(Safe and Nutritious) Food Production & Processing National capacity building

Position Title: (Safe and Nutritious) Food Production & Processing National capacity building (International Consultant position) Duty Station: Dakar, Senegal Duration of assignment: 11 months with up to 75% of time dedicated to mission in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger

Background

In West and Central Africa, several factors threaten the food security and nutritional status of the population, but especially of women and children under five. These include household food insecurity, conflicts and armed violence, population displacement, high levels of childhood illnesses and water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, fragile health systems, poor access to clean water and sanitation, and chronic poverty.

In February 2017, WFP’s Executive Board approved a new Nutrition Policy (2017-2021) which focuses on supporting countries to achieve zero hunger through improved nutrition. Prevention and treatment of all forms of malnutrition form a part of this policy. In support of this shift in programming, WFP will position to play a bigger role in addressing micronutrient deficiencies around the world through its food assistance programmes. This includes making sure that nutrient rich rations are provided when WFP distributes food, and making sure that, to the fullest extent possible, the food WFP purchases internationally, regionally and locally is appropriately designed for the environment where it will be delivered and maximises the nutritional impact of interventions.

Further, WFP is also positioning towards the food system approach and therefore via other modalities such as CBT, WFP will encourage governments, assistance programmes, and markets to provide nutritional commodities, such as complementary foods and ultimately to encourage value chain approaches.

This consultancy will support one of the pillars of the Nutrition RBD strategy, which is improving access for our beneficiaries to a diversified diet by looking into improving local production of fortified nutritious food and, fortification of staple products. This position will also support the improvement of Food environment as well as strengthening the demand side for nutritious food. The main program to be supported will be the CRIALCES – project 1, which aims to reverse the negative trend with regards to economic and job opportunities as well as the nutrition status of women and children in targeted areas in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Building on existing initiatives, it will contribute to the sustainable development of food- and nutrition security in selected communities in order to reinforce their capacities to prevent and mitigate impact of disasters and crises. To reach these objectives, the CRIALCES – project will apply a food systems approach, reinforcing simultaneously the food production, preservation, processing and consumption of nutritious foods at local, decentralised and national levels.

MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

The consultant will provide overall technical and programmatic support to one of the pillars of the nutrition strategy at RBD, which is to improve access to diversified diet though strengthen local and regional production of Fortified blended food, SNF, in the West Africa region. The incumbent will provide overall programmatic and technical leadership in capacity strengthening for local production, fortification activities, with a primary focus on supporting the country offices in Mali, Burkina, Niger in the implementation of the CRIALCES project. The position will report to the Senior Regional Nutrition Advisor, Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa and work closely with the FSQA Regional and HQ team as well as country offices. S/he will also work closely with colleagues in nutrition, supply chain, and food quality and safety across the region.

DETAILED RESPONSIBILITIES:

The consultant will:

1) Provide Technical and programmatic support to WFP country offices on local production and fortification programmes • Provide technical support to local producers of fortified foods on the key areas of food technology and fortification, such as food processing, product formulation, good manufacturing practices, good hygiene practices, quality control to build local capacity in the processing and/or production of specialized nutritious foods. • Coordinate with local food technologists, nutritionists, program and FSQA colleagues and food industries to ensure quality and safe products are made accessible to the local population as well as included into WFP basket. • Support CO in different private sectors setting from women groups production to National large companies, but also to work along the value chain from small holder Farmer organizations to processors and consumers. • Support Country offices to build up links with other program streams cash-based transfer, school feeding programs, supply chain. 2) Ensure some level of program management for local and support COs on program management, budget allocation, timelines, donor reporting • Management of the design and implementation of local production and fortification project: identify potential industry partners, NGOs, technical partners to support Cos, Management, as well as local labs and the farmers’ organisations. • Management and follow up of relationships with national authorities: Ministry of Health (department of Nutrition), of Industries, of Agriculture, or any Ministry involved with local production / of fortified food. • Coordinate the project with the partners and ensure timely reporting of the information to partners • Report to the donors, ensure writing of the technical annual reports, • Management and follow up of the budget and writing of the financial annual reports with the finance unit of RBD, 3) Support Partnerships, Advocacy, private sector engagement and fundraising • Advocating to Donors to promote the local production of fortified food in West Africa and their use in Humanitarian programmes. • Build productive relationships and partnerships with counterparts in UN agencies, NGOs, governments and the private sector to enhance WFP capacity to respond effectively to levels of under nutrition. • Support the development of the regional strategy on local production for west Africa and the deployement of the SUN business Network platform • Support Country Offices of the West African region in the writing of proposals for new projects on local production of fortified foods and in including fortification in the CSPs. Liaise with the Brussels office and the RBD’s donor relation officers to include technical inputs in the proposals. • Any other task as required

Required Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities

• Education: Post-graduate Masters degree in food science, food technology, nutrition, or public health; • Work Experience: A minimum of 8 years of relevant work experience, preferable related to food technology national capacity building • Mobility: Willing to work in multi-cultural settings and travel to different field locations and including challenging operating environments. • Strong program management skills (ideally in humanitarian and development context)

Experience in: 1) national capacity development especially of government counterparts and private sector on aspects related to food fortification, local production, value chain approach, policies, legislation, national norms and national regulatory mechanisms; 2) appropriate use of fortified commodities in assistance programmes as well as supporting market based approaches.

• Collaborative spirit: able to liaise with a wide range of people at all levels and across different cultures and to act with credibility and diplomacy; • Communication: able to engage with various stakeholders from different sectors and backgrounds; • Strong drive, self-motivated and able to work with a high degree of autonomy; • Understanding of food processing or technology, packaging and distribution of fortified rice a plus; • Fluency in French and English is required (written and verbal) • Work experience in West Africa a plus.

Deadline for applications: March 26th, 2021

WFP has zero-tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.