Programme Policy Officer (School Feeding) NOA

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.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Jobholders operate with a high degree of independence and manage staff to ensure that objectives of capacity support are fully achieved. This would require alignment of actions complementary to Government policies and priorities, involve analytical work, working with various partners. At this level, job holders is expected to contribute to performance improvement. The position requires working closely with various Government agencies and officials.

JOB PURPOSE

Support and guide, with guidance from the Activity 4 Manager (Programme Officer responsible in managing school feeding) and the Outcome SO-1 Manager (Head, Social Safety  Net Policies and Programmes), and works closely with WFP’s SF capacity support team, negotiate with the relevant Government agencies on the wider institutional arrangements for the national school feeding programme, including School Feeding pilots, and contribute towards preparing a national school feeding policy and its implementation.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

1. Lead, alongside the Activity 4 manager, the development of a wide variety of tools and methodologies related to School Feeding, define plans and processes in line with the wider Government plans, rules and regulations  to support implementation of the school feeding programme efficiently;
2. Plan and coordinate capacity support to address the needs at all three dimensions – people, organization and institution/systems, required to support gradual expansion of the school feeding programme by the Government.
3. Advise the relevant Government officials in undertaking regular review  of the school feeding programme achievements and in ensuring necessary follow-up;
4. Assist relevant Government agencies in coordinating the implementation of new initiatives to improve nutritional value and diversity in taste;  
5. Support the coordination of assessments and the collection of evidence to advocate for multi-sectoral involvement and contribution to school feeding, required to ensure that the children have access to health, sanitation, safe drinking water and other services; 
6. Liaise with various partners (UNICEF, FAO, Global Alliance for Improved Nutation, Campaign for Popular Education and others) to support the finalisation of the national school feeding policy, and subsequently in preparing the implementation/operational strategy;
7. Advise relevant Government agencies and officials to set up a system that enables the relevant agency in accurate and timely reporting on programmes achievements;
8. Support coordination in the implementation of McGovern Dole funded school feeding activities and liaise with the partners , as necessary nad work closely with the international consultant and other Activity Mangers/relevant WFP Sub Offices;
9. Support the capacity building of partners at national and sub-national levels;
10. Guide and supervise junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with analyses and queries; and
11. Conduct other tasks as required.

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Understands WFP’s Strategic Objectives and the link to own work objectives.
• Be a force for positive change: Flexibly adapts individual contributions to accommodate changes in direction from supervisors and internal/external changes (such as evolving needs of beneficiaries, new requirements of partners).
•  Make the mission inspiring to our team: Recognizes and shares with team members the ways in which individual contributions relate to WFP’s mission.
•  Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Sets own goals in alignment with WFP’s overall operations, and is able to communicate this link to others.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people's skills: Assesses own strengths and weaknesses to increase self-awareness, and includes these in conversations on own developmental needs.
•  Create an inclusive culture: Participates in open dialogue, and values the diverse opinion of others, regardless of background, culture, experience, or country assignment.
•  Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Proactively seeks feedback and coaching to build confidence, and develop and improve individual skills.
•  Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Participates in accomplishing team activities and goals in the face of challenging circumstances.

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Shows willingness to explore and experiment with new ideas and approaches in own work.
•  Focus on getting results: Consistently delivers results within individual scope of work on time, on budget and without errors.
•  Make commitments and make good on commitments: Commits to upholding individual accountabilities and responsibilities in the face of ever-changing country or functional priorities.
•  Be Decisive: Makes rational decisions about individual activities when faced with uncertain circumstances, including in times of ambiguity regarding information or manager direction.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units: Seeks to understand and adapt to internal or cross-unit teams’ priorities and preferred working styles.
•  Build strong external partnerships: Demonstrates ability to understand and appropriately respond to and/or escalate needs of external partners.
•  Be politically agile & adaptable: Portrays an informed and professional demeanor toward internal and external partners and stakeholders.
•  Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Provides operational support on analyses and assessments that quantifies and demonstrates WFP’s unique value as a partner.

FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

1. Provide technical assistance to the Government school feeding programme of considerable size and with various complexities.
2. Liaise with the various agencies involved in the School Feeding Programme and development partners;
3. Provide guidance to the relevant agencies in undertaking consultations and reviews to complement the school feeding policy formulation efforts.
4. Liaise with academia, research agencies and civil society organisations and support the evolution of the existing school feeding from a “Project” to a sustainable “Programme” embedded in the Government plan and funded from Government’s regular revenue budget.
5. Contribute in creating evidence to advocate for the above shift from a “Project” to a “Programme”.

DELIVERABLES /OUTPUTS EXPECTED

• Negotiated Government commitment of resources for handover and scaling up of school feeding programme;
• National School Feeding Policy established by the Government;
• Studies/assessments conducted to support Government in designing suitable School Feeding modalities and in defining the transition from a School Project to Programme; and
• Support coordination of the Strategy on universalization of School Feeding.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced University degree in International Affairs, Economics, Nutrition/Health, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.experience and/or trainings/courses.

Experience: At least 5 years of experience out of which at least 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience in Social Protection, School Feeding, Food Security,  and related fields possibly with a UN organization or international development organization.

Language: Excellent written and oral/communications skills in both English and Bangla

Knowledge & Skills: 

• Ability to think and plan strategically;
• Capability to communicate programme objectives clearly;
• Understanding of the national policies and priorities on mainstreaming school feeding; Ability to work and lead WFP at higher level;
• Interpersonal skills; independent ability to negotiate.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Contract Type: Fixed-term
Contract Duration: 1 year, renewable
Duty Station: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Nationality: Bangladeshi only
Salary: UN scale

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Only candidates meeting the above requirements are requested to submit an online application by 5 March 2018.

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Female applicants 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.