Food System Officer

Volunteering Medical & Health

Overview

Contribute to strengthening nutrition-sensitive interventions in Lao PDR.

You have:

• Mandatory required technical knowledge: Nutrition/ public health
• Desired technical knowledge: food systems, food environments
• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills
• Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing
• Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural team
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision
• Ability to work with tight deadlines

Contract

This is a UNV International Youth contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Youth contracts.

UNICEF, operational in Lao PDR for over 50 years, promotes the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. This position will contribute to the outcome of the Nutrition Programme under the Country Programme of Cooperation between the Government of Lao PDR and UNICEF 2022-2026: “By 2026, more infants, children, adolescents and women have equitable access to and benefit from highimpact multisectoral nutrition interventions”, more specifically to the second output under the nutrition outcome - output 2:Government authorities at national and subnational levels and their partners have strengthened capacity to deliver convergent quality and equitable high impact nutrition interventions and services.

The post holder is expected to contribute to the nutrition team’s support to the Ministry of Education on school nutrition, to the Ministry of Health on food regulations and to the Ministries of Agriculture and Health on food systems in order to strengthen nutrition sensitive interventions in Lao PDR.

I. Support to programme development and planning ▪ Participate in strategic program discussion on the planning of projects/activities related to nutrition sensitive interventions namely in education and food systems. ▪ Provide technical and operational support during all phases of the programming planning processes, including workplanning and planning events, ensuring that activities are integrated, coherent, and harmonized with other section activities.

II. Technical and operational support to programme implementation ▪ With the guidance from the Chief and Nutrition specialists, provide technical support to MOES, including for the effective functioning of the Education Nutrition Committee meeting, and for the implementation of the minimum package of nutrition interventions in secondary schools. ▪ With the guidance from the Chief and Nutrition specialists, provide technical support to MOH for the development of food based regulation and the Lao PDR Nutrient Profile Model. ▪ Collaborate with relevant actors from Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), Ministry of (MOH), and development partners, to define and implement activities related to food systems. ▪ Provide technical support for the implementation of the UNJP, ADAP-led projects on youth engagement for healthier diets (SDG funds and H4LF) as well as on initiatives related to Fix my Food. ▪ Contribute to the development of key policies and strategies including the National Nutrition Strategy and Plan of Action, on issues related to food systems, school nutriton and food environment regulations. ▪ Support the development of technical guidance and communication & information materials pertaining to food systems. ▪ Support to draft policy papers, briefs and other strategic programme materials for management use, information and/or consideration.

III. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results ▪ Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises (including Programatic Visits), program reviews and annual reviews with government and other counterparts to assess progress and to determine required action/interventions to achieve results. ▪ Prepare reports and contribute to identifying gaps, strengths/weaknesses in program and management, identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management

• Mandatory required technical knowledge: Nutrition/ public health • Desired technical knowledge: food systems, food environments • Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills; • Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing; • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; • Ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, among others), email, and internet; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; • Ability to work with tight deadlines; • Have affinity with or interest in children’s rights, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system.

Lao PDR is a family duty station and is relatively safe but special cautions must be aware when walking alone at nighttime. There is a wide range options for accommodation, including apartments and individual houses. Rents vary from approximately USD500 per month for a one-bedroom apartment to USD1,500 per month for larger properties. There are many options of transportation at affordable costs including taxis, bicycles, motorbike or car, however road traffic accidents are common. Medical facilities are available in Laos and complex medical procedures are usually done in Thailand. The banking system is well developed and functional, most payments in Vientiane are done electronically. International Schools are available in the duty station and are following International Curriculum that are globally recognized.

You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator. The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.”

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity’s policy

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Potential interview questions

Added 9 months ago - Updated 9 months ago - Source: unv.org