Terms of Reference (ToR) for Individual consultant to Enhance the Menu for Factory Workers in the Industrial Park of Hawassa

1. Background:

GAIN was launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. GAIN is a global, Swiss-based foundation that mobilises public-private partnerships and provides financial and technical support to deliver nutritious foods to those people most at risk of malnutrition. GAIN contributes to fighting malnutrition in Ethiopia through innovative and sustainable models that increase access to affordable nutritious foods among communities vulnerable to malnutrition. GAIN Ethiopia collaborates with various stakeholders to address malnutrition and enhance nutrition across the country. GAIN Ethiopia has a particular focus on improving the nutrition of vulnerable populations, including low-income workforces.

Industrial parks in Ethiopia have emerged as vital economic drivers, attracting both domestic and foreign investments. These parks provide significant employment opportunities, contribute to the nation’s economic growth, and promote industrialization. The workforce in industrial parks, however, often faces nutritional challenges due to limited access to diverse and nutritious meals.

Considering the importance of workforce well-being and productivity, there is a growing recognition of the need for workforce nutrition interventions in industrial parks in Ethiopia. The workforce nutrition intervention aims to achieve several objectives, including improving the nutritional status of factory workers by technically supporting employers to provide diverse meals, increasing access to nutritious food options that meet the workers’ dietary needs and preferences, promoting awareness and education on healthy eating habits and the importance of nutrition for overall well-being and productivity, as well as supporting the local food economy by incorporating local food products and suppliers into the menu offerings. By addressing the nutrition needs of the workforce, these interventions aim to improve their overall health, well-being, and productivity. Enhancing the menu options available to factory workers is a crucial step toward achieving these objectives.

2. Objectives:

The primary objective of this consultancy is to enhance the nutritional value and diversify the menu options available to factory workers in the industrial parks at Hawassa and Adama. The consultant will collaborate with stakeholders to develop a revised menu that aligns with the access (availability and affordability) and cultural and dietary preferences of the workers, that is feasible for the business (in terms of costs and logistics), promoting healthier food choices and incorporating local culinary traditions.

3. Scope of Work:

The consultant will undertake the following tasks to achieve the project objectives:

• Perform a thorough evaluation of the existing menu options at four factories located in the industrial park of Hawassa, analysing their nutritional content and range of choices.
• The menu improvement work will be executed for four factories in Hawassa.
• Develop a revised, affordable menu that is more nutritious and incorporates appropriate and diverse options without inflating the existing meal costs.
• Develop nutrition information messages along with the menu changes.
• Engage in market assessment to identify the nutritional and cultural preferences of the factory workers, as well as emerging food trends.
• Train canteen workers on revised menu and food safety protocols.
• Conduct acceptability test and develop a comprehensive report of test results.
• Collaborate with workers, food vendors, and suppliers to develop a revised menu that improves the nutritional content and incorporates culturally appropriate and diverse food options.
• Collaborate with relevant staff within the factory (e.g. canteen staff) to ensure that the revised menu is feasible to implement (both in terms of logistics and budget).
• Collaborate with relevant staff within the factory and industrial park to develop an implementation plan for the menu changes.
• Consider introducing small changes at a time and gathering continuous feedback to ensure acceptance of the menu changes.
• Present the proposed revised menu to stakeholders for feedback and seek their approval.
• Support the business throughout the implementation of the menu changes and support with any challenges they may face in doing so.
• The menus must be in accordance with the guidelines set by the workforce nutrition scorecard and the Healthy Food at Work Guidebook. Refer to the link provided.

https://workforcenutrition.org/services/self-assessment-scorecard.

https://workforcenutrition.org/webapi/public/pdf/scorecard_pre_read.pdf.

https://workforcenutrition.org/webapi/public/guidebook_healthy_food_at_work.pdf

4. Deliverables:

The consultant will be responsible for delivering the following:

Menu Analysis Report: A comprehensive written report will be provided, detailing a thorough analysis of the current menu. This report will include breakdowns of strengths, weaknesses, cost structure, popularity data, and nutritional information for existing menu items. Additionally, the report will offer a variety of recommendations for menu improvement, addressing factors such as cost-effectiveness, popularity, and nutritional needs.

Revised Menu Proposal: A well-formatted document showcasing the proposed revised menu will be delivered. This document will detail the new menu options, incorporating healthier selections and culturally diverse offerings. Each item will be accompanied by a description and corresponding pricing. Furthermore, a justification will be provided that explains how the revised menu aligns with the objectives outlined in Section2.

Revised Menu Presentation: An engaging presentation will be developed to introduce the revised menu. This presentation, composed of visually appealing slides or other aids, will explain the nutritional benefits associated with the new offerings and explore the cultural significance of these additions. The target audience for this presentation will be canteen staff, nutrition committee, OSH committee, factory management and workers.

Nutritional Information Materials: Clear and organized documents, such as handouts or posters, will be created to communicate the nutritional information for the updated menu. These materials will utilize visuals and easy-to-understand language for optimal accessibility. Distribution of these materials will strictly follow the established GAIN communication protocols.

Menu Launch Event facilitation and Documentation: Digital files, including photos, videos, and recordings, will be compiled to document the menu launch event. This documentation will serve as a record of the event, showcasing the new menu offerings and capturing customer and staff engagement. These files will be delivered to GAIN for project documentation purposes.

Acceptability Test and Feedback Report: A formal report will be generated that summarizes the findings from the acceptability test conducted with canteen managers and workers. This report will include data analysis of the feedback received on the revised menu.

Completed consent forms of new menu testing participants.

Market Assessment Report: A comprehensive written report will detail the market assessment conducted to identify potential sources for the ingredients required by the new menu items. This report will include a cost analysis comparing various raw material options and their corresponding sourcing options.

Staff Training Materials: Training materials encompassing training manuals, video tutorials, or other relevant resources will be developed. These comprehensive materials will equip cafeteria / canteen staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively prepare and serve the revised menu items.

Training Report: A formal report will be prepared summarizing the training program delivered to canteen staff. This report will include a list of participants along with their relevant attributes, such as experience level. Additionally, the report will evaluate the output of the training program.

Menu Implementation Monitoring Report: An ongoing report will be created to monitor the implementation and impact of the revised menu. This report will involve collecting data on factory management feedback, sales figures, and any operational challenges encountered.

Final Project Reports: Two comprehensive reports will be delivered to mark the project’s completion. The first report, titled “Monitoring Report,” will summarize the entire menu implementation process, highlighting key findings and the overall impact of the revised menu. The second report, titled “Exit Report,” will provide a final overview of the project, encompassing achievements made and recommendations for future endeavours.

5. GAIN’s responsibilities

• Select potential factories for the menu improvement and link the consultant
• Review and approve each of consultant’s deliverables
• Print the final communication materials developed by the consultant.

6. Timeline:

The consultancy task is scheduled to commence in September 2024 and will be completed by February 2025.