Head of School Feeding Programme

Contract

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

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. On average, WFP reaches more than 80 million people with food assistance in 82 countries each year. In Sierra Leone, WFP is implementing School feeding on behalf of the Government to over 200,000 children every day, we work with food insecure communities in livelihood support and resilience building as well as Nutrition prevention.

School feeding programmes are used in many countries to promote education, health and agriculture. They also serve as an incentive for parents to send and keep their children in school while simultaneously improving children’s ability to focus on learning instead of their hunger. School feeding is therefore the largest social protection/safety net in the world.

In a context of widespread poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition, school feeding has been an important safety net in Sierra Leone since independence, ensuring that many children can participate in primary education, and receive a daily minimum healthy diet.

At the core of new National School Feeding Policy (endorsed by parliament in May 2021) is the wish to pursue a home-grown model. This is expressed in the policy ‘s vision of a sustainable school feeding programme that ensures nutritious and healthy meals to primary schoolchildren in Sierra Leone, using to the largest extent possible food produced and processed by local, smallholder producers, and implemented entirely by national actors and agents. To align to the new policy, collaboration between WFP’s School Feeding and the Asset Creation and Livelihood teams is actualising the vision of Home-Grown School Feeding.

The school feeding programme is a national flagship initiative under the leadership of the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and the National School Feeding Secretariat. WFP is one of four main implementing partners of the National School Feeding Programme covering 5 districts during the 2022/23 academic year. WFP’s school feeding programme reaches over 1,000 primary schools and provides a daily hot meal for over 200,000 children.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Programme, the incumbent will ensure effective and quality implementation of WFP and the Government’s school feeding programme, specifically through the following duties:

• Lead, plan, monitor and coordinate the implementation of school feeding in close collaboration with other WFP units including programme (Asset Creation and Livelihood and nutrition teams), Research, Assessment and Monitoring, budgeting and programming, logistics, and procurement. • Sustain and strengthen close and effective partnerships with MBSSE and the National School Feeding Secretariat at national, regional and district-levels through regular and results-oriented engagements. • Effectively and inclusively manage the school feeding team, and efficiently delegate tasks and responsibilities to staff that play to their strengths and optimize project implementation.
• Work in close partnership with the Heads of Sub Office and school feeding sub office staff to ensure effective oversight of school feeding at the field-level and collaborative working with government counterparts and development partners. • Ensure close and structured coordination and collaboration with other school feeding partners to promote a culture of learning and cooperation. • Closely monitor school feeding budgets, expenditures and food pipeline, ensuring the best use of resources to achieve objectives within a moderate budget. • In close collaboration with the Asset Creation and Livelihood and nutrition teams, lead the design and implementation of WFP’s Home-Grown School Feeding Programme in Sierra Leone, and ensure objectives are met, food safety and quality standards are adhered to, linkages with small holder farmers are maximized, gender and environmental considerations are adhered to; • Advise and support the development of functional training in areas of expertise to enhance the capacity of WFP staff and partners to effectively design and deliver the school feeding programme • Keep up to date on corporate and regional campaigns and alliances and proactively advocate for these in Sierra Leone including developing guidance and implementation modalities and operations, to ensure a clear and strong connection with the mandate. • Establish and maintain operational partnerships with school feeding and other development partners to achieve a collaborative implementation approach and build inter-linkages with other complementary initiatives to maximise the impact of school feeding. • Systematically produce quality documentation to track the implementation of the school feeding programme so WFP’s experience contributes to building sectoral knowledge and best practices. • In collaboration with the Research, Assessment and Monitoring unit, ensure robust implementation of the monitoring framework and that indicators tracked are aligned with national priorities. • Lead the preparation timely and quality analytical reports, publications, and information products, and work closely with the Communications and Partnerships team for effective dissemination. • Lead the development of funding proposals to secure sustainable resourcing of the school feeding programme. • Ensure food quality control and compliance with nutrition, food safety and quality standards including national and international standards to minimize risks to health, and injury, • Develop training material for schools’ staff and volunteer cooks to fully implement school feeding guidelines storing food and preparing the meals. • Lead, motivate and develop a team of staff to enable high performance.

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

programme design and management preferably with some experience in School Feeding and cash-based activities or local procurement components.

Proven capacity to provide tailored technical support to on home grown school feeding programme design and implementation. Proven capacity to produce high quality guidance, training material and written reports. Capacity to represent the Country Office in meetings and strategic engagements with partners. Ability to think creatively and strategically, ability to work autonomously Capacity to work in a multi-cultural environment, excellent writing skills, project management. Strong networking skills

Freetown is the capital city of Sierra Leone, situated on the Atlantic coast of West Africa. The country is slowly recovering from the devastating shocks of the Ebola Virus Disease and recent natural disaster of flooding and landslide. Sierra Leone is generally safe, the security level is low and the society is very religiously tolerant. Freetown is a family duty station. However, political and social tensions are expected to rise through 2017 to 2018 when presidential elections will be held. Current high inflation, rising food, water and fuel prices and falling exchange rates continue to make life very difficult for local Sierra Leoneans. The cost of living for expatriates is generally fair, and there are good supermarkets, restaurants and hotels available. There are good communication services, including mobile and internet services, available with a fair price. Local and regional banks deal in both local and foreign currencies. ATMs are available, and credit cards are accepted in some establishments. However, this is generally a cash economy. Freetown has a tropical climate, with very high rainfall in the rainy season, Sierra Leone boasts the finest beaches in West Africa, within easy reach of Freetown, with excellent seafood, surfing and sunshine.