Internal to UN - Programme Policy Officer (Agricultural Engineer), NOB, Kakuma and Dadaab

.

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 or 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.

WFP in Kenya has been working in partnership with the Government for over 40 years. Its role has evolved from primarily delivering food assistance (saving lives) focusing on delivering immediate and ongoing support to boost food access and availability and to medium- to long-term action (changing lives) which aims at building climate-resilient food systems. In June 2023, this partnership was renewed through WFP Kenya's Country Strategic Plan (CSP, 2023-2027), through which WFP will continue to support the Government of Kenya in addressing food security and nutrition challenges within the framework of Kenya's Vision 2030 and to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) – Zero Hunger.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Government of Kenya gazetted and published the Refugees Act 2021, on 23 November 2021 and the law came into effect in February 2022. The provisions of this act place a strong emphasis on inclusivity and transitioning from camps to settlements for refugee management. This transition from a camp-based to a settlement-based approach holds profound implications for refugees, host communities, and broader humanitarian and development efforts. It fundamentally alters how the needs and aspirations of displaced populations are addressed. By departing from traditional camp models, which often isolate refugees and render them reliant on aid, settlements promote self-reliance. Consequently, refugees gain the opportunity to engage in economic activities, access services provided by the host government, and actively participate in host communities. This shift enhances their dignity and simultaneously reduces the burden on humanitarian agencies.

The Refugee Act of 2021 is currently being put into action. Subsidiary laws are being developed, and the 'Shirika Plan' is being drafted to guide the shift from camps to settlements. These developments align with the World Food Programme (WFP) Kenya's 2023–2027 Country Strategic Plan, reflecting the corporate agenda of "saving lives, changing lives." WFP in concert with other key stakeholders envision a transition that fosters integrated and thriving refugee and host communities with resilient economies, and to contribute to the realization of this vision, WFP is committed to playing a vital role through specific actions and collaborative efforts. Guided by international agreements like the Global Compact for Refugees (GCR), the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), and the Refugee Act of 2021, as well as local plans like the Socio-Economic Development Plans for Garissa and Turkana, WFP Kenya as articulated in the CSP2 is transforming its refugee operations design from a primarily humanitarian focus to one that encompasses humanitarian, development, and peace-building elements.

To effectively contribute to this transformation work through three pillars of collaboration with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), the government and other key partners. Firstly, WFP will transform its refugee operations design from a primarily humanitarian focus to one that encompasses humanitarian, development, and peace-building elements. Secondly, WFP will optimise food systems to enhance livelihood opportunities. Finally, WFP will transform existing assistance modalities and approaches such as cash-based transfers, social protection assistance modalities such as cash-based transfers and social protection to catalyse the transition.

WFP will leverage its long-standing relationships with the government, UN partners, NGOs, targeted communities, and county governments to implement this strategy through WFP initiatives, joint UN programs, and other collaborative efforts. Additionally, WFP will explore greater engagement with the private sector to increase investment in refugee-hosting areas. Recognizing the risk of inadequate funding and the need for coordinated action among stakeholders, WFP will also play a key role in advocating for the advancement of the transition agenda.

JOB PURPOSE

This position will provide leadership in developing engineering solutions for climate food systems in the counties (including settlements) that host refugees in Kenya. The position will contribute to efforts to align WFP operations to the shift from encampment to integrated settlements, specifically, optimising food systems to enhance livelihoods.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Provide agricultural engineering and project management services for the relevant area office, and apply best practices, standards and innovative technologies that comply with WFP standards and processes for high-impact food systems.
• Conduct relevant analyses of the context and recommend or lead in conducting appropriate assessments to determine the feasibility of proposed engineering projects. This will entail close collaboration with county government engineers and other key stakeholders.
• Provide technical guidance for food system procurement processes, provide oversight monitor the implementation of the projects through field visits and provide necessary technical support. This will also include developing procurement documents for feasibility, construction projects and development of user manuals for non-technical staff and communities.
• Collate data and contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on outputs to facilitate informed decision-making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
• Prepare evidence-based recommendations on measures to improve facilities/infrastructures suitability to operational purpose, safety, and efficiency of structures and equipment including support in the development of project guidance materials (e.g. manuals) on project implementation.

