DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS3 September 2025-23:59-GMT+01:00 West Africa Standard Time (Bangui)
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 World Food Programme is the worldโs 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).
CONTEXT AND PURPOSE OF ASSIGNEMENT:
The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country of approximately 6.1 million people that is currently struggling with dire socio-economic conditions. Ranked 191st out of 193 countries on the 2023-2024 Human Development Index, the CAR has a gross domestic product of just $468 per capita. According to World Bank estimates, 72.5 percent of the population lives below the international poverty line ($2.15 per day).
The protracted conflict and the difficult socio-economic context have exacerbated the difficulties encountered in the education sector. It led to: (i) the departure of unpaid teachers; (ii) looting and destruction of school structures; (iii) the disruption of the education of school-age children who have lost years of schooling; and (iv) increased gender inequality in access to education, increasing the vulnerability of girls to children, early and forced marriages and unions, unwanted pregnancies, child labor, as well as to sexual exploitation and abuse. According to the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan, more than 1,428,791 people receiving humanitarian assistance need education, of which 1,422,317 are children and adolescents aged 3 to 17.
Since the adoption of the National School Feeding Strategy in 2022, the CAR government has demonstrated its growing commitment to school meals, joining the Coalition for School Meals on June 5, 2023. Subsequently, in November 2023, in conversation with World Food Programme (WFP), the Prime Minister's Office agreed to work with WFP to test Home Grown School Feeding in 45 primary schools, designated as \"schools of excellenceโ. In response to this urgent situation, the government of CAR has requested in November 2023, the expertise of the WFP to establish and operationalize an integrated school feeding pilot program linked to food purchases at the local level, with a possible transition to a fully national programme. The main objectives of the local school feeding programme are to improve access to education, increase attendance and retention rates, improve children's nutrition, health, and well-being, and stimulate the local economy.
On this basis, an ambitious school feeding pilot project based on local products has been submitted to the government in December 2023. The goals were to test and pilot the integrated school feeding approaches linked to local products and to prepare for the implementation of the progressive scale from 2024 to 2027. Specifically, it aims to go from 292 schools currently assisted, including 45 pilot primary schools, to 575, by providing them with products of local origin (cereals, legumes, etc.), allowing them to approximately 400,000 primary school students to receive healthy, nutritious, and locally sourced meals and providing to approximately 20,000 smallholders farmers a potential market for the surplus of their production. Since then, WFP has begun the starting of this vast programme.
Considering these commitments at the highest level of the country and aware of the scale that this integrated school feeding program is now taking on in connection with local purchases in the CAR, the CAR country office will have to engage in efforts to support operations from 2024 to 2027. As such, the CAR country office will have to develop an effective and efficient implementation plan and by drawing on expertise in the matter for the school feeding Programme achieved on ground.
Regarding to these expectations, the office is looking for a national staff based on his years of experience in this domain, to integrate the crew in place and this momentum already in place and contribute to establishing the school food department in CAR.
OBJECTIVE RELATED TO THE POST:
Support the school feeding section to the development and the implementation of this new integrated approach of school feeding, linked to local purchases in CAR with the aim of ensuring Central African schoolchildren have a nutritious hot meal every day.RESPONSIBILITIES:
Under the strategic guidance of the Head of Programme, Programme policy officer-school feeding officer will perform the following duties:
๏ง Contribute to strategic planning and Programme policy formulation at the WFP level in line with the organizational strategy and practical realities of field operations and translate programme policy into practice at the country level.
๏ง In collaboration with government authorities, partners, United Nations agencies and other bilateral assistance agencies, assist in the preparation, implementation and evaluation of strategic plans, programmes and project documents for the country office.
๏ง Contribute to the coordination all key analyses and evaluations with school feeding results, including comprehensive analyses on, for example, gender, protection and nutrition.
๏ง Support field offices in reviewing bottlenecks and operational constraints and propose appropriate solutions, including an effective information-sharing system to help strengthen programme management.
๏ง Contribute to the coordination of all school feeding activities to ensure a single strategy and message to the government and other stakeholders.
๏ง Contribute to the overall supervision of the implementation of all school feeding activities, including the transition to locally produced school feeding and the handover to the government, with the programme unit at the country office and sub-office levels and with the support of the school feeding unit at the regional office.
๏ง Contribute to the support to the government in operationalizing school feeding strategies and contribute to the development of policies and legal instruments (e.g. school feeding law).
๏ง Prepare and update the annual work plan and contribute to the preparation of national capacity-building plans to achieve the objectives, as well as budget details to ensure the implementation of activities funded by the MGD in accordance with the plan.
๏ง Contribute to the development and the maintaining strategic partnerships to identify opportunities for collaborative approaches and initiatives that improve overall school feeding interventions and support advocacy activities.
๏ง Liaise with internal and external counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects and highlight risks to project implementation.
๏ง Support the coordination of the finalization of partnership agreements with cooperating partners, sub-recipients and other United Nations agencies, as appropriate.
๏ง Organize quarterly review meetings with partners, prepare/update the work plan and undertake performance reviews, as required, and provide feedback.
๏ง Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reports on programmes and activities that enable informed decision-making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
๏ง Manage the preparation and dissemination of analytical and critical reports, publications and a variety of information products or proposals for internal or external use, particularly in collaboration with headquarters.
๏ง Support the supervision of resource utilization in close collaboration with the International SF Consultant and the resource management teams.
๏ง Undertake additional activities as required.
QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIRED EXPERIENCES:
Education:Advanced university degree in Development, Political Science, Nutrition/Health, Agriculture, Environmental Sciences, other areas of Social Sciences related to the development of food assistance, or first university degree with at least one year of training experience.
Experience:- One year at least of experience in the relevant area.
- Has gained experience in implementing programmes with cooperating partners.
- Proven experience in working in humanitarian operations implementing General Food Distribution, nutrition, resilience, and school feeding activities using in kind and Cash Based transfers with Internal Displaced People, refugees, and host populations.
- Has gained some exposure in field operations, preferably in a hardship duty station or emergency.
- Experience in implementing and managing Programmes, as well as providing inputs into Programmes design. Specific experience in joint Programmes related to General Food distribution, Nutrition, Food for Assets, Resilience, Schools-based Programmes, and capacity building will be further value.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective working relations with internally and externally counterparts, partners, and stakeholders with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds.
- Result oriented.
- Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines.
- Resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgement, excellent communication skills both orally and in writing.Knowledge and competency:
- Proactive and able to work under minimal supervision.
- Good analytical and reporting skills.
- Good negotiation skills and ability to take responsibility.
- Good command of information tools and Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
- Supervisor ability required.Languages:
- Working knowledge (skill/level C) of French, with at least an intermediate level B of knowledge in English.
Skills:- Strong communications skills (both written and verbal) at a level appropriate for representation.
- Skills in data management would be desirable
- Ability to engage effectively at field level with a wide range of actors including those in the international humanitarian community and governments.
- Ability to work under tight deadlines and simultaneously manage multiple tasks in an autonomous manner.
- Maturity, initiative, courtesy, tact, and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
- Good computer knowledge and skills.WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK
WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.
Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: global.inclusion@wfp.org
NO FEE DISCLAIMER
The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.
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.
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.