Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world, low-income, food deficit and densely populated. The 2019 United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Report ranked Burundi 185 out of 189 countries. Poverty is widespread, with 65 percent of the population living in poverty, particularly in rural areas. Agriculture is the backbone of the economy, accounts for over 40 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs over 80 percent of the population, while Burundi has the lowest land productivity in Central and East Africa.

With a population estimated at 11.8 million in 2020, Burundi has the second highest population density in Sub-Saharan Africa with more than 400 inhabitants per square kilometre. Over 45 percent of the Burundians are children under the age of 15 years. As a result of the growing population and subsequent increased demand for land, the poorest and most vulnerable populations, who are mainly women, generally depend on marginal lands. Rapid environmental degradation has negatively impacted livelihoods and contributed to a decline in natural resources.

Since 2015, the country is suffering from a political and socio-economic crisis which has resulted in both internal and external displacements, and more than 333,700 Burundians are refugees in neighbouring countries (July 2020 data). The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has also reported more than 135,000 internal displaced persons (IDPs) in April 2020. Following the Tripartite agreement in August 2017 between the governments of Burundi, Tanzania, and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to facilitate the voluntary return of refugees, about 86,000 Burundian refugees have returned in Burundi as of 14 July 2020 with the support of the humanitarian community. The movement is expected to continue and eventually numbers to increase as the newly elected Government has made it one of its priorities.

The Country Office (CO) developed an Interim Country Strategic Plan (ICSP) for the period 1 April 2018–31 December 2020, with a budget of USD 164 million. The ICSP will be extended in time until 31 December 2021. The ICSP is articulated around 6 strategic outcomes (the 6th to start in 2021):

Strategic outcome 1: Crisis-affected populations, including refugees in camps, IDPs and returnees in targeted areas are able to meet their basic food needs all year round.
Strategic outcome 2: Food-insecure households in targeted areas have safe access to adequate and nutritious food all year round.
Strategic outcome 3: Children aged 6–59 months, adolescent girls and pregnant and lactating women and girls in the targeted provinces and communes have improved nutrition status all year round.
Strategic outcome 4: Food-insecure smallholders and communities in targeted areas have enhanced livelihoods that better support food security and nutrition needs by 2020.
Strategic outcome 5: Government, humanitarian and development partners have access to effective supply chain management and logistics all year round.
Strategic outcome 6: Enhanced supply chain capacities of Government and partner institutions and systems to better assist vulnerable populations

Since 2013, WFP in Burundi has progressively assisted beneficiaries through cash-based transfer (CBT) modalities. The ICSP plans to use CBT for refugees, lean season response, COVID-19 response, returnees, FFA, nutrition and school feeding activities. WFP also co-chairs the inter-agency CBT working group (led by OCHA) with the government of Burundi and is implementing a successful CBT capacity building project with the Burundian Red Cross. The World Bank is also implementing a large social safety nets project and there is further scope for WFP to collaborate and create stronger synergies with the World Bank.

A Short-Term Professional Cash-Based Transfer Officer is needed to bring to scale WFP’s CBT portfolio across the ICSP activities, with emphasis on resilience-building and on the nexus humanitarian-peace-development.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Country Director, and building on the strategy elaborated by Burundi CO for CBT, the Cash Based Transfer Officer will perform the following responsibilities:

Strategic plans
1. In close collaboration and consultation with the head of programme and the DCD, ensure that the new ICSP formulation clearly describes the CBT strategy for Burundi CO.
Technical and operational support to the CO and SOs:
1. Ensure that the division of tasks and responsibilities within the CO follows the revised RACI model and revise/update the SOPs as necessary;
2. In collaboration with other members of the CBT working group (CBTWG), and particularly with VAM team for market and essential needs analysis, assist SOs in organizing CBT capacity assessments, justifying selected modalities via essential needs’ assessment, and finalizing plan of operations through support missions and/or coaching;
3. Assist CO in preparing funding proposals and donor reports;
4. Review the proposals, FLA and its budget to provide the CO and SOs with technical guidance.
5. Continue in-house refresher trainings on CBT as updates become available.
Coordination with Sectorial Units:
1. Place a solid coordination mechanism with SOs to follow up on M&E and VAM related issues to assure baseline data, PDM, regular monitoring and required reporting.
2. Ensure the implementation of the M&E strategy related to CBT modalities in collaboration with M&E Officer to enhance evidence-based and comparative advantages of CBTs vs. in kind
3. In support of activity managers, ensure that all commitments are raised and recognition of expenditure is done on the month of actual distribution.
4. Support the CO to ensure distribution reports are received and treated immediately from the partners
Reports/Statistics:
1. Produce monthly CBT report for the CBTWG meeting.
2. Review and validate the monthly pipeline report produced by BPO.
3. Update statistics regularly and share the report with CO.
Capacity Development for CPs and Local Authorities.
1. Organize trainings for cooperating partners (CPs) on CBT related issues, such as SCOPE, ENA etc.
Partnerships with CPs and Donors:
1. Contribute to improve the strategic orientation of the inter-agency CBT WG
2. Act as CBT WG co-lead
3. Reinforce the coordination with all CBT actors for rapid response to population displacement/return and for resilience/safety nets interventions
4. Assist CO to organize donor meetings and field visits with donors and other stakeholders.
5. Support the social protection officer to consolidate the partnership with the World Bank and other major actors to enhance synergies and complementarities between WFP CBT portfolio and social protection programmes
Innovation on Technologies:
1. Follow-up new solutions either with mobile money, banks and other innovative solutions being implemented in Burundi by other actors and by WFP
2. Coordinate with IT to scale-up corporate IT applications, SCOPE, for e-registration and e-voucher

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

University Degree preferably in one or more of the following disciplines: economics, agriculture, international affairs, business administration, social sciences, development studies.
At least 5 years of relevant professional experience
Experience/awareness in WFP operations in the field, with desirable experience with CBT in social protection and resilience programmes
Experience in CBT programming
Ability to work effectively in a sensitive political environment
Ability to cooperate with UN, NGO, government partners and donors

Full proficiency (level C) in French and English

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Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: wfp.org