Programme Policy Officer (School Feeding Programme Capacity Building)

The Programme Policy Officer supports the operationalization of the MINFIN Concept and the School Feeding transition agenda through coordination of capacity strengthening interventions, technical support, partnership management, monitoring and reporting. The role contributes to strengthening national ownership, institutional capacities and sustainable financing mechanisms for school feeding systems in Tajikistan.

Responsibilities

• Contribute towards the development of School Feeding projects, implementation plans, operational processes and activities, including initiatives related to School Feeding transition, sustainable financing, institutional strengthening, Capacity Development and Augmentation (CD&A), Income-Generating Activities (IGA) and school canteen modernization, ensuring alignment with WFP policies, corporate guidance and national priorities.
• Provide project management, technical and operational support to specific School Feeding initiatives and activities, working closely with government counterparts, cooperating partners and relevant stakeholders to plan, implement and monitor activities against agreed objectives, workplans, donor requirements and WFP standards and procedures.
• Follow data collection, monitoring and reporting systems for School Feeding activities, ensuring rigorous quality standards are maintained, programme performance information is available for decision-making, implementation progress is monitored, and operational issues, risks and bottlenecks are identified and escalated with recommendations for corrective actions.
• Research and analyse programme, policy and operational issues related to School Feeding, Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF), capacity strengthening, sustainable financing and programme transition to support senior colleagues in the development of policies, strategies, programmes and activities.
• Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reports and programme documentation, including briefing notes, donor reports, annual reports, presentations, concept notes, project proposals, feasibility assessments, action plans, technical reports and other documents that support informed decision-making, programme implementation, sustainability and national ownership.
• Liaise with internal counterparts and relevant functional units, and support coordination with the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education and Science, local authorities, SIFI and other relevant stakeholders to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing activities and support achievement of programme objectives.
• Support the identification, development and management of partnerships with government institutions, development partners, cooperating partners, financial institutions and other stakeholders, and facilitate coordination meetings, consultations, workshops, field missions and technical discussions to strengthen programme implementation and sustainability.
• Support the capacity strengthening of government counterparts, cooperating partners, schools and other stakeholders through training, technical assistance, knowledge-sharing activities, learning initiatives and the development and rollout of capacity strengthening tools, approaches and materials related to School Feeding and programme transition.
• Provide guidance to support staff, acting as a point of referral and assisting with programme-related analysis, implementation issues and operational queries.
• Contribute to programme learning, accountability and evidence-generation processes by supporting assessments, reviews, evaluations and audits; reviewing reports, studies and technical documentation submitted by partners and service providers; documenting good practices and lessons learned; and facilitating follow-up on recommendations to improve programme performance and results.
• Ensure adequate integration of gender, disability inclusion, protection and other cross-cutting priorities into programme planning, implementation, monitoring, reporting and knowledge management activities.

Requirements

• Advanced University Degree in International Development, Public Administration, Economics, Education, Agriculture, Nutrition, Social Sciences, Business Administration, Project Management or a related field OR First University Degree with additional years of relevant experience.
• At least one year of progressively responsible postgraduate professional experience in programme management, project implementation, capacity strengthening, partnership management, monitoring and reporting or at least 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience with a first university degree.
• Strong analytical, drafting, coordination, stakeholder engagement and project management skills.
• Fluency in English, as well as Tajik and/or Russian. Fluency in both Tajik and Russian is an advantage.

Skills

• Programme Management
• Project Implementation
• Capacity Strengthening
• Partnership Management
• Monitoring and Reporting
• Analytical Skills
• Drafting Skills
• Coordination Skills
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Project Management

Languages

English, Tajik, Russian