Nutrition Field School Specialist

The Nutrition Field School Specialist will provide strategic, technical, and operational support for the design, implementation, and quality assurance of Nutrition Field School interventions under the GAFSP project in Nepal. The role focuses on nutrition-sensitive agriculture, climate-resilient practices, community capacity building, and inclusive approaches to improve food and nutrition security for vulnerable groups.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical support to draft and update the NFS curriculum, strategy, and implementation plan with emphasis on nutrition-sensitive agriculture and gender equality.
• Identify priority nutrition sensitive crops, themes, and community needs through participatory assessments.
• Prepare guidelines related to nutrition field school, home nutrition garden, school nutrition garden, golden 1000 days mother program, nutrition awareness and campaign communication materials.
• Support design and facilitation of Training of Facilitators for local resource persons, field coordinators, agriculture technicians, and partner organizations.
• Provide technical support to NFS facilitators during implementation cycles.
• Assist in implementation and documentation of Home/School nutrition gardens and related activities.
• Support formation and mobilization of nutrition groups and conduct baseline, endline, and outcome surveys.
• Provide technical support for establishing and operating NFS in coordination with stakeholders.
• Review and standardize NFS training materials, IEC materials, guides, and modules.
• Integrate key messages on maternal and child nutrition, WASH, food safety, and gender equality.
• Develop and use culturally appropriate IEC materials to support NFS sessions.
• Ensure project activities follow social and environmental safeguards, public health and food safety codes of practice.
• Support routine monitoring and technical backup to improve NFS quality and decision-making skills.
• Document good practices, success stories, challenges, and lessons learned for adaptive management and knowledge sharing.
• Generate databases on nutrition sensitive crops, pests, pollinators, and cost-benefit analyses of good practices.
• Prepare training reports, final reports, and other project documentation.
• Facilitate community-level consultations related to NFS activities.
• Support inclusive, gender-sensitive, disability-friendly approaches promoting women’s empowerment, nutrition awareness, and youth participation.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in Nutrition, Food Security, Agriculture, Public Health, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in nutrition education, community-based nutrition, or food security programmes.
• Working knowledge of English and Nepali.
• National of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal or resident of the country with a valid work permit.
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work in nutrition.
• Experience in nutrition field school, home nutrition garden, school nutrition garden and related areas.
• Experience working with local government, local partners, community mobilization, campaign and awareness raising in related field.
• Familiarity with concept note writing, report writing, M&E system, training curriculum development, and training facilitation.
• Proven expertise in participatory training methods, community mobilization, and capacity building.
• Experience in designing or implementing Nutrition Field Schools, Farmer Nutrition Schools, School Nutrition Garden or similar approaches.
• Familiarity with FAO’s tools, including nutrition-sensitive agriculture and participatory extension models.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills; ability to engage with diverse stakeholders and communities.
• Knowledge of Tharu language is an asset.

Skills

• Health and Nutrition Education
• Community-Based Nutrition Activities
• Food Security Programmes
• Nutrition Field School
• Home Nutrition Garden
• School Nutrition Garden
• Local Government Engagement
• Social Mobilization
• Public Awareness Campaigns
• Concept note drafting
• Report Writing
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Training Curriculum Development
• Training Facilitation
• Participatory Training Methods
• Capacity Building
• Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture
• Participatory Extension Models
• Nutrition Field School Design
• Farmer Nutrition Schools
• Climate-resilient Practices

Languages

English, Nepali