CFAs: Implementation and Capacity Support Partner for Complementary Feeding Pilot (India)

Deadline: 31-Aug-2026

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is seeking a partner organization to implement a six-month complementary feeding pilot in Banaskantha, Gujarat, focused on improving infant and young child feeding practices. The selected organization will support behavioural assessment, development and testing of counselling and communication tools, training of frontline workers, field coaching, monitoring, and documentation for potential scale-up.

About the UNICEF Complementary Feeding Pilot

UNICEF is seeking a qualified partner to support a pilot designed to strengthen complementary feeding practices for infants and young children in Banaskantha district of Gujarat. The initiative will be implemented under the technical guidance of UNICEF’s Nutrition section and in close coordination with district-level Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) authorities. The pilot aims to improve how caregivers receive and apply practical information about complementary feeding by strengthening the capacity of frontline workers and integrating improved communication approaches into existing nutrition platforms. What Is Complementary Feeding? Complementary feeding refers to introducing appropriate foods to infants when breast milk alone is no longer sufficient to meet their nutritional needs, while breastfeeding continues as appropriate. Effective complementary feeding interventions can help address: Barriers to adopting recommended feeding behaviours. Gaps in counselling by frontline workers. The Banaskantha pilot will focus on identifying local behavioural barriers and developing practical communication tools that frontline workers can use with families.

Objectives of the Pilot

The main objective is to develop and test an effective complementary feeding promotion package that can potentially be integrated into existing government nutrition systems.

Key objectives include:

Understanding current complementary feeding behaviours. Identifying communication and counselling gaps. Mapping existing tools and processes. Developing evidence-based counselling resources. Testing the new communication package in the field. Strengthening interpersonal counselling skills among frontline workers. Establishing field-based coaching mechanisms. Monitoring implementation and documenting lessons. Generating evidence to inform future scale-up. Key Responsibilities of the Selected Partner The selected organization will provide both implementation support and capacity development during the pilot. Conduct a Rapid Behavioural Assessment The partner will conduct a rapid assessment of existing complementary feeding practices.

This assessment will examine:

Current caregiver behaviours. Knowledge and perceptions surrounding complementary feeding. The training will focus particularly on interpersonal counselling skills, enabling frontline workers to communicate practical feeding advice effectively with caregivers. Training activities will include designing and delivering skill-building sessions and supporting workers as they apply their new skills in real-world settings. Field-Based Coaching System Training will be complemented by a field-based coaching mechanism.

The coaching system will help:

Reinforce counselling skills. Identify implementation challenges. Provide practical feedback. Support frontline workers during household interactions. Encourage consistent use of the new tools. Strengthen the quality of counselling over time. This combination of training and ongoing coaching is intended to improve the sustainability of the intervention. Monitoring, Learning and Documentation The selected partner will support process monitoring throughout the six-month implementation period.

Responsibilities will include:

Routine data collection. Monitoring implementation progress. Documenting field experiences. Conducting a mid-course review. Identifying challenges and adapting implementation where necessary. The evidence generated through the pilot will help UNICEF and government stakeholders determine whether the approach could be adapted or expanded to other settings. Who Is the Partner Opportunity For? The call is intended for an organization capable of implementing a nutrition-focused field pilot while working closely with government and UNICEF. A suitable organization should be able to demonstrate capacity in areas such as: Experience with ICDS structures and community-level implementation in Gujarat would be particularly relevant to successful delivery. How the Pilot Will Work The implementation can be understood through the following sequence:

Step 1: Assess Existing Practices

The partner will conduct a rapid assessment to understand current complementary feeding behaviours and communication gaps.

Step 2: Review Existing Systems

Existing tools, counselling resources, government platforms, and implementation processes will be mapped.

Step 3: Develop the Promotion Package

The partner will use assessment findings to develop practical counselling tools, job aids, demonstrations, and household nudges.

Step 4: Field-Test the Package

The materials and approaches will be tested with frontline workers and families to determine their practicality and effectiveness.

Step 5: Train Frontline Workers

AWWs and ICDS Supervisors will receive interpersonal counselling skills training.

Step 6: Provide Field Coaching

Coaching will reinforce training and help frontline workers apply the approach during routine service delivery.

Step 7: Monitor Implementation

Routine data and field observations will be used to track implementation and identify areas requiring improvement.

Step 8: Document Learning

A mid-course review and final learning report will capture evidence, lessons, challenges, and recommendations for potential scale-up. Why This Pilot Matters Improving complementary feeding requires more than providing caregivers with information. Families need practical, understandable, locally appropriate guidance, while frontline workers