Programme Policy Officer - School Feeding

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• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.

• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.

• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.

• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer - School Feeding

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Service Contract (SC8)

UNIT/DIVISION: Programme, School Feeding & Social Protection

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Kigali, Rwanda

DURATION: 12 months

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ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the United Nations frontline agency fighting hunger. WFP reaches more than 150 million people per year - delivering humanitarian food assistance and working with smallholder farmers, communities, and governments to improve nutrition and build resilience to crises. As conflict, climate change and economic shocks drive up the number of hungry people in Eastern Africa, finding innovative solutions to the complex humanitarian and development challenges in the region is essential, now perhaps more than ever.

In Rwanda, WFP supports the Government with its ambitious goals to ensure food security and nutrition and equitable access to sustainable livelihoods for all. In this effort, WFP Rwanda works closely with diverse stakeholders to provide general food and nutrition assistance to over 135,000 refugees, asylum seekers and returnees; to strengthen national disaster risk management, social protection, school meals and nutrition programmes; to transform food systems; and to support emergency preparedness and response.

JOB PURPOSE:

To provide support to the Rwanda Country Office’s school feeding activities. The selected candidate will be responsible for carrying out the following tasks and responsibilities specific to school feeding operations.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

1. Provide operational coordination and project management support to school feeding activities, ensuring a coordinated approach with wider programmes that complies with WFP standards and procedures.

2. Lead the development of standard operating procedures for school feeding operations, as needed.

3. Contribute towards the development of a limited number of projects, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance relevant to school feeding.

4. Follow data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained. Analyze and utilize the data to support data-based programmatic adjustments and adaptations.

5. Support the development of monitoring tools with the M&E unit and in the facilitation of key programme surveys/data collection activities. Research and analyze policy and operational issues to support senior colleagues in the development of in-country school feeding policies, programmes and activities.

6. Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on school feeding programmes and activities that enable informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.

7. Liaise with internal counterparts (Budget and Programming, Supply Chain, M&E) to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects, leading monthly commodity management meetings with FOs and supply chain team, oversee dispatches to schools, support on annual call forward with commodity calculations.

8. Manage key aspects of external implementing partnerships- coordinating agreements, reporting and payments- to ensure strong partnerships.

9. Contribute to support school feeding studies and assessments, surveys and research activities

10. Contribute to the development, management and sharing of knowledge products pertinent to school feeding.

11. Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to identify and address in-country school feeding needs, e.g. by providing inputs into specific school feeding guidance materials and/or learning initiatives.

12. Provide guidance to support staff, acting as a point of referral and assisting them with analysis and queries.

13. Other as required.

FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES:

Programme Lifecycle & Food Assistance

Demonstrates ability to identify key variables and contextual factors that affect food assistance problems and programmes throughout the lifecycle to inform quality programme design or re-design.

Transfer Modalities (Food, Cash, Voucher)

Demonstrates ability to analyze and consolidate quantitative and qualitative information from different sources (e.g., market studies) to inform transfer modality selection and programme development.

Broad Knowledge of Specialized areas (i.e. Nutrition, VAM, etc.)

Demonstrates the ability to interpret basic data in the context of WFP specialized fields to contribute to technical programme design, implementation and monitoring.

Strategic Policy Engagement with Government

Develops thorough recommendations using multiple inputs (e.g., government counsel, research, own experience) to strengthen national or subnational entities and government owned food and nutrition security programmes.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE:

1. Has implemented technical programmes and provided input into designing operations.

2. Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions, preferably in relation to school feeding and/or revolving around food security and/or nutrition.

3. Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality written outputs and ability to present to a diverse range of stakeholders in English

4. Ability to develop and maintain relationships with a variety of stakeholders, conveying an informed and professional demeanor toward internal and external partners and stakeholders

5. Appetite for exploring and experimenting with new ideas and approaches.

6. Ability to work independently in a timely and organised manner.

7. Ability to work as part of a team, participating in open dialogues and valuing diverse opinions of others, regardless of gender, culture, background, or experience.

8. Experience with managing project budgets, finances, and procurement processes.

9. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

10. Knowledge of current thinking and developments in country capacity strengthening and effective knowledge transfer models, concepts and principles

STANDARD MINIMUM ACADEMIC 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:

2 or more years of relevant postgraduate professional experience in one or more of the following areas: Programme Operations; Partnership Management; Monitoring and reporting; National development programmes, policies, strategies or plans and institutional structures, preferably in relation to school feeding and/or revolving around food security and/or nutrition

Language:

Fluency (Level C) in both oral and written communication in English and Kinyarwanda.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

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Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact:  global.inclusion@wfp.org

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REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).

• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language

• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter

• Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time

• Please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application

• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

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.