Capacity Strengthening - Food Safety for School Feeding (Consultant),Thailand

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Type of Contract: International Consultant

Duty Station: WFP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBB), Bangkok, Thailand

Supervision Received: Reporting to RBB Food Technologist

Unit / Division: Supply Chain

Duration of Assignment: 3 months, starting as soon as possible

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Schools meals programmes are increasingly interested in diversifying their food basket, notably though including locally-sourced fresh products (home-grown school feeding programmes). However, the increased number of actors along the local supply chain, dealing with an enlarged range of food products, increases food quality and safety risks among the stakeholders responsible of the Programme. Shortcomings in the process from procurement to consumption can result to serious consequences including food borne illnesses and even fatalities in severe cases. Moreover, studies show that due to socially constructed gender differentiated roles, women are more involved in processing, selling, and preparing food than men, and more exposed to food-borne pathogens encountered in these activities. Making them the risk managers in school meals value chains is essential.

The objective of activities under Pillar II is to develop a Global Food Safety & Quality Manual to train and develop the capacities of cooks, most of whom are women, and the people involved in school meals management and preparation in schools and surrounding communities*[1]*. in best practices in Quality and Hygiene*[2]*, nutrition and cooking, so that they can meet their responsibilities for food safety and quality management, thereby building food-safe schools and ensuring that children have access to food that is not only nutritious but also safe. The long-term goal is to professionalize women involved in food management and preparation, and empowering them with skills that could lead them to find jobs in the formal economy.

Food-safe schools have two main components – first, they are built on comprehensive procedures, policies, and plans that address food safety. Second, they address people’s behaviour to encourage their use, through education, training and supporting incentives. A standard set of guidance is essential to ensure a common basis for food quality and safety training efforts within WFP-supported school feeding programmes, and particularly HGSF programmes that provide perishable food products*[3]*. Tools must also be provided to programme managers to build a supportive environment for desirable behaviours related to food safety.

In the case of Asia, efforts to build stakeholders’ capacities to improve food safety and quality systems for school feeding are being carried out in in India as a result of the partnership. This initiative resulted in multiple documents and tools that could be extrapolated to other countries with similar gaps in their school feeding programs’ food safety and quality systems. Cambodia was detected as a priority country to continue these efforts, as WFP in collaboration with the Government counterparts plans to scale-up the scope for direct deliveries from suppliers to schools, especially through its Home Grown School Feeding programme. This program involves greater diversity in the commodities received as it includes fresh vegetables as well as fresh meat and fish. Initial analysis showed that, despite of the despite of the general awareness of food safety by the main stakeholders, capacity strengthening focused on the minimization of risk of contamination was necessary due to lack of cold chains, especially in the case of meats. This, in turn will require dedicated efforts to design and deliver context appropriate tools aimed to improve food storing, handling and cooking practices. The expectation is to utilize the materials designed as basis that can be adapted more broadly across the region and beyond. Simultaneously, the design of these tools in a regional context is to be coordinated and aligned with the main corporate manual for food safety for school feeding.

[1] These may include staff of Ministry of education and health at the local levels, suppliers, teachers, school meals committee members, school workers, etc. as relevant.

[2] This refers to Sodexo’s area of work Quality, Hygiene, Safety and Environment (QHSE). The focus will be on quality and safety in the selection, storage, handling, and preparation and distribution of food ingredients.

[3] WFP supports school feeding programmes in 69 countries through direct implementation support and through technical assistance to national governments. HGSF activities are supported in 46 countries (2016).

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive) & DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT

Through a Training of Trainers (ToT) model aimed at selected government officials and school staff, the expert is expected to:

1. Develop training materials that will include a field manual and evaluation materials.
2. Deliver the training of trainers to enable successful trickle down the knowledge from province/district to school level. This should be done in close coordination with Government counterparts that will take over the management of quality and hygiene aspects in the longer term.

General Scope of training tool

It is recommended to focus the tool on those who at school level are involved with ingredient receiving food preparation and serving as well as storage. The baseline analysis done in country (Q2 2017) showed the below gaps in capacity:

1. Hygienic food preparation and serving techniques
2. Waste management
3. Cleaning and sanitation of working surfaces and utensils
4. Personal hygienic practices
5. Good storage practices for perishables and non-perishables including pest management.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Education:

• Specialized education, namely postgraduate degree (Master’s degree or higher) in food science, food safety or related field.

Experience:

• At least 6 years of experience including hands-on relevant expertise in the field of capacity strengthening and food safety and quality assurance.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Experienced and/or knowledgeable of the application of food safety and quality assurance systems in SMEs and small farmers’ in humanitarian or development contexts.

• Experienced with evidence based approach to food science and technology problem solving, including relevant research, peer- reviewed publications, etc.

• Ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary diverse team

• Strong analytical skills, strong interpersonal and organizational skills, with an ability to effectively manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

  Desirable qualifications: Technical background and experience focused on school feeding

Languages:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English preferably through a proven record of publications. Working level of French is desirable.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

17 January 2018 (Midnight - Bangkok time)

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

To apply, click on the following link;

• Internal WFP candidates : https://performancemanager5.successfactors.eu/sf/jobreq?jobId=73901&company=C0000168410P&username=

• External candidates: https://career5.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=73901&company=C0000168410P&username=

Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.