• Work closely with the programme team, provide technical guidance that supports procurement of quality tools and equipment and ensure they are supplied to the communities for effective implementation of projects.

• Participate in technical or design review, exchange of knowledge and experience keeping abreast of water harvesting technologies and food systems engineering technologies in general, to facilitate implementation of innovative solutions to enhance food systems and livelihood opportunities.

• Support building of partnerships with other UN agencies, NGOs, the County government and the private sector to improve synergy and impact of the projects.
• Represent WFP in relevant forums and sector working at county level and other meetings and conferences, that focus on the development of infrastructure for food systems enhancement, especially water resources.
• Collate data and contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on outputs to facilitate informed decision-making and consistency of information presented to the stakeholders.
• Provide technical guidance that supports a successful construction procurement process.
• Participate in community engagement processes during project identification, design, implementation and evaluation.
• Support the capacity building of engineering staff to facilitate continued development and high performance.
• Contribute to preparedness actions, providing technical recommendations and guidance and monitoring the management of risks.
• Other as required.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

• Three (3) years post graduate relevant professional experience with Master's degree in Agricultural Engineering, Water Engineering, Irrigation Engineering, or related field.

OR

Five (5) years post graduate relevant professional experience with a first university degree Agricultural Engineering, Water Engineering, Irrigation Engineering, or related field.

• At least 5 or more years of progressively responsible work experience designing and implementing projects in agricultural engineering.
• Demonstrated experience in providing technical assistance for the design and implementation of engineering projects and solutions in rural, semi-urban and urban settings for food systems.
• Competent in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Registered or registrable with Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) and/or Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK)
• Procurement and contract management experience using FIDIC contracts suites.
• Competent in the use of land survey tools for engineering and waterworks
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD and/or Civil 3D or any other relevant CAD software

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

Knowledge and skills:

• Understanding of community-based participatory planning approaches
• Ability to conduct capacity gaps needs assessments and design programmes to fill these gaps.
• Experience in working in arid and semi-arid parts of Kenya and with communities in displaced settings, including refugee contexts.
• Familiarity with rainwater harvesting technologies and pastoral livelihood approaches, underground water extraction
• Excellent communication skills - both written and oral in English and Kiswahili.
• Strong organization and planning skills coupled with good interpersonal skills.
• Good analytical skills; resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgment, tact, negotiating skills;
• Ability to work in a team and establish effective working relations with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to deal patiently and tactfully with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Language:

Fluency (level C) in English language.

FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES

Capability Name Description of the behaviour expected for the proficiency level Programme Lifecycle & Food Assistance Displays ability to identify the main hunger problem at the national or subnational level to design and implement context-specific programmes that integrate complex analysis and the full range of food assistance tools. Transfer Modalities (Food, Cash, Voucher) Demonstrates ability to analyse and consolidate quantitative and qualitative information from different sources (e.g., market studies) to inform transfer modality selection and programme development. Broad Knowledge of Specialized areas (i.e. Nutrition, VAM, etc.) Demonstrates the ability to interpret basic data in the context of WFP specialised fields to contribute to technical programme design, implementation and monitoring. Emergency Programming Displays ability to translate understanding of programme principles in emergencies and protracted conflict situations into relevant, effective, and context specific approaches. Strategic Policy Engagement w/ Government Develops thorough recommendations using multiple inputs (e.g., government counsel, research, own experience) to strengthen national or subnational entities and government owned food and nutrition security programmes.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Type of Contract: Fixed Term

Duty Station: Kakuma and Dadaab Kenya (Please indicate your preferred location in your cover letter when applying for this role)

Contract Duration: 1 year with possibility of extension

• Kindly note; Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• The World Food Programme DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS.
• WFP embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that celebrates diversity and inclusivity in all ways.
• All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications and merit.
• Applicants profile MUST match the C.V attached. Any discrepancies between the C.V and the profile will lead to automatic disqualification.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications for this position will close at 11:59 p.m. (East African Time) on 4th December 2023.

.

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.