Senior Programme Associate SC7 (School Feeding Center Coordinator) Re-Advertised

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The World Food Programme (WFP) has implemented the School Feeding Programme (SFP) in Tajikistan since 1999. The SFP covers 52 districts and reaches over 430,000 beneficiaries, targeting primary school students at approximately 2,000 schools, accounting for more than half of the schools across the country. The SFP has been implemented with financial support from the Russian Federation, implemented through two Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), one with the Ministry of Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM) and the other with the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation (MINFIN). Funds from EMERCOM are used to procure and deliver food commodities, whereas funds from the MINFIN are spent on capacity development and augmentation (CD&A) activities. Many CD&A activities are implemented in partnership with the Social and Industrial Foodservice Institute (SIFI).

JOB PURPOSE

The Government of Tajikistan’s Strategy for Sustainable Development of School Meals in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2017-2027” sets forth an action plan to which the WFP CD&A support is aligned through activity 4 of its Country Strategic Programme (2019-2024). As such, WFP is supporting the Government of Tajikistan to transition/handover the school feeding programme through initiation of different capacity strengthening activities. Among the initiatives is to create school feeding center within the Ministry of education and science. The SFC, in adherence with the Strategy for Sustainable Development of School Meals in the Republic of Tajikistan for the period until 2027, will ensure the coordination between WFP and the Ministry during to the transition of the school feeding programme from WFP to a nationally owned one.

The School Feeding Center Coordinator will support the implementation of school feeding program in Tajikistan and will be an integral part of the team to ensure proper transition and handover to a nationally owned school feeding programme. He/she will play a key role in building strong coordination amongthe key stakeholders and will provide project management, implementation, and administrative support to the CD&A portfolio of the School Feeding Programme.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Department of Economy and Planning of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan and through collaboration with WFP Tajikistan under the general guidance of the SF Programme Coordinator, the incumbent will:

• Provide specialized expertise and contribute towards the development of project activities, plans and processes within the specific technical area of work, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidelines, including (but not limited) to provision of support for:
  • Costing and budgeting of the National SF Programme;
  • Establishment and operationalization of intersectoral coordination councils at the subnational levels;
  • Integration of SF into District Development Programmes;
  • Review of SF pilot activities;
• Facilitate the promotion of schools as a platform for healthy nutrition sensitization and social and behaviour change activities for the students, school personnel and wider community;
• Facilitate and advocate for the recommendations of the Systems Approach for Better Education Results – School Feeding (SABER-SF), report;
• Coordinate and liaise with SFC staff, Ministry, and WFP counterparts on a range of complex matters to enable effective collaboration, implementation and monitoring of ongoing SFC activities, escalating matters for resolution as relevant;
• Participate in relevant coordination platforms at the national and subnational levels, such as Development Coordination Council (DCC) on Education, Social Protection, local education groups and other working groups;
• Support in arranging national intersectoral coordination meetings in close partnership with the Intersectoral Coordination Council on SF under the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Population.
• Arrange various public events to promote and advocate SF, healthy diets and nutrition-sensitive interventions at schools;
• Support the Ministry of Education and Science, WFP and other relevant stakeholders in upgrading/developing the monitoring and information collection on the School Feeding via the EMIS system.
• Facilitate the meetings of WFP and donor agencies related to the SF with the management of the Ministry of education and Science.
• Establish, maintain and promote effective working relationships with relevant project counterparts and stakeholders.
• Coordinate individual and joint field missions for SFC staff;
• Provide regular updates and reports to the Head of the Department of Economics and Planning of the Ministry regarding the progress of SFC tasks;
• Supervise the junior SFC staff in daily activities to ensure results are achieved;
• Coach and mentor junior SFC staff for their professional development, including through on-job trainings for enhancement of technical and functional capacities.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in the related functional area.
First university degree in International Affairs, Education, Social Sciences, Humanitarian Assistance, Governance or other field relevant to international development assistance with additional years of related work experience is desirable.

LANGUAGE

Fluency in Tajik and English. Working level of Russian language is mandatory.

EXPERIENCE

At least 7 years of experience in programme, of which at least 2 years in the areas of coordination and communication activities, social sector, education, health or inter-agency partnership. Working in education sector and international organizations is an advantage.
Knowledge of government policies and protocols is important. Strong communication skills with government counterparts and development partners is required.

Proficiency in Windows MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Type of Contract: Service Contract (SC)

Duration of Contract: 12 months (with possible extension)

Duty Station: Dushanbe, Tajikistan

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

1 May 2022

Female applicants and individuals with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply

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.