DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS13 May 2025-23:59-GMT+01:00 West Africa Standard Time (Brazzaville)
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JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer – Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF)
TYPE OF CONTRACT: CST II UNIT/DIVISION: School Feeding Unit / Programme Unit
DUTY STATION: Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
DURATION: 6 months (initial, with possibility of extension)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger. In the Republic of Congo (RoC), WFP supports the government in the implementation of a national school feeding programme, including regular school feeding, emergency school feeding, and home-grown school feeding (HGSF).
As part of its broader integrated resilience strategy under the Country Strategic Plan (CSP), WFP is scaling up the HGSF component to support school-age children with nutritious meals while strengthening local food systems, promoting education, and increasing the incomes of smallholder farmers and local producers. The Home-Grown School Feeding programme is a cornerstone of WFP’s transition efforts toward national ownership, sustainability, and socio-economic development in the Republic of Congo.
To support this ambition, WFP seeks a Programme Policy Officer with strong operational capacity and a deep understanding of HGSF design, implementation, and scale-up, to manage the day-to-day operations of this component and support the integration of HGSF into broader programme efforts.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Under the direct supervision of the Head of School Feeding and the overall guidance of the Deputy Country Director / Programme, the Programme Policy Officer (HGSF) will be responsible for the following:
Lead the planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of all Home-Grown School Feeding activities in line with WFP’s CSP and national school feeding strategies.
Coordinate the HGSF roll-out in the two newly targeted departments under the GPE-funded project and identify opportunities for expansion based on needs and resource availability.
Strengthen partnerships with key government entities (especially DAS), local authorities, smallholder farmers’ organizations, local processors, and school management committees to support sustainable local food value chains.
Develop tools and guidance to enhance the quality and nutritional value of meals sourced locally, while promoting safety, hygiene, and compliance with national standards.
Support the institutionalization of HGSF within national systems and frameworks through technical assistance, policy dialogue, and capacity strengthening activities.
Facilitate synergies between HGSF and other programmatic pillars such as nutrition, social protection, school health, resilience, and value chain development.
Act as the main liaison with HGSF partners including UNICEF, UNESCO, CRS, ALISEA, and local civil society actors.
Contribute to the development of funding proposals and donor reports specific to HGSF.
Support internal coordination within the School Feeding Unit and ensure effective collaboration with sub-offices in Nkayi, Ouesso, Betou, and Pointe-Noire.
Represent WFP in relevant technical working groups, workshops, and stakeholder engagements related to HGSF.
Provide coaching and technical support to junior staff and field teams working on school feeding and community-based food systems.
Identify programmatic challenges and risks and propose solutions, including contingency planning.
Ensure gender, protection, and inclusion are mainstreamed across all HGSF activities.
EXPECTED OUTPUTS:
A clear and operational roadmap for the scale-up of HGSF in at least two new regions, in alignment with national school feeding priorities and funding availability.
Effective integration of HGSF into WFP’s broader resilience and nutrition programming, with documented synergies and results.
Strengthened coordination mechanisms with local actors, farmers, and processors contributing to the school feeding value chain.
Robust monitoring framework for HGSF activities with periodic performance reports and lessons learned.
Funding proposals and advocacy materials developed to mobilize additional support for HGSF.
Increased Government engagement in the HGSF model, with capacity-building plans and ownership milestones clearly defined.
A functional and collaborative HGSF team contributing effectively to the overall success of the School Feeding Unit.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:
Education: Advanced university degree in one of the following fields: Agriculture, Education, Social Sciences, Development Studies, International Affairs, Public Policy, Nutrition, or another field relevant to international development assistance.
Experience: At least 6–8 years of progressively responsible experience in designing, managing, and implementing school feeding or food security programmes, with a specific focus on home-grown or community-based models. Experience in working with smallholder farmers, local procurement, or food systems is highly desirable.
Knowledge & Skills:
Strong technical understanding of school feeding, particularly home-grown models.
Familiarity with supply chain processes, procurement, and market linkages for local products.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
Proven project management and coordination abilities.
Ability to work effectively across teams and with government counterparts.
Demonstrated ability to work in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and knowledge management tools.
Fluency in French and working knowledge of English are required.
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REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
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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 global.hrerecruitment@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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