International Consultant - Food Security Analyst

Programme & Policy

Overview

Lead food security assessments and data analysis to inform humanitarian response

You have:

• Experience conducting field work in emergency contexts especially in Myanmar or in country with similar challenges
• Advanced understanding of Excel and at least one statistics software, such as: SAS, SPSS, or R
• Demonstrated experience in creating Food Security Early Warning System
• 5 years of experience working in international humanitarian and/or development field including in collaboration with local actors
• 5 years of experience in designing and conducting quantitative and qualitative food security & livelihood assessments in developing countries
• Advanced University degree in Economics, Food Security, Statistics, Data Science, Public Health/Nutrition, Geography or related field
• Fluency in English language

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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.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Job Title International Consultant - Food Security Analyst Type of Contract Consultant - Regular - Short Term Monthly Unit/ Division Food Security Sector Duty Station Yangon with possible travel to the states/ regions Myanmar Duration Initial six months with possible extension up to 11 months Opening date for application 16 December 2021 Closing date for application 30 December 2021

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.

The Myanmar context is one of a fragile state, an economy at risk of collapsing and a country having undergone four decades of protracted conflict.

Myanmar population keeps on facing deeply rooted humanitarian challenges. The deterioration of the conflict in Rakhine & southern Chin states in 2020 has increased civilian casualties and displacement. More than 336,000 people have been displaced from their homes in different parts of the country, of whom some 250,000 are in situations of protracted displacement. An estimated 600,000 Rohingya remain in Rakhine State, of whom some 126,000 are effectively confined to camps or camp-like settings established in 2012, continue to be unable to move freely. The expanding impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated the lives of people in humanitarian settings and the delivery of the humanitarian assistance. Escalations in conflict, climate shocks are further undermining food availability and livelihoods, with the most vulnerable and displaced poised to bear the heaviest burden.

As per HRP 2021, published before the military coup, 1 million people are experiencing significant severe humanitarian challenges. The current political situation may significantly worsen food insecurity across the whole of Myanmar particularly in regions where vulnerability has been structural. Thus, it is important that the Food Security Sector is capable to monitor food insecurity in all Myanmar States and not just the areas defined in the HRP 2021, especially knowing that 46% of the population live under the poverty line.

The ongoing political crisis, initiated on 1 February 2021 after the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) arrested senior Government leaders, announced a year-long state of emergency and seized the control of the State, is likely to have a detrimental impact on poor and vulnerable people, with reports of disruptions to key transport and supply chains, services, banking systems as well as to the functioning of government and administrations, including due to civil servants participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). These developments have further complicated the humanitarian operating environment, with many organizations having temporarily suspended activities and considerable uncertainty around procedures for engagement with de facto authorities at field level, including on issues such as humanitarian access.

This situation created by the current political and human rights crisis requires the Food Security Sector (FSS) partners to respond with greater flexibility.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Food Security sector (FSS) is co-led by both WFP and FAO and plays a key role in the coordination of FSS partner activities, sharing information, needs assessment, strategy development, capacity building, ensuring technical standards, advocacy and promoting greater accountability to affected person (elements of the cluster core functions).

The Food Security Analyst plays a crucial role in supporting good quality food security & livelihood assessments that require capacity building, quantitative and qualitative survey methods & data analysis. The position requires to work closely with FSS partners’ Monitoring & Evaluation departments such as WFP’s VAM, but not limited to, with the objective to feed the FSS with the necessary qualitative information to ensure that FSS partners are capable to take timely adequate decisions in a coordinated manner.

JOB PURPOSE

The Food Security Sector Myanmar (WFP, FAO and NGO partners) is willing to increase its food security analysis capacity.

The FSS is looking for a person capable to establish a FS data collection mechanism through partners that would allow the FSS to provide regular update on the food security status and trends and FS analysis. This mechanism should help establishing a “Early Warning System” to help the FS partners to make timely and adequate decisions and to strengthen anticipatory action where possible and provide humanitarian assistance at the earliest stage of the crisis.

