Independent Nutrition Expert Consultancy Services

Scope of Services (SoS)

Nature of Services: Independent Nutrition Expert Consultancy Services

Place of Performance: Such location as determined by the Consultant when performing the Services subject to any location-specific requirements expressly agreed in writing for a particular assignment.

Level of Effort: Assignment-based and strictly as mutually agreed in writing for specific tasks and deliverables. No minimum number of days/hours, fixed working hours, or continuing level of effort is guaranteed or required.

Type of Contract: Services will be provided on a day-rate basis against specific project assignments, deliverables, and estimated levels of effort agreed between COAR and the Consultant.

Timeframe: The anticipated term of this consultancy is from 09 November 2026 to 31 December 2027, subject to execution of the applicable agreement. The term establishes the period during which assignments may be agreed; it does not create an obligation to provide or accept assignments, guarantee a minimum workload, or require continuous availability. Any extension shall be subject to mutual written agreement.

Primary Point of Contact: COAR's designated Senior Programs Manager, acting as the contact for agreeing assignment requirements, coordinating necessary project inputs, clarifying deliverables, addressing technical queries and reviewing completed outputs against the agreed scope. This role is for assignment coordination and does not confer authority to direct the Consultant's day-to-day working methods or exercise line-management authority over the Consultant.

Overview: This Scope of Services (SoS) outlines the independent consultancy services of a Nutrition Expert engaged by the Center for Operational Analysis and Research (COAR). The Consultant will provide independent technical and programmatic expertise to support agreed research, analytical, and advisory outputs relating to nutrition programming in humanitarian, development, and other relevant operational contexts. The Consultant may contribute technical analysis and recommendations across the programme cycle, including needs assessment, programme design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, as relevant to each assignment. Activities may include reviewing specified nutrition assessments, programme documents, monitoring reports, evaluation findings, and response plans; analysing quantitative and qualitative data; assessing nutrition-related needs, programme approaches, and operational challenges; providing technical input on nutrition interventions and programme strategies; and drafting or contributing to research reports, analytical products, guidance notes, and recommendations. Where expressly included in an assignment agreed in writing, the Services may also include conducting primary and secondary research, undertaking stakeholder consultations or interviews, reviewing programme approaches and partner documentation, and providing technical input on monitoring frameworks, indicators, and the interpretation of nutrition-related findings.

Nature of the consultancy: This is an independent, non-exclusive, project-based consultancy engagement and not a position of employment with COAR. Services will be commissioned through specific assignments agreed in writing between COAR and the Consultant, setting out the relevant scope, deliverables, estimated level of effort, timeframe and applicable day rate.

COAR does not guarantee any minimum number of assignments or consultancy days, and the Consultant will remain free to accept or decline proposed assignments and to provide services to other clients, subject to confidentiality, conflicts of interest and the timely delivery of any assignment accepted.

The Consultant will determine independently the professional approach, methods, sequencing, working time and place of performance of the Services, subject to agreed deliverables, deadlines, applicable legal, contractual, client, security, safeguarding, confidentiality, data-protection, and other project-specific requirements, and reasonable project coordination. The Consultant will ordinarily use their own equipment and working facilities and will be responsible for their own tax, social insurance and other statutory obligations arising from the consultancy. The consultancy does not carry employee benefits.

The Consultant will coordinate their own activities and agreed project inputs but will not occupy a position within COAR’s organisational structure, exercise employment or line-management authority over COAR personnel, or have authority to bind COAR, except where expressly authorised in writing for a defined project purpose.

COAR may specify the scope, required outputs, deadlines, quality standards, project requirements, and information required for an agreed assignment, but will not direct the Consultant as to the manner or means of performing the Services.

The Consultant will not be required to work fixed hours, maintain continuous availability, attend COAR premises on a regular basis, or participate in COAR’s internal management or personnel processes, except where specific attendance or participation is reasonably necessary for an agreed assignment.

Fees will be payable only for Services performed under an agreed assignment and against submission of appropriate invoices. No minimum volume of work or continuing retainer is guaranteed.

About COAR: COAR is an independent social enterprise that directly supports practitioners, policymakers, and donors by facilitating humanitarian and development interventions in complex, fragile, and high-risk environments.

Objectives

• To provide independent technical and programmatic expertise in nutrition, drawing on relevant professional experience and specialist knowledge, for the specific subject matter and outputs defined in each assignment.
• To contribute to the preparation, review, and, where specifically agreed, finalisation of research and analytical deliverables, including quantitative and qualitative data analysis, primary and secondary research, programme assessments, and technical reporting related to nutrition.
• To analyse nutrition-related needs, interventions, programme approaches, implementation challenges, and operational considerations in humanitarian and development contexts, as relevant to the agreed assignment.
• To review specified nutrition assessments, programme documents, monitoring reports, evaluation findings, response plans, and other relevant technical materials, providing evidence-based observations and recommendations.
• To provide technical input into nutrition programme design, implementation approaches, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, indicators, and learning products, where relevant to the Consultant's expertise and the agreed scope.
• To conduct agreed primary and secondary research, including stakeholder consultations and interviews where required, within the applicable level of effort and project requirements.
• To prepare or review specified reports, analytical products, contextual assessments, technical notes, articles, guidance materials, or other outputs where the deliverables and delivery schedule have been agreed in writing. Where an assignment includes recurring products, the parties shall agree in advance on the number or frequency of products, expected level of effort, and applicable fees.
• To undertake additional project-specific technical work only where separately agreed in writing, including the relevant scope, deliverables, estimated effort, schedule, and fees.

Required Professional Experience and Expertise

The Consultant engaged for an assignment should possess professional expertise relevant to the Services to be commissioned, including, as applicable:

• A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in nutrition, nutrition programming, nutrition research, public health nutrition, or a closely related field at national and/or international level.
• Demonstrated knowledge of relevant nutrition concepts, approaches, and interventions, particularly in humanitarian and development settings, as appropriate to the assignment.
• Experience in nutrition-related programme design, implementation, assessment, monitoring, evaluation, research, or technical analysis, depending on the requirements of the assignment.
• Ability to review and interpret quantitative and qualitative data and relevant technical documentation, and to translate findings into clear, evidence-based analysis and practical recommendations.
• Familiarity with relevant nutrition assessment approaches, indicators, monitoring frameworks, evaluation methodologies, and technical guidance, as applicable to the assignment.
• Understanding of the operational, institutional, and contextual factors that influence the design, delivery, and effectiveness of nutrition programmes.
• Fluency in oral and written English.
• Ability to communicate professionally and organise the work required to complete accepted assignments.
• Demonstrated ability to work to agreed deadlines and liaise effectively with donor representatives, partner organisations, technical specialists, and other stakeholders where reasonably necessary for agreed project activities and subject to the applicable level of effort.
• Demonstrated ability to provide services independently while coordinating effectively with COAR colleagues and relevant stakeholders where reasonably necessary for agreed project activities.
• Ability to plan and prioritise work across assignments the Consultant has accepted and to deliver the agreed outputs within applicable deadlines.
• Ability to produce accurate, well-organised, analytical, and appropriately detailed professional outputs.
• Strong presentation, reporting, analytical, and communication skills.
• Experience in Myanmar is a plus;
• Being located in the Asia time zone is a plus but not required.
• High level of professionalism, discretion, and commitment to confidentiality and where applicable, the Consultant shall comply with the safeguarding, confidentiality, data-protection, information-security, health-and-safety and client-mandated requirements which COAR identifies in writing as applicable to external service providers. For the avoidance of doubt, COAR’s general employee handbook, working-hours, attendance, leave, appraisal, disciplinary and grievance procedures shall not apply.