WORLD BANK - ETHIOPIA
Nutrition Team
Local Short Term Consultant Appointment
Nutrition Research Coordinator
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Background
The World Bank Nutrition Project (NP) finances critical activities in support of the Ethiopian Government’s National Nutrition Program (NNP), which aims to reduce the magnitude of malnutrition in Ethiopia particularly amongst children under 2 and pregnant and lactating women, through cost-effective, harmonised and sustainable interventions. NP Component 2 (Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building), part 3, focuses on strengthening Nutrition Information/Surveillance, Monitoring and Evaluation and Operations Research to provide information for monitoring and evaluation, management decisions, and planning and policy development of nutrition programs/services. The World Bank has committed to support the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI) to implement activities under this component.
The World Bank is seeking a Nutrition Research Coordinator to support the implementation of the Operations Research Program (ORP), to lead the development of a nutrition database, and perform other NP-related tasks as necessary. Depending on experience and suitability, the candidate would initially be offered a position for up to 1 year, subject to performance evaluation, with the potential for further extensions. The selected candidate would be based in Addis Ababa and would have to be willing to undertake in-country travel as required.
Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for the following key tasks:
- Contribute technical and management support to ORP implementation
- Provide technical inputs to research protocols (study design, sampling, study tools, etc.) and support timely planning and implementation of studies,
- Develop financial management and timely disbursement mechanisms to selected organizations,
- Monitor the study process including timely completion of field activities, data analysis, and report writing. Supervise the study report finalization and final results dissemination process in the given timeframe, and
- Identify and respond to additional Operations Research related tasks including administrative work as required.
- Lead the development/maintenance of nutrition database, data analysis and production of regular outputs for stakeholders
- Work with EHNRI staff and Consultants to identify data sources, develop protocols and agreements for data flow; and to plan and develop data entry, storage, and quality check systems for database,
- Supervise the quality and timeliness of data flow and entry to database, make suggestions for constructive changes and resolve data discrepancies as necessary,
- Provide training in database management, including on MS Excel and SPSS for staff working on data entry, management, and basic analysis,
- Develop a system to respond to requests for information or special analyses from stakeholders, and
- Lead data analysis and production of regular outputs for stakeholders, e.g. quarterly bulletins containing interpretation of risks to nutrition from early warning and nutritional data, quarterly reports monitoring nutritional outcomes and NNP implementation, and annual publications on the state of nutrition in Ethiopia to estimate long-term nutritional trends and factors determining these.
Selection Criteria:
- A Masters degree in Nutrition/Public Health with a strong background in epidemiology and/or biostatistics from a reputed university,
- At least 5 years research experience in the area of community nutrition and/or public health,
- Experience managing large datasets with specialized skills to use statistical tools and software packages including SPSS, SAS, and/or Stata,
- Demonstrated experience in developing study/survey protocols and detailed field implementation manuals,
- Knowledge of information systems and databases, including database design,
- Demonstrated ability to apply statistical tools to answer specific research questions,
- Ability to work well with people and to give “on-the-job” training in database management and analysis is required,
- Excellent spoken and written English, and
- Demonstrated organizational and planning skills.
