Programme Policy Officer NOA – Financial Services and Insurance at United Nations World Food Programme

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 help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.  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.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
In July 2023, the World Food Programme (WFP) Zambia commenced a new five-year Country Strategic Plan (CSP), informed by and aligned with national and United Nations priorities and global commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It embraces the Government’s long-term Vision 2030; aligns with 16 key strategic areas of the 8th National Development Plan (NDP8); and contributes to the joint Zambia-United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).

WFP Zambia’s integrated and pragmatic CSP shifts away from unsustainable localized and micro-level interventions, to embrace more effective advocacy and engagement with national policies, systems, and programmes to achieve national impact on SDG2. Given the Government’s commitment to budgetary support for nutrition, social protection, and agriculture, despite the constraints in the country’s fiscal position, WFP’s overarching strategy seeks to strengthen the government’s capacities to meet its national priorities through stronger systems, expertise, and resources for implementation. This means a decisive shift of WFP’s country positioning towards the provision of innovative, sustainable, upstream technical assistance to support nationally owned solutions.

Advancing the global WFP Strategic Plan (2022-2025), the CSP addresses both SDG2 and SDG17, and WFP’s Strategic Results 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. WFP will implement seven activities to achieve five Strategic Outcomes (SO).  These SOs include: responding to crises and shocks, including support to refugees (SO1); addressing the root causes of malnutrition (SO2); building the resilience, enabling environment and market access for smallholder farmers, especially women (SO3); supporting government institutions to provide social protection systems (including home grown school meals) and disaster preparedness and response (SO4); and improving access to supply chain services for humanitarian and development actors (SO5).

REPORTING

The Programme Policy Officer (Financial Services and Insurance) will report to the Strategic Outcome 3 Manager for Smallholder Farmer Support and work in close collaboration with other Strategic Outcome teams and other relevant functional units, including field offices, innovation and transformation, information technology, monitoring and evaluation, supply chain, partnerships, communications, budget and programming, and finance, among others.

JOB PURPOSE
To provide support to policy and programme activities that effectively meet food assistance needs.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

1. As Financial Services and Insurance focal point, lead the development and implementation of innovative financial services (savings, credit) and insurance in the country office.
2. Lead the design of the insurance component, including support on the development of insurance products (including blended insurance products), policies, delivery channels and linkages to other project components.
3. Support Macro-Insurance African Risk Capacity (ARC) replica activities in consultation with SO4.
4. Lead implementation of savings and credit activities in the country and build partnerships with collaborating partners.
5. Develop and facilitate tailored capacity building strategies for smallholder farmers and farmer organizations and other stakeholders to strengthen use of innovative finance and financial services to enhance integrated risk management, marketing and business development capacity and skills.
6. Provide and support the design of knowledge management initiatives that enhance the capacity of WFP staff and partners on integrated risk management and innovative financial services and insurance.
7. Ensure close coordination with collaborating partners, including around operational planning and coordination of national level advocacy where appropriate.
8. Prepare accurate and timely reporting and learning, contributing to the knowledge base that informs decision making of WFP and other stakeholders.
9. Support the monitoring and evaluation of WFP activities, provide technical analysis, and interpretation.
10. Guide and supervise junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them on more complex analysis and queries.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Advanced University degree in Banking and Finance, Rural Development Finance, Business Administration, Finance and Risk Management, Insurance, Accounting, and Agricultural Economics, or first University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Experience:

• At least five (5) years of postgraduate experience in agricultural insurance, financial services, or agriculture and other relevant areas.
• Experience in developing, establishing, strengthening, and maintaining relationships with a variety of stakeholders: governments, private sector & development stakeholders, preferably related to financial services, and integrated risk management and social protection programming.
• Experience in project management, with proven results in achieving programme milestones as well as working with communities in implementing and designing access to finance and insurance programs and understanding of policy issues.

Languages: Fluency in English language. Both written and spoken.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Has gained experience in implementing technical programs (i.e. nutrition, etc.).
• Has implemented programmes and provided input into designing operations.
• Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
Deadline for submitting applications is 22nd September 2023, at 23:59 PM.

WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to conduct such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore undergo rigorous background verification internally or through third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may lead to disqualification or termination of employment

WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.