNC both at national and sub-national level through providing technical support to Government to enhance SUN movement by strengthening its platforms to leverage more resources for nutrition from Government as well as DPs.
In this context, BNNC has sought technical assistance from UNICEF to support, in accordance with NPAN2, the BNNC to be efficiently operationalized, support relevant ministries in developing capacity and understanding on food and nutrition insecurity for inclusion of nutrition interventions (both specific and sensitive) into their Annual Work Plan provide guidance to ensure effective allocation of additional resources across relevant ministries for nutrition, provide technical efficiency for implementation of nutrition specific and sensitive interventions with endorsed M & E Framework both at national and sub-national levels. Additionally, BNNC also sought highly technical support from UNICEF to create enabling environment for harmonized coordination and develop consensus among different actors (Ministry of LG, Ag, Food, Education, Women & Child affairs, Fuel and Mineral resources) for smooth implementation of tri-partite initiative of GOB, EU and UNICEF (DEVCO) in Cox’s bazar to ensure resilience among Rohingya refugees and Host communities through multi-sectoral approach.
Deliverables:
A. Technical support is provided to the BNNC Secretariat, to improve financial tracking mechanism and to mobilize resources for operationalization of NPAN2. (20 days)
B. Heighten multi-sectoral governance and coordination at national and district levels to promote minimum district package of nutrition specific and sensitive interventions. (20 days)
C. Support DEVCO project to build Rohingya refugee and host community resilience in Cox-bazar by ensuring a balance and a nexus between humanitarian and development interventions. (20 days)
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Remarks:
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