Career Opportunities: Programme Policy Officer – School Feeding Project Manager, CST, Level 2, Kigali (167932)
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:
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. WFP Rwanda works in partnership with the Government and other stakeholders through the direct implementation of integrated programmes targeting the most vulnerable people and will progressively shift towards building national capacity to formulate, manage and implement programmes for achieving zero hunger. In implementing its activities, WFP will bridge the humanitarian–development nexus and leverage its extensive experience and the contributions it has made in Rwanda over many decades in order to achieve four strategic outcomes outlined in the WFP Country Strategic Plan (CSP). Strategic Outcome 2 focuses on ensuring that vulnerable populations in food-insecure communities and areas have improved access to adequate and nutritious food all year. This Outcome encompasses capacity strengthening and direct programme implementation in the areas of school feeding, social protection, disaster risk management, food security and vulnerability analysis, and climate-resilient livelihoods programming.
Under Strategic Outcome 2, WFP acts as a key technical partner of the Government of Rwanda in developing and expanding the National School Feeding Programme launched in 2021 and directly provides school feeding in food insecure areas of Rwanda. WFP’s home-grown school feeding programme covers schools in 7 districts from pre-primary to primary level and seeks to provide centres of excellence in school feeding in all districts and demonstrate and test innovations. WFP works with a large number of strategic government and development partners to mobilise and advocate for cross-sectoral investments in support of the national school feeding programme. WFP also invests in an ambitious learning agenda to inform policy and advocacy for school feeding, which feeds into WFP’s global school feeding learning agenda. Rwanda is a focus of global and regional learning around national ownership and investment in school feeding.
This position of the School Feeding Project Manager is based in our Country Office in Kigali, Rwanda and ensures the effective and efficient design and implementation of school feeding activities – WFP-implemented school feeding and technical assistance to Government.
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the supervision of the Strategic Outcome 2 Manager, the School Feeding Project Manager will be responsible for overseeing outputs 2.5 and 2.6 of the Outcome 2 of the Rwanda CSP, with the following key responsibilities:
- Manage the development and implementation of school feeding plans and activities, providing technical oversight and guidance to the team and colleagues, providing inputs into programmatic strategy and identifying opportunities for new funding, programme quality improvement and innovation.
- Manage the design and roll-out of new programme models and innovations (e.g. nutrition-sensitive models, local procurement), in line with corporate guidance.
- Manage partnerships with government and non-governmental partners; and ensure their effective day-to-day management in line with corporate guidelines. Ensure adequate information sharing with and reporting and accountability by the cooperating partners.
- Oversee the development of capacity strengthening and technical assistance activities at central and district level to support the National School Feeding Programme.
- Support partnerships with donors. Develop concept notes and proposals for school feeding implementation and technical assistance, drawing on the latest strategy and analysis. Provide timely reports to the various school feeding donors and management.
- Supervise, develop and motivate a team of supervisees (school feeding team of 4 staff and short-term consultants). Provide technical guidance for seconded/embedded staff at various Ministries supported by the programme.
- Plan, monitor, and prioritise school feeding resources (both cash and in-kind) to maximise effectiveness. Coordinate commodity management for school feeding in consultation with supply chain and budget and programming teams.
- Actively engage in and provide strategic inputs into school feeding policy and strategic engagement with government and strategic partners and represent WFP in key forums, sharing project experiences with Government of Rwanda, development partners and donors.
- Coordinate engagement in strategic communications and knowledge management with a focus on sharing Rwanda school feeding experiences with regional and global audiences.
- Help shape WFP’s school feeding learning agenda. Design and coordinate research and evaluation assignments and strengthen research partnerships.
- Oversee the enhancement of monitoring, evaluation and accountability systems for school feeding with the M&E unit, ensuring relevant and credible data and evidence is generated and utilized to inform the activities.
- Support SO2 management as required.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
Education: Advanced University degree in Development, Education, Public Policy, Nutrition, Agriculture, Social Sciences, or other relevant field.
Experience:
- At least six years of relevant professional experience in development or humanitarian fields;
- Experience in project or programme management or coordination
- Experience working in a developing country context
Languages: Fluency in oral and written English
Knowledge & Skills:
- Knowledge of food and nutrition security-related concepts and programmes; Specific experience in or knowledge of school feeding or school health and nutrition is an added advantage
- Understanding of capacity strengthening and technical assistance
- Strategic thinking and analytical skills
- Skills or experience in designing and implementing analytical, research and evaluation assignments
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to deal patiently and tactfully with people of different national and cultural backgrounds and to manage a team of staff
- Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer – School Feeding Project Manager
TYPE OF CONTRACT: Consultant (Level 2)
UNIT/DIVISION: Programme Unit
DUTY STATION (City, Country): Kigali, Rwanda
DURATION: 11 months, renewable
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
The deadline for submitting applications is on 11 July 2022 23:59CAT
