Nutrition and School Feeding Specialist – Proposal Recruitment (School Feeding Project II )

Level 3 – The post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because he/she works in country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because he/she is responsible for implementing the policy or checking/vetting performance of staff.

The Role of the Nutrition and School Feeding  Specialist in Comprehensive Home-grown, Inclusive, Learning and Development School Feeding Project (CHILD SFP II) will be leading the day-to-day implementation of the school feeding intervention in the target schools in collaboration with other CO and FO technical staff and  partners, focusing on the quality and uninterrupted  provision of school meal for pre and primary school children. This includes thematic strategy development, designing and building programs, development of annual plans, result based monitoring and evaluation or quality assurance, program development, initiating studies and producing evidences for learning and advocacy. S/he is responsible for promoting program quality through the provision of nutrition and feeding related technical assistance, mentoring project partners, program staff through training on nutrition, hygiene and sanitation areas

The Nutrition and School Feeding Specialist will provide technical assistance for the implementation of the project as part of a multi-sectoral nutrition program. The Nutrition and School Feeding Specialist will be tasked with facilitating and technically supporting planning, monitoring, supervision and smooth operations as well as timely reporting, which include stock management and Hygiene and sanitation activities. The position will technically support regional and woreda level stakeholders in the provision of school feeding accomplishments.

Ethiopia is facing multiple emergencies threatening children’s survival, well-being and participation. This usually results in Internally Displaced Children. Moreover, Ethiopia is hosting big number of refugee population from which about 30% is children.

There are so many factors that affect learning. Some studies indicate that School Feeding has strong effects on access to education and can, when supported with other interventions, improve learning outcomes. School meals have a positive effect on enrolment (+8pp and +6pp for boys and girls respectively), attendance (+3pp and +0pp for boys and girls respectively) and dropout rates (-5pp and -6pp for boys and girls respectively).  In this regard, the MOE 2020 Draft National School Feeding Policy objectives aims at:

• Enhancing children’s access to education, improve learning outcome and internal efficiency of pre-primary and primary students;
• Reducing the gender disparity among boys and girl students;
• Increasing local farmers’ income and productivity and creating job opportunities for youth and women, by creating a link between school feeding and local agricultural production, and
• Establishing high-level leadership and effective multi-sectoral co-ordination system for joint implementation of school feeding programme.

In relation to the draft policy, the Comprehensive Home-grown, Inclusive, Learning and Development School Feeding Project (CHILD SFP) aims at improving equitable access to quality, safe and inclusive pre- primary & primary education including students with disabilities (SWD), IDPs, and Host Communities in 12 targeted Woredas of 5 regions. Through the provision of school feeding and associated major activities such as delivery of energy saving modern institutional stove, WASH & capacity building trainings, the project is planned to attain the outputs such as improving access and retention of pre and primary school children especially girls, SwDs and IDPs; strengthening systems and capacity to improve the resilience of regional emergency response; and improving learning and development outcomes. The project realizes these in partnership with MOE, REBs, WEOs, PTSAs, the community members and SCI. It also works in partnership with Ethiopia School Meal initiative in Waghimra Zone of Amhara region.

Reports to: Project Director

Dimensions: Communication and relationship management with a wide range of stakeholders, including partners, target Regional Education Bureaus, woreda education offices, community leaders and schools.

