Consultancy for Nutrition Programme Costing and Resource Requirements Analysis

UNICEF

To conduct a comprehensive costing analysis of nutrition programmes in Afghanistan and estimate the financial resources required to achieve national nutrition targets over the medium term. The assignment will generate evidence on programme costs, resource needs, financing gaps, investment priorities, and cost-effectiveness to support strategic planning, budgeting, advocacy, and resource mobilization. It will also determine unit costs and assess the relative costeffectiveness of key nutrition interventions, delivery platforms, and service delivery models to identify the most efficient approaches for improving nutrition outcomes at scale

The consultant will conduct a Nutrition Programme Costing Analysis to estimate recurrent, capital, and total programme costs at national and sub-national levels, including costs per beneficiary reached, service delivered, child treated for SAM and HR-MAM, pregnant and lactating woman served, FHH supported, CNDCC supported, and health facility delivering nutrition services. The analysis will assess cost variations across provinces and delivery models, identify key cost drivers and efficiency bottlenecks, determine the most cost-effective intervention packages, and benchmark costs against comparable programmes where feasible. The consultant will also develop 3–5-year resource requirement projections for maintaining and scaling up services, including emergency surge scenarios, and conduct a financing gap assessment to estimate funding needs, identify financing risks, and assess efficiency gains. Based on these findings, the consultant will develop a Nutrition Investment Case demonstrating the burden of malnutrition, the costs and benefits of priority interventions, their cost-effectiveness and return on investment, priority investments required to achieve national targets, and recommendations for sustainable financing and resource mobilization

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: TMC0007272 External ToR Template.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

Minimum requirements:

Education: Master’s degree ( or Higher) in Nutrition, Public Health, Health Economics, Health Financing, Development Economics, Epidemiology, Statistics, or a related field.

Work

Experience

• At least 8–10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in nutrition, public health, health systems strengthening, health financing, programme costing, or economic analysis. Demonstrated experience in conducting programme costing, resource requirements analysis, budget analysis, financial modelling, or investment case development in the health and nutrition sectors.

• Proven track record of leading complex assessments involving multiple stakeholders, government institutions, UN agencies, development partners, and nongovernmental organizations. Experience in developing costing models, financing scenarios, investment cases, and resource mobilization strategies. Experience working in fragile, humanitarian, or conflict affected settings, preferably in Afghanistan or similar contexts

• Skills: Strong understanding of nutrition programming, including maternal nutrition, infant and young child feeding, micronutrient interventions, Integrated management of acute malnutrition (IMAM), and nutrition information systems.

• In-depth knowledge of health and nutrition financing mechanisms, public financial management, and sector planning processes.

• Expertise in costing methodologies, including activity-based costing, ingredient-based costing, unit-cost estimation, and expenditure analysis.

• Strong knowledge of economic evaluation methods, including cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, and value-for money analyses.

• Familiarity with national and international nutrition policies, strategies, and frameworks.

• Knowledge of nutrition programme implementation within humanitarian and development contexts.

• Language

Requirements

• Strong English writing and communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with stakeholders and partners at all levels.

• Desirables: Advanced qualifications (PhD preferred) in Health Economics, Public Health, Nutrition, Health Financing, Development Economics, or a related field.

• Experience in nutrition programme costing, resource requirements analysis, and development of nutrition investment cases and financing strategies.

• Previous work with international organizations, such as UNICEF, WHO, WFP, World Bank, USAID, GFF, Gavi, or the Global Fund.

• Familiarity with Afghanistan's health and nutrition systems, including government planning, budgeting, and coordination mechanisms.

• Experience conducting cost-effectiveness, ROI, and value-formoney analyses and developing costing tools or financial planning models.

• Knowledge of public financial management, programmebased budgeting, and domestic resource mobilization.

• Experience supporting national nutrition, health, or multisectoral strategic planning processes.

• Additional training or certification in costing, economic evaluation, health financing or programme budgeting will be an asset.

• For every Child, you demonstrate...

• UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

• UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

• UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

• UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional informatio