Consultant to coordinate the development of a Nutrient Profile Model for Lao PDR (remote for 6 months)

Consultant to coordinate the development of a Nutrient Profile Model for Lao PDR (remote for 6 months)

Contract type: Consultant Duty Station: Vientiane Location: Lao People’s Democratic Republic Categories: Nutrition

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

Lao PDR, like neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia, is undergoing a nutrition transition characterized by the so-called triple burden of malnutrition, i.e. the coexistence of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and increasing rates of overweight and obesity, but also diet-related noncommunicable diseases. For this reason, improving food environments is a growing priority in Lao PDR, particularly as dietary patterns and food systems profile are rapidly shifting.

The development of a Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) is a critical step to support the enforcement of school food regulations and broader nutrition policies including marketing restrictions, front-of-pack labelling, nutrition standards for institutional procurement, etc. The NPM will serve as a scientific and regulatory tool to classify foods and beverages based on their nutritional composition, enabling the Government of Lao PDR to:

• Restrict the availability of unhealthy foods and beverages;
• Guide procurement, school menus and canteen/food stalls’ offerings;
• Regulate marketing and promotion of unhealthy foods, including commercial complementary foods;
• Establish front-of-pack nutrition warning labels;
• Set school food and nutrition standards;
• Inform fiscal policies, including the taxation of unhealthy food and beverage products;
• Align food environments with the National Nutrition Strategy 2026-2035 and related National Plan of Action on Nutrition 2026-2030.

UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Health to develop a context-appropriate, evidence-based NPM in Lao PDR, aligned with global and regional guidance and adapted to the national food environment.

The NPM will be developed through a Technical Working Group (TWG), following a structured approach that includes defining scope, adapting suitable WHO NPMs, identifying food categories, setting nutrient thresholds, and validating the model with different stakeholders, among others.

Partners to be involved include, but are not limited to, National University of Laos Faculty of Agriculture, Lao Tropical Public Health Institute, Government departments with expertise in food processing, nutrition, and public health, UNICEF, WHO, WFP, Lao Nutrition Association, FAO, CRS, etc. This consultancy aims to provide high-level lead, facilitation and coordination support to the Ministry of Health, Lao PDR, as the lead, to design, develop, validate, and support approval and application of the NPM, ensuring it is scientifically sound, feasible to use, context-adapted and aligned with national policies.

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

Minimum requirements:

Education

• Master’s in Nutrition, Public Health, Food Policy, Social Sciences, International Development, or other clearly related disciplines
• Work

Experience

• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience, working with a range of stakeholders (government and DPs) in the social sector. Experience contributing to the development of national guidelines and regulations, especially on nutrition.

• Language: Fluency in English is required—both in oral and written communication.

• Knowledge/Expertise/Skills: Ability to work independently with limited supervision. Good analytical and writing skills. Excellent communication skills. Familiar with Lao PDR’s government processes, particularly on nutrition. Knowledge and expertise in Nutrition Policy and Science, School Nutrition, Food Profiles, Multistakeholder coordination, Programme management, in the context of Lao PDR (or ASEAN). Understanding of the Lao context. Desirables: Lao language.

• UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability underpin everything we do and how we do it. We promote and advocate for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything we do and are 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. 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. 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 information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

• Qualified candidates are invited to submit a CV and a cover letter via the online recruitment portal.

• Remarks: If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not downloadable on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies.

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• Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.