The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION

Working in over 70 developing countries globally, Plan International strives for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We engage people and partners to:

• Empower children, young people and communities to make vital changes that tackle the root causes of discrimination against girls, exclusion and vulnerability.
• Drive change in practice and policy at local, national and global levels through our reach, experience and knowledge of the realities children face.
• Work with children and communities to prepare for and respond to crises and to overcome adversity.
• Support the safe and successful progression of children into adulthood

The School Feeding program is currently implemented in Moyamba, Kailahun and Port Loko. The project supports the Free Quality Education Initiative of the Government of Sierra Leone. The program aims at ensuring children’s access, retention, and completion of primary school education in the targeted districts by providing nutritious meals to primary school-going children in a safe and inclusive environment. Implemented by Plan International and other partners, the program is designed to improve the livelihoods of community members through economic empowerment by purchasing locally produced food (home-grown) and distributing it to schools.

This position will be responsible for the proper, transparent application and use of Plan International Emergency and the development of food security processes. The primary objectives of the position will be to provide technical guidance in the management and monitoring of the development of food security & livelihood systems with supervisory guidance from ISFP Team, HoPDQ and Team Leader - ISFP. Analyse and report on the trends in food security situation across Plan operational areas of operation.

The Food Security & Livelihoods Specialist will also link smallholder farmers with markets especially ISFP to improve the livelihoods of the community members, especially Women and Youth in the PIIA program areas and lay the foundation for sustainable growth and attain the goals of Plan International SPAD programming Initiatives as well as aligning the project with the home-grown policy of the government of Sierra Leone. Will be responsible for any locally produced commodities as relates to the ISFP program implementation.

DIMENSIONS OF ROLE

The Food Security Coordinator reports to the Team Leader – ISFP, with a dotted reporting line to the Head of Program Quality. H/She will be charged with the responsibility of supporting the Projects and programs implementation within all Plan International operational areas.  The Food Security & Livelihoods Specialist will ensure the following:

The extensive technical support in the homegrown school feeding- HGSF & SPAD livelihood monitoring in collaboration with the MERL team, both on-site and through close review of project activity reports, and follow-up to ensure high-quality project implementation and delivery.

Collect food security data from across operational areas and provide food security analysis to Plan International Sierra Leone.  Make recommendations for addressing food security concerns and work with the School feeding Team to develop response initiatives.

Working closely with the supply chain Manager, collect data on the available food aggregators that have the potential to supply fresh food to schools within the community. The database will be reviewed from time to time to ensure that nutritious food is sufficiently distributed to the schools.

ACCOUNTABILITIES  

• Establish HGSF program database in all selected operational districts to provide fresh food to schools that are locally sourced from the community.
• Identify women cooperatives, FBOs etc to produce OFSP, Vegetables and other locally produced food items in collaboration with PIIA’s Field staff.
• Establish pilot school gardens in each district to provide fresh vegetables for consumption in schools and beyond where possible. The school gardens will also provide a learning opportunity for the young generation in the farming at an early age
• Work closely with procurement and operations to ensure locally produced fresh food is procured and supplied to the program.
• Identify school feeding and HGSF capacity gaps in the operational areas, facilitate training sessions and jointly deliver training with MAAF.
• Coordinate and support local partners, FBOs Agric Business Centres (ABC), NGOs and Government institutions to perform HGSF-related activities in a timely and effective manner.
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor the implementation of school feeding and HGSF activities, analyses the situation identify challenges proactively respond on the spot and bring issues and recommendations to Plan, MAF and MBSSE.
• Facilitate and proactively lead internal HGSF program monitoring in collaboration with government counterpart and PISL MERL Team.
• Ensure community participation in all school feeding activities to ensure local ownership
• Coach and support SMCs head teachers and community members to ensure the cash transferred to HGSF is being utilized for the intended purposes as per MoU and SOPs
• Prepare and compile monthly and quarterly reports.
• Provide support to HGSF implementing partners to strengthen multi-sectoral and coordination at regional, district, chiefdom, community, and school levels
• Ensure that key learnings are extracted from HGSF implementation and incorporated into FS development processes.
• Provide systematic training and build capacity of technical FS, in approaches including farming interventions and market-based programmes
• Represent Plan in relevant forums/clusters, including with national authorities and donors on Food Security matters.
• Serves as the technical focal point for projects focusing on livelihood promotion through commercially valuable skills and market linkages.
• Support PIIA Managers and project staff to implement the SPAD project in accordance with technical standards to ensure quality is maintained.
• Contributing to other food security information products required at the national level;
• Proven ability to write and lead the development of technical proposals.
• Familiarity with international food security, emergency response, and humanitarian assistance policies.
• Develop a fit-for-purpose system and tools for Continuous Quality Improvement and Learning in Food Security programmes; and proactively document and disseminate lessons learnt.
• Support the Project Manager and project staff to implement the Home-grown school feeding project in accordance with technical standards to ensure quality.
• Creatively and innovatively make attempts to increase the portfolio of the food security sector in PISL.
• Experience in community-based and participatory programme planning and implementation approaches, with operational experience in food security programming
• Familiar with conducting market assessments and Value Chain Analysis.
• Perform any other duties from time to time as assigned by the supervisor.

Food Security & Livelihood Specialist - 231224.docx

Location:              Country Office - frequently travelling to the operational locations

Type of Role:        Food Security & Livelihoods Specialist

Reports to:           HoPDQ with a dotted line to the Team Leader - ISFP

Grade:                   Level 16

Closing Date:        5th January 2025

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.