Programme Policy Officer NOB (Crisis Response, Disaster Risk Management & Social Protection Manager) at United Nations World Food Programme

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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) 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.

REPORTING

The Programme Policy Officer (Strategic Outcome Manager for Crisis Response, Disaster Risk Management and Social Protection) will report to the Deputy Country Director.

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

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

1. As Programme Policy Officer (Strategic Outcome Manager), lead the teams responsible for Strategic Outcome 1 and Strategic Outcome 4, providing supervision, oversight, and technical support in relevant activities in line with WFP standards and processes.
2. Ensure effective cross-functional collaboration and coordination 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.
3. Pro-actively consult with Country Office Management (and relevant Regional Bureau and Headquarters staff when needed) on priorities, progress, and challenges and advise appropriate solutions as relevant. This may include strategic prioritization of resources.
4. Represent SO1 and SO4 at internal fora for senior staff, e.g., the Country Management Team (CMT) meeting and Resource Management Committee meeting, among others.
5. Act as focal point for SO1 and SO4 engagement with relevant Government partners, United Nations agencies, cooperating partners, private sector partners, among others. Reinforce WFP’s role and its value proposition, services and capacities for SO1 and SO4.
6. Support the government to strengthen and advance national initiatives, including the development and review of national government policies, strategies, action plans, protocols, and guidelines for topics relevant to SO1 and SO4.
7. Support advocacy and communication for relevant areas of work, ensuring that these are well integrated into national, United Nations and WFP channels.
8. Represent WFP at relevant technical government, United Nations, and cooperating partner meetings and other inter-agency forums on disaster risk management, social protection and crisis response to exchange experiences, advocate for interventions and identify areas of potential collaboration.
9. Lead resource mobilization with potential donors and cooperating partners, support development of concept notes and proposals, and ensure prudent resource management and reporting in line with WFP corporate standards.
10. Support missions for SO1 and SO4, including government liaison, mission planning and preparation, briefings, field visits, debriefings, and documentation, as required.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced University degree in International Development, Economics, Nutrition/Public Health, Social Sciences, Social Protection, or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/ or trainings/courses.
Experience: At least three (3) years of postgraduate professional experience in a related field, including social protection, disaster risk management, climate change adaptation and/or resilience, with a background and interest in international humanitarian development.
Language: Fluency in English language both written and spoken.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

1. Significant professional experience in crisis response, social protection, disaster risk management, climate change adaptation and/or resilience.
2. Demonstrated experience leading and managing teams, designing programmes, and implementing and monitoring technical assistance activities.
3. Able to build and sustain effective collaborative relationships and coordinate with Government institutions, cooperating partners and other stakeholders.
4. Experience with organization, coordination and facilitation of meetings, trainings and workshops.
5. Experience with designing and delivering capacity strengthening activities with Government institutions and cooperating partners, including through different modalities, such as trainings/workshops and distance learning.
6. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including presentations and report writing, and ability to communicate complex messages with stakeholders.
7. Advanced computer skills including MS Office applications.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
Deadline for submission of applications is 18th September 2023 before mid-night.

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.