BACKGROUND:

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. As such, nutrition is integral to our mission of reaching Zero Hunger and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As WFP is increasing its nutrition focus, it is important to bolster staff understanding of the central role of nutrition and health in achieving WFP’s wider mission and the roles we each play in promoting good nutrition. Furthermore, a cornerstone of the SDGs is the support that agencies such as the UN and specifically WFP can give to governments to reach their commitments to Agenda 2030. Achieving increased capacity in nutrition both within WFP and with partners, especially government partners, has been articulated in a comprehensive WFP’s Nutrition Policy and Country Capacity Strengthening work.

To implement the new corporate strategic plan, countries are developing multi-year Country Strategic Plans. Many of these plans include Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) for supporting nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive objectives to address all forms of malnutrition, including the double burden These activities include direct implementation and support to partners and governments in the form of technical assistance and country capacity strengthening. The scale of cash programming and the increased focus on social protection present unprecedented opportunities to influence diets, and SBC is required in order to empower recipients of cash assistance to meet their needs and maximize the nutritional value of their purchases. An increased focus on the food systems and value chains also presents unprecedented opportunities to influence diets. Changing behaviours is required to empower recipients of this assistance to meet their essential needs, maximize the nutritional value of their purchases and drive the demand for nutritious foods and healthy diets that are accessible through forma and informal markets, while discouraging the consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt.

There is a high demand for tools, capacity and support to implement complementary behaviour change and demand creation interventions across different country contexts and programme outcomes. To meet the demand, WFP HQ will aim to develop practical, easy to use tools and guidance, increase in learning exchange for best practices and document evidence of the impact of behaviour change interventions.

This will lead to better programme outcomes and improved diets nutrition through a range of WFP programming.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/ RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Behaviour Change Officer will report to the Chief of Nutrition and coordinate across the relevant units/teams at CO/RBx level. The Behaviour Change Officer will be expected to draw on their leadership skills, experience in organizational capacity building in behaviour change, strategy development and technical assistance to governments. The Behaviour Change Officer will be expected to lead the following:

1.Establish new processes and guidelines for the use of behaviour change approaches and interventions to enhance programme design and implementation to achieve programmatic outcomes including healthier diets and improved nutrition outcomes:

• Collaborate with WFP units and teams including Cash Based Transfers (CBT), Socia Protection, Gender and Protection, School Based Programming, Food Systems and Resilience and Supply Chain to define and integrate behaviour change as an essential part of al response packages through business cases, policy briefs and advocacy meetings
• As needed, initiate and lead coordination of inter-unit/team behaviour change across CO/RBx (including M&E and research) to facilitate exchange of learning and evidence of behaviour change as part of nutrition programming (CBT and Social Protection, HIV/AIDS, prevention and treatment of acute malnutrition, school-based programming, resilience).
• Support innovation for behaviour change working with HQ/RBx/CO as well as the Innovation unit within WFP.

2.Lead the development of SBCC strategy and related interventions centred on WFP’s nutrition sensitive and nutrition specific programmes:

• Support and coordinate the development of overarching SBCC strategy and implementation plan to guide nutrition behaviour change communication
• Consult on and share key updates across units on the strategy and implementation plan development.
• Conduct desk review, formative research and other assessments towards the development of SBC interventions/nutrition education for different component of the school meals programme as required
• Engage with Government and other relevant UN agencies, INGOs and civil society organizations to collaborate on SBC interventions where alignment is possible
• Engage with WFP regional/HQ nutrition sensitive and SBCC focal points to understand the regional/global priorities.

3. Identification and recruitment of third parties (companies/NGOs) to conduct SBC related work (includes research, strategy, collateral development) creative agency/ies:

• Develop the ToR for recruitment of agencies required for various SBCC activities; liaise with procurement as per the requirements and oversee processes as relevant.
• Act as liaison between the third parties and CO/RB to coordinate input across units to ensure all deliverables are satisfactorily completed per TOR and translated correctly
• Supervise the agency/ies to conduct the required assessments, research, pre-tests in order to ensure the deliverables are standards.
• Ensure all prototypes are saved and documented in files accessible to relevant unit members.

4. Oversee the development of an M & E framework for all SBC interventions:

• Based upon the SBCC strategy and implementation plan lead the process to develop an integrated monitoring and evaluation log frame that includes both corporate and project specific indicators, ensuring alignment with existing results frameworks and performance indicators. This includes development of pre- and post-tests related to SBCC analysis of collected data.
• Engage across WFP programme and M&E units and third-party contractors to ensure the data collection is aligned with the implementation plan
• Coordinate, consult and share the reviews and assessment conducted across units and inform any key insights.
• Support the development and implementation of regular knowledge, attitudes, and practices studies as this will serve as baseline/midIine/endline across projects promoting behaviours.
• Support M&E CO team to conduct oversight and data analysis of corporate and project specific indicators related to the pilot project and translate the findings into communications products.

5. Contribute to the global evidence base for the use of Behaviour Change for improved nutrition outcomes across WFP’s work with people and communities, national actors and systems and partnerships:

• Work to identify and fill global evidence gaps and a research agenda for the use of behaviour change in emergency humanitarian food and nutrition response, fragile settings, through social protection and food systems among other areas.
• Support the design and documentation of high-quality evidence and learning from behaviour change programming and support to Governments.
• Support the dissemination of available behaviour change evidence internally, and through regular engagement with external fora including the Demand Generation Alliance, Global Nutrition Cluster, ENN, GTAM, and International SBCC Summit.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

• Advanced degree in social or behavioural science, public health, marketing and communications, psychology, education, or other relevant university degree

Experience:

• At least 5 years of experience providing strategic guidance, designing, implementing behaviour change related interventions for improved nutrition or public health required
• Experience conducting formative research using mixed methods, and behavioural sciences consumer insights research required
• Humanitarian programming experience considered an asset

Knowledge and Skills:

• Advanced knowledge of behaviour change programm ing in public health, nutrition, and emergency humanitarian response
• Knowledge of cash programming including social protection and school-based programming desirable
• Knowledge of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills required for in-person and remote team-based work
• Experience managing diverse teams and facilitating multi-sectoral working groups
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in complex settings, particularly supporting governments
• Excellent technical writing and oral presentation skills