The Food Security analyst would integrate in its analysis:

• all data collected through the FSS partners when supervising assessments
• all data collected through desk study about FS in Myanmar

The FS Analyst will establish a common harmonized data collection framework within the FSS and will implement regular meetings with FSS partners to provide advice on the implementation of activities. FS analyst will assist the FSS partners to ensure they are collecting the correct information in the right way to guarantee that data are valuable.

FSS analyst will ensure the harmonisation of the data collection and will work closely with FSS partners to ensure an efficient geo coverage and regular collection of data as per the needs. Indeed, it is important to capable monitor the evolution of the FS situation throughout the year and to avoid overlap and to limit gaps.

The analyst will work in close collaboration with IMO to ensure the production of a wide range of quality documents serving as a reference for FSS partners, CLAs, as well as donors. Moreover, these will support and strengthen FSS advocacy efforts.

REPORTING LINE

Under the management of the Food Security sector Coordinator, the incumbent shall undertake the following tasks:

Under the general guidance of the WFP Country Director in Myanmar, the operational management of the Food Security Sector Coordinator in Myanmar, in close collaboration with the respective co-Chairs (FAO and WFP), the technical supervision of the Information management team of the WFP and FAO, the incumbent shall undertake the following tasks:

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Support and lead quality needs assessments and data analysis that can inform:

• EFSA (Emergency Food Security Assessment)
• FSS Quarterly Bulletin
• FSS monthly Newsletter
• FSS advocacy strategy and documents through detailed and informative report writing & presentations
• Comprehensive analysis of the evolution of the FS situation in Myanmar throughout the year, including with regards to cross-cutting issues
• Inter-sectorial related activities and analysis
• HNO/mid term revision (if any)

In addition, the Food Security Analyst would

• Provide data analysis support to FSLC partners through detailed and informative report writing & presentations
• Provide training & capacity building on data collection & analysis: workshop, in-field coaching, mentoring of teams going to the field…
• Support and coordinate with national & sub-national FSS coordination levels

Coordination: working closely with the FSS partners, especially their M&E department, WFP (VAM), FAO (AFIS), other Sector (Nutrition, Protection….), Cash Working Group, Durable Solution Working Group and other coordination mechanisms eg Maungdaw Inter-Agency Group ( (MIAG), South-East Working Group (SEWG) ) and will mainstream the use of FS analytical tools

Specific task will include:

Quality needs assessment: Oversee the implementation of FSS assessment eg EFSA and lighter data collection. Support FSS partners to design, implement FS assessment in a proper manner and ensure that collected data are valuable.

Data analysis: Synthesize all quantitative food security surveys conducted by partners; provide data analysis support to FSS partners (collection/ methodology/ presentation etc). FS analysis should also be integrating cross-cutting issues. The food security analyst will also closely work with the IMO to analyze challenges encountered by FSS partners to deliver the assistance to vulnerable groups (men, women, boys, girls, PWD…). When possible, data from others cluster would be integrated.

IMO: Closely collaborate with the IMO (Information Manager Officer) to ensure the production of a wide range of quality documents, including the 5Ws, serving as a reference for FSS partners as well as donors.

FSS communication tools: Provide regular up-dates of FS status and trends of the affected population, FS gaps, achievement and FSS situation in Myanmar to feed the monthly FSS newsletter and of the Quarterly Bulletin,

Capacity building: Provide the necessary training to FSS partners on data collection & analysis.

Sub clusters: Follow up with focal persons on the ground to triangulate primary data sources (where/ when required) and to use their networks of local knowledge in understanding humanitarian events involving shocks, IDPs and returnees

Advocacy: Provide quality reports to the FSS that can form a solid foundation for possible advocacy documents.

