JOB TITLE:

Home-Grown School Feeding Project Coordinator

TYPE OF CONTRACT/LEVEL:

Programme & Policy Officer / LFT P3

UNIT/DIVISION:

Programme

DUTY STATION (City, Country):

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

DURATION:

1 year renewable based on project funding

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE APPOINTMENT:

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization dedicated to ending hunger and improving food security. In Côte d’Ivoire, WFP has been a long-standing partner in national development since 1968, working alongside the government to address both emergency needs and long-term challenges. Through its integrated approach, WFP contributes to strengthening human capital, promoting inclusive growth, and supporting the country’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Since 1989, WFP Côte d’Ivoire has supported the national school feeding programme as part of efforts to ensure universal access to education. Central to this initiative is the Integrated School Meal Sustainability Program, which aligns with the government’s Compulsory Schooling Policy. In recent years, WFP has intensified its support through policy advocacy, strategic reviews, and cost-benefit analyses, contributing to the development of the 2024–2025 national school feeding strategy. A key focus is the transition to Home-Grown School Feeding, which sources food locally to enhance sustainability, empower communities, and stimulate rural economies. This approach is instrumental in the national goal of achieving universal school meals for primary school children by 2030.

This post is based in WFP Côte d’Ivoire Country Office in Abidjan. The coordinator in this position is expected to oversee to the overall implementation for the project “Promoting Health and Nutrition through School Feeding in Northern Côte d’Ivoire” financed by KOICA and support Home-Grown School Feeding initiatives at the Country Office level that fulfil the objectives of the WFP Country Strategic Plan. The position reports to the Deputy Country Director/Head of Programme with a technical reporting line to the Head of School Feeding with expected collaboration with relevant units such as Resilience, Nutrition, RAM, Partnership and Communication, etc. This position will perform the following responsibilities:

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive):

Project Management (50%)

Lead the project management of the project “Promoting Health and Nutrition through School Feeding in Northern Côte d’Ivoire” financed by KOICA and support Home-Grown School Feeding initiatives at the Country Office level, ensuring that the project complies with WFP and KOICA standards and procedures.

Lead the design and implementation of the HGSF pilot framework, including development of standard operating procedures, scalable models, and documentation to ensure consistency and quality.

Capture lessons learned and propose adjustments to improve the effectiveness, sustainability, and scalability of the HGSF approach based on pilot results.

Coordinate across relevant units (School Feeding, Resilience, Nutrition, Supply Chain, RAM, Partnerships, etc.) to guarantee integrated and timely implementation of HGSF pilot activities, including alignment of roles, responsibilities, and timelines.

Monitor the implementation of the HGSF project to ensure timely and effective delivery of results in line with the approved workplan, budget, and performance targets, coordinating with activity managers to develop and implement corrective actions.

Establish and enforce quality standards for HGSF, including operational approaches, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), templates, and guidance aligned with WFP corporate frameworks and Country Office practices.

Contribute to the development of concept notes and funding proposals for HGSF for resource mobilization.

Identify opportunities to strengthen WFP’s presence in HGSF activities, including nurturing partnership with relevant national stakeholders, internation organization, bilateral donors, and multilateral development banks.  

Partnership with KOICA and the evaluation team (30%)

Coordinate and represent WFP Côte d’Ivoire with the KOICA evaluation team for the evaluation of KOICA-funded home-grown school feeding project focusing on (1) education and health of school children and on (2) economic impact of WFP interventions on smallholder farmers.

In collaboration with Partnerships and relevant units, ensure donor relations and reporting to KOICA country and global offices.

Coordinate and facilitate field visits with the project evaluation Team, ensuring effective communication and engagement with field offices and relevant stakeholders.

Coordinate with project donors, including KOICA Côte d’Ivoire Country Office, to streamline expectation and responsibilities.

Knowledge Management and Advocacy (20%)

Design and implement effective methodologies to synthesize insights and lessons learned from home-grown school feeding initiatives into practical knowledge products that support replication, scale-up, and continuous improvement.

Develop and apply systematic approaches to identify, capture, and document good practices, innovations, and critical knowledge emerging from home-grown school feeding projects, ensuring that valuable learning is preserved and accessible for future programming and policy development.

Facilitate internal learning processes, including learning reviews and after-action sessions, to convert field insights into adaptive management strategies.

Engage with relevant external stakeholders to disseminate and promote knowledge and evidence from HGSF, ensuring that evidence-based narratives strengthen WFP’s positioning and resource mobilization efforts.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

A master’s degree in International Affairs, Development Economics, Social Sciences or Performance Management or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of relevant work experience and/or training/courses.

Experience:

• Minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience including in international development or humanitarian work.
• Previous experience in project management, especially for school feeding activities is preferred.
• Previous experience working in government, UN agencies, NGOs is an advantage.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Competency in results-based programme development and management
• Excellent technical drafting and report/proposal writing and presentation skills
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multicultural, multiethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity, gender equality and inclusivity
• Partnership building skills and capacity to work in cooperation with governments and technical and financial partners

Languages:

Fluency (level C) in English and Korean is required. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of French is considered an asset.