Strategic Convenor / Advisor

CTG overview:
CTG staff and support humanitarian projects in fragile and conflict-affected countries around the world, providing a rapid and cost-effective service for development and humanitarian missions. With past performance in 17 countries – from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia, we have placed more than 20,000 staff all over the world since operations began in 2006.
CTG recruits, deploys and manages the right people with the right skills to implement humanitarian and development projects, from cleaners to obstetricians, and mechanics to infection specialists, we’re skilled in emergency response to crises such as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Key to successful project delivery is the ability to mobilise at speed; CTG can source and deploy anyone, anywhere, in less than 2 weeks and have done so in 48 hours on a number of occasions.
Through our efficient and agile HR, logistical and operational services, CTG saves multilateral organisations time and money. We handle all our clients’ HR related issues, so they are free to focus on their core services.
Visit www.ctg.org to find out more

Overview of position:
THIS ROLE IS BEING ADVERTISED FOR TALENT POOL BUILDING PURPOSES ONLY

Job summary:
The Strategic Convenor / Advisor will facilitate the high level engagement with senior level government officials & key stakeholders engaged in school health & nutrition. This engagement will aim at buttressing effective & efficient design & implementation of the GPE Technical Assistance Facility in support of the National School Meals Programme (NSMP). S / he will collaborate closely with our client (as GPE grant Agent), the lead ministry responsible for NSMP, local education group members & key senior government stakeholders critical for this initiative.

Project context:
Recognizing the transformative potential of the school meals program, a group of member states launched the school meals coalition at the UN food systems summit in 2021. The coalition is a government led global platform driving actions to urgently improve & scale up school meal programs to ensure that every child has the opportunity to receive a healthy, nutritious meal in school by 2030. Since its creation, the membership of the school meals coalition (Co Chaired by France, Finland & Brazil) steadily increased from 46 countries in September 2021 to 100 countries from all regions across the world1. The coalition has resulted in governments taking a central role & moving rapidly to advance school meal programs, with the topic now globally positioned as a key priority. As of today, the coalition has received national commitments from 48 countries.
To support national commitments to the coalition & government priority directions, a group of partners within school meals coalition are now exploring the opportunities to support provision of strategic on demand technical assistance at the country levels. The support is planned to be provided through a dedicated technical assistance facility starting from 2025.
In the meantime for the purpose of piloting & testing the approaches an inception phase was launched with deeper dive in focus countries. This inception phase is anchored in the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) project that focuses on Kenya & Lesotho. Additional countries may be identified during the inception phase based on availability of funding to expand the diversity of country typologies. Our client has established an internal implementation team to lead the implementation of the TAF in focus countries & provide dedicated program & partnerships coordination support to the coordination cell.
The facility aims to enhance the country’s capacities for transitioning to nationally owned school meal programs, as well as ensuring cross sectoral ownership. Leveraging the school meals coalition’s technical expertise, tools & resources to expand country specific partnerships supporting the national SMP, this facility will provide strategic in kind technical assistance aligned with the government & national stakeholders’ prioritized activities for the national SFP.

Role objectives:
The Strategic Convenor / Advisor will report directly to the line manager & will support the roll out of the GPE Technical Assistance Facility in country where the staff is being deployed by performing the following responsibilities:
Facilitate & convene strategic dialogue with senior government officials & with key stakeholders in the school health & nutrition landscape. In particular, foster discourse that could positively influence transitioning to gender sensitive nationally owned school meal programs with cross sectoral ownership.
Promote TAF agenda with senior government officials & key stakeholders within local education group members, as well as other national platforms (where advocacy on TAF will be relevant). Represent TAF project & present at high level meetings, as required.
Ensure clear communication of goals, progress & challenges to senior government officials, share their feedback with the TAF team & advise / discuss necessary adjustments, where applicable.
Advocate for the NSMP needs, aligned to the immediate & mid term priorities & School Meals Coalition (SMC) commitments for the program (where applicable).
Conduct advocacy work during the inception stage of the TAF to ensure key stakeholders are on board & informed about the activity & the opportunities the TAF offers to contribute to the achievement of the NSMP needs & vision.
Review & provide feedback to TAF products (e.g. baseline review, policy brief, workplan, activity deliverables) to ensure alignment of TAF with national NSMP priorities.
Facilitate the endorsement of the TAF products with the respective government entities (e.g. policy brief, workplan, relevant TAF activity products, etc.), as required.
Ensure participation of high level officials in the inception phase as required for the context (e.g. stakeholder workshop) & advise on the representation of other key stakeholders. Support the lead ministry / defined national stakeholder in facilitating the stakeholder workshop as required.
Secure buy in & political support for successful implementation of the TAF beyond inception phase (means of achieving this to be discussed with the TAF team at the end of the inception phase).
Serve as the primary liaison between senior government officials, CO & TAF team.
Provide strategic advice & direction to the TAF team. Support in unblocking challenges to ensure timely & effective implementation of the TAF workplan.
Collaborate with PPGS in HQ & the RB on the design of approaches, contribute to GPE monitoring & learning agenda for TAF, participate in internal implementation & progress calls / consultations.
Provide strategic inputs into TAF progress & final reports as well as specific progress updates on implementation.
Perform any other duties that will support strategic high level engagement & support the implementation of the TAF project in line with the Terms of Reference (TOR) & objective of the activity.

Project reporting:
The Strategic Convenor / Advisor will report directly to the line manager.

Key competencies:
Advanced post graduate degree in public administration, education, international development, social sciences or other related fields.
At least 15 years of senior level experience in strategic engagement with national governments, particularly high level policy & decision makers at the country level.
Significant experience in establishing strategic partnerships with development partners at the national level (global, regional experience will be an advantage) & with a wide variety of stakeholders & subject matter experts in education, food security, nutrition, health, social protection, agriculture, gender & / or related fields.
Broad senior level professional & technical experience in policy & strategy formulation, research, program management, project planning & institutional strengthening in a large institution in the above mentioned sectors.
Demonstrated capacity to manage complex projects, including coordination of organization wide initiatives country & / or regional hierarchies.
Previous work experience with the national sector platforms (in the above mentioned sectors). Experience working with the education sector groups will be a strong advantage.
Advanced academic degree & fluency in English required.

Team management:
This role has no team management responsibility.

Further information:
Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply for this role.
THIS ROLE IS BEING ADVERTISED FOR TALENT POOL BUILDING PURPOSES ONLY.