Food Cluster Officer, SSA 8, Mekele

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WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.

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

The conflict in Tigray region, in northern Ethiopia which started in November 2020 has resulted in an increase in number of food insecure people in both rural and urban communities in the region. There are indications of disruptions of livelihood sources including on incomes and food sources. Food prices have increased in the region, affecting access to nutrition rich food commodities by most vulnerable population groups. The Government of Ethiopia through National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC), the Joint Emergency Operation (JEOP) for Food Assistance in Ethiopia and World Food Programme (WFP) are providing emergency food assistance to food insecure people in accessible districts in the region. The food response is facing various response challenges including limited access to some of the districts and this has contributed to delays in movement of food commodities to some distribution points. Partners are also working on mechanisms to improve the food response, particularly on key issues that require attention of the clusters and partners including reviewing of monitoring mechanisms and beneficiary targeting processes. Partners are providing support to the Government on coordination of the humanitarian response, through the Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC), which is led by the Government of Ethiopia. The food cluster coordination will be working with related Government departments including the National Disaster Risk Management Commission (NDRMC) and partners to ensure effective delivery and distribution of food to affected people.

JOB PURPOSE

The Food Cluster Officer plays a vital role in supporting the Food Cluster Coordinator (FCC) ensuring timely, coherent, and effective food security interventions by mobilizing stakeholders to respond in a coordinated and strategic manner to food needs in Tigray region. The Food Cluster Officer will support the FCC to lead the food response coordination and in collecting, analysing, and sharing information that is important for the cluster stakeholders to make informed, evidence based and strategic decisions for the humanitarian response in Tigray region:

1. Supporting effective response of food response in Tigray region.
2. Informing strategic decisions of the Cluster Lead Agency (CLA), Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) and Humanitarian Country Team (HCT).
3. Coordinating, Planning, and implementing Cluster strategies, including contingency planning and preparedness
4. Monitoring and Evaluating of cluster performance
5. Advocacy
6. Accountability to affected people

The Food Cluster Officer reports to the Food Security Coordinator (FSC-CC) and responds to partners needs for information. S/he needs to be able to liaise and communicate with a wide range of stakeholders and acts as a ‘bridge’ between food security decision makers and technical information management (IM) staff. Key to the job is the ability to design (and/or adapt) the right tools to collect and analyse data as well as to present information in a way that is easily understood by the cluster members, and external audience (i.e., graphic means such a mapping but also through tables, charts, and narrative writing).

The Food Cluster Officer will work impartially with all members of the cluster and represents the group, and not a specific agency. S/he will work closely with the Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) or their designated official in the region as required. The Food Cluster for Tigray response will work closely with the Country level coordination structures - the Food Cluster Coordinator and the Information Management Officers, by providing regular updates on food response, gaps and challenges that need advocacy at national level.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• University degree-level qualification or equivalent – in Statistics, Economics, Data Management, GIS and other related fields;
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in data management and visualisation at a mid or senior level;
• Experience in humanitarian context is mandatory and experience in food security -related topics is highly desirable;
• Working knowledge of English and knowledge of local language/s;
• Willingness and ability to work in difficult environments, in often stressful time- critical situations
• Formal training in cluster coordination or previous cluster experience is strongly desirable.
• Experience of the country or region of deployment is desirable.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

1. Establish and maintain appropriate humanitarian coordination mechanisms: ensure inclusion of key partners at regional and sub-regional level, organize regular cluster meetings, as required.
2. Ensure timely, inclusive, and regular information sharing and discussion with the cluster partners through various modalities including cluster meetings, email dissemination of cluster products (dashboards, maps, assessments, etc.).
3. Ensure that available information is analysed in a coordinated manner and utilised for decision-making at different levels (e.g. Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) or Displacement Tracking Matrix datasets).
4. Support the preparation of contingency/ preparedness plans: provide data for food security indicators, together with food cluster coordinator and partners, and along with information management working group (IMWG), analyse the severity of needs and define people in needs (PiN).
5. Support the development, together with the food cluster coordinator and in consultation with sector partners, the coordination of regional food response plans and strategy.
6. Proactively gather information from food cluster partners and other organizations which may be of use in ensuring informed decision-making processes.
7. Develop and maintain database about food cluster partners’ activities, analyse and process the data, and share final information and products (dashboards, maps, etc.) with cluster partners. Ensure that data is collected and presented in a way consistent with the cluster objectives
8. Ensure financial monitoring for cluster response activities (check OCHA FTS and contributions by Government and donors).
9. Conduct secondary data review, compile an inventory of available assessments, and provide cluster partners with a list of available information/data with respective sources on a regular basis (e.g., common Cluster / Sector data sets, including population data disaggregated by age and sex, assessments and other surveys such as EFSA /CFSAM/SMART, IPC).
10. Create and maintain Contact directories and mailing lists;

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Understands WFP’s Strategic Objectives and the link to own work objectives.
• Be a force for positive change: Flexibly adapts individual contributions to accommodate changes in direction from supervisors and internal/external changes (such as evolving needs of beneficiaries, new requirements of partners).
• Make the mission inspiring to our team: Recognizes and shares with team members the ways in which individual contributions relate to WFP’s mission.
• Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Sets own goals in alignment with WFP’s overall operations, and is able to communicate this link to others.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people's skills: Assesses own strengths and weaknesses to increase self-awareness, and includes these in conversations on own developmental needs.
• Create an inclusive culture: Participates in open dialogue, and values the diverse opinion of others, regardless of background, culture, experience, or country assignment.
• Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Proactively seeks feedback and coaching to build confidence, and develop and improve individual skills.
• Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Participates in accomplishing team activities and goals in the face of challenging circumstances.

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Shows willingness to explore and experiment with new ideas and approaches in own work.
• Focus on getting results: Consistently delivers results within individual scope of work on time, on budget and without errors.
• Make commitments and make good on commitments: Commits to upholding individual accountabilities and responsibilities in the face of ever-changing country or functional priorities.
• Be Decisive: Makes rational decisions about individual activities when faced with uncertain circumstances, including in times of ambiguity regarding information or manager direction.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units: Seeks to understand and adapt to internal or cross-unit teams’ priorities and preferred working styles.
• Build strong external partnerships: Demonstrates ability to understand and appropriately respond to and/or escalate needs of external partners.
• Be politically agile & adaptable: Portrays an informed and professional demeanor toward internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Provides operational support on analyses and assessments that quantifies and demonstrates WFP’s unique value as a partner.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

30 May 2021