International Advisor – Programme Policy Officer (Nutrition and Food Systems) CST II – Ivory Coast

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JOB TITLE: Policy Officer Program (Nutrition and Food Systems)

FIGURE: International Consultant – CST II

ORG UNIT: Abidjan, Ivory Coast

STAND NR: 22405337

DURATION: August 2024 – July 2025 (11 months)

CONTEXT:

Côte d’Ivoire is considered a lower-middle income country and ranks 159th out of 191 countries on the Human Development Index. The country faces local food insecurity, malnutrition and gender inequality, which severely affect smallholder farmers due to their difficulty in accessing land and frequent climate-related shocks. Challenges in the nutrition situation persist: according to the DHS 2021, 23% of children under 5 still suffer from chronic malnutrition, compared to 30% in 2012. Also, 8% of children under 5 are emaciated or suffer from acute malnutrition, and 2% are in the severe form. These trends are exacerbated by persistent disparities, particularly by place of residence and/or region. Stunting mainly affects the oldest children (24-59 months), i.e. 26% versus 12% for those aged 6-11 months, and those in rural areas (28% rural versus 18% urban). Regional disparities are also significant: children who are particularly affected by chronic malnutrition are found in five (5) regions of the country, namely Zanzan (31%), Woroba (30%), Montagnes (30%), Denguélé (29%) and Sassandra-Marahoué (29%). Ivory Coast has a population of approximately 30 million, of which 47.8% are women and 34.8% live below the poverty line. It ranks 156th on the Gender Inequality Index, with a score of 0.612.

WFP’s Strategic Plan for Côte d’Ivoire (2019-2025) focuses on capacity building with a view to shifting WFP-led programmes towards government and community ownership. At the heart of this strategic approach is the sustainability of the national school meals programme as a platform for promoting education, nutrition and gender equality, and boosting local food production and rural economies. The country’s strategic plan also provides an opportunity for WFP to support the government in its fight against malnutrition, through its National Multisectoral Nutrition Plan (PNMN). In preparation for the new strategic plan, WFP has initiated a review to assess performance, identify bottlenecks and challenges, and make recommendations on areas for improvement for the next strategic plan (2026-2030).

In recent years, WFP has positioned itself as a key technical partner of the Government of Côte d’Ivoire in developing a national strategy and programme for rice fortification. Now that the strategy is almost finalised, WFP is focusing its activities on the strategy to be operationalised: WFP is implementing a project targeting lactating women and children under 5 years in vulnerable regions and is exploring the use of locally fortified rice to deliver school meal programmes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The Country Office (CO) is seeking an experienced International Advisor to oversee specific and sensitive WFP nutrition activities, in particular to continue the work started with rice fortification and maintain WFP’s position as a key nutrition player in Côte d’Ivoire.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES/ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Programme, the Advisor will oversee the implementation of WFP CSP nutrition activities, focusing on the following priorities:

Provide technical advice on nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programme and policy issues, including assessment and analysis, selection of objectives, activities, delivery modalities and choice of inputs for nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programming in accordance with WFP standards and processes.

Support the strengthening of national nutrition initiatives, including the development of national government policies on nutrition, as well as nutrition strategies, action plans, protocols and guidelines in line with the SUN Movement and international guidelines and current evidence.

Work with staff from procurement, logistics, finance, other programme units and other departments to ensure effective design and implementation of WFP nutrition programmes.

Provide support for operational partnerships, including inter-agency collaboration, to ensure a strong multisectoral response to nutrition in both emergency and non-emergency situations.

Ensure accurate and timely reporting and learning, contributing to a knowledge base that informs decision-making by WFP and other stakeholders.

Design, implement and communicate the nutrition situation clearly and effectively to stakeholders in the food sector.

Represent WFP at regional, national and international meetings to contribute to technical discussions, share experiences, advocate for nutrition interventions and identify areas for possible collaboration.

Increase the capacity of WFP staff, partners and national governments to prepare for and respond to nutrition challenges.

Support the monitoring and evaluation of WFP activities, providing technical analysis and interpretation.

Guide and supervise junior employees, act as a referral point and support them with more complex analyses and questions.

Contribute to emergency response by providing technical recommendations on emergency plans, risk assessments and early warnings regarding nutritional risks.

Any other tasks required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

Education:

Advanced university degree in public health, nutrition, food technology, medicine, or other relevant field.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years of professional work experience.

Knowledge and skills:

Experience and knowledge of the implementation of national/international development programmes.

Experience in public health/food safety/nutrition and fortification activities.

Experience in identifying and defining nutritional problems/issues within a country

Languages:

Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and French

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