1. About GAIN 

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the United Nations in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with governments, businesses and civil society, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver healthier diets for all people, especially the most vulnerable.

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, GAIN has offices in countries with high levels of malnutrition: Bangladesh, Benin, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. To support work in those countries, we have representative offices in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

At GAIN, we believe that everyone in the world should have access to nutritious, safe, and affordable food. Today, one in three people - drawn from nearly every country on the planet - are unable to consume enough nutritious food. We work to develop and deliver solutions to this daily challenge.

 By understanding that there is no "one-size-fits-all" way of dealing with this problem, we develop alliances and build tailored programmes using a variety of models and approaches. We work through national, regional, and global alliances that provide technical, financial and policy support to a wide range of public and private organisations, focusing attention on where people get their food from – markets. As a result, we give priority to finding ways to change and improve how businesses and governments shape food systems for improved nutrition.

What matters most for us is impact. Our purpose is to improve the consumption of nutritious and safe foods for all. We focus on children, adolescents, and women because we know that working with these groups is crucial to transforming attitudes about food and hence life chances and livelihoods. We are supported by over 30 donors and work closely with international organisations and United Nations agencies.

2. Background

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), is supporting the mainstreaming of nutrition within the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rural Economic Transformation Project (KP-RETP). The partnership aims to strengthen the contribution of rural economic development investments to improved nutrition outcomes by embedding nutrition considerations within existing project systems, activities, capacities, and implementation structures.

KP-RETP is a Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa project supported by IFAD, with interventions spanning agribusiness development, skills and employment promotion, project management and policy support. The project targets rural households, including smallholder farmers, rural women and youth,nutrition, gender and other cross-cutting themes are integrated into project implementation.

As part of the GAIN–IFAD nutrition mainstreaming partnership, one priority entry point is “Structured nutrition-literacy ToT for Staff and Partners, including a dietary-decision-by-women module.” 

The assignment will support the project to move beyond general nutrition awareness towards a structured, practical and gender-responsive nutrition literacy package that can be delivered through a Training of Trainers approach 

Particular attention will be given to women’s role and influence in household dietary decisions and to the practical application of nutrition knowledge within staff roles.

The assignment is expected to develop a high-quality, adaptable training package that can be used within existing project structures and can also be considered for potential integration into TVETA, vocational training or other relevant capacity-development platforms.

3. Objectives of the Assignement 

The overall objective of the assignment is to develop and operationalize a structured, evidence-based and gender-responsive nutrition literacy training package and cascade approach that builds the capacity of KP-RETP PMU, RC and BMP staff as master trainers and enables nutrition literacy messages to be further delivered to women, men and young people through PFOs, Youth/Community Nutrition Ambassadors and other relevant KP-RETP community platforms.

Specific objectives are to:

• Collect and review the nutrition modules developed by UNICEF, WFP, or any other organisations and review its relevance to the nutrition objectives of the KPRETP.

• Review the existing nutrition literacy/ToT module and relevant KP-RETP nutrition materials.

• Identify gaps in technical content, adult learning methodology, potential strategies to increase the reach, gender responsiveness and practical application.

• Upgrade the module with context-specific nutrition content relevant to KP-RETP and its partners.

• Develop and integrate a dedicated component on women’s dietary decision making and intra-household factors influencing diets.

• Develop practical facilitation materials, learning activities and assessment tools suitable for staff and partners. 

• Deliver structured ToT sessions for selected staff of KPRETP, business mobilisation partners and selected members of the PFCOs.

• Assess capacity in participants’ nutrition knowledge and literacy through pre- and post-training assessments.

• Finalize and hand over the complete training package to GAIN and KP-RETP for potential institutionalization and adaptation through relevant platforms.

4. Scope of Work 

The consultant/service provider will undertake the assignment through the following componenets:

1. Inception and Review

• Hold an inception meeting with GAIN and relevant KP-RETP focal persons to confirm expectations, target participants, available materials and implementation arrangements.

• Desk review of available training materials on nutrition by WFP, UNICEF and any other stakeholders to assess the relevance of material for KPRETP. 

• Review the existing nutrition literacy/ToT module and associated training materials available with KP-RETP and GAIN.

• Review relevant KP-RETP documents, including nutrition-sensitive messages, strategies, logframe/M&E materials and relevant capacity-development materials.

• Review relevant evidence and guidance on nutrition literacy, adult learning, gender and women’s dietary decision making.

• Assess the existing module for technical accuracy, relevance to staff roles, gender responsiveness, cultural appropriateness, adult-learning methodology, and practical applicability.

• Prepare a gap assessment and proposed approach for upgrading the module.

2. Upgrade and Development of the Nutrition Literacy ToT Package

• Revise and develop the module to ensure that it is practical, participatory and suitable for adult professionals.

• Cover, as appropriate, basic nutrition concepts; healthy diets and dietary diversity; nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems; food safety and food quality; nutrition challenges relevant to KP; gender and nutrition; and practical application within KP-RETP.

• Develop a dedicated and practical component on women’s dietary decision making, including the influence of income, resources, social norms, knowledge, time, mobility and intra-household dynamics.

• Include context-relevant case studies, exercises, scenarios and reflection activities.

• Develop session plans, learning objectives, facilitation guidance, presentations, participant materials, job aids and assessment tools.

3. Training of Trainers

• Develop a ToT delivery plan and training agenda in consultation with GAIN and KP-RETP.

