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

Background

Moyale (Borena) faces persistent undernutrition, poor infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, and limited access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Low dietary diversity, inappropriate complementary feeding, and inadequate hygiene behaviours drive high child morbidity and malnutrition. Locally available, affordable foods offer a practical opportunity to improve complementary feeding when they are identified, prepared, validated, and promoted. Complementary Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) materials are essential to translate technical guidance into household- and community-level actions. This assignment will develop and validate nutrient-dense complementary food recipes based on local ingredients and will produce culturally appropriate SBCC materials to promote optimal feeding, health, and hygiene practices.

SOS CVE has conducted a baseline assessment for the Nutrition-Centric Humanitarian-Development-Peace CORE Project, and the assessment has revealed that there are critical nutrition gaps: global acute malnutrition at 12.1 percent, stunting at 30.4 percent, underweight at 12.6 percent, and 61.6 percent of women with poor dietary diversity. Infant and young child feeding is particularly weak among children 6–23 months. Food insecurity affects half of all households and only 11.4 percent of the population achieves adequate dietary diversity. Use of nutrition services is extremely low (1.9 percent treatment enrolment), and preventive services such as deworming are underutilized. Qualitative findings highlight limited knowledge, cultural barriers, and poor complementary feeding behaviors. The assessment therefore calls for urgent promotion of improved complementary feeding using locally available foods and strengthened behavior-change communication around nutrition, health, and hygiene.

National progress supports these actions. Ethiopia’s updated AMIYCN Implementation Guideline (2022) stresses context-specific complementary recipes, practical cooking demonstrations, caregiver engagement, and feedback loops. Nutrition-sensitive social protection platforms such as PSNP V also integrate behaviour-change communication, household food preparation practices, and efforts to increase dietary diversity. UNICEF-supported, market-informed recipe development (2022) introduced nutrient-dense options such as egg powder and avocado powder developed with Addis Ababa University and emphasized affordability across agro-ecological and market contexts. However, sharp food inflation dramatically reduced household purchasing power and constrained the feasibility and scalability of some recommended recipes. This underscores the need to align nutrient-focused interventions with food system realities, market availability, and affordability.

Despite these advances, complementary feeding in Ethiopia remains largely cereal-based and plant-dominant, with limited intake of animal-source foods, fruits, and vegetables. Common household porridges (maize, teff, barley, sorghum) are often diluted and nutrient-poor; tuber-legume mixes are frequent but still inadequate to meet the energy, protein, and micronutrient needs of children 6–23 months. Diets are commonly deficient in zinc, calcium, and iron, contributing to persistent undernutrition. Animal-source foods can markedly improve diet quality, but their consumption is limited by cost, access, and socio-cultural constraints especially among vulnerable households. This reinforces the need for cost-effective, nutrient-dense, culturally acceptable complementary foods that are viable within local food systems.

Recent inputs strengthen the evidence base for recipe development. The Ethiopian Food Composition Table (EFCT) 2025 and its digital platform enable precise nutrient analysis, better estimation of dietary intake, and improved alignment of recipes and programs with national nutrition priorities. Program platforms such as AMIYCN and PSNP already use cooking demonstrations, counselling, and monitoring indicators (Minimum Dietary Diversity, Minimum Meal Frequency, Minimum Acceptable Diet), demonstrating scalable entry points for improved complementary feeding. Nevertheless, gaps remain in systematically integrating sensory acceptability, caregiver workload, affordability, and iterative field-testing into recipe development.

This TOR therefore calls for a food-systems-informed approach to complementary feeding: develop, validate, and refine context-specific complementary food recipes that are nutritionally adequate, affordable, market-aligned, and socially acceptable. It also calls for the design, pre-test, and production of culturally appropriate SBCC materials tailored to pastoralist communities in Moyale woreda of Borena zone, addressing barriers such as low literacy, language differences, lack of electricity/TV, and mobility. Materials should be high-quality and visually engaging, produced in Afaan Oromo (and English where applicable), and adapted for low-literacy audiences through pictorials, audio, and simple narratives.

