WFP recruits 01 Programme Policy Officer NOC (Food Systems)
World Food Programme
Johannesburg, South Africa
Humanitaire (ONG, Associations, …), Projet/programme de développement
Opportunités de carrière : Programme Policy Officer NOC (Food Systems) (12 month renewal fixed term contract) RBJ (165382)
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 United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to end global hunger. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.
In emergencies, WFP gets food to where it is needed, saving the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After an emergency, WFP uses food to help communities rebuild their shattered lives. Present in nearly 80 countries, the organization has the global footprint, deep field presence and local knowledge and relationships necessary to provide access to nutritious food and contribute to the lasting solutions, especially in many of the world’s most remote and fragile areas. We manage an operating budget of approximately $5.9 billion each year, distributing 12.6 billion rations to those most in need. We reach an average of 80 million people with food assistance in around 80 countries each year.
For more on WFP and what we do, please go to http://www.wfp.org/videos/zero-hunger
BACKGROUND
WFP is partnering with the Mastercard Foundation (MCF) for a five-year 130 million USD programme, titled ‘Strengthening food systems to promote increased value chain employment opportunities for youth’. This programme, which aims to strengthen local food systems and making them more efficient, sustainable and inclusive for youth, in particular young women, will be implemented in eight Country Offices, in three different regions: East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda); Southern Africa (Tanzania, Mozambique) and West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal). In each of these countries, the programme will adopt an integrated value chain approach to implement context-specific interventions aimed at reaching the following outcomes:
Young people, especially women, have improved employment opportunities along the value chain
Smallholder farmers, especially youth and women, increase the value of their sales, resulting in improved income
Smallholder farmers, especially youth and women, reduce post-harvest losses and improve the quality for targeted crops
Improved inclusiveness of marginalized groups in agricultural value chains
Improved value chain efficiency for young people, in particular women
The programme will focus on reducing post-harvest losses and increasing the access of small-holder farmers to reliable and remunerative market opportunities for a range of different crops. To complement the core intervention areas, the partnership will introduce innovative access to finance solutions, including digital finance literacy, to the benefit of key value chain actors to strengthen their performance and improve the overall efficiency of the targeted value chains.
In addition, wherever possible the initiative will explore and advance innovative and digital solutions to attract young people, particularly women, to the sector and increase value chain efficiencies.
JOB PURPOSE
The MCF-WFP Partnership has an internal three-tier coordination and technical support structure: i) a Programme Steering Committee (PSC); ii) a Programme Coordination Team (CT), comprising both in WFP Headquarters and the three Regional Bureau in which the partnership is implemented; iii) the Programme working group at country level (COWG).
The Regional Bureau Johannesburg is planning to hire a regional coordinator to act as focal point of the MCF-WFP partnership and member of the Programme CT at the Regional Bureau level, supporting Tanzania and Mozambique country offices under the MCF, as well as supporting complementary areas within the broader regional smallholder market support portfolio. Given the nature of the partnership and the MCF’s focus and work on youth employment and women empowerment, the regional coordinator should have technical expertise in at least two or more of the following areas:
· Market system development that is contextually appropriate and meets the diverse needs of women and youth
· Build on existing Gender Analyses in Tanzania and Mozambique to strengthen the understanding of women’s roles, limitations and challenges in the agricultural sector.
· Monitoring for results linked to gender and youth outcomes within value chain and market development.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
Contribute to formulation of WFP-wide programme policies in line with both organisational strategy and the practical realities of operating in the field; or translate programme policy into Regional/Country level practices. Developing programme guidance and implementation modalities and operations, to ensure a clear and strong connection between HQ and field operations.
Provide advice and support to COs on moderately complex issues to clarify ambiguities and ensure that policy and programme operations are consistent with WFP policies, Executive Board decisions, and other relevant guidance.
Provide technical advice or mobilise technical expertise on programme and policy issues including assessment and analysis, the choice of objectives, activities, transfer modalities and appropriate food products, the deployment and testing of innovative approaches and the development of strategies to support government efforts to reduce hunger and malnutrition.
