Programme Associate

Programme Associate (Field Coordinator – School Meals Programme) SC 6

Location: Surkhet, Nepal,The Fed Dem.Republic
Jumla, Nepal,The Fed Dem.Republic

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

Are you interested in further developing your professional experience while contributing to ending global hunger? Are you passionate about helping those in need? Would you like to join a global organization investing in its people?

If so, an exciting & fulfilling career awaits you!!! Join our diverse and passionate team that works on varied and international projects directly contributing to saving & changing millions of lives around the globe.

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), a highly prestigious, reputable & world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP’s values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

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WHY JOIN WFP?

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

WFP encourages female candidates and people with disabilities to apply.

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

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.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

WFP has been supporting the Government of Nepal (GoN) in implementing the school meals programme through food transfers since 1974 aimed at improving the education and nutrition outcomes in Nepal. In 2008, the GoN have scaled up the programme into 5 districts using its own resources through a cash transfer approach. Currently, the school meals programme is among the largest social safety net programs in Nepal, reaching almost 3.3 million school children enrolled in lower basic education all over the country.

Despite a massive expansion of the programme, quality programme implementation is yet to be realized as envisioned in the Government’s School Education Sector Plan (SESP). For the cash-based school meals programme, national funds are channeled directly to municipalities, shifting responsibility to local authorities and the schools. In response to the government’s request for technical assistance to increase the effectiveness and sustainability of the national mid-day meals (MDM) programme, WFP Nepal has designed a project for capacity strengthening in managing the cash-based school meals in Karnali province in adopting the home-grown school meals approach.

The Programme will be implemented in all Municipalities of Jajarkot and Surkhet Districts of Karnali Province. Under this project, WFP will continue to support the Government in implementing a national MDM programme with a home-grown school feeding (HGSF) approach. Therefore, with the intent of strengthening the Local Governments’ capacity to implement MDM, WFP is seeking to hire committed, innovative, and dynamic Programme Associate (Field Coordinators) to join WFP Nepal and working under the direct supervision and guidance of the Programme Policy Officer (SMP Coordinator), Surkhet.

The Programme Associate (Field Coordinator) will be responsible to provide overall technical assistance to respective Palikas of Karnali Province to strengthen and improve the quality of the MDM programme and in adopting the HGSF approach.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Position Title: Programme Associate (Field Coordinator – School Meals Programme)

Contract Type: Service Contract (SC)

Level: SC-6 (Equivalent to GS-6)

Contract Duration: 2 posts: Jumla – 12 months (possible extension)

5 posts: 2 posts Surkhet, 3 posts Jajarkot until 31 July 2025

Admin Duty Station: Surkhet Field Office (Karnali/multiple duty station)

Number of positions: 7

Date of Publication: 29 July 2024

Deadline of Application: 08 August 2024

It is a mandatory to indicate your preferred duty station/s in your cover letter with individual “Job Requisition” number.

Please note the following Job Requisition;

2 posts Jumla: Job Requisition number (22406403 & 22406404)

3 posts Jajarkot: Job Requisition number (22406405, 22406406 & 22406407)

2 posts Surkhet: Job Requisition number (22406408 & 22406409)

WFP offers a competitive benefits package including salary plus a medical insurance (www.cignahealthbenefits.com)

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
1.Timely and quality support and assistance in the implementation of activities established based on a workplan, including but not limited to trainings and other capacity strengthening activities for government, school members and community members.

2.Provide technical assistance in menu planning and behaviour change and communication activities and supporting the monitoring and accountability system for the school meals programme in respective Palikas.

3.Represent WFP in different forums related to school health and nutrition at the district and Local government levels within a specific technical area of responsibility.

4.Provide technical and programmatic guidance and capacity strengthening support to Local governments technical staff in consultation with SMP Coordinator as needed.

5.Holding regular coordination meetings with local government, and school staff and committees, farmers’ cooperatives, and other stakeholders, and informing the results and progresses, according to workplan developed.

6.Support in operationalizing the supply chain cycle for supplying school meals and supporting the contractual agreement between schools and cooperatives or farmers as food suppliers, closely working with LGs, in line with planned school menus and forward contracting agreements.

7.Within the specific technical area, organize coordination meetings with local government and other key stakeholders on regular basis.

8.Support to enhance the monitoring and accountability system for the school meals programme in Palikas.

9.Undertake and ensure regular process monitoring of field level activities through the support of local government staffs.

10.Track the report from process monitoring and discuss on regular basis with local governments for the improvement of implementation at the field level.

11.Support in identifying potential collaboration and partnerships opportunity for SMP and related programme activities at the municipal/ward/community level, reinforcing the capacity of government.

12.Facilitation and ensure that School meals program and its associated activities are well reflected in the Local level plans and policies and promoting multisectoral approach to school meals.

13.Support Local governments to develop and contextualize policies, programmes and procedures to address the local needs.

14.Perform other duties as required.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in the related functional area with focus on a relevant discipline: agriculture, nutrition, gender studies, development studies, information management, social sciences, law, human rights, international development, or related field.

Experience:

1.At least 6 years of relevant experience in implementing technical programs at field level (i.e. agriculture, nutrition, etc.).

2.Has observed or assisted with policy discussions.

3.Has worked with technical teams.

4.Has contributed to implementation of programmes and provided input into designing operations.

5.Has deep technical knowledge and experience in Food Security, Nutrition and Education programming.

Language:
Excellent communication skills in both written and spoken English and Nepali languages.

Knowledge and skills:
1.Ability to develop and maintain networks with variety of stakeholders.

2.Emerging facilitation skills to support workshops and group discussions.

3.Ability to convey an informed and professional demeanour towards partners and stakeholders.

4.Flexibility to adapt individual contributions to changing contexts and needs.

5.Ability to participate in open dialogue and value diverse opinions, regardless of background, culture, experience, or context.

6.Willingness to explore and experiment new ideas and approaches in own work.

7.Ability to work independently in a timely and organised manner.

8.Ability to work in a team and multi-task as needed.

9.Must be familiar with MS office package.

10.Competency in communication and reporting in English language.

11.Nepali Typing skill is an asset.

12.Driving skills with valid license for motorbike will be an added value.

Request for Disability related Reasonable Accommodations:

It is important to WFP to create an accessible and inclusive workplace for everyone.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.  If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection and hiring process, please direct your request and inquiries to nepal.hr@wfp.org. A member of the HR team responsible for reasonable accommodation will contact you to confidentially discuss your needs.

This email is intended solely for addressing disability related accessibility requirements and should not be used to send applications. Therefore, any applications or CVs sent to this email address will not be considered formal applications and WFP will not respond for any query regarding this subject.

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REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our recruitment process is inclusively crafted to welcome candidates of all backgrounds, celebrating diversity and ensuring a respectful environment for all. We aim for an accessible and fair recruitment journey. Should you need any reasonable accommodations or have accessibility concerns, please reach out to us confidentially at global.inclusion@wfp.org. Our DEI team is here to ensure your full participation in our recruitment process.

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REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).

Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language

Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter

Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time

Please contact us at wfprecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

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.

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