Last date of application: 4th Sep 2023
Immediate joiners will be preferred
Reports to: Program Manager/PA/CEO/ED
Work location: MP, Jharkhand, and Telangana (The position requires to frequent travel) his/her on the outside the program state.
About organisation
The Coalition for Food and Nutrition Security (CFNS) is a National Level Coalition of policy and program leaders (organizations and individuals, government, and non-government etc.) committed to fostering collaborative and evidence-based advocacy for improved program to achieve sustainable food and nutrition security in India. The Coalition offers leadership on evidence-based policy and advocacy, membership engagement, technical assistance, and knowledge management. As the largest nutrition and food security focused network of its kind in the country and the region, in the recent past, the Coalition has convened numerous policy and advocacy areas to raise the profile of nutrition and food security as a development imperative and a fundamental human right. Today it has 46 paid members across 13 states of India.
Job profile
The role of Regional Program Officer/ Program Officer sits within our Program, Policy, Advocacy, and Campaigns department. The position is designed to co-ordinate and oversee various activities in the region, provide policy intelligence to the wider organization, identify opportunities for active engagement with the stakeholders (including the governments) through the projects, programs, campaigns and forge advocacy alliances with key opinion makers at the regional and state level.
The incumbent will support the work flow of key programming activities in close coordination with the technical and communications units of the Coalition and will represent the Coalition for Food & Nutrition Security in internal and/or external meetings with the local Government officials, donors and other stakeholders where needed. He/ She will contribute towards the fulfilment of wider organizational goals of CFNS. The RPO/PO will be the focal point for positioning CFNS in the region as an active change agent for promoting food and nutrition security.
Roles & Responsibilities
Membership Engagement
- Inform and engage with key line departments of the state governments, International, National and Local, development partners including UNICEF, states Centre of Excellence (CoE) for SAM (Severe Acute Malnutrition) management, civil society networks, as well as academic and research institutions associated with activities on food and nutrition security
- Establish and maintain a strong network of public and private sector and civil society contacts
- Build and maintain a network of media contacts in the state/region
- Map profile of organizations/players working in Food and Nutrition Security in general and SAM management in particular at the state/region level and update it regularly
- Plan and manage all Stakeholder Consultations, working group meetings etc. (including invitations and logistic and administrative arrangements)
- Mobilize Membership to help built a sustainable CFNS Chapter in the respective program state.
Knowledge Management
- Participate and understand the wider debate and plans for food and nutrition security (FNS) and the treatment of acute malnutrition in India specifically while reviewing existing strategy, guidelines, policy and available structures at respective regional and state level
- Active participation in meetings and writing of the minutes, dissemination of the minutes, respecting relevant and appropriate channels
- Participate actively in team meetings, sharing of information, context analysis, and strategy development
- Conduct regular sectoral and contextual research and, when requested, written analysis of how vulnerable populations have been affected in specific contexts of food and nutrition security in the state/region, and specifically their access to various humanitarian and development assistance/entitlements
- Designing proposal for program expansion to address food and nutrition security
- Capture and document community level knowledge and practices
- Identify potential resource agencies for partnership/or collaborating for the design & implementation of Varies programs.
Policy, Advocacy and Communication
- Support the process of project development, review and implementation of CFNS activities, its advocacy strategies for the categorized and prioritized responses
- Coordination support for planned advocacy, media and communications products
- Use evidences and project outputs to influence and promote change in policy and practice at state
- Support the development of CFNS’s state specific and regional project/programming opportunities, advocacy products, briefings, talking points and reports on relevant issues while ensuring they are evidence-based, regularly updated and of a high quality
- Document and promote success stories among various media outlets in the region and the rest of the state
- Ensure the timely and targeted dissemination of all communications outputs, using a variety of tools and channels
- Arrange, facilitate and nurture wider and deeper stakeholder consultation processes by fostering regional/state level stakeholder platforms
- Make exposure visits to high burden districts, food and nutrition insecurity hotspots to study existing interventions, issues in the ground, and review the same
- Plan and manage public events connected with the activities of CFNS at the state/District level as may be necessary (including invitations, logistic and administrative organization)
- Represent CFNS and conduct outreach in project sites, including attending meetings and participating in advocacy coalitions, working groups, conferences and events when needed.
Fund Raising, New Business Development and Diversifying Revenue Growth
- Liaise with state and district stakeholders on technical issues, particularly the line departments of the governments associated with Food and Nutrition Security, International Organizations including UNICEF, and participate in various technical committee meetings
- Ensure that activities are coordinated with relevant stakeholders, including communities
- Being a management cadre team member, he/she will actively contribute to the development of organizational strategy and operational plans in the state and region
- Participate and contribute to other state programme activities and events including regional meetings and regional communications and outreach.
- Explore opportunities for resources leveraging from the agencies including government Corporate & development agencies.
- Continuously scam & identify potential funding opportunities and make initial contact with notes, concept note and project proposals.
Specific Deliverables
- Support in mapping of THR production sites in the region
- Stakeholder Meetings of organizations working on nutrition
- Organize Mother’s/women’s groups meeting
- Capture success stories related to community management of SAM
- Identify nutrition champions and capture their stories
- Organize webinar on issues related to malnutrition
- Publish article, op-ed, blog etc. in local media to bring food and nutrition security issues to the public consciousness.
- Meetings with policymakers/parliamentarians to raise the issue on urgent need of CMAM protocol/guidelines.
- Co-ordination meetings key stakeholders in the state
- Documentation of all the meetings, key activities, and sharing the same with the headquarters in a timely manner.
- Co-ordinate with potential CSR agencies to provide funding for food nutrition security.
Reporting
- The person will be required to develop a Gantt chart based on which the progress will be tracked on monthly basis.
- Quarterly report on the progress will be required to be submitted.
Key Requirements
Essential
• Masters in Social Science, Management
• At least 5 years proven knowledge and experience of development and delivery of social development projects and programs , advocacy and campaigning strategies
• Proven knowledge and experience of the India’s 3 Tier Governance structure and system working with relevant government departments & donor communities
• Proven experience of providing on-going support to organisations involved in development project implementation and advocacy
• Proven experience of working with members of a network
• Experience of effectively managing or guiding the work of others to achieve results
• Experience of developing and implementing projects, advocacy strategies, particularly the Theory of Change approach
- Writing and speaking ability of higher order (English, Hindi and one or more of the local language)
• Passionate about working in the development sector
• Sound work ethics and personal value system
- Faith and commitment to transparency and accountability
Desirable
• Experience of developing and maintaining monitoring and evaluation frameworks
• Strong contacts and established relationships with key actors within Indian government (especially Health, ICDS, Education, WASH, Agriculture, Horticulture, Fishery and Animal Husbandry etc.), people’s representatives, NGOs and international actors.
• Demonstrated experience of effectively using the media to build awareness of and impact for advocacy campaigns
Skills and Abilities
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Proven ability to develop consensus policy positions and write high quality policy papers
- Proven ability to develop and implement advocacy strategies
- Proven ability to support local and national advocacy initiatives of others.
- Able to motivate/inspire others with ideas
- Innovative, energetic, solution-orientated approach to work
• Strong project planning skills with proven ability to organise and prioritise tasks and to manage own time efficiently
• Able work in a diverse and inclusive culture
• Strongly committed to Gender Equality and the Humanitarian Principles Available and able to travel in India
Compensation:
Compensation package will be negotiable. women candidates will be preferred.
How to Apply
If interested, please apply on https://forms.gle/4E3iRNXjD4KxpQpi9 only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
