Consultant Programme Policy Officer (SSA-8): 9 months contract duration. Duty Station- Harare

Programme & Policy

Overview

Support urban preparedness project to enhance community resilience.

You have:

• Advanced University degree in Disaster Risk Management, Public Health/Nutrition, Agriculture, Economics, Environmental Science, Social Sciences or related field.
• 3 years of experience in Social Protection and/or Disaster Risk Management.
• 1-2 years of work experience in the South African region.
• Familiarity with disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and urban resilience concepts.
• Fluency in English.
• 5-7 years of relevant area experience is highly desirable.
• Strong communication and analytical skills.

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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, physical or mental 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

Southern Africa is highly exposed to recurrent natural hazards, including floods, sea-level rise, drought and cyclones, as well as additional human-induced hazards, including epidemics (with widespread cholera cases and an HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of more than 10% in 8 SADC countries) and violence and armed conflict in DRC and Northern Mozambique. These events have resulted in the loss of lives and livelihoods and displacement of millions of people. At the same time, urbanization rates within the region are highest compared to the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, with the urban population growing at a rate of 4.4% between 2010 and 2015. As more and more of the region’s population move to towns and cities, population density, asset concentration, limited access to WASH infrastructures, shelter poverty and informal urban sprawls are a source of hazards for urban dwellers. Urban vulnerabilities are exacerbated by the rising severity and unpredictability of disruptive events induced by climate change.

In light of the challenges posed by climate change and urbanization, government efforts have mostly focused on disaster risk management and humanitarian care, as well as climate change adaptation. Conversely, the experience of COVID-19 has drawn attention to the limited support that is delivered to urban dwellers through social protection systems, showing the need for expanded social protection programming incorporating climate change concerns. The lack of knowledge, documentation and guidance to inform adequate humanitarian programmes and an expansion of social protection towards a shock-responsive paradigm deeply constraints stakeholders’ effectiveness in urban response.

In an attempt to support regional stakeholders’ capacity, WFP Regional Bureau for Southern Africa launched the DG ECHO-funded "Fostering Community Resilience in Southern Africa through Preparedness Activities” project in collaboration with Madagascar, Mozambique, Lesotho and Zimbabwe Country Offices. The project aims to strengthen community resilience by advancing research on preparedness and emergency responses in urban areas. It sets the objectives of (I) assess urban contexts and their specific vulnerabilities and (ii) provide a set of consolidated tools and response options for better design of urban programmes. The project will focus on 12 urban locations and adopt a multi-stakeholder approach.

JOB PURPOSE

The primary purpose of the assignment is to support the Country Office in the design and delivery of the Regional Urban Preparedness Project, with the following objectives:

• To support the Country Office in the documentation and analysis of urban systems and contexts through a multi-stakeholder approach leveraging on Govt, RVAC/NVACs, UN agencies, NGOs,CSO etc. (Result 1);
• To support the Country Office in implementing urban Vulnerability and Essential Needs Assessments (Result 2);
• To contribute to the development of programme design options to inform key stakeholders for urban crises responses (Result 3).

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Result 1 - Urban systems and contexts are documented and analysed through a multi-stakeholder approach

Support the CO in:

• Mapping legal and political frameworks through interviews and desk-based reviews
• Conducting response capacity analysis through interviews with key stakeholders
• Conducting analysis of urban diversity and access
• Mapping urban communication channels and financial services
• Facilitate regional coordination and collaboration for standardized tools and approaches for ENA of urban populations that will also feed into national NVAC and IPC exercises

Result 2 - Increased understanding of key stakeholders on Urban vulnerability and Essential Needs

• Support Country Office in reviewing and mapping the existing assessments, sampling methods, and indicators used for urban Vulnerability Assessment
• Undertake secondary-data analysis to identify individual- and household- level predictors of vulnerability for the urban context
• Undertake data analysis to create vulnerability profiles for different types of hazards (including cyclones, droughts floods, COVID-19, conflicts);
• Review existing literature and implement secondary data analysis to standardize
• Analyze secondary data to estimate Urban Essential Needs through the adoption of a multidimensional/multisectoral approach.