Inter-sector/WGs: ensure inter-sectoral analysis, participation in relevant forum of Needs analysis, etc.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

1. Two workshops: 1 when launching the EFSA, where tools and methodology would be explained to the FSS partners; 1 to present the results of the EFSA to the FSS partners
2. Two Food Security report: 1 report per semester covering the evolution of the Food Security Support and lead quality needs assessments and data analysis that can inform:

• EFSA (Emergency Food Security Assessment)
• FSS Quarterly Bulletin
• FSS monthly Newsletter
• FSS advocacy strategy and documents through detailed and informative report writing & presentations
• Comprehensive analysis of the evolution of the FS situation in Myanmar throughout the year, including with regards to cross-cutting issues
• Inter-sectorial related activities and analysis
• HNO/mid term revision (if any)

In addition, the Food Security Analyst would

• Provide data analysis support to FSLC partners through detailed and informative report writing & presentations
• Provide training & capacity building on data collection & analysis: workshop, in-field coaching, mentoring of teams going to the field…
• Support and coordinate with national & sub-national FSS coordination levels

Coordination: working closely with the FSS partners, especially their M&E department, WFP (VAM), FAO (AFIS), other Sector (Nutrition, Protection….), Cash Working Group, Durable Solution Working Group and other coordination mechanisms eg Maungdaw Inter-Agency Group ( (MIAG), South-East Working Group (SEWG) ) and will mainstream the use of FS analytical tools.

Specific task will include:

Quality needs assessment: Oversee the implementation of FSS assessment eg EFSA and lighter data collection. Support FSS partners to design, implement FS assessment in a proper manner and ensure that collected data are valuable.

Data analysis: Synthesize all quantitative food security surveys conducted by partners; provide data analysis support to FSS partners (collection/ methodology/ presentation etc). FS analysis should also be integrating cross-cutting issues. The food security analyst will also closely work with the IMO to analyze challenges encountered by FSS partners to deliver the assistance to vulnerable groups (men, women, boys, girls, PWD…). When possible, data from others cluster would be integrated.

IMO: Closely collaborate with the IMO (Information Manager Officer) to ensure the production of a wide range of quality documents, including the 5Ws, serving as a reference for FSS partners as well as donors.

FSS communication tools: Provide regular up-dates of FS status and trends of the affected population, FS gaps, achievement and FSS situation in Myanmar to feed the monthly FSS newsletter and of the Quarterly Bulletin,

Capacity building: Provide the necessary training to FSS partners on data collection & analysis.

Sub clusters: Follow up with focal persons on the ground to triangulate primary data sources (where/ when required) and to use their networks of local knowledge in understanding humanitarian events involving shocks, IDPs and returnees

Advocacy: Provide quality reports to the FSS that can form a solid foundation for possible advocacy documents.

Inter-sector/WGs: ensure inter-sectoral analysis, participation in relevant forum of Needs analysis, etc

situation in Myanmar, based on all Food Security evidence collected through the FSS partners

2 training programs: training for FSS partners on implementing FSS assessment covering the methodology of implementation of the field and remotely, tolls design, data base set-up, data collection, data analysis.

One end of contract report: outlining lessons learnt and recommendations to improve the overall purpose of the Food Security Analyst position in improving the quality of food security and livelihood assessments for more effective humanitarian response

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Experience conducting field work in emergency contexts especially in Myanmar or in country with similar challenges
• Advanced understanding of Excel and desirable, understanding of at least one statistics software, such as : SAS, SPSS, R (basic understanding) for provide food security analysis
• Develop practical expertise in food security analysis and mapping by participating in multiple assessments in countries, including the design, data collection and analysis.
• Demonstrated experience in creating Food Security Early Warning System
• Demonstrated skills in coordinating with external partners
• Skills in facilitating meetings, presentation, and create a collaborative environment among different stakeholders

STANDARD MINIMUM PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: Advanced University degree in Economics, Food Security, Statistics, Data Science, Public Health/Nutrition, Geography or other related field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.

5 years of experience working in international humanitarian and/ or development field including in collaboration with local actors

5 years of experience in designing and conducting quantitative and qualitative food security & livelihood assessments in developing countries

5 years or more of relevant and progressive experience in food security analysis including IPC

Language: Fluency (level C) in English language

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

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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