Assist counterparts in governments and other partners in identifying where food assistance can be usefully employed and provide support and technical expertise for the planning, formulation and implementation of moderately complex food assistance programmes to strengthen government and community ownership and effectiveness of food security and nutrition programmes at national and sub-national levels.
Establish and maintain operational partnerships to identify opportunities for collaborative approaches and initiatives that improve assistance packages and support advocacy work.
Enhance WFP’s leadership status in forums relating to area of specialism, for example food security, nutrition, livelihoods, resilience or engagement in humanitarian, transition and development contexts through direct participation, briefings, information products and other materials.
Manage operational research and evidence building on issues relevant to food assistance.
Manage the preparation and dissemination of timely analytical and critical reports, publications, and a variety of information products or proposals for internal or external use.
Contribute to resources mobilisations efforts for WFP projects, including clearly articulating the need for food assistance and related programme opportunities, and follow up on the resource situation of projects including commodity and cash availability, seeking advice from senior colleagues where necessary.
Advice and support the development of functional training in areas of expertise to enhance the capacity of WFP staff and partner to design and deliver effective food assistance programmes.
Lead, motivate and develop a team of staff to enable high performance.
Ensure the best use of assigned financial resources for achievement of set objectives within a moderate budget.
Contribute to Country Office Emergency Preparedness i.e. early warning, risk analysis, and contingency planning in order to respond to humanitarian crises and needs.
Other as required.
OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS
Coordinate the implementation of MCF initiatives at regional level, and ensure alignment of the programme activities to the existing relevant regional programmatic initiatives;
Serve as technical professional to advise the programme countries in the region on relevant areas to strengthen and improve;
Support Country Offices in the process of timely monitoring the impact of the MCF programme in the Common Areas of Success identified with MCF, in deveopment of relevant indicators, collection and reporting on data driven evidence,
Liaison with the RB and CT M&E function to ensure quality of the monitoring and assessment approaches
Support Country Offices on Country Strategic Planning Budget Revisions when needed;
Support the Resilience and market access team in application of learning on youth and gender outcomes through the MCF approaches within the regional protfolio.
Support the Country Offices with data analysis, communication and advocacy, and develop an advocacy strategy to make strategic shift at policy level through this project;
Review and edit the biannual and annual narrative reports prepared by the COs,
Share the RBx-reviewed reports with HQ, collate HQ comments and share back with COs;
Compile technical feedback from countries into relevant products as per donor requests/requirements, in coordination with the CT’s Knowledge Management function ;
Support the generation of think pieces from project implementation to contribute to the body of knowledge on youth employment and women’s economic empowerment, in coordination with CT’s Knowledge Management function;
Contribute to the design of, and participate in, country and regional level learning events, including conferences, workshops on thematic areas and on the IFPRI and other institutions research projects;
Join the monthly meetings of the COWG (cfr COWG specifc ToRs) and follow up with Country Offices on the action points agreed in the meeting;
Join the monthly meetings of the CT (cfr CT specific ToRs) and provide updates on progress and constraints;
Ensure that the COWG fosters collaboration and cooperation with key stakeholders, including governments, RB regional bodies, private sectors, UN agencies, NGOs and civil society, research and academic institutions and donors’ institutions to contribute to effective project implementation;
Liaise with the other Regional Bureau National Programme Policy Officers on a regular basis, with regards to knowledge sharing, challenges and risks, communications, etc.
Ensure coordination with the regional Resilience, Gender and Market access approaches at the RB
Any other related duties as defined in discussion with the programme policy officer for Smallholder market access and food systems.
4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES
Purpose
Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives : Utilizes understanding of WFP’s Strategic Objectives to communicate linkages to team objectives and work.
Be a force for positive change : Proactively identifies and develops new methods or improvements for self and immediate team to address work challenges within own work area.
Make the mission inspiring to our team : Identifies opportunities to further align individual contributions with WFP’s mission of making an impact on local communities.
Make our mission visible in everyday actions : Helps colleagues to see the link between their individual tasks and the contributions of their unit’s goals to the broader context of WFP’s mission.
People
Look for ways to strengthen people’s skills : Is able to identify, support and encourage focused on-the-job learning opportunities to address gaps between current skillsets and needed future skillsets for WFP.