Staff directly reporting to this post: None

Strategic Program Development

• Serves as a lead nutrition and feeding focal person for any school feeding related issues of the project.
• Provides technical support in the development of school feeding  plans and budgets.
• Supports the field offices in the development of feasible programme implementation plan and budget.
• Contributes in the development of manuals and procedures
• Based on the guidelines and procedures laid out, strengthens capacity at all levels in in SF operations.
• Identifies critical issues in the implementation school feeding program of the project to initiate actions to address them.
• Serves as a focal person for quality control of the general school feeding operations.
• Provides constructive feedback, coaching and mentoring to program staff, including overseeing the development of staffing plans.
• Technically supports the development of quarterly, bi-annual and annual work plans and performance reports are completed and delivered on time.
• Works closely with project staff, REBs and WEOs to ensure community participation and local authorities in project processes, including safeguarding of beneficiaries at all stages of the implementation of the project.
• Technically supports the development of communication strategies and materials, complying with donor and SCI branding requirements and procedures. Ensure that feedback from supportive supervision visits, review meetings and related forums are applied for continuous improvement in program quality
• Play technical lead role in designing and follow up of emergency nutrition intervention integrated into the long-term project
• Strongly contribute to integrated health and nutrition intervention though supporting identification and utilization of maternal and child health platforms in health facilities
• Conduct periodic visit to implementation sites to understand the reality, provide on-site advise /support and come up with recommendations for program quality improvement
• Support in cascading of the National Nutrition Program in light of the CHILD-SFP school feeding intervention strategies.
• In collaboration with the M&E advisor, the nutrition specialist guides project staff to capture /document program lessons at different levels
• Closely monitor events and maintain an overview of nutrition and health-related issues affecting children at school level (humanitarian situation, politics, and security, etc.).This may include active participation in discussion and decision-making forums related to nutrition at national/regional levels.
• Support development of a mechanism to ensure rapid and appropriate response to nutrition emergencies are available at woreda education offices
• Collaborate with other projects/programs of Save the Children, working on multi-sectoral nutrition agenda

Program Quality and Effectiveness

• Ensures school nutrition and feeding researches are technically managed to a high standard.  This involves working closely with program managers and technical leads working throughout the project cycle. 
• Ensures that lessons learned are properly documented, effectively disseminated and, wherever appropriate, incorporated into wider advocacy initiatives.
• Works closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)  advisor to ensure the education/school feeding work is contributing to all objectives across these priority and quality areas.
• Ensures incorporation of appropriate and innovative ideas in newly developed programs and projects that contribute to addressing challenges identified in the school feeding sector. 

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary capacity to improve performance and applying appropriate measures when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for himself/herself (team).
• Takes responsibility for his/her own personal actions and encourages others to do the same.
• Widely shares his/her personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, his/her team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength.
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency

QUALIFICATION

• BA/BSc degree in Nutrition, public health or education or development studies.

EXPERIENCES

• At least 8 years of relevant  technical experience in one or more of the following areas: school feeding, nutrition, school health or food security including in NGO environment.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITY

• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in.
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner
• Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies.
• Fluency in Amharic language required; knowledge of additional local language is a plus.
• Fluency in English, both verbal and written, required.
• Experience in MS Office package (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Visio), web conferencing applications, and information and budget management systems.

Scope & complexity of decision making

• Able to solve problems by selecting the most suitable procedure or method within guidelines and precedents; seeks direction when solutions not within established guidelines or precedents

PERCENTAGE OF TRAVEL (Out of duty station if applicable).

• 35% 

COMPETENCIES: 

SC Values are: Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration, Creativity and Integrity. To meet the value system, the post holder is expected to demonstrate the following Competencies on ongoing bases (this varies according to the position please consider the below as example).

• Thinking (aligns with Ambition, creativity, Collaboration and Creativity)

Problem solving and decision making: Takes effective, considered and timely decisions by gathering and evaluating relevant information from within or outside the organisation and making appropriate judgements.

Innovating and Adapting: Develop and implement innovative solutions to adapt and succeed in an ever-changing uncertain work and global environment.

Applying technical and professional expertise: Applies the required technical and professional expertise to the highest standards; promotes and shares best practice within and outside the organisation.

• Engaging (aligns with Collaboration, Creativity)  

Networking: Builds and use sustainable relationship to support the work of save the children

Working effectively with others: Works collaboratively to achieve shared goals and thrives on diversity of people and perspectives; knows when to lead and when to follow and how to ensure effective cross-boundary working.

Communicating with Impact: Communicates clearly and confidently with others to engage and influence; promotes dialogue and ensures timely and appropriate messages, building confidence and trust with others.

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