• Facilitate structured nutrition literacy ToT sessions for selected relevant staff from PMU,  regions and business mobilisation partners.

• Use participatory adult-learning approaches, including case studies, group exercises, practical examples and role plays where appropriate.

• Demonstrate how participants can use the module with other relevant project staff or target groups.

• Provide participants with relevant training and facilitation materials.

• Document participant feedback and identify areas requiring further refinement.

4. Pre- and Post-Training Assessment

• Design and administer appropriate pre- and post-training assessments to measure changes in nutrition knowledge and literacy.

• Analyse changes in knowledge and understanding and disaggregate results where appropriate by participant category and gender.

• Identify areas where learning gains are limited and recommend improvements to the module.

• Provide a concise assessment report summarizing findings.

5. Finalization and Institutional Handover

• Incorporate agreed feedback from GAIN and KP-RETP into the training package.

• Finalize the nutrition literacy ToT curriculum, facilitator guide, participant materials, presentations, job aids and assessment tools.

• Prepare guidance for future facilitators/trainers.

• Provide recommendations for institutionalization within KP-RETP and potential adaptation for TVETA/vocational training or other relevant capacity-development platforms.

• Hand over the complete editable training package to GAIN and KP-RETP.

5. Expected Déliverables and Timeline

6. Required Qualifications 

The assignment may be undertaken by an individual consultant or a specialized consulting/training firm with demonstrated expertise in nutrition capacity development.

• Advanced degree in Human Nutrition, Public Health Nutrition, Food and Nutrition Sciences, Public Health, Behaviour Change, Gender Studies, Development Studies or a related discipline.

• At least 7 years of demonstrated professional experience in nutrition education, nutrition capacity development, training, curriculum development or related areas.

• Demonstrated experience in developing or upgrading nutrition training curricula/modules, preferably using adult-learning and Training of Trainers approaches.

• Demonstrated understanding of gender and nutrition, particularly women’s role in household food and dietary decision making.

• Experience designing and conducting pre- and post-training assessments and analysing learning outcomes.

• Experience working with government, development projects, UN agencies, international financial institutions or international development organizations will be an advantage.

• Familiarity with nutrition-sensitive agriculture, food systems, rural development or livelihoods programming will be highly desirable.

• Knowledge of the Pakistan/Khyber Pakhtunkhwa nutrition context and relevant government systems will be an advantage.

• Strong English, Urdu, Pashtu language and communication skills.

• Experience developing facilitator guides, participant manuals, PowerPoint presentations, job aids and other training materials.

7. Proposed Methodology

The consultant is expected to propose a methodology combining:

• Desk review

• Consultations with GAIN and KP-RETP

• Technical review and gap assessment of the existing module

• Curriculum and content development

• Participatory ToT delivery

• Pre/post learning assessment

• Feedback and module refinement

• Finalization and institutional handover

The proposed methodology should demonstrate how the upgraded module will be technically sound, practical for non-nutrition professionals, gender responsive and relevant to KP-RETP’s operational context.

8. Duration and Level of Effort

The assignment is expected to be completed within approximately 8 - 9 weeks from the date of contract signing. The consultant should propose the level of effort and number of consultancy days required to complete the assignment effectively. The exact training dates and participant numbers will be agreed during inception.

9. Reporting and Coordination

The consultant/service provider will report to GAIN Pakistan through the designated project focal person and will work closely with relevant KP-RETP focal persons. All major deliverables will be reviewed by GAIN in consultation with KP-RETP. The consultant will incorporate consolidated feedback into the final deliverables.

10. Documents to be Provided by GAIN/KP-RETP

Subject to availability, GAIN/KP-RETP will provide the consultant with relevant existing materials, including:

• Existing nutrition literacy/ToT module and training materials.

• Relevant KP-RETP nutrition-sensitive strategies, logframe and M&E materials.

• Relevant project reports and other technical references required for contextualization.

11. Proposal Requirements

1. Technical Proposal

• Understanding of the assignment and proposed approach.

• Proposed methodology and workplan.

• Proposed timeline and estimated level of effort.

• Relevant experience and examples of similar assignments.

• CVs of proposed expert(s), where applicable.

• At least two references from comparable assignments.

2. Financial Proposal

• Professional fees and number of consultancy days.

• Travel and accommodation costs, if applicable.

• Training delivery or other directly attributable costs, if applicable.

• Any other applicable costs including taxes, clearly itemized.

Financial proposals should clearly indicate that the quoted amounts are inclusive of applicable taxes.

12. Evaluation Criteria

13. Key Principles for the Assignment

• The assignment should strengthen existing KP-RETP structures and should not create parallel training or implementation systems.

• The module should be practical and designed for non-nutrition professionals who need to apply nutrition considerations within their existing roles.

• The women’s dietary decision-making component should be action-oriented and grounded in the realities of rural households and women’s access to and control over resources.

• All technical content should be evidence-based, contextually appropriate and aligned with relevant national and international nutrition guidance.

• The final package should be editable and sufficiently complete for future adaptation and institutional use.

14. Confidentiality and Intellectual Property

All information and materials shared by GAIN and KP-RETP for the purpose of this assignment shall be treated as confidential. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, materials and products developed under this consultancy shall be owned by GAIN in accordance with the terms of the consultancy contract.

15. Submission Guidelines 

Proposals should be submitted in electronic format no later than October 19, 2026, to [email protected] . Late submissions will not be considered.

Disclaimer: GAIN reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal received, to request additional information form any proposer, and to negotiate with any qualified proposer.