National Consultancy to Support the Co-Design of the Large-Scale Food Fortification Three-Year (2027–2030) Project Workplan and MEAL Plan at UNICEF – November 2026

Job Overview

• Position: National Consultant – Large-Scale Food Fortification Project Workplan and MEAL Plan
• Job Number: 596850
• Contract Type: Consultant
• Duty Station: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
• Level: Consultancy
• Category: Nutrition
• Location: United Republic of Tanzania
• Date Advertised: 9 November 2026
• Application Deadline: 15 November 2026

About UNICEF

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

The organization is committed to promoting the rights of every child and provides opportunities for professional and personal development within a diverse and inclusive working environment.

Background

Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) is a proven, cost-effective, sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to improving micronutrient intake through commonly consumed staple foods. It helps prevent micronutrient deficiencies among children, women, adolescents and the general population.

Tanzania is one of 15 countries participating in UNICEF’s Fortifying Futures LSFF initiative, which aims to scale up national food fortification programmes by strengthening mandatory fortification legislation, improving industry compliance and promoting effective delivery models for fortified foods.

Achieving sustainable results requires agreed priorities, clear institutional responsibilities, realistic costs and timelines, and a practical framework for monitoring progress, ensuring accountability and generating learning.

This consultancy will facilitate a government-led, participatory process to co-design and validate a prioritised and costed project workplan for 2027–2030, together with an integrated Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) plan for Tanzania. The assignment will also support project inception.

The plans will define activities, implementation sequencing, institutional responsibilities, resource requirements and measurable results, aligned with national nutrition and food-system priorities.

Purpose of the Consultancy

The consultant will facilitate evidence review, stakeholder consultations, co-design, costing and validation of a project workplan and integrated MEAL plan aligned with two primary outcomes:

1. Institutionalised governance systems that guide the adoption and implementation of adequate LSFF standards and regulatory frameworks.
2. Integrated information systems that support compliance monitoring, accountability and evidence-based decision-making.

Both plans will reflect the project’s four intermediate outcomes and eight outputs. The assignment will also include an inception session and documentation of the co-design process.

Key Responsibilities and Activities

1. Desk Review and Inception

• Review project documents, national policies, strategies and compliance evidence to identify gaps.
• Agree on the consultancy methodology, timeframe, coverage, priority food vehicles, funding limits, consultation tools and schedule with UNICEF and government focal points.
• Prepare and submit an inception report outlining the proposed approach and implementation plan.

2. Stakeholder and Intervention Mapping

• Map key stakeholders and existing interventions, including government institutions, food industries, academia, development partners, civil society and consumer representatives.
• Assess institutional bottlenecks and capacities.
• Identify priority interventions for the project.
• Document supporting evidence and assumptions to inform the co-design process.

3. Workplan Development and Costing

• Translate consultation findings into a costed project workplan aligned with agreed priorities and expected results.
• Specify activities, deliverables, quarterly milestones and implementation responsibilities.
• Identify required resources and potential funding sources, including domestic financing opportunities.
• Identify relevant implementation risks and considerations.

4. MEAL Plan Development

• Facilitate stakeholder consultations to develop an integrated MEAL plan aligned with the costed workplan and project results framework.
• Define appropriate indicators and institutional responsibilities.
• Establish accountability arrangements and reporting schedules.
• Specify data-quality assurance methods to support reliable monitoring and reporting.

5. Validation and Project Inception

• Facilitate stakeholder validation of the proposed workplan and MEAL plan.
• Incorporate stakeholder feedback into the final documents.
• Support the agreed project inception session.

6. Documentation and Learning

Prepare the following deliverables:

• A final consultancy report.
• One process-focused case study.
• A two-page learning brief documenting the co-design process, project inception, stakeholder engagement, good practices, challenges and lessons learned.

Minimum Qualifications and Requirements

Education

• Advanced university degree in Nutrition, Food Systems, Monitoring and Evaluation, or a related field.

Work Experience

• At least five years of relevant professional experience in nutrition, public health or food-systems programme planning, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning.
• Experience in multi-stakeholder facilitation, preferably with UN agencies, government institutions, NGOs or international organisations.
• Demonstrated experience in food fortification or food-systems programme design, regulatory compliance monitoring, or closely related nutrition systems strengthening is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with Tanzania’s institutional context is an added advantage.

Knowledge, Expertise and Skills

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Expertise in developing costed multi-year workplans, results frameworks, indicators, annual targets and integrated MEAL plans for nutrition, food systems or public health programmes.
• Experience facilitating participatory planning processes with government institutions and other stakeholders to develop plans aligned with programme priorities and budgets.
• Ability to synthesise technical evidence and stakeholder inputs, interpret results frameworks and monitoring data, define indicators and data sources, and produce clear, costed and operational workplans and MEAL plans.
• Experience preparing and facilitating stakeholder validation, project inception and orientation meetings with government institutions and development partners.
• Ability to document agreed actions, institutional responsibilities and implementation timelines.
• Strong analytical, synthesis and writing skills.
• Experience documenting participatory planning and project inception processes and producing concise case studies, learning briefs and reports.
• Familiarity with Tanzania’s nutrition policy, planning, programming and coordination context is desirable.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English and Kiswahili.

Additional Experience

Relevant experience at country level is required, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

UNICEF Core Values

Candidates are expected to demonstrate UNICEF’s core values, represented by the acronym CRITAS:

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability
• Sustainability

These values underpin UNICEF’s work and guide how its personnel engage with children, communities and partners.

Required Competencies

The competencies required for this consultancy are:

1. Builds and maintains partnerships.
2. Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness.
3. Drives to achieve results for impact.
4. Innovates and embraces change.
5. Manages ambiguity and complexity.
6. Thinks and acts strategically.
7. Works collaboratively with others.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the rights of every child, including the most disadvantaged. Its workforce is expected to reflect the diversity of the children it serves.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background or other status. Applications from persons with disabilities, including neurodivergent candidates, are welcome.

UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. Applicants who require accommodation should submit a request through the accessibility email option on the UNICEF Careers webpage. Shortlisted candidates may also contact the recruiter directly to discuss their accommodation needs.

Child Safeguarding and Background Checks

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy towards conduct incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF. This includes sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of misconduct.

UNICEF is committed to protecting and safeguarding all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding and background verification checks.

These checks may include:

• Verification of academic qualifications and employment history.
• Screening against relevant United Nations misconduct databases.
• Requests for misconduct disclosures from current and former employers, professional associations and other relevant organisations.
• Checks under applicable inter-agency safeguarding initiatives, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS).

Appointment, selection and continued engagement are subject to satisfactory completion of all required checks. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information and consent to facilitate the verification process.

Important Remarks

• In accordance with Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in employment is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity.
• UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative and welcoming workforce. Eligible and suitable female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.
• Government employees considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment.
• UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment without compensation if visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met within a reasonable period.
• UNICEF does not charge any recruitment or processing fees at any stage of its recruitment, selection or hiring processes, including application, interview, validation, appointment or training.
• UNICEF will never ask applicants to provide their bank account information.
• Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. Personnel at all levels and across functional areas may be called upon to support humanitarian responses.
• All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process.
• An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal or external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected if suitable, without assessment of other candidates.
• UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18).

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should submit their applications through the official UNICEF Careers website.

CLICK/TAP HERE TO APPLY:

Applicants are encouraged to review the complete job description before submitting their applications.

Application Deadline

15 November 2026 – East Africa Standard Time (EAT).