Programme Policy Officer (School Feeding) NOB - Maputo, Mozambique

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WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

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

These jobs are found in Headquarters (HQ), Regional Bureaux (RBs) or Country Offices (COs) and job holders report to a more senior Programme Policy Officer.
In July 2022 WFP will start a new cycle of Country Strategic Plan (CSP) in Mozambique. This second-generation CSP consolidates WFP’s role as a technical advisor and positions WFP as an expert technical partner of choice in supporting national priorities and programmes in pursuit of the 2030 Agenda. 

JOB PURPOSE

Job holders operate with a high degree of independence, manage more junior staff to ensure that programme and policy objectives are achieved in full. They are usually involved in a wide variety of programme and policy activities and analytical work, some of which may be of a considerable complexity. At this level job holders are expected to contribute to performance improvement.
To provide support to policy and programme activities that effectively meet food assistance needs.

On school feeding, WFP will support the Government in the development and operation of nationally owned home-grown school feeding programmes (HGSF) for chronically vulnerable or shock-affected primary school children. WFP will continue to provide technical assistance aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Government to manage and implement the national school feeding programme (PRONAE) effectively and supporting an integrated package of gender-transformative and nutrition-sensitive interventions that contribute to the building of human capital and resilience to shocks while stimulating local economies through employment creation and links to local agriculture and local procurement.
WFP will also augment the national school feeding programme through direct management of home-grown school feeding programmes for shock-affected or chronically vulnerable populations and will support the construction of infrastructure for school meal preparation, including water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure and school gardens. In this context, WFP is looking for a Programme Policy Officer to act as Deputy Activity Manager for School Feeding under the new CSP. 

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced University/master’s degree in international Affairs, Economics, Nutrition/Health, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences, or other field relevant to international development assistance. Or University Degree with additional Five years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
Experience: Minimum of 3 years’ experience with school feeding, cash-based, livelihood or food security programmes.
                      Has deepened technical knowledge through exposure to technical teams.
                      Has taken leadership of implementing programmes.
                      Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.

Language: Fluency in both oral and written communication in Portuguese and English.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under direct supervision of the Activity Manager, the Programme Policy Officer will be responsible for the following duties:
1.Contribute towards the development of a wide variety of projects, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance;
2.Provide project management support to specific and defined programmes and projects of considerable size/complexity, ensuring a coordinated approach with wider programmes that complies with WFP standards and procedures;
3.Develop and coordinate data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained;
4.Research and analyse a range of policy and operational issues to inform the development of policies, programmes and activities;
5.Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on programmes and activities that enable informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders;
6.Liaise with internal and external counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects and highlight potential risks to project delivery;
7.Support the identification, development and management of potential partnerships to collaborative working leading to improved food assistance packages;
8.Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to prepare for and respond to food assistance needs, e.g. through providing inputs into training materials;
9.Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with analysis and queries;
10.Other as required.

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

1.Co-lead interactions with the Ministry of Education and Human Development (MINEDH) to strengthen the food system approach under the National School Feeding Programme (PRONAE) in policy, multisector coordination and operations;
2.Act as Deputy Activity Manager for School Feeding:
  a.Support with team planning and management;
  b.Act as Officer in Charge (OIC) as needed;
3.Lead on improving programme quality including through the integration with other WFP programmes and external partners;
4.Lead on improving the home-grown component of the school feeding programme:
  a.Engagement with WFP activities focusing on smallholder farmers (SHF);
  b.Foster development of capacities of SHF selling to schools for increased quantity and quality of supply;
  c.Develop school gardens in PRONAE and other interventions;
  d.Ensure school feeding is able to report on the contribution to SHF in collaboration with M&E;
5.In close collaboration with WFP’s nutrition team, lead on the advancement of the nutrition-sensitiveness of school feeding programmes, especially of PRONAE:
  a.Coordinate the development of the nutrition education component;
  b.Coordinate the development of an improved menu;
  c.Coordinate the Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) interventions focused on nutrition;
  d.Support the creation of a framework to report on the progress and impact of the nutrition sensitive interventions;
  e.Integrate school gardens pilots and scale-up into the nutrition education agenda;
6.Oversee implementation of gender-sensitive agenda across all interventions;
7.Support with partnerships and government relation:
  a.WFP/SF inputs in key documents;
  b.Prepare Letters to different ministries;
  c.Advise Activity Manager on policy aspects;
  d.Support resource mobilisation;
8.Oversee the implementation of PRONAE in Maputo City and Maputo Province, effectively acting as a Head of Field Office:
  a.Lead engagement with Provincial Departments of Education and engage with local authorities as needed;
  b.Supervise Field Monitor Assistants for Maputo Province and Maputo City;
  c.Ensure smooth programme implementation in both provinces through planning, oversight and capacity building.
 

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

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This position is applicable only to Mozambican Nationals.

Position Title: Programme Policy Officer (School Feeding) NOB

Contract Type:  Fixed Term NOB

Contract Duration:  12 months (with the possibility of extension)

Duty Station:  Maputo

Female and qualified applicants are highly encouraged to apply.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

11th May 2022

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All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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.