ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The World Food Programme (WFP), operating in India since 1963, aims to provide technical support to strengthen the government’s food safety-nets programs in order to improve access to nutritious food for millions of vulnerable households throughout the country. Through its Country Strategic Plan (2019-2023), WFP India aims to support India in achieving its targets under Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 17. Strategic Outcome (SO) 2 of WFP’s current CSP (2019-2023) is aimed at reducing all forms of malnutrition in India,

To facilitate India’s progress on the SDGs and sustainably reduce malnutrition, WFP will focus on “People at high risk of malnutrition in India, especially women, children, and adolescent girls, have improved nutrition by 2025” as laid down in Strategic outcome 2 of its CSP. This primarily translates into WFP working with National and State governments to improve the nutritional status of the population through the introduction of nutritionally viable solutions and best practices in existing systems and enhancing the nutritional effectiveness of the three food-based safety nets namely the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), the Mid-day meal (MDM) scheme and the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme. Social behavior change communications (SBCC) accompanies all activities to help target audiences know more about the benefits of good nutrition, appropriate child feeding practices, and appropriate health and hygiene practices.

WFP Collaboration with the State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM) and the Department of Women & Child Development (DWCD) in Uttar Pradesh

Aligned to this overarching vision around improved nutrition, WFP has been working in Uttar Pradesh across several Departments and with various stakeholders including the State Rural Livelihood Mission and the Department of Women & Child Development to ensure the availability and consumption of nutritious, quality assured, and safe Supplementary nutrition through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme. Under this project, a total of 204 Supplementary nutrition production units will be set up across the State to cater to ICDS requirements in 43 districts; these units will be run by women-led microenterprises. Each unit will produce a variety of different food products for different ICDS beneficiary groups such as children between 6 months to 6 years of age, adolescent girls, and pregnant/ lactating women. This model will then be expanded across the state in a phased manner to cover all the districts.

WFP will work closely with both SRLM and DWCD for the roll-out of the supplementary nutrition production through a combination of technical assistance and direct support to set up the supplementary nutrition production units.

WFP will provide technical assistance at the State level and also to the various units being set up across the State, in tandem with the officials of SRLM. WFP technical assistance will be focussed primarily on the processes around the production of supplementary nutrition. Post-set-up, WFP will provide technical assistance for monitoring the implementation and production across the units; identifying gaps/ areas for improvement, and helping to fill the gaps through proven solutions.

WFP has already set up block-level production units in Bighapur, Unnao, and Malwa, Fatehpur districts-these fully automated production plants function as Centres of Excellence are used for training workers from other districts for the scale-up of the production units in the remaining districts in the State.

To support the rollout of this alternative model for the production of supplementary nutrition, WFP will position staff at various levels, including the placement of a Programme Policy Officer (Food Technology) at the State level within UPSRLM.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

The Programme Policy Officer (Food Technology), under the direct guidance of the Programme Policy Officer (Nutrition) based at the WFP CO, the Project lead at UPSRLM and the overall guidance of the Head of the Nutrition and School Feeding will be responsible for the following:

Technical assistance:

•  Develop the terms of reference for the procurement of laboratory services as well as the various raw materials including micronutrient premixes needed to produce the Supplementary nutrition products for the units across the States.
•  Design standard operating procedures to produce the Supplementary nutrition products as well as protocols for the quality assurance and control of the raw materials and products at the production units and throughout the supply chain.
•  Formulate alternate product compositions that the women-led micro-enterprises can produce (in addition to the ICDS Supplementary nutrition products) with a view to generating more profits and making the Supplementary nutrition production units into a successful business venture.
•  Propose methods to constantly improve the quality and acceptability of the Supplementary nutrition products based on feedback from the field
•  Prepare evidenced-based recommendations to enable rapid response to situations with food safety concerns.
•  Assess equipment delivered to UPSRLM and its alignment to the overall terms of reference against which they have been procured.
•  Support UPSRLM in the identification of sites for the set-up of the THR production units.
•  Assist in capacity building of the WSHG members tasked with running the units.