SBCC content should target specific behavioural drivers across priority areas, including:

• Maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH)
• Routine immunization
• Nutrition (MIYCN, prevention of acute malnutrition)
• WASH (latrine use, handwashing, water treatment)
• Prevention of GBV, child marriage, and FGM/C

The expected deliverables include validated, locally sourced complementary food recipes, tested for nutritional adequacy, sensory acceptability, affordability, and caregiver feasibility; and culturally appropriate SBCC materials (print, pictorial, and audio formats) in Afaan Oromo and English that enable adoption of improved feeding, health, and hygiene behaviour’s at household and community levels.

Rationale

In the context of Moyale woreda of Borena zone, despite national guidelines and platforms like the PSNP, significant gaps remain in translating policy into improved household complementary feeding. Cash transfers alone are insufficient without practical support. In this pastoral, drought-prone setting, knowledge and locally validated recipes are essential especially where market access and purchasing power are seasonal.

Integrated approaches confirm that recipe development must address food availability, seasonality, and affordability to be scalable. Existing Ethiopian complementary feeding recipes are partially outdated, focusing on energy, protein, and iron while underemphasizing zinc, calcium, and vitamin A. Although the Ethiopian Food Composition Table (EFCT 2025) offers updated data, it is not systematically applied. Current recipes lack standardized nutrient profiling for realistic portion sizes, affordability, and seasonal adaptability.

Traditional practices in Borena remain plant-based with low nutrient density. Animal source foods are culturally valued but limited by drought and cost. Religious fasting periods further reduce diversity, with few operationalized, fasting-compatible alternatives (e.g., legumes, oils, vitamin A-rich vegetables) and weak messaging on exemptions for young children.

Critical gaps include limited integration of affordability analysis, diet modelling, and seasonality into local (woreda) recipe development. The CORE Program (SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia), under the NC-HDP approach, uses nutrition-sensitive cash transfers for vulnerable households (including SAM cases) in Moyale. However, effectiveness depends on context-specific, affordable, validated recipes and linked SBCC materials.

This consultancy is therefore justified to:

• Develop and standardize context-specific recipes with quantified nutrient profiles (EFCT 2025).
• Ensure affordability, local availability, and seasonal adaptability.
• Integrate fasting-sensitive and culturally appropriate options.
• Link recipes to social protection, food systems, and SBCC.
• Conduct household trials and sensory acceptability testing.
• Produce SBCC materials (e.g., illustrated recipe cards, counselling guides) for low-literacy pastoralist contexts.

Ultimately, this work will enable feasible, scalable, and effective complementary feeding interventions in Borena Zone (Moyale) for children 6–23 months and pregnant/lactating women in resource-constrained pastoral and agro-pastoral communities.

Purpose of the Consultancy

The purpose of this consultancy is 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 aims to bridge the gap between policy-level recommendations and practical household-level implementation by developing recipes that are nutritionally sound, feasible, culturally acceptable (including fasting-sensitive options), economically accessible, and adaptable to seasonal and market constraints.

Under the Nutrition-Centric Humanitarian–Development–Peace (NC-HDP) approach of the CORE Program (SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia), this work will strengthen nutrition-sensitive cash assistance and behavior change interventions. It will ensure that improved food access translates into better complementary feeding practices and nutrition outcomes for children under five and pregnant and lactating women in Borena Zone. 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

I. Identify and analyze locally available, affordable, and seasonally accessible food items in Moyale Woreda, considering pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihoods, market access, mobility patterns, seasonal variability, and drought conditions.

II. Develop nutritionally adequate complementary food recipes for:

• Children 6–11 months
• Children 12–23 months
• Pregnant and lactating women (PLW)

III. Ensure recipes meet age-specific nutrient requirements, focusing on limiting nutrients (zinc, calcium, vitamin A) within locally feasible diets.

IV. Integrate diet modelling, affordability analysis (cost thresholds), and practical substitution options based on local market dynamics and seasonal food availability in Moyale.

V. Incorporate culturally appropriate and fasting-sensitive feeding practices, including locally acceptable food combinations and pastoral dietary patterns (e.g., milk reliance, limited crop diversity).

VI. Test and refine recipes through Trials of Improved Practices (TIPs) and sensory acceptability assessments with caregivers and children in target communities.

