Breastfeeding and BFHI Training Consultant

The consultant will support the Ministry of Health, Tonga to operationalize the Vaiola Hospital Infant Feeding and Breastfeeding Support Policy, Tonga 2026 through orientation, competency-based training, supportive supervision, and establishing a sustainable cadre of master trainers. The role aims to strengthen consistent breastfeeding support across facility and community settings, including continuity of care after discharge.

Responsibilities

• Review the launched policy, previous consultancy outputs, existing training materials and available training coverage information, and agree on priority audiences, health facilities and implementation sequencing.
• Develop an inception report and practical capacity-building plan, including training approach, schedule, participant groups, supervision arrangements, quality standards and sustainability measures.
• Adapt or finalize a concise policy orientation package and competency-based training materials aligned with the Vaiola Hospital policy and relevant BFHI guidance.
• Orient health workers and relevant managers on the policy, their roles and responsibilities, referral pathways, documentation and supportive supervision expectations.
• Deliver training for public health nurses and remaining clinical nurses, using participatory methods, practical demonstrations, case-based learning and pre/post competency assessment.
• Strengthen continuity of care from the maternity facility to the home, including practical workflows for follow up, early identification of breastfeeding difficulties, timely counselling, referral and feedback between hospital and public health nursing services.
• Identify suitable facility-based breastfeeding champions and prepare them as master trainers through a structured training-of-trainers and mentorship approach.
• Observe and support at least one training session delivered by the selected champions/master trainers, assess delivery quality against an agreed checklist, and provide documented feedback and coaching before wider rollout.
• Provide recommendations and practical tools for institutionalizing refresher training, orientation of new staff, supportive supervision, routine monitoring and quality improvement.
• Submit a final consolidated report and all approved training, supervision, monitoring and continuity-of-care tools in editable format.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree in nutrition, public health, nursing, midwifery, medicine, maternal and child health, paediatrics, family health or another relevant field. A relevant first university degree combined with additional qualifying experience may be considered.
• 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.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Knowledge of Tongan or another Pacific language is an asset.
• 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.
• Experience working with ministries of health in Pacific or comparable small-island settings is desirable.
• Certification as a lactation consultant, BFHI trainer/assessor or equivalent recognized breastfeeding qualification is desirable.

Skills

• Breastfeeding Expertise
• BFHI Implementation
• Lactation Management
• Infant Feeding Policy
• Competency-based training
• Training of Trainers Workshops
• Supportive Supervision
• Mentorship
• Facility and Community Linkages
• Maternal and newborn health
• Nutrition Programming
• Clinical service delivery
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Facilitation Skills
• Coaching Skills
• Reporting Skills
• Engagement with Ministries of Health
• Lactation Consultant Certification
• BFHI Trainer Certification

Languages

English