School Feeding Advocacy Specialist, Consultant

👉 JOB TITLE: School Feeding Advocacy Specialist

⭐ TYPE OF CONTRACT: CST Level II

⏩ UNIT/DIVISION: Programme Support Unit

📌 DUTY STATION (City, Country): Regional Bureau Western Africa (RBD) - Dakar, Senegal

📍 DURATION: 6 months

I. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. With over 60 years of experience in School Feeding, WFP has a trajectory of working with more than 100 countries to set up sustainable national school feeding programmes. Today, millions of children living in poor and vulnerable communities do not have regular access to the nutritious food they need to stay healthy and thrive. This affects their physical and mental development and can keep them from finishing school and building the strong future they deserve.

WFP advocates for the universal adoption of school feeding programmes as a safety net that helps increase children’s access to education and learning opportunities and strengthens their health and nutrition status. WFP focuses increasingly on helping countries to establish and maintain high-quality nationally owned programmes. In countries still requiring WFP’s operational support, it implements high-quality school feeding programmes with clear handover strategies.

WFP’s Regional Bureau for Western Africa (RBD) provides strategic guidance, technical support, and direction to WFP operations and activities in 19 countries. As part of the development of its Regional Bureau Implementation Plan, following the approval of the global School Health and Nutrition (SHN) strategy in 2021, the regional office has defined 3 priorities on which to focus its efforts in the next 5 years to advance the SHN agenda in the region.

• To support the achievement of universal school feeding at the primary school level by 2030
• To reinforce the quality of SHN programs
• To reinforce national capacities, build and strengthen the political commitment of governments and provide technical support to governments to develop national strategies and policies that will facilitate government handover

To strengthen government commitment towards SHN as a means to expand school feeding coverage, thereby contributing to better education coverage and stronger health and nutritional status, the regional bureau has developed a regional advocacy plan (2021-2023), which is in line with the global school feeding strategy and the global SHN advocacy plan.

II. ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the supervision of the Regional School Feeding Advisor, the consultant will be responsible for the following duties:

• Support the implementation of the regional advocacy plan for school feeding.
• In collaboration with the regional Communication Advocacy & Marketing (CAM) unit, provide support to the country offices in the development of context-specific national advocacy plans.
• Support the implementation of an engagement plan for the Regional School Feeding Champion.
• Work with country offices to support the development of national commitments as part of the global School Meals Coalition.
• Actively explore opportunities to position school health and nutrition during high-level regional events.
• Produce well-researched, clear, concise advocacy briefs on agreed agenda items, map out key targets, stakeholders, opportunities, messages, and way forward with specific recommendations.
• Foster collaboration with strategic external partners.

III. QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education: Advanced University degree in social sciences, communications, public relations, international relations, international development, and or any other related field, or First University degree with additional years of relevant work experience and/or training/courses.

Experience: Minimum of six (06) years of relevant professional work experience including at least two (02) years in high-level advocacy. Experience working in the West African region will be an asset. Knowledge of school feeding policy will be an asset

Knowledge & Skills: 1) Strong conceptual and research/analytical skills with the ability to quickly analyze data and information from different sources and produce coherent reports. 2) Excellent written and oral communication skills, with a strong demonstrated ability to convey complex ideas in a clear, direct, and lively style. 3) Strong background in policy analysis and research. 4) Ability to work independently, operate under pressure, manage multiple tasks, deliver time-sensitive, high-quality work, and meet team objectives. 5) Ability to communicate and write competently in French.

Languages: Fluency (level C) French. Intermediate knowledge (level B) English.

Deadline for application:** 8 **June 2022****

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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.