Programme Policy Officer

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

8 October :59-GMT+08:00 Philippine Standard Time (Manila)

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website:

WHY JOIN WFP?

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

In the Philippines, WFP's efforts are guided by its work outlined in the Philippines Country Strategic Plan (CSP WFP focuses on strengthening government systems at the national, local government unit and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) levels to further build the resilience of vulnerable individuals and communities.

The CSP is aligned with national strategies and policies as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework and is guided by three interrelated outcomes:

• By 2028, communities exposed to shocks and stressors in the Philippines are better able to meet food, nutrition and other essential needs with inclusive and equitable emergency preparedness and response capacity at the national and local levels.
• By 2028, communities vulnerable to food and nutrition insecurity in the Philippines are more resilient and can better manage risks affecting human capital gains and food systems, inclusively and equitably.
• The Government and partners in the Philippines access WFP services that augment their interventions, upon request.

These strategic objectives are framed within the context of the Philippines being on the verge of becoming and upper-middle income country, while at the same time being one of the world's most disaster-prone countries. Disasters remain a leading cause of hunger, affecting all aspects of food security: economic and physical access to food, availability and stability of supplies, and nutrition.

While WFP Philippines maintains a strong capacity to respond directly when significant shocks occur, the overall emphasis of the Country Office lies on systems strengthening (disaster risk management, social protection and food systems) at national, LGU and BARMM levels. WFP utilizes its field operations expertise to support the Government in delivering on key food programmes linked to its mandate and the CSP, including supporting the conceptualization and roll out of national priority programmes such as Walang Gutom 2027 and LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) at BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) and modelling globally proven programmes such as home-grown school feeding – linking local smallholder farmers production to the institutional demand of school meals programmes. WFP engages at the national level on policy dialogue, supporting legislative advances in areas such as school meals, anticipatory action and rice fortification.

JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer (Curriculum Development Specialist)

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Service Contract (SC)

JOB GRADE: SC-8

UNIT/DIVISION: Programme Unit

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Manila, Philippines

DURATION: 12 months

This position is open to Filipino nationals only

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

WFP works closely with the Government, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to advance nutrition-sensitive and shock-responsive social protection programmes.

As part of this partnership, WFP supported the DSWD in leading the six-month pilot of the Walang Gutom Program (WGP) in 2024. This flagship programme addresses involuntary hunger and improves access to nutritious food. Food-insecure households receive food vouchers per month on the condition that they attend Nutrition Education Sessions (NES) as well as Skills and Productivity Enhancement Sessions (SPES). WFP and DSWD also co-developed the programme's Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) strategy to increase demand for healthier food, to improve dietary diversity among household beneficiaries, and to strengthen access to livelihood skills and work opportunities. The national scale-up began in July 2024.

JOB PURPOSE

Following the successful collaboration for the pilot implementation, WFP will continue to support the DSWD for the scale-up. WFP will develop the curriculum and courses for the NES and SPES. These include the modular content of the sessions as well as capacity strengthening activities and monitoring and evaluation activities. A Curriculum Development Specialist will support this activity.

The nutrition-related content for the NES and the livelihood and skills-related content for the SPES will be drafted by the multidisciplinary team of WFP. The Curriculum Development Specialist will serve as the primary technical lead responsible for structuring the complete 3-year SBC curriculum that integrates the NES and SPES and for finalizing the initial drafts. This role ensures that each session follows the specified methodology, is grounded in food security and livelihood dimensions, and aligns with the SBC Theory of Change. This role will translate behavioral and technical content into modular session plans, facilitator kits, and assessment tools, ensuring each session includes learning objectives, participatory methods, and tools for knowledge checks and reinforcement that serve the full life cycle of WGP households.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (not all-inclusive nor exhaustive)

Under the delegated authority and within the assigned unit, the Curriculum Development Specialist will report to the National Officer for Social and Behaviour Change. The role requires expertise in curriculum design, adult learning theory, and behavioral change approaches, with the ability to create materials that will be facilitated by community facilitators to WGP households and scaled across diverse socio-cultural contexts throughout the Philippines.

1. CURRICULUM ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
   
   a. Develop the foundational structure of the 3-year progressive SBC curriculum:

2. Design the overall curriculum architecture that serves the full life cycle of WGP beneficiaries across 36 months

3. Create a progressive learning pathway that builds from foundational knowledge in Year 1 to advanced skills and behavior reinforcement in Years 2-3
4. Integrate NES and SPES components into a unified course stream that promotes healthy, nutritious, and sustainable eating and productivity habits
5. Map curriculum content to food security and livelihood dimensions
6. Ensure alignment with the WGP's SBC Theory of Change, mapping the behavioral pathway from knowledge acquisition to practice adoption and sustained behavior change

b. Establish curriculum frameworks and standards:

• Develop standardized session plan templates that incorporate specified methodology
• Create consistent learning objective frameworks that clearly outline intended Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) outcomes
• Design modular structures that allow for adjustments based on process monitoring, post-distribution monitoring, or evaluation findings

• Establish content layering strategies that address varying literacy levels and diverse socio-cultural contexts

• SESSION DEVELOPMENT AND CONTENT CREATION
  
  a. Lead the development of detailed course sessions and learning materials:

• Create comprehensive session matrices with finalized modules and delivery guides for Year 1, and adaptable content outlines for Years 2-3

• Develop detailed session plans that include discussion guides, key messages, and participatory learning activities for various learner types
• Design processing techniques and reflection activities that reinforce understanding, application, and personal connection to content
• Integrate behavior change content related to emergency food security, sanitation and hygiene, gender empowerment, community resilience, and cultural sensitivity, in coordination with WFP teams with expertise in these areas

b. Ensure content quality and accessibility:

• Adapt content to be culturally appropriate, inclusive, and accessible to learners with varying literacy levels and from GIDA communities
• Incorporate indigenous knowledge and local practices while maintaining technical accuracy and evidence-based approaches
• Design content that addresses the diverse needs of beneficiary populations including pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, children, elderly, and persons with disabilities

• Create flexible session formats that can be adapted for different delivery contexts and community settings

• LEARNING MATERIALS AND TOOL DEVELOPMENT

a. Develop comprehensive learning and assessment tools:

• Create detailed facilitator guides with step-by-step session delivery instructions, activity management, and troubleshooting protocols
• Design beneficiary learning materials including take-home sheets, recipe guides, planning templates, and reference cards
• Develop micro-assessments and knowledge checks for every session to ensure comprehension and retention of concepts
• Create recovery learning protocols and make-up session materials for beneficiaries who miss regular sessions

b. Integrate multimedia and interactive elements:

• Collaborate with WFP teams to ensure content is suitable for digital adaptation
• Design content that supports the development of interactive audio-visual learning tools, animated videos, and gamified modules
• Create materials that function effectively in both digital and print formats for diverse delivery contexts

• Ensure all materials are optimized for low-literacy settings and areas with limited digital infrastructure

• QUALITY ASSURANCE AND VALIDATION
  
  a. Lead curriculum validation and continuous improvement processes:

• Coordinate field validation activities in minimum three diverse socio-cultural sites to test curriculum effectiveness

• Analyze feedback from pilot implementations and incorporate lessons learned into curriculum revisions
• Ensure all materials undergo rigorous technical review for accuracy, cultural appropriateness, and pedagogical effectiveness
• Establish quality control mechanisms for maintaining consistency across all curriculum components

b. Coordinate with technical specialists for integrated content:

• Work closely with the WFP nutrition team as well as climate and resilience teams to ensure technical accuracy of nutrition and livelihood content
• Collaborate with the WFP SBC team to align all materials with behavioral change principles and KAP outcome frameworks
• Partner with training focal person to ensure facilitator materials are practical and user-friendly

• Coordinate with the WFP Research, Assessment, and Monitoring (RAM) team to integrate monitoring and evaluation components into session designs

• STAKEHOLDER COORDINATION AND CAPACITY STRENGTHENING
  
  a. Manage relationships with government counterparts and support capacity strengthening:

• Engage regularly with DSWD to ensure curriculum alignment with program objectives and to gather field-level insights and ensure practical applicability

• Participate in stakeholder consultations and incorporate feedback from government partners and beneficiary communities
• Support the development of institutionalization pathways for curriculum adoption within existing government systems
• Contribute to the design and delivery of Training-of-Trainers (ToT) sessions for DSWD staff
• Develop comprehensive documentation and user guides that enable effective curriculum implementation and scaling
• Create knowledge management systems that capture lessons learned and best practices for future curriculum development
• Support the development of quality assurance protocols and supervision tools for curriculum delivery

DELIVERABLES

• Work Plan. Comprehensive curriculum architecture and development methodology
• Year 1 Complete Curriculum Package: Detailed session plans, facilitator guides, and beneficiary materials for foundational modules
• Year 2 Curriculum Framework: Session matrices and adaptable content outlines for intermediate skill development
• Year 3 Curriculum Framework: Advanced session designs focusing on sustainability and community leadership
• Curriculum Validation Reports: Field testing results and evidence-based recommendations for curriculum improvements
• Final Curriculum Package: Complete 3-year curriculum with all supporting materials, assessment tools, and implementation guides
• Technical Documentation: Comprehensive methodology reports, quality assurance protocols, and scaling recommendations

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

Education:

• Master's degree, or bachelor's degree with an additional two years of relevant work experience and/or specialized training, in Education, Curriculum Development, Adult Learning, Public Health, Nutrition, Social Work, or a closely related field.
• Specialized training in instructional design, adult education principles, or behavior change communication preferred

Experience:

• Required: At least one (1) year of postgraduate professional experience in development work.
• Highly Desirable: Eight (8) years of progressive experience in development work, including at least four (4) years in curriculum development, instructional design, or educational program development, is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing learning materials for adult populations, particularly in developing country contexts
• Proven experience in designing participatory learning methodologies and experiential education approaches
• Knowledge of nutrition education and food security programming, with understanding of food systems approaches
• Experience with behavior change communication and social behavior change programming
• Familiarity with government partnerships and institutional capacity building in social protection or health programs
• Field experience in community-based programming and working with diverse populations including low-literacy and marginalized communities
• Understanding of evidenced-based learning methodology or similar adult learning approaches and participatory education principles
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation integration within curriculum design and learning outcome measurement

Language: Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Filipino (Tagalog)

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

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REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
• Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
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in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
- Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.