VII. Produce SBCC materials to support recipe uptake, including:

• Contextualized cooking demonstration guides
• Short video-based recipe demonstrations using locally available ingredients
• Illustrated recipe cards and counselling tools for low-literacy pastoral contexts

VIII. Support institutional validation and alignment with:

• Woreda-level health and agriculture bureaus in Borena
• Food System and Nutrition Council Technical Working Group (FSNC TWG)

Scope of Work and Key Tasks

The consulting firm will be responsible for delivering the assignment through the following key tasks:

Phase 1: Inception and Planning

• Conduct inception meetings with SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia and key stakeholders
• Review relevant documents (AMIYCN, PSNP, EFCT 2025, FNG, etc.)
• Develop and submit a detailed inception report, including:
  • Methodology
  • Workplan and timeline
  • Sampling and site selection (12 Kebeles/ Moyale Woreda)
  • Tools for data collection and analysis

Phase 2: Food Environment and Market Assessment

• Map locally available and affordable food items across selected contexts
• Analyze price, seasonality, and accessibility constraints
• Identify context-specific food baskets and substitution options

Phase 3: Diet Modeling and Recipe Development

• Apply diet modeling approaches (e.g., Optifood or equivalent)
• Develop nutritionally optimized recipes for target groups
• Ensure recipes:
  • Meet nutrient requirements
  • Fit within defined affordability thresholds
  • Reflect local food habits and preparation practices
• Integrate fasting-compatible options and cultural considerations

Phase 4: Testing and Validation

• Conduct Trials of Improved Practices (TIPs) at household level
• Implement sensory and acceptability testing
• Refine recipes based on feedback and feasibility findings
• Work with certified nutritionists to validate nutrient adequacy

Phase 5: Communication and Dissemination

• Produce short, high-quality cooking demonstration videos
• Engage local influencers/chefs/media actors
• Support dissemination through:
  • Community platforms
  • Media channels
  • Program implementation structures (PSNP, HEWs)

Phase 6: Institutional Engagement and Endorsement

• Facilitate validation workshops with:
  • Local woreda-level health and agriculture Bureaus in Borena
  • FSNC TWG
• Incorporate feedback and finalize recipes
• Develop a standardized recipe annex/guideline document

Phase 7: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Develop a context-specific recipe adoption and monitoring framework, aligned with:
  • PSNP monitoring systems
  • Health Extension Program
• Move beyond activity-based reporting (e.g., number of cooking demonstrations) by integrating standardized quantitative indicators, including:
  • % 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
• Design and deploy simple data collection tools, including:
  • Household monitoring checklists (HEWs / CORE Officers)
  • Direct observation spot-check tools
  • TIPs follow-up tracking tools
• Submit:
  • Draft report (including preliminary findings)
  • Final report including:
    • Quantitative adoption and diet quality results
    • Lessons learned and implementation gaps
    • 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 by using positive, non-stigmatizing, and culturally appropriate language and imagery. Prior informed consent must be obtained for any photos, videos, or testimonials, with parental or caregiver consent required for children. The firm shall ensure that all interactions with children and vulnerable groups comply with safeguarding standards, protecting their privacy, dignity, and safety at all times.

The consulting firm shall also ensure responsible data management by collecting only necessary information, maintaining confidentiality, and anonymizing personal data where possible. All activities must be context-sensitive and avoid exacerbating vulnerabilities, taking into account local cultural practices, gender dynamics, and resource constraints in pastoral communities. Clear and accessible feedback and grievance mechanisms must be established during community engagement, and all interventions should be inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups

Intellectual Property and Data

All materials produced under this assignment—including but not limited to creative content, raw and editable design files, scripts, audio-visual materials, photographs, datasets, and analytical outputs—shall become the exclusive property of the commissioning organization upon final payment. The consulting firm shall not use, reproduce, or distribute any materials without prior written consent.

The consulting firm shall provide all outputs in fully editable formats, along with relevant documentation or usage guides to support future adaptation and use. All data collected shall be securely managed and handed over in an organized, accessible format, ensuring compliance with data protection and confidentiality requirements.

Consulting firm Profile and Qualifications

The consulting firm should demonstrate the following qualifications and competencies:

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

• Demonstrated expertise in:
  • Diet modeling (e.g., Optifood, FNG or similar tools)
  • Nutrient analysis and food composition data
  • Behavior changes communication (SBCC)
  • Participatory approaches (e.g., TIPs)
  • Delivering similar consultancy assignments

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)