Position: Programme Policy Officer
Contract Type: Service Contract (SC)
Grade: SC-8 (Equivalent to NO-A)
Contract Duration: 3 years
Duty Station: Kathmandu
Nationality: Nepalese only
WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.
Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.
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.
Job holders are likely to be working under the close support and guidance of a more experienced professional staff member receiving guidance and regular feedback on work performed. They are typically involved in programme or policy activities or similar nature and analytical work of limited complexity.
JOB PURPOSE
To provide support to policy and programme activities that effectively meet food assistance needs.
Background
Since 1974, WFP has been using this approach to support the Government of Nepal with the provision of School Meals (SM) in food insecure districts of Far and Mid-West Nepal. School Meals Programme is recognized as a key School Health and Nutrition component of the School Sector Development Plan (SSDP), a policy framework for improving the overall education system, and a crucial strategy to increase access to school. The SMP is also included in the action plan to reach out of school children and is considered to be a critical intervention of the 2010 “National Framework for Child-Friendly Schools.”
Starting in 2015, WFP’s SMP expands on equity and access objectives to also integrate interventions that focus on improving the quality of education in schools. In addition to provision of school meals, complementary interventions are being implemented to work towards a more holistic approach, which include water, sanitation and hygiene activities (WASH), literacy programmes such as early grade reading (EGR), digital learning activities, and infrastructure development.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
Duties and Responsibilities:
WFP’s is seeking to hire a committed, innovative and experienced education specialist to join the School Meals Programme team. The special focus of the Programme Officer will be to manage the literacy component of WFP’s school meals programme portfolio under the McGovern Dole grant for school feeding. The overarching aim of this position will be to guide improved quality of literacy instructions in schools and to integrate nutrition sensitive learning at school level.
The incumbent will report to the Programme Policy Officer-School Meals Programme, under the overall guidance and supervision of the SO2 Manager and Head of Programme.
Manage McGovern-Dole Literacy Activities
• Provide guidance and supervision on all literacy activities implemented by cooperating partners, World Education and Open Learning Exchange;
• Keep track of activity progress, preparation and monitoring of FLA;
• Ensure that project meets the essential strategic objectives of the programme including improving quality of literacy instruction, improving teacher attendance, improving literacy instructional materials, increasing skills and knowledge of teacher and school administrators, and increasing community understanding of benefits of education.
Support Monitoring and Evaluation Activities
• Organize and undertake field visits to monitor and supervise project implementation;
• Provide inputs and assistance to programme and monitoring units staff in the field for achieving period monitoring targets in close coordinating with M&E units;
• Provide technical assistance for the literacy component in the baseline, midline and end line study of the McGovern Dole Programme;
• Coordinate with core team of internal and external stakeholders to conduct impact study addressing nutrition and learning correlation.
Partnership and Networking
• Represent WFP in the Early Grade Reading and ICT in Education working groups and in relevant meetings and technical working groups;
• Support coordination with the government/Ministry of Education Science and Technology, WFP Sub-Offices (SOs), UN/bilateral/I/NGOs agencies on implementation and strategic direction of WFP’s role in enhancing nutrition education at schools and in communities;
• Undertake negotiations with different actors in the districts for smooth and timely implementation of the literacy activities;
• Establish strategic and effective partnerships with NGOs, donors and government agencies to advocate for nutrition sensitive education and learning;
Strategic Development
• Coordinate with other stake holders on capacity development to advance nutrition sensitive education through school curricula;
• Facilitate engagement of Local Education Group other literacy stakeholders to enhance quality education at schools
• Review any existing documentation on nutrition sensitive literacy and nutrition education to determine WFP’s role and comparative advantage in advancing nutrition education;
• Review any case studies literacy strategy from other countries
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Advanced University degree in International Affairs, Education, Public Health, 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;
Language: National Professional: Fluency (level C) in English language and the duty station’s language, if different.
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.
OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS
• Ability to analyse and consolidate quantitative and qualitative information from different sources to inform programme strategies and development;
• Ability to interpret basic data in the context of WFP specialized fields to contribute to technical programme design, implementation and monitoring;
• Ability to develop 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.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Nepali;
• Strong analytical and interpersonal skills; and
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE
• Has five plus years of working experience and at least 3 year working in education;
• Experience in early grade reading and school curriculum development;
• Experience working in partnership with UN, NGOs, government and civil society;
Last date to apply: 19 March 2019.
