Design of Sustainable Nutrition-Sensitive Value Chains and Nutrition-Sensitive Rural Advisory Services in Lao PDR

Lao PDR is one of the most vulnerable country in terms of malnutrition in South East Asia, with 44% children under 5 stunted and 27% underweight. This malnutrition concerns primarily children (first 1,000 days of life) but also women and adolescent girls. 1/5 of adolescent are underweight and 36% of women are anaemic. Northern provinces are particularly exposed to malnutrition with stunting rates up to 51%. The Government adopted a National Nutrition Policy in 2008, joined the Scaling-Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement in 2011 and recently designed a National Nutrition Strategy 2016-2025 and its Plan of Action 2016-2020 to implement the strategy.

In order to reach these goals the National Nutrition Strategy and Plan of Action NNSPA focuses on 22 Priority Interventions: 10 concerning health and WASH, 4 education, 4 multi-sectoral/convergent approaches and 4 agriculture.

Global Objective To deliver the design of a EUR 6 million project fiche under the ''Partnership for Improved Nutrition in Lao PDR'' which will focus on Sustainable Nutrition-Sensitive Value Chains (including post harvesting) and Nutrition-Sensitive Rural Advisory Services in the Uplands.

Specific Objectives

• To assess the relevance of the above-mentioned 19 districts for potential support towards Sustainable Nutrition-Sensitive Value Chains and Nutrition-Sensitive Rural Advisory Services;
• To assess PAFO/DAFO staff needs in terms of capacity building on nutrition to strengthen Nutrition-Sensitive Rural Advisory services;
• To identify potential nutrition sensitive value chains;
• To identify potential post harvesting processes and storage opportunities.

Design of a EUR 6-million euro project under the ''Partnership for Improved Nutrition in Lao PDR'' with focus on Sustainable Nutrition-Sensitive Value Chains (including post harvesting) and Nutrition-Sensitive Rural Advisory Services.

More specifically:

• Conduct a briefing session at the EU Delegation in Vientiane;
• Assess the selected districts for the implementation of the project based on a nutritional diagnosis of these districts;
• Collect and review all the available information on nutrition, agriculture and policy-related documents in Lao PDR;
• Identify the capacity building needs of the different stakeholders with specific consideration to gender issues;
• Identification of relevant potential nutrition sensitive value chains including income generation through value chains of diversified and nutritious foods, and potential post harvesting processes and storage opportunities;
• Monitoring and evaluation;
• Project set up and budget;
• Propose a financial plan based on the estimated needs in human resources, and proposed activities;
• Impacts and risks assessment analysis;
• Debriefing meeting with key stakeholders in Vientiane;
• Debriefing session at the EU Delegation in Vientiane with AFD representative.

Specific Objectives

• To assess the relevance of the above-mentioned 19 districts for potential support towards Sustainable Nutrition-Sensitive Value Chains and Nutrition-Sensitive Rural Advisory Services;
• To assess PAFO/DAFO staff needs in terms of capacity building on nutrition to strengthen Nutrition-Sensitive Rural Advisory services;
• To identify potential nutrition sensitive value chains;
• To identify potential post harvesting processes and storage opportunities.

• S/he has an advanced university degree (minimum Master) in Agriculture/Rural Development/Food Security studies or relevant International Development Studies or equivalent professional experience of at least 155 years if candidate does not possess an advance university degree;
• English Proficiency;
• Communication skills in Lao would be an asset.

General professional experience

S/he has a minimum 12 years of professional experience relevant to Nutrition-sensitive agriculture’s projects and programmes.

Specific professional experience

• S/he has a minimum 3 years’ experience in the implementation and management of development projects or programmes;
• S/he will have team leader experience proven by at least two missions as head of mission;
• S/he will have experience in agriculture project’s formulation including value chains and post harvesting support proven by at least one assignment.

• S/he will have at least a Bachelor degree in Agriculture/Rural Development/Food Security studies;
• English proficiency;
• Communication skills in Lao would be an asset.

General professional experience

S/he will have a minimum 3 years of professional experience relevant to the Agriculture and Nutrition sectors.

Specific professional experience

• S/he has at a minimum one past experience in project design and formulation in a nutrition sensitive agriculture project or programme;
• S/he is familiar with the South East Asian context proven by at least one assignment in South East Asia;
• S/he will have experience in identifying needs for capacity building;
• S/he will be familiar with value chains and/or post harvesting processes or food storage proven by at least one assignment.