Consultant to support Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative in Republic of Marshall Islands

Consultant to support Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative in Republic of Marshall Islands

UNICEF Careers

The UNICEF is seeking a Consultancy to support the Ministry of Health and Human Services (MoHHS) in the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) to strengthen breastfeeding promotion through improving implementation of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative in two main hospitals and their surrounding communities.

Background

Promotion of breastfeeding is a high impact intervention that plays a crucial role in ensuring children receive adequate nourishment. Breastfed children have a significantly reduced risk for both wasting and later childhood overweight or obesity. In RMI, one in every three children under five years of age are stunted. Nearly 5% of children in the same age group are overweight and another 4% are wasted. Sub-optimal infant feeding, including limited breastfeeding, is considered to be a critical driver of malnutrition in this context. In 1991, UNICEF and WHO jointly launched the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), which consolidated evidence on promoting breastfeeding within health facilities. The BFHI included “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding”, which were subsequently updated in guidelines published in 2018. These guidelines titled, “Protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding” are intended for use in health facilities providing maternity and newborn services to promote breastfeeding. As outlined in UNICEF Pacific Multi-Country Program Document (MCPD) for 2023- 2027, UNICEF is committed to supporting the RMI and other Pacific island countries in strengthening capacities for improved, affordable, and equitable quality primary health care and nutrition services, including during emergencies. Within this framework, UNICEF works with MoHs and other partners to ensure that the health care systems are conducive to protect, promote and support breastfeeding practices The BFHI was previously implemented in the major hospital (Majuro) in RMI. However, owing to staff turnover in recent years and other resource constraints, there is a need to rebuild the capacity of health workers, strengthen implementation of the BFHI, and integrate the Ten Steps into quality-of-care standards for maternal and child health

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: TMC0007395 External TOR.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in human nutrition, Nursing, midwifery, maternal and child health public health,or relevant field (master’s an Asset)
• Work

Experience

• At least five years of progressively responsible professional experience in breastfeeding, maternal and newborn health, nutrition or related health-service programming, including clinical or service-delivery settings. Minimum 3 years of demonstrated experience in nutrition areas
• Skills: Demonstrated BFHI or lactation-management expertise; experience implementing infant-feeding or breastfeeding policies; proven competency-based training, ToT, mentoring and supportive-supervision experience; experience linking facility and community/home services; strong facilitation, coaching, analytical, reporting and stakeholder-engagement skills.
• Language

Requirements

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of Tongan or another Pacific language is an asset.

• Desirables: Experience working with ministries of health in Pacific or comparable small-island settings; certification as a lactation consultant, BFHI trainer/assessor or equivalent recognized breastfeeding qualification

• 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 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 the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)

• Cover letter

• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template) TMC0007395 Financial proposal.docx

• A detailed technical proposal: applicants must outline the methodology, workplan, quality assurance approach and proposed sustainability measures.

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

• UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

• All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

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

• Advertised: 22 Oct 2026 Fiji Standard Time

• Deadline: 29 Oct 2026 Fiji Standard Time