The World Food Programme in Congo implements various programs under the Country Strategic Plan. The Republic of Congo's Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2019-2024 entered into force on February 25, 2019, and aims to contribute to four strategic outcomes aligned with four strategic outcomes of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Number 2, namely Zero Hunger, as well as SDG number 17, namely partnership for development. The WFP CSP is aligned with the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) which was extended by two years in 2023, to meet the same timeframe of the National Development Plan (2022-2026). The Country Strategic Plan is fully aligned with national development and resilience priorities, in particular the protection of vulnerable groups, support for smallholder farmers and the strengthening of local agricultural production, with the long-term objectives of strengthening the food resilience and human capital development. Different activities are implemented to achieve the four strategic outcomes.

The strategic outcome number 1 of the CSP focuses on ensuring that people affected by food insecurity following shocks have access to adequate food all year round. Activities under this SO focus on assisting vulnerable people, including refugees, internally displaced persons, returnees, and indigenous peoples, affected by conflicts, natural disasters or other shocks and stresses such as epidemics or climatic shocks. Beneficiaries are targeted based on their vulnerability as assessed by gender analyses; the specific nutritional needs and priorities of women, men, girls, and boys and addressed through specific and sensitive nutrition assistance.

The activities under this strategic outcome aim to provide unconditional and/or conditional food and nutritional assistance to people affected by shocks. Each year, around 75,000 vulnerable people affected by different crisis in the departments of Likouala, Plateaux and Pool receive unconditional or conditional food or cash-based transfers that meet their immediate needs and contribute to quick recovery, thus building and strengthening the social cohesion in these fragile areas.

To support the quick recovery of targeted people in areas affected by natural disasters such as floods, WFP implements food assistance activities for asset creation including agriculture related activities, such as market gardens, fruit – tree planting, fish farming, infrastructure rehabilitation, and other activities that aim to achieve quick food security recovery. Under this strategic outcome as well, specific, and nutrition-sensitive interventions meet the nutritional needs of vulnerable women, men, girls, and boys. Supplementary nutritious foods are distributed monthly for the treatment and prevention of moderate acute malnutrition amongst children aged 6 to 59 months and pregnant and lactating women and girls in targeted communities. This nutrition component also includes prevention of malnutrition amongst children aged 6 to 23 months, and pregnant and lactating mothers receiving supplementary nutritious foods.

As part of the implementation of component 6 (Meet immediate food and nutritional security needs), emanating from the additional financing of PROCLIMAT, a World Bank supported project to the Government of Congo, WFP Congo was assigned to implement this component with all its sub components that are matching its CSP strategic outcome number 1 (SO1), notably component 6.1 (Distribution of in-kind foods or food vouchers), sub-component 6.2 (labor-intensive work), and subcomponent 6.3 (management of malnutrition). By implementing this component, WFP will work to ensure that vulnerable populations have access to nutritious foods and essential services for their food and nutrition security.

JUSTIFICATION

WFP ROC needs a dedicated Programme Policy Officer to provide overall coordination of the implementation of the PROCLIMAT project activities in the coverage areas, leading the development of key deliverables in coordination with the relevant WFP units and staff.

ACCOOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES :

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Programme and the SO Manager, the project consultant will have, among others to be agreed in contract, the following primary responsibilities:

Establish a practical workplan to implement the project according to the project document, making different updates and adaptation to the seasonal context of the country and coverage area.
Work on different guidelines and protocol documents to facilitate the implementation of the project, notably a Congo context-specific food for assets manual.
Work with different programme sub-units at the Country office to ensure smoothcoordination between the project activities and other ongoing interventions.
Provide technical guidance for the implementation of the project activities: general food assistance, food for assets activities and nutrition assistance, supporting alignment with broader WFP and government programme policies and guidelines. This especially includes direct collaboration with sub offices in the purpose of better planning and monitoring.
Ensure close collaboration with the government project coordination at national level, and serve as liaison between WFP Country Office, the PROCLIMAT and line ministries linked to this project.
Coordination of the entire reporting chain for the project, including different series of reports and data analyses on quantitative and qualitative achievements on food assistance, coverage level, resource utilization, program status, performance and highlight the trends/issues, ensuring deliverables meet institutional standards and quality control. This will include respect of reporting timelines as per the PROCLIMAT requirements.
Coordinate and communicate with cooperating partners, UN agencies, NGOs and government institutions to provide updates on the project progress, linkages with other projects and suggest ways of integration to build sustainable resilience for the assisted population.
Support capacity building of WFP field staff, cooperating partners, and national government around project implementation.
Organize coordination meetings, review meetings to analyze the progress, challenges, opportunities, and any other topic that may contribute to the best results and outcomes of the project.
Perform other duties related to the project as per the request of WFP Country Office

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Advanced University degree in Social Sciences, International Affairs, Political Sciences, Economics, Agricultural Sciences, or other field relevant to international development assistance, Or any related university degree with additional years of experience;

Experience :

Knowledge & Skills

Languages :

E****xpected results

A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in humanitarian/emergency work and rural development programmes; proven experience in working with UN agencies, government, donors and/or NGOs partners; working experience related to food and nutrition security programmes, including nutrition, agriculture, smallholder farming or food assistance related programmes, experience in coordination, reporting and conducting assessments to inform programme design and decision-making; prior experience in government capacity strengthening activities

Strong technical expertise in designing project documents, policies, manuals, and guidelines.
Good knowledge of food security, nutrition, and rural development.
Sound knowledge of project cycle, programme and resource management, humanitarian principles and tools, programmes, and transfer modalities.
Sound reporting skills, narrative, financial and internal/ external communication
General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations, and procedures. Training and/or experience utilizing computers, including word processing, spreadsheet, and/or other standard WFP software packages and systems.

Fluency in written and oral communication in French as working language, and English as a second UN language.

Based on the above, the consultant will prepare and complete the following deliverables:

A project implementation plan and chronogram is prepared according to the Congolese seasonal context.
A food for asset manual is prepared to guide the project implementation.
The project coordination is ensured and the capacity of WFP staff, cooperating partners involved in the implementation is strengthened to match the required skills to implement the project.
The general food assistance, food for assets activities, and nutrition activities including treatment of the moderate acute malnutrition, prevention of malnutrition activities, are implemented in the coverage area on time and meet their targets.
Project progress reports, periodic reports and financial reports for the project are prepared, cleared and submitted on time as per the requirement of the PROCLIMAT coordination Office.

Closing date: 02nd of May 2024

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Added 15 days ago - Updated 2 hours ago - Source: wfp.org