Development and Validation of Complementary Food Recipes and Production of SBCC Materials – CORE Program, Moyale Woreda

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Moyale (Borena) faces persistent undernutrition, poor infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, and limited access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). A baseline assessment conducted by SOS CVE revealed critical nutrition gaps: global acute malnutrition at 12.1%, stunting at 30.4%, underweight at 12.6%, and 61.6% of women with poor dietary diversity. Food insecurity affects half of all households and only 11.4% of the population achieves adequate dietary diversity. Qualitative findings highlight limited knowledge, cultural barriers, and poor complementary feeding behaviors.

This consultancy will develop and validate nutrient-dense complementary food recipes based on local ingredients and produce culturally appropriate SBCC materials to promote optimal feeding, health, and hygiene practices in Moyale Woreda, Borena Zone.

Purpose of the Consultancy

To design, validate, and operationalize context-specific, nutritionally adequate, and affordable complementary food recipes for vulnerable households in Moyale (Borena), aligned with national guidelines (including EFCT 2025) and grounded in the local pastoral and agro-pastoral food system. The consultancy will also produce evidence-based SBCC materials to support household-level adoption.

Overall Objective

General Objective

To develop, validate, and operationalize affordable, context-specific, and nutritionally optimized complementary food recipes for Moyale Woreda (Borena Zone), aligned with local pastoral and agro-pastoral food systems, cultural practices, seasonal variability, and household economic realities, and to produce accompanying SBCC materials.

Specific Objectives

• Identify and analyze locally available, affordable, and seasonally accessible food items in Moyale Woreda
• Develop nutritionally adequate complementary food recipes for children 6–11 months, children 12–23 months, and pregnant and lactating women (PLW)
• Ensure recipes meet age-specific nutrient requirements, focusing on limiting nutrients (zinc, calcium, vitamin A)
• Integrate diet modelling, affordability analysis, and practical substitution options based on local market dynamics and seasonal food availability
• Incorporate culturally appropriate and fasting-sensitive feeding practices
• Test and refine recipes through Trials of Improved Practices (TIPs) and sensory acceptability assessments
• Produce SBCC materials including cooking demonstration guides, short video-based recipe demonstrations, and illustrated recipe cards for low-literacy pastoral contexts
• Support institutional validation and alignment with woreda-level health and agriculture bureaus and the Food System and Nutrition Council Technical Working Group (FSNC TWG)

Scope of Work and Key Tasks

Phase 1: Inception and Planning

Conduct inception meetings, review relevant documents (AMIYCN, PSNP, EFCT 2025), and develop a detailed inception report covering methodology, workplan, sampling, and data collection tools.

Phase 2: Food Environment and Market Assessment

Map locally available and affordable food items, analyze price and seasonality constraints, and identify context-specific food baskets and substitution options.

Phase 3: Diet Modeling and Recipe Development

Apply diet modeling approaches (e.g., Optifood or equivalent) to develop nutritionally optimized recipes that meet nutrient requirements, fit affordability thresholds, reflect local food habits, and integrate fasting-compatible options.

Phase 4: Testing and Validation

Conduct Trials of Improved Practices (TIPs), sensory and acceptability testing, and refine recipes based on feedback. Work with certified nutritionists to validate nutrient adequacy.

Phase 5: Communication and Dissemination

Produce high-quality cooking demonstration videos, engage local influencers/chefs/media actors, and support dissemination through community platforms, media channels, and program implementation structures.

Phase 6: Institutional Engagement and Endorsement

Facilitate validation workshops with local woreda-level health and agriculture bureaus and FSNC TWG, incorporate feedback, finalize recipes, and develop a standardized recipe annex/guideline document.

Phase 7: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

Develop a context-specific recipe adoption and monitoring framework integrating standardized quantitative indicators:

• % of caregivers preparing enriched complementary foods/porridge ≥3 days/week
• % of children achieving Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD)
• % of children achieving Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD)
• % of households demonstrating improved food preparation and hygiene practices

Submit draft and final reports including quantitative adoption and diet quality results, lessons learned, and recommendations for scale-up.

Ethical, Safeguarding, and Do-No-Harm Requirements

The consulting firm shall adhere to the highest standards of ethical practice, safeguarding, and "Do No Harm" principles throughout the assignment. All activities must ensure dignity, inclusion, and non-discrimination. Prior informed consent must be obtained for any photos, videos, or testimonials. The firm shall ensure responsible data management, maintain confidentiality, and anonymize personal data where possible.

Intellectual Property and Data

All materials produced under this assignment shall become the exclusive property of the commissioning organization upon final payment. The consulting firm shall provide all outputs in fully editable formats and shall not use, reproduce, or distribute any materials without prior written consent.

Consulting Firm Profile and Qualifications

Core Expertise

• Proven experience in public health nutrition and IYCF programming
• Complementary feeding and recipe development
• Nutrition-sensitive food systems and/or social protection programs

Technical Capacity

• Diet modeling (e.g., Optifood, FNG or similar tools)
• Nutrient analysis and food composition data
• Behavior change communication (SBCC)
• Participatory approaches (e.g., TIPs)

Team Composition (Minimum Requirements)

• Team Leader (Senior Nutritionist/Public Health Expert – 10+ years' experience)
• Food Technologist/Dietitian
• SBCC/Behavior Change Specialist
• Market/Food Systems Specialist
• Media/Communication Expert (for video production)

How to Apply

Proposals must be submitted electronically to: procurement@sos-ethiopia.org

Subject line: "Terms of Reference (TOR) For the Development and Validation of Complementary Food Recipes and Production of SBCC Materials – CORE Program, Moyale Woreda"

Technical Proposal Should Include

• Understanding of the assignment and context
• Detailed methodology and approach
• Work plan and timeline (with clear deliverables)
• Description of team composition and roles
• Relevant experience and past assignments
• Risk analysis and mitigation measures

Financial Proposal Should Include

• Detailed budget breakdown covering professional fees, fieldwork and logistics, and clear linkage between costs and deliverables

Supporting Documents

• Company profile
• CVs of key personnel
• Samples of previous work (if available)
• Legal registration and relevant certifications

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