Internship - Supply Chain Food Systems & Country Capacity Strengthening, Supply Chain Div, Rome

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Internship – Supply Chain Food Systems & Country Capacity Strengthening

Supply Chain Operations Division (SCO)

Rome, Italy

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. We are currently seeking to fill an intern position in the Supply Chain Food Systems & Country Capacity Strengthening team in the Strategic Engagement Unit (SCOE) of the Supply Chain Operations Division (SCO). This position is based in Rome, Italy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DIVISION/GENERAL INFORMATION

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), as the world’s largest humanitarian agency, is well known for its ability to deliver food assistance rapidly to people in need. Historically, WFP has implemented this assistance directly. In some country contexts, this ‘doing for’ approach (through capacity substitution or capacity augmentation) continues to remain relevant. Increasingly, however, many national governments/partners are aware that strong and sustained national capacities are critical to addressing the multiple causes of hunger and are striving for self- sufficiency in delivering assistance to their population. Here, WFP’s ‘value-added’ is in the ‘enabling of’ governments through capacity strengthening, leveraging WFP’s extensive global operational and technical experience in food and other supply chain systems to strengthen national level supply chain systems. WFP’s framework for capacity strengthening recognises that without supportive laws, policies, strategies and procedures (enabling environment), well-functioning organizations (organizational domain), and educated, skilled people (individual domain) state and non-state duty bearers cannot effectively plan, implement and review their efforts to deliver intended products and services to their target groups. Effective capacity strengthening must therefore address all three domains, recognising the interdependencies between them. Applying this holistic and systems-strengthening approach to its interventions, WFP supports stakeholder capacities along five critical pathways: (i) Policies and legislation; (ii) Institutional effectiveness and accountability; (iii) Strategic planning and financing; (iv) Stakeholder programme design, delivery and M&E; and (v) Engagement and participation of communities, civil society and private sector. WFP’s Supply Chain capacity strengthening efforts notionally span ten areas of engagement (National safety net implementation (SC aspects); Increased access, availability and distribution of safe, nutritious, diverse, and more economically viable commodities; Small-holder farmer access to markets; Value chains analysis (SC perspective); Food safety and quality assurance systems; National production capacity of fortified and nutritious foods; and Private-sector supply chains for availability of essential commodities; National emergency preparedness and response (SC perspective); National logistics clusters/working groups; and Improved health supply chain systems).

• Title of Post: Internship
• Supervisor: Head and Deputy Head of Food Systems & CCS Team
• Unit: SCOE, Strategic Engagement Unit
• Country: Italy
• Duty Station: Rome
• Duration of internship: 6 months
• Expected Start Date: October 2023

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct desk research in support of longer-term supply chain projects and provide summaries and/or analysis;
• Assist with information management activities;
• Support the WFP Supply Chain Country Capacity knowledge management platform;
• Assist with the preparation of documents including presentation material and briefing packs in support of SCOE activities and field operations;
• Support in preparation and development of material as part of training programmes and deployments;
• Take and keep notes and meeting minutes as needed; and perform other duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate programme from a recognized university OR recently graduated from an undergraduate or graduate programme (within six months prior to the application to the internship programme) from a recognized university;
• University course attendance in the past 12 months.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS****:

• Proficient in MS Office package, particularly in Microsoft Excel.
• Having demonstrated ability in supply chain, food systems and logistics performance analysis is an advantage.

WORKING LANGUAGES

Excellent written and spoken English is required (proficiency/level C).

Intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, French, Chinese, Russian and Spanish) or Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages) is desirable.

SUPERVISION

Under the direct supervision of Head and Deputy Head of Food Systems & CCS Team.

TRAINING COMPONENTS

Throughout their assignment WFP interns have access to an industry leading learning platform, weLearn. Depending on opportunities and availability of funds, he/she may participate in WFP workshops or seminars, as appropriate.

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

VA Reference no: 829342

Closing Date: 20 September 2023 at 11:59pm Rome time

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

• Interns receive a monthly stipend from WFP up to the maximum amount of US$1000 per month depending on the duty station of assignment.
• WFP is not responsible for living expenses, arrangements for accommodation, necessary visas and related costs.
• WFP will reimburse travel ticket for candidates who are nationals of developing countries and are pursuing their studies in their home country.
• WFP will recognize candidates’ educational credentials from recognised institutions that have been certified by competent international or national authorities such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) or Ministries of Education.
• Candidates who bear any of the following relations to WFP staff members are not eligible to apply: sons, daughters, brothers or sisters.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

These are the common standards of behaviour that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Different expectations of behaviour are defined depending on your grade and role/responsibilities within WFP.

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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