Consulting service for the development of inputs aimed at designing interventions and advocacy strategy for the improvement of food environments, for UNICEF MEXICO

Context

 

General objective

Develop various inputs aimed at designing interventions and advocacy strategies to promote modifications in the Mexican regulation, in addition to documenting interventions with the purpose of strengthening the food environments of children and adolescents in Mexico.

 

Main activities

• Develop a research protocol to improve the quality of food in school cooperatives.
• Design a strategy to strengthen school food environments in Yucatan.
• Prepare a document with results and analysis of the “Heroes for Health” campaign on labeling.
• Design a methodology and materials designed for use in the implementation of mobile units that improve food environments.
• Document with analysis of SEDIF experiences in the transition from cold to hot school breakfasts.
• Prepare a design proposal for a food and beverage advertising monitoring system aimed at children and adolescents.
• Develop a diagnosis that provides the inputs for the design of an advocacy strategy to improve food environments in the next federal administration, which is built from the focus and mission of UNICEF.

Deliverables

Deliverable 1: Research protocol with the objective of identifying possibilities for improving the quality of food and beverages of cooperatives and school stores of public schools in Mexico, based on nutritional, organoleptic, economic and organizational criteria to generate models to be implemented in the country’s schools.

The protocol must include: introduction, justification, objectives, methodology (mixed, identification of 2 or 3 states with justification of their choice for the collection of information, inclusion and exclusion criteria of schools/informants, instruments, collection, ethical considerations) and schedule .

Deliverable 2 : Document with a strategy designed to achieve the strengthening of school food environments in Yucatan, which includes a proposal for specific actions derived from the study carried out by the Commission for Prevention and Promotion of Health and Well-being in collaboration with UNICEF Mexico, in especially a general proposal of the monitoring system of these environments. More information about this study can be found here: http://www.educacion.yucatan.gob.mx/boletines/view/382

The document must include: background, general objective, specific objectives, lines of action, description of the components, description of the activities (methodology, materials, actors involved), indicators and schedule of activities.

 Deliverable 3: Document with results and analysis of the “Heroes for Health” campaign designed and implemented jointly between UNICEF, the National Institute of Public Health and the General Directorate of Health Promotion of the Federal Ministry of Health (period September 2022 to December 2023).

The document must include: background, objectives, actions carried out, results by channel, conclusions and recommendations.

Deliverable 4: Document with methodology and materials designed for use in the implementation of mobile units that improve urban food environments, based on the proposal developed by UNICEF Mexico based on the study “Diagnosis and recommendations to improve urban food environments and prevent Childhood overweight and obesity in Latin America and the Caribbean .

The document must include: Introduction, general objective, specific objectives, components and activities (dynamics, outline of materials, profile of the facilitators, etc.).

Deliverable 5: Document with analysis of the experiences of the DIF State Systems in the transition from cold to hot school breakfasts , in collaboration with the DIF National System, so that the State Systems that are yet to transition to the hot modality have with ideas and tools to implement it in the following months.

The document must include: Introduction; goals; methodology to obtain the description of the barriers and facilitators for the transition from cold to hot breakfasts; Results and discussion; conclusions and recommendations.

Deliverable 6: Document with a design proposal for a food and beverage advertising monitoring system aimed at NNA based on the current regulation stipulated in the Regulation of the General Health Law on advertising (article 24 Bis), the experiences of other countries in the region documented in a UNICEF study, among others, so that the entity with the powers can carry out systematic monitoring.

The document must include: Introduction, justification, objective, means, products and characteristics to be monitored and system requirements.

Deliverable 7: Draft document with a diagnosis that provides the inputs for the design of an advocacy strategy to improve food environments in the next federal administration, which is built taking into account the country context and the inputs developed from UNICEF Mexico and others United Nations agencies.

The document must include: Introduction, justification and assumptions, mapping of actors, objectives, indicators, key messages, activities, materials, audience, allies, schedule and budget.

The UNICEF Nutrition Officer will deliver the necessary inputs and will review each of the products periodically and make suggestions/comments that he orthe supplier must incorporate In order for the final version of each deliverable to be approved, it must be to the satisfaction of the UNICEF technical team, until then the payment for said deliverable will be processed.

It is expected to comply with the following delivery and payment schedule:

DELIVERABLES	DELIVERY TIME*	PAY %
Deliverable 1: Research protocol to improve the quality of food in school cooperatives.	1 mes	15%
Deliverable 2 : Strategy to strengthen school environments in Yucatan.	3 months	15%
Deliverable 3: Document with results and analysis of the labeling campaign.	Four months	10%
Deliverable 4: Methodology and material for the implementation of mobile units that improve food environments	5.5 months	20%
Deliverable 5: Document with analysis of SEDIF experiences in the transition from cold to hot school breakfasts.	7 months	10%
Deliverable 6: Design proposal for a food and beverage advertising monitoring system aimed at children and adolescents.	8 months	10%
Deliverable 7: Diagnosis that provides the inputs for the design of an advocacy strategy to improve food environments in the next federal administration.	9 months	20%
Total		100%

*Delivery dates from the start date of the contract.

 Each product should first be submitted to UNICEF as a draft document for analysis and comment; it will be considered final version after approval by UNICEF.

