Programme Policy Officer (School Feeding) CST II

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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

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.

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 Manager of Activity 5 under the new CSP. 

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:     Advanced University degree in Social Sciences, Economics, Political Sciences, International Law, International Development or other relevant field.
Experience:  At least 6 years of progressive postgraduate professional experience in programme/project development, capacity strengthening, representation in a humanitarian or development environment.
Language:    
•  Fluency (level C) in English. 
•  Fluency (level C) in Portuguese.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Within delegated authority and under direct supervision of the Deputy Head of Programme, the Programme Policy Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

Programme Strategic Engagement and Programme Cycle:
•  Lead strategic engagement of WFP Mozambique with the Ministry of Education and Human Development (MINEDH) and other line ministries contributing to PRONAE.
•  Lead programme cycle management (planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation) of the full portfolio of school meals programmes (covering PRONAE, WFP-led Home-Grown School Feeding and School Feeding in Emergency) in coordination with senior government counterparts  from MINEDH and other key stakeholders.
•  Lead policy setting, capacity strengthening, strategic and operational planning of the full portfolio of school meals programmes in coordination with senior government officials from MINEDH and other key stakeholders.
•  Monitor School Feeding outputs and services delivered to ensure they contribute to the Country Office’s planned Strategic Outcomes and are to the appropriate quality, on time and within budget. Proactively monitor overall progress and initiate corrective actions as appropriate to resolve issues.
Partnerships: 
•  Represent WFP at partnership fora with donor representatives and other stakeholders within the Education sector (Education Cluster, Education Partners Group, UNDAF Education Outcome Group, etc).
Staff Management: 
•  Facilitate the recruitment and development of technical staff to the Activity 5 team and manage their performance.
Budget and Fundraising:
•  Manage the Activity budget, monitoring expenditures against outputs as the programme progresses.
•  Engage in resource mobilization efforts for school meals (e.g. scanning for opportunities, preparing proposals, raising funds, etc.), with both development and humanitarian donors. 

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Experience with school feeding programmes in development and emergency settings.
• Experience with government capacity strengthening.
• Experience of leading or contributing to strategy development.
• Proven experience of working with governments, donors, and UN agencies.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Sound knowledge of project implementation, programme and resource management, humanitarian principles and tools, and transfer modalities.
• Ability to explain projects and operations to counterparts and to communicate . with Government and partners clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to translate understanding of programme principles and policies into relevant, effective, and context specific approaches.
• Good networking skills and capacity to build and maintain professional contacts
• In-depth understanding of WFP program, objectives and strategic priorities. 
• Solid organizational skills including attention to detail and multitasking skills.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Duty Station:  Maputo, Mozambique

Contract Duration:  11 Months

This is a Regular International Consultancy Level two position

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

3rd June 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.