Create an inclusive culture : Recognizes the contributions of teammates, and encourages contributions from culturally different team mates to recognise the value of diversity above and beyond just including it in programming for beneficiaries.
Be a coach & provide constructive feedback : Provides and solicits ongoing constructive feedback on strengths and development opportunities to help develop individual skills, whilst also helping others identify areas for improvement.
Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit : Sets clear targets for self and others to focus team efforts in ambiguous situations (e.g., unprecedented issues and/or scenarios)
Performance
Encourage innovation & creative solutions : Thinks beyond team’s conventional approaches to formulate creative methods for delivering food aid and assistance to beneficiaries.
Focus on getting results : Maintains focus on achieving individual results in the face of obstacles such as volatile or fragile environments and/or organizational roadblocks.
Make commitments and make good on commitments : Takes personal accountability for upholding and delivering upon team’s commitments and provides assurance to stakeholders.
Be Decisive : Demonstrates ability to adjust to team’s plans and priorities to optimize outcomes in light of evolving directives, while also responding quickly in high-pressure environments, such as in emergency settings.
Partnership
Connect and share across WFP units : Demonstrates an understanding of when and how to tactfully engage other units in conversations on impact, timing, or planning
Build strong external partnerships : Networks regularly with key external partners using formal and informal opportunities to understand each partner’s unique value proposition, and to build and strengthen relationships
Be politically agile & adaptable : Demonstrates ability to adapt engagement approach in the context of evolving partner circumstances and expectations
Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships : Demonstrates ability to articulate to internal and external audiences the value that individual contributions and immediate teams bring to partnerships.
FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES
| Capability Name | Description of the behaviour expected for the proficiency level |
| Programme Lifecycle & Food Assistance | Displays ability to identify the main hunger problem at the national or subnational level to design and implement context-specific programmes that integrate complex analysis and the full range of food assistance tools. |
| Transfer Modalities (Food, Cash, Voucher) | Demonstrates the ability to design, implement, monitor and provide oversight over effective and efficient programmes deploying different transfer modalities. |
| Broad Knowledge of Specialized areas (i.e. Nutrition, VAM, etc.) | Demonstrates the ability to interpret basic data in the context of WFP specialised fields to contribute to technical programme design, implementation and monitoring. |
| Emergency Programming | Displays ability to translate understanding of programme principles in emergencies and protracted conflict situations into relevant, effective, and context specific approaches |
| Strategic Policy Engagement w/ Government | Develops thorough recommendations using multiple inputs (e.g., government counsel, research, own experience) to strengthen national or subnational entities and government owned food and nutrition security programmes.. |
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education : Advanced university degree in one of the following disciplines: agricultural economy, development economics, agricultural and rural development, Monitoring & Evaluation, development studies, gender studies or other related fields.
Experience : Minimum 5 or more years of post-graduate, progressively responsible professional experience in coordination and project management. Previous experience in managing projects on youth employment and women empowerment and sound understanding of programming on women’s economic empowerment are desirable. The ability to coordinate multi-stakeholders is an asset.
Knowledge & Skills :
– Proven abilities to coordinate agriculture-related projects
– In-depth knowledge of gender inequalities, inequities and intersectionality in development settings, including the linkages to agricultural development as well as sound understanding of programming on women’s economic empowerment
– Solid Monitoring and evaluation skills in agricultural programmes including the utilisation of gender and youth analysis
– Solid oral and written communication skills, including the ability to effectively communicate through multiple mediums (e.g. policy, advocacy messaging, reporting, training)
– Team spirit and excellent interpersonal relations
– Knowledge of the UN system, including gender-related mandates is an asset
Language : Spoken and written English required. Spoken and written French and/or Portuguese will be an advantage.
CONTRACTUAL INFORMATION
This is a 1 Year Renewable Fixed Term Contract
Net monthly salary range : R 72059 to R 84870
Benefits : 30 Days Annual Leave, Pension & Medical Insurance
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
This Vacancy Announcement will close on Wednesday, 08th of June 2022, 11:59 South African Time
This position is only open to South African Nationals
Qualified female applicants are especially encouraged to apply
WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
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.POSTULER