Support to on-ground implementation and monitoring of the project:

•  Conduct capacity building of the women-led micro-enterprises as well as the SRLM mission staff at all levels on the production process, food safety standards, nutrition, food fortification, etc.
•  Regularly visit the Supplementary production units across the State to monitor the implementation of the larger project, identify gaps in implementation at the Unit level and suggest a mid-course correction to the unit staff. The incumbent is also expected to gauge the response and acceptability of the community to the Supplementary nutrition products and take corrective action as required.
•  Liaise with project stakeholders for timely implementation and speedy resolution of issues identified in the projects.

Documentation and knowledge management:

•  Design knowledge products and training modules for building the capacity of the women and SRLM staff engaged in the production of the Supplementary Nutrition, Hygiene, and quality control.
•  Compile and identify best practices in the implementation of the project in the different production units for wider dissemination
•  Assist in the development of information, education, and communication material and strategies relevant to the larger project.
•  In the event of food safety incidents, support investigation exercises to enable lessons learned to be documented and shared, to reduce the re-occurrence of the incident.

Coordination:

• Coordinate with government counterparts at both State and district levels across DWCD and SRLM as need be to facilitate implementation of the project as well as further provision of technical assistance.
•  Ensure necessary coordination between WFP CO, SO and field staff, and other relevant units of the organization for quality implementation of the project.

Staff management:

• Provide guidance to field staff responsible for implementing the projects in consultation with the supervisor and assist them with analysis, queries, etc.
• Directly supervise WFP staff posted as Regional Coordinator responsible for the Fatehpur Supplementary nutrition production units.
• Perform other related duties as required.

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Understands WFP’s Strategic Objectives and the link to own work objectives.
• Be a force for positive change: Flexibly adapts individual contributions to accommodate changes in direction from supervisors and internal/external changes (such as evolving needs of beneficiaries, new requirements of partners).
• Make the mission inspiring to our team: Recognizes and shares with team members the ways in which individual contributions relate to WFP’s mission.
• Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Sets own goals in alignment with WFP’s overall operations, and is able to communicate this link to others.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people’s skills: Assesses own strengths and weaknesses to increase self-awareness, and includes these in conversations on own developmental needs.
• Create an inclusive culture: Participates in open dialogue, and values the diverse opinion of others, regardless of background, culture, experience, or country assignment.
• Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Proactively seeks feedback and coaching to build confidence, and develop and improve individual skills.
• Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Participates in accomplishing team activities and goals in the face of challenging circumstances.

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Shows willingness to explore and experiment with new ideas and approaches in own work.
• Focus on getting results: Consistently delivers results within individual scope of work on time, on budget, and without errors.
• Make commitments and make good on commitments: Commits to upholding individual accountabilities and responsibilities in the face of ever-changing country or functional priorities.
• Be Decisive: Makes rational decisions about individual activities when faced with uncertain circumstances, including in times of ambiguity regarding information or manager direction.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units: Seeks to understand and adapt to internal or cross-unit teams’ priorities and preferred working styles.
• Build strong external partnerships: Demonstrates ability to understand and appropriately respond to and/or escalate the needs of external partners.
• Be politically agile & adaptable: Portrays an informed and professional demeanor toward internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Provides operational support on analyses and assessments that quantifies and demonstrates WFP’s unique value as a partner.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced University degree in Food Technology or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.

Experience:

• 5 years of progressively responsible work experience preferably in the development sector. Previous experience of working in partnership with the government/UN agency/INGO or on projects targeted at addressing malnutrition at the community level is desirable.
• Has gained experience in implementing technical programs (i.e. fortification, etc.).
• Has implemented programs and provided input into designing operations.
• Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.

Knowledge & Skills:

•  Excellent interpersonal skills required, including strong professional communication ability;
•  Advocacy and networking skills with a broad range of stakeholders including government, private sector, civil society, academia, NGO, and international cooperation
•  Knowledge of research methods with familiarity in quantitative and qualitative methods;
•  Advanced computer skills with proficiency in Windows, Microsoft office;
•  Knowledge of the UN system would be an asset
•  Knowledge of WFP programs is an advantage
•  Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse team of nutrition and food security experts across fourteen countries
•  Tact and diplomacy

Languages:

• Fluency in spoken and written English and Hindi; ability to speak in other Indian languages is a plus.

Source:https://career5.successfactors.eu//career?career_ns=job_listing&company=C0000168410P&navBarLevel=JOB_SEARCH&rcm_site_locale=en_GB&career_job_req_id=15.