1. Context
AVSI Venezuela is a Venezuelan non-profit organization, created in 2022, to improve the living conditions of people in vulnerable situations. We are a local organization that has been operating in Venezuela since 2000 and linked to the international context through a partnership with the AVSI Foundation, a non-profit, non-governmental organization that supports 355 development cooperation projects in 42 countries, with headquarters in Italy and which promoted the creation of AVSI Venezuela.
The School Meals Program and the Disability Inclusion Program contribute to ensuring food security in early childhood, primary, mixed and special education centers. In addition, these programs promote the inclusion of people with disabilities and strengthen the capacities of participants, improving access and permanence in schools. AVSI implements both projects as a partner of the World Food Program (WFP), which has established processes and activities that require coordination between various areas and actors. Through the Communication, Inclusion and Nutrition Specialist, we will seek to strengthen capacities in the communities served through adaptations, awareness-raising and training, which guarantee accessibility to the program.
2. Object
With this announcement, AVSI Venezuela is selecting a Communication, Inclusion and Nutrition Specialist responsible for coordinating cross-cutting activities (nutrition-sensitive actions, communication with communities, inclusive treatment of people with disabilities, feedback and complaints mechanism, and the gender and protection approach) in schools served under food assistance programs. These activities will be designed and accompanied by the WFP team and will be adapted to the expected results and lessons learned from the programs on an ongoing basis. The Communication, Inclusion and Nutrition Specialist of the AVSI Foundation will be the liaison with the focal point of the WFP field office and with the different WFP areas at the central level as applicable in each case.
3. Description of functions
For the execution of the project, the Communication, Inclusion and Nutrition Specialist will be responsible for:
- Participate in meetings convened by PMA concerning the operation, including training.
- Train members of your organization, staff hired by consultancy, and the school community in the guidelines provided by the WFP for the implementation of: a) accessibility adaptations, and b) awareness raising regarding disability inclusion.
- Participate in the recruitment and selection of consulting staff, ensuring the recruitment and training of people with the necessary skills for each of the program implementation areas and ensuring PMA standards.
- Manage and plan field outreach and awareness-raising activities. This includes: planning and building the materials needed to provide awareness-raising activities at each distribution, ensuring that these are accessible to the programme beneficiaries.
- Ensure PMA visibility in schools (posters, stickers, staff clothing, all provided by PMA).
- Ensure and monitor the dissemination of key information and messages and share and implement different feedback and complaint mechanisms with the school community.
- Ensure communication with communities that is accessible to people with disabilities benefiting from the program.
- Manage the delivery of communication and capacity building materials in the different schools covered by the program.
- Prepare, review and submit reports requested by PMA on disability inclusion activities implemented.
- Report the adaptations to be implemented in the documents provided by the WFP.
- Train consulting staff in the use of the corporate tool SCOPE for identity management and assistance distribution
4. Key requirements and qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in social communication, sociology, social sciences, psychology, education or other related fields.
- Experience: At least three (3) years in community interventions, social and/or community work. Experience in group management, facilitation of activities. Public speaking and pedagogical skills are desirable. In the states of Anzoátegui and Yaracuy, personnel with experience in inclusion projects and people with disabilities are requested and value will be given to people with experience in educational projects oriented to disabilities.
- Language: Advanced spoken and written Spanish.
- Food hygiene handling course and health certificate (essential).
5. Knowledge, skills and abilities:
- Soft skills: analytical thinking, results-oriented management, impact analysis in decision making, clarity, planning, time management, risk forecasting, assertive communication, excellent interpersonal relationships.
- Respect for humanitarian principles.
- Willingness and interest to participate in training processes provided by WFP.
- Communication and leadership skills.
- Empathy.
- Adaptability to the conditions and dynamics of field work.
- Understanding the principle of confidentiality regarding information shared by participants and beneficiaries.
- Pedagogical ability and assertive communication for the adequate transmission of knowledge to different target populations.
- Courtesy and tact in the performance of duties.
- Social sensitivity for community work with different actors, which includes continuous support of processes.
- Creativity and proactivity.
- Efficient handling of Microsoft Office® at an intermediate level.
6. Coordination of work
The Communication, Inclusion and Nutrition Specialist will report directly to the Operations Coordinator and the State Coordinator, based on the guidelines issued by the LATEAM Regional Office, the AVSI Foundation Headquarters in Italy and the World Food Programme (WFP).
7. Type of contract
- Fixed-term contract.
- Start date: October 23, 2024.
- Completion date: August 31, 2025.
8. Workplace
The work will be carried out in the AVSI Venezuela office in Yaracuy, so residing in San Felipe or nearby cities is highly desirable; otherwise, availability to relocate to Yaracuy. Availability for occasional travel to other municipalities and/or states where the project is being carried out at a national level. Knowledge of the territory will be valued.
How to apply
Interested candidates must send their resume in Spanish to the email address david.quintero@avsi.org by September 15 at 5:00 p.m. (Venezuela time). The email must contain the subject line “CV TdR 009/2024 Communication, Inclusion and Nutrition Specialist WFP Project”. Applications that do not contain this subject line will not be considered.
