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, and 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) under the CSP. These SOs include: (SO1) responding to crises and shocks ensuring that crisis-affected people, including refugees, are able to meet their urgent food and nutrition needs; (SO2) addressing the root causes of malnutrition; (SO3) building the resilience, enabling environment and market access for smallholder farmers, especially women; (SO4) supporting government institutions to provide social protection systems (including home grown school meals) and disaster preparedness and response; and (SO5) improving access to supply chain services for humanitarian and development actors.
JOB PURPOSE
Under direct supervision of Programme Policy Officer (Activity 4 Manager) – Market Systems Development, the Programme Associate will be the interlocutor between field implementation and CO on aspects of market systems development of various value chains and sub-sectors through the private sector (Micro Finance Institutions, agro-dealers, agro-processors) and Government (Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Community Development and Social Services). Furthermore, the Programme Associate will provide oversight technical support to field project leaders and agribusiness focal points staff from Government and implementing partners managing aggregation centres (Rural Aggregation Centre and Main Aggregation Centre).
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
1. Support the implementation of the market access model by fostering relationships and supporting partnership-building with local partners, agencies, NGOs and government institutions to increase Market Access for smallholder farmers.
2. Provide specialized project management support to specific and/or defined programmes to ensure that the various activities are performed within the established targets following WFP’s policies and procedures.
3. Within the specific area of responsibility, prepare a range of reports and data analysis (e.g. food assistance needs, resource utilization, programme status, performance) and highlight trends/issues ensuring deliverables adhere to corporate standards and quality control.
4. Support market linkages and operationalization of the decentralized food procurement strategy under the government led HGSM programme in collaboration with Strategic Outcome four unit.
5. Liaise with internal counterparts to support effective collaboration, implementation and monitoring of ongoing project activities.
6. Support the scaling-up of the e-commerce platform “Maano-Virtual Farmers Market” in scope and service delivery to enhance equity and inclusive access to various agribusiness services including financial services, markets, logistics, weather and market information, insurance products and mechanization services.
and communicate with local partners, agencies, NGOs and government institutions to perform accurate food security analyses and to ensure efficient delivery of food assistance.
7. Support the capacity building of WFP staff, cooperating partners and national government within the specific technical area.
8. Act as a point of contact for resolution of a range of operational queries and problems within a specific technical area of responsibility.
9. Provide technical and specialized project management support to programmes and assist in the development and implementation of additional activities identified in the 2G CSP for seamless transitioning.
10. Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to ensure WFP is able to quickly respond and deploy needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis.
DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE
- Has worked with technical teams (i.e. nutrition, VAM, etc.).
- Has contributed to implementation of programmes.
- Has observed or assisted with policy discussions.
- Ability to analyse and translate numerical data to show WFP’s outcomes and impact against the objectives; ability to explain WFP projects and operations to counterparts and to communicate with Government and partners clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing; General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations, and procedures.
- Ability to understand the cultural and political environment and to work well with colleagues.
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education: University Degree in one or more of the following disciplines: Agriculture/Agronomy, Horticulture, Agriculture Economics, Agribusiness, Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Education Range Management, Livestock, Natural Resource Management or equivalent qualification from a recognized institution.
Experience: Has minimum of 3 years working experience working in comparable and/or relevant position in the public service or private sector or an international organization.
Language: Fluency in both oral and written English. Understanding of local languages an added advantage.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
OPEN TO ZAMBIAN NATIONALS ONLY!
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
Deadline for submission of applications: 24th June 2024 at Midnight.
Applications should be sent on-line only, through WFP recruitment website at: www.wfp.org/careers
Qualified female candidates and persons with disabilities 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.