   **Estimated dates, final dates will be established once the contract is awarded and must include UNICEF review times.

travel plan

The technical and economic proposal must consider 5 trips (with a duration of 3 days each) to Mérida, Yucatán, which must be included in the supplier’s economic proposal and must consider the quote for travel expenses (transportation, lodging, food). )

 

Required Profile

Consultant (ONLY INDIVIDUALS, PROPOSALS FROM LEGAL ENTITIES OR TEAMS OF CONSULTANTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED)

• Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, public health, health sciences or related. and Master of Public Health or Nutrition or Global Health.
• Experience of at least 3 years in the design and operation of interventions and regulations in the Mexican school context regarding food and nutrition.
• Experience of at least 3 years in the generation of scientific evidence for the creation and improvement of food regulatory policies.
• Experience of at least 3 years in the design and implementation of advocacy activities for the improvement of food environments.
• Experience working with United Nations agencies is desirable but not required (particularly UNICEF).

Labor conditions

The economic proposal must consider 5 trips to Mérida that will contribute to the development of deliverables 2 and 4.

The external provider will carry out this work in their offices, using their own equipment and attending meetings with UNICEF when necessary.

The provider will not have the right to a UNICEF email account.

The information generated in the consultancy will be the property of UNICEF.

Work must be carried out outside UNICEF premises.

You must present an invoice and / or receipt of fees (without withholdings) for payment

The consultant must have current health insurance throughout the duration of this consultancy, which must be in force before the contract is signed.

 

UNICEF commitments are:

• Provide the context and information available for the development of deliverables.
• Review, provide feedback and approve all deliverables, verifying that they comply with the content established in these terms of reference and UNICEF quality standards.

The supplier’s commitments are:

• The production of high-quality documents as described in the deliverables section of these ToR.
• The costs and expenses of the physical facilities, office equipment, software and transportation involved in this project.
• Respond in writing to the comments that the UNICEF team issues on the deliverables of these ToR.
• Participate in work meetings and feedback sessions with UNICEF staff and government counterparts for the definition, preparation and presentation of the deliverables of these ToR.
• During the development of the study, the provider will have to follow the UNICEF ethical standards for research, evaluation and data collection and available analysis, as well as the UNEG Norms and Standards and follow the guidelines of the UNICEF Global Reporting System known as GEROS, whose information is available at https://www.unicef.org/evaluation/files/GEROS_Methodology_v7.pdf. Likewise, you must follow the guidelines established in the UNICEF Ethical Guidelines for information on children available at: https://www.unicef.org/mexico/spanish/mx_directrices_eticas_unicef_para_informar_sobre_infancia.pdf and the technical evaluation notes “Children Participating in Research , Monitoring And Evaluation (M&E) —Ethics and Your Responsibilities as a Manager” available at the following link: https://www.unicef.org/evaluation/files/TechNote1_Ethics.pdf
• The supplier shall follow the United Nations Supplier Code of Conduct available at: https://www.un.org/Depts/ptd/sites/www.un.org.Depts.ptd/files/files/attachment/ page/pdf/unscc/conduct_english.pdf
• In accordance with the provisions of this Code of Conduct, the supplier is expected to disclose to the United Nations Organization (UN) any situation that may appear to be a conflict of interest and disclose to the UN if any UN official or professional hired by the UN may have some type of interest in the supplier’s business or in any type of economic relationship with the supplier.
• And in general, comply with the commitments that are derived for each product described in these ToRs.

Finally, the information generated in the deliverables of these ToR will be the property of UNICEF.

 

 Characteristics technical and commercial proposals

Those interested in participating in the contest must present the technical and economic proposals separately.

All documents that are part of the proposal for participation in the contest must be sent in Spanish.

Characteristics of the technical proposal

• Work plan in which the methodology, activities and schedule for the preparation of each of the deliverables of these ToR are described.
• CV, which includes academic training and relevant experience related to each of the deliverables of these ToR, including at least 3 previous works by way of example.

Characteristics of the financial proposal

Please consider the following:

• It is intended to have a breakdown of costs as detailed as possible.
• The commercial Proposal must be presented by The Supplier in the format of its representative, indicating the TOTAL COST OF THE CONSULTING, as well as the breakdown and explanation of the proposal, signed and on letterhead .
• Your costs should consider all project expenses.
• Without VAT and/or taxes.
• Costs should be fixed for the entire project.
• Submit your proposal in Mexican pesos, only proposals from NATIONAL consultants will be accepted.

 

Please present it as follows:

CONCEPT	Total cost in MXN without taxes
Consulting service for the development of inputs aimed at designing interventions and advocacy strategy for the improvement of food environments, for UNICEF MEXICO	$0.00

 The commercial Proposal must be presented by the Supplier in the format of its representative, indicating the TOTAL COST OF THE CONSULTING, as well as the breakdown and explanation of the proposal, signed and on letterhead. The breakdown of the total cost must include at least the following concepts:

 

1- Fees (Indicate days quoted and Fee per day)

2- Cost for travel (transfers, lodging, food, etc.)

3- Administrative expenses (if applicable)

4- Others (if applicable)

 

It will be paid according to the table indicated in the deliverables section

Assessment

The proposals received will be qualified according to the items established in the following table:

 

Technical proposal*		Economic proposal
Work plan in accordance with the elements described in these ToR. (40%)	Supplier profile in accordance with the requirements described in these ToR. (30%)	-Economic proposal must include the elements described in the section guidelines for the development of economic proposal. (30%)

*Only applicants who obtain a minimum of 49% (out of 70%) in the technical proposal will go on to evaluate the economic proposal. 

 

Economic proposal – 30%

30% of the economic evaluation will be assigned to the lowest proposal, the rest of the economic evaluations will be assigned a % inversely proportional to the lowest price.

Award:

The Consultancy will be assigned to the candidate who obtains the best score of the sum of both evaluations

Unicef ​​is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals or teams from minority groups, indigenous groups, and people with disabilities are equally encouraged to enter. All offers will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.