Programme Policy Officer (school Feeding) CST I, Maputo, Mozambique

Organizational Context

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, dedicated to saving lives and building a pathway to peace and prosperity through food assistance. WFP operates in diverse and challenging environments, working with communities recovering from conflict, disasters, and climate change impacts. The organization values diversity, inclusion, and the professional development of its staff, fostering a collaborative and high-performing work environment.

Job Purpose

The Programme Policy Officer (School Feeding) will provide strategic and technical support to WFP and the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) in Mozambique for the National School Feeding Programme (PRONAE). This role is crucial for consolidating and scaling up PRONAE, a home-grown initiative providing nutritious meals to primary students using locally procured food. The officer will coordinate external technical assistance, manage relationships with service providers, and offer strategic guidance to MEC. Key responsibilities include developing analytical products, organizing events, contributing to resource mobilization, and supporting the transition to a more efficient operational model. The position aims to enhance programme performance, strengthen government systems, and advance the national school feeding agenda, ultimately contributing to improved student nutrition and educational outcomes.

Responsibilities

The consultant will provide strategic and technical support to the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) in Mozambique for the National School Feeding Programme (PRONAE). This involves coordinating and overseeing external technical assistance services, ensuring high-quality outputs in areas like financing, communications, and monitoring. The role requires managing relationships with external service providers and offering guidance to the MEC on technical assistance activities, aligning them with PRONAE's objectives. The consultant will also develop analytical products, manage key events and workshops, and contribute to the strategic positioning of school feeding within the education sector. Additionally, responsibilities include supporting resource mobilization, donor engagement, and proposal development. The consultant will aid in transitioning to a more efficient operational model for school feeding, strengthening processes and governance. A key aspect is building the capacity of WFP national staff through coaching and on-the-job training, enabling them to manage program cycles effectively. The goal is to improve programme performance, strengthen systems, and advance the national school feeding agenda, ultimately benefiting more students and their communities.

Work Experience

Requires five years of post-graduate professional experience, specifically working with government and partners on school feeding programs. Essential knowledge includes food security, school feeding, and school health/nutrition. Experience with Mozambican national institutions and in diverse, multicultural team environments is necessary. Excellent reporting skills and fluency in English and Portuguese are also required.

Skills

Food security, School Feeding, Nutrition Education, Project Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Capacity Building, Resource Mobilization, Reporting, Coordination, Policy Development, Monitoring and Evaluation, Cross-cultural Communication, English, Portuguese

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