Programme Assistant SC5

The 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.

JOB TITLE:

Programme Assistant

TYPE OF CONTRACT:

Service Contract (SC5)

Six months full-time, with possibility for extension, funding permitting

UNIT/DIVISION:

Programme

DUTY STATION (City, Country):

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

BACKGROUND

Currently designing the next 5-year-plan, WFP contributes to the objectives of the UNDAF/UN Cooperation Framework and the work of the United Nations in the Kyrgyz Republic with its current Country Strategic Plan for 2018–2022, which focuses on five Strategic Outcomes:

1. Providing hot school meals for primary school-aged children (SO1);
2. Supporting vulnerable and food insecure smallholders to enhance their livelihoods (SO2);
3. Strengthening resilience to shocks and climate change for vulnerable communities (SO3);
4. Capacity-strengthening of government institutions for a comprehensive food security and nutrition management system (SO4);
5. Emergency support and early recovery (SO5).

WFP’s activities, including school meals and preventive, shock-responsive and promotive social protection measures in support of the vulnerable households, aim at ensuring that vulnerable populations meet their essential needs and at improving food security and nutrition in the country. With the ambition to leverage schools as platforms for healthy diets and to address all forms of malnutrition, increasing linkages between WFP programme lines are being established and new public-private partnerships built (farm-to-school approach and similar).

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

To perform specialized and/or standardized policy and programme-related processes and activities to support the effective delivery of WFP’s nutrition-sensitive social protection programmes.

Supervision received: The assistant will be directly supervised by the Outcome Manager for School Meals, may support other Outcome Managers, and will receive support from the Head of Programme when working on cross-cutting subject matters.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive):

1. Perform specialized and/or standardised processes and activities as regards WFP’s work leveraging schools as platforms for a healthy diet, supporting alignment with wider social protection and livelihood programmes and related policies and guidelines.
2. Provide project management and/or general office support following established targets and WFP’s policies and procedures. Project tasks include but are not limited to:
   1. Supporting enhancements to the M&E arrangements for evidence-based programme delivery.
   2. Supporting assessments, incl. in the area of procurement, food safety or post-harvest loss reduction.
   3. Supporting capacity building of key staff/external partners and other relevant stakeholders in aspects of M&E, data analysis and results monitoring.
   4. Supporting design and implementation of social behaviour change communication strategies.
3. Within the specific area of responsibility, compile data and support analysis and preparation of reports in order to support operational decision-making for nutrition-sensitive programmes.
4. Perform accurate, timely recording of data within the specific technical area of work (e.g. food security and vulnerability assessments) following corporate standards and guidelines.
5. Work and exchange information with internal counterparts to support effective collaboration, implementation and monitoring of ongoing project activities.
6. Support communication and activities with local partners, agencies, NGOs and government institutions.
7. Support WFP strong presence in relevant policy discussions through minutes-taking, meeting coordination and translation support.
8. Act as a point of contact for resolution of general operational queries requesting assistance as necessary.
9. Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to ensure WFP is able to quickly respond and deploy needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis.
10. Other as required.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE:

• Has facilitated communication with technical teams (i.e. nutrition, VAM, but also supply chain experts).

• Has contributed to implementation of programmes, especially with M&E and quality assurance tasks.

• Has observed or assisted with policy discussions.

Functional Capabilities (Knowledge & Skills):

• Understands basic technical concepts and data and their relevance to nutrition-sensitive social protection programmes, achievement of food safety and quality standards in value chains and other types of WFP programmes.

• Understands how behaviour change communications strategies are applied to address the triple burden of malnutrition, incl. M&E for measuring results.

• Understands and applies basic principles of engagement with government counterparts at the national or local level.

• Displays capacity to provide inputs into the development, implementation and realignment of high-quality nutrition programmes.

Education: Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in the related functional area. Training (incl. at university) in programme management, monitoring and evaluation or data analysis, esp. in the areas of food security, nutrition, social protection, agriculture, is considered an advantage.

Language: Fluency (level C) in both oral and written communication in English and in the duty station’s languages (Russian and Kyrgyz).

TALENTED WOMEN ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

We look for applicants with the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian values. We commit to promote diversity, gender parity and equality between men and women.

WFP is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organisation.

WFP strives to build a work environment that is safe and respectful, and free of sexual harassment and abuse of authority. We believe in open communication, and every individual at WFP is treated with respect regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, religious and political beliefs, etc.

Closing date: 5 July 2022

This position is open ONLY to Kyrgyz citizens or those authorized to live and work in the Kyrgyz Republic according to national regulations. Applicants who do not meet this criterion will not be considered for this position.

WFP does not charge any fees at any stage of its recruitment process.

Only candidates who are short-listed will be contacted.