Accountabilities cont:

Result 3 - Development of Programme design options to inform stakeholders for urban crises response

• Support with the definition of Standard Operating Procedures (transfer values, time, transfer modality) for different intervention options. These include the benefits and risks of blanket distribution and Linkages to National Programmes, etc.);
• Desk review of methodologies for geographic targeting in Urban Areas and methods to estimate transfer values;
• Desk review of urban Targeting approaches and challenges: support with reviewing gaps and weaknesses of current social registries and census-type data;
• Desk review of new methods for urban targeting and needs to improve other methods: e.g. creation of disaggregated urban registries, leveraging social protection systems registries, leveraging Municipalities capacities, propose digital registries;
• Support with the development of response options with action stakeholders;

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

At the end of the consultancy, the following outputs will be produced:

Result 1

A map of key informants at the country level;

A questionnaire to be administered at National, Provincial and Local Level;

Engagement with Government partners and other stakeholders at regional and local level;

A map of current EPR decision tree and gaps in coordination and data gathering;

Identification of priority areas, interested entities and possible strategies to improve response capacities, access and communication channels;

A report providing the country context analysis and cities profiles

Result 2

Inventory of assessments, sampling practices, and indicators for urban assessments

Inventory of vulnerability maps and identification of poverty/informality pockets through qualitative analysis, focus group for discussions and satellites images

Definition of eligibility criteria cheat sheet through literature review, data-driven, expert-based suggestions;

Vulnerability profiles (extreme vulnerable, vulnerable, better-off) for at least 2 hazards, e.g. natural, man-induced, disease-outbreak Inventory/repository of urban questionnaires and sampling;

SOPs for national urban Vulnerability Assessments

A Matrix for Supply Assessment based on Checklist pulled from secondary data gathering to survey Context Supply and Household Demands

A comprehensive, user-friendly Assessment Report presenting the urban Vulnerability and Essential Needs Assessments in the locations of interest.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

Result 3:

Inventory of targeting methods for urban contexts, based on literature on old and new methods;

Definition of a targeting method cheat sheet: Implications, pros and cons

Elaboration of SOP for developing an urban targeting system

Establishing estimation methodology for values cheat sheet (programs / purposes)

Creation of hotspot maps indicating urban areas that should be prioritised

Final Report

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced University degree in Disaster Risk Management, Public Health/Nutrition, Agriculture, Economics, Environmental Science, Social Sciences or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Experience

• 3 years experience working in Social Protection and or Disaster Risk Management, and 1-2 years of work experience in the South African region
• Familiarity with the concepts of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and urban resilience
• Strong understanding of WFP’s operations on the ground and of the different programmatic areas at the CO level
• Ability to engage and influence external/internal stakeholders, particularly Government and the Private sector

Languages: Fluency in English.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

Experience:

A minimum of 5-7 years of solid, proven experience in relevant areas

Experience in conducting and/or managing applied research with experience in, or knowledge of, econometrics highly desirable.

Ability to develop strong working relationships with a diverse range of individuals and organisations.

Demonstrated skills in presenting information in a clear and simple way with high-level written communication skills.

Strong communication and analytical skills, with ability to convey (both verbally and in writing) complex information to stakeholders of varying levels of experience or ability.

Excellent IT(Word, Excel, Power Point) skills.

Excellent time management skills.

Knowledge & Skills:

Strong project and change management skills

Experience leading multidisciplinary teams from different functional area

Familiarity with the National and Regional disaster risk management institutional framework and legislation

Practical expertise in vulnerability analysis and assessments; with the ability to design and or adapt relevant tools for assessments.

Strong communication skills

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Qualified candidates are requested to submit their application via E- Recruitment attaching a signed application letter and a signed Personal History Form (P11) available at http://www.unon.org/docs/P11.doc

In addition, interested applicants must attach the following documents/information (in PDF format) to demonstrate their qualifications and suitability for the post:

• Letter of interest explaining why they are the most suitable for the work; • Curriculum Vitae (CV) showing name, address, email and telephone numbers of three referees and 3 clients for whom you have rendered similar services;

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for the recruitment processes.

Only nationals of Zimbabwe can be considered for this vacancy.

WFP DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

The closing date is 24 January 2022.

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Female applicants who are qualified and experienced are especially encouraged to apply

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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.

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Potential interview questions

Added 4 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: wfp.org