Programme Policy Officer (Crisis Response Coordination) CST II

Programme & Policy

Overview

Join WFP as Programme Policy Officer to aid crisis response coordination.

You have:

• Advanced University degree in Economics, International Development or Social Sciences or other relevant field.
• At least five (5) years of relevant experience in humanitarian work, including at the field level.
• At least one (1) year working in WFP is required.
• At least one (1) year of experience in Cash-based Transfers (CBT) design and implementation activities is required.
• Experience in drafting and developing humanitarian project proposals, donor proposals and drafting of donor/end of project reports, consolidating information from different sources.
• Experience in supporting coordination and relationship management with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills, as well as strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Fluency (level C) in English is required.

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NOTE: WFP DOES NOT SOLICIT FOR FEES OR ANY FORM OF PAYMENT FROM JOB APPLICANTS

WFP is looking for talented people who are committed to joining our efforts to eradicate hunger. It offers unlimited opportunities to grow your professionalism, talent, and expertise. Start your journey to be a member of the world-wide effort to eradicate hunger. WFP has a policy of affirmative action for women.

ABOUT WFP

United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) 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. In emergencies, WFP gets food to where it is needed, saving the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After an emergency, WFP uses food to help communities rebuild their lives. On average, WFP reaches more than 80 million people with food assistance in 80 countries each year. The organization has the global footprint, deep field presence and local knowledge and relationships necessary to provide access to food and contribute to lasting solutions, especially in many of the world’s most remote and fragile areas.

Brief description of WFP in Uganda

WFP delivers food assistance in emergencies and work with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. WFP provides life-saving food assistance and livelihood opportunities to refugees in Uganda. In addition, WFP assists the most vulnerable people in Karamoja with food and nutrition assistance. Finally, WFP works with smallholder farmers and links them to markets.

As Uganda strives to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030 and become a middle-income country by 2040, WFP is also assessing its relevance and repositioning its role in Uganda.

ARE YOU UP TO THE CHALLENGE?

We are seeking a qualified international consultant for the position of Programme Policy Officer (Crisis Response Coordination) CST II based in Kampala. The selected candidate will be employed on a Regular Consultancy Contract (11 months).

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT 1/2

Background

Uganda has a longstanding history of hosting refugees, with over 1.5 million refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and South Sudan. With more than 1.5 million refugees, the vast majority of whom are women and children, Uganda is home to the largest refugee population in Africa and the third largest globally. While the refugee influx has reduced in recent years, refugees from DRC and South Sudan continue fleeing to Uganda on a regular basis. WFP maintains an emergency response capacity to support the Government of Uganda in hosting refugees, addressing the causes of food insecurity and malnutrition, and strengthening social protection systems. As a landlocked, low-income country ranked 104 of 117 on the Global Hunger Index, Uganda continues to be categorized as having 'serious' levels of food insecurity in 2021.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Acute Food Insecurity analyses undertaken for 2020-21 in 13 refugee settlements across West Nile and Southwest regions, urban refugee-hosting areas, and northeast Karamoja region place 38 percent of the population in Stressed (IPC Phase 2) classification and 26 percent of the population in Crisis (IPC Phase 3 or above). Undernutrition remains high, and stunting affects 29 percent of children between 6-59 months in Uganda. Food insecurity intensified in 2021, due to the pandemic and climate change. COVID-19 restrictions reduced access to income that would otherwise be directed to purchase food, and unpredictable rainfalls diminished year-round food availability.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT 2/2

Background

Although Uganda has taken commendable strides in its progressive refugee policy, refugees continue to face major challenges in achieving food security. Refugees arrive with little or no assets and rely heavily on WFP for meeting basic food and nutrition needs. Even once established in a settlement, refugees struggle with major drivers of food insecurity including limited livelihood opportunities, limited access to land for sustainable agricultural activities and variable climatic conditions. In an effort to address the food security needs of refugees in Uganda, WFP is currently providing general food assistance (GFA) to over 1.3 million refugees registered in Uganda’s thirteen settlements and to new arrivals at transit/reception centres. In settlements where WFP uses both transfer modalities, refugees can choose whether to receive their food assistance by a cash or in-kind food transfer. The percentage of refugees receiving CBT has been gradually on the increase from 21 percent (2018), 37 percent (2019), 52 percent (2020) to the current 55 percent (2021). WFP aims to support the Government of Uganda (GoU) to make the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) a success by moving from Pillar 2 (Emergence Response) to Pillar 3 (Resilience and Self-reliance of refugees and the host population) of the CRRF. One of WFP’s key priorities in 2022 is to leverage crisis response activities (with cash-based programming in particular) to contribute to self-reliance and resilience of refugee communities.

PURPOSE 1/2

Purpose

Under Strategic Outcome 1 (SO1) of WFP’s Country Strategic Plan (CSP) in Uganda, WFP contributes to improving access to food, aiming to ensure that crisis-affected people consume an adequate and nutritious diet in times of need. The Crisis Response Unit in WFP Uganda Country Office (UGCO) is responsible for the coordination of activities falling under SO1, and as such, for the preparation and response coordination of current and future emergencies in Uganda. This is primarily done through a combination of workstreams, which are designed to:

• Reinforce WFP’s ability to identify and monitor contextual and operational risks and conduct early warning and analysis
• Steer and support the preparedness and operational readiness of the organization in Uganda;
• Develop a common operational picture to inform decision making and field-focused support;
• Ensure a coordinated and cohesive response coordination with all internal and external stakeholders;
• Provide surge capacity by deploying in support of Field and Area Offices;
• Strengthen strategic partnerships.

PURPOSE 2/2

At the same time, Crisis Response Unit represents WFP UGCO in various interagency coordination fora (e.g. Interagency Coordination Group, Refugee Humanitarian Partners Group) that are an integral part of the Uganda Refugee Response Plan (RRP), while leading the Food Security Sector Coordination Group and the Cash Working Group. In 2022, WFP Uganda is planning to implement a number of activities in support of an enhanced food assistance design to refugees, including: 1. Roll-out of a household-level prioritization scheme for General Food Assistance (GFA), providing different levels and types of assistance, based on varying degrees and types of vulnerability. 2. Increased use of cash-based food assistance through Agent Banking and Mobile Money. 3. Introduction and roll out a digital Beneficiary Information & Assistance Management System (BIAMS). 4. Continued roll-out of (digital) financial literacy trainings and continued development of financial service ecosystems in refugee hosting districts, backed through systematic evidence generation. 5. Review of Multiyear Strategic Partnership Approach: documentation of Cooperating Partners’ best practices to promote self-reliance, resilience and livelihoods of refugees. 6. Piloting of a food systems approach to nutrition programming (MCHN+). In addition to the above workstreams, Crisis Response Unit will lead on the timely design and coordination of an integrated Lean Season response in the Karamoja region, if necessary

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (1/3)

Under the supervision of the Head of Crisis Response Unit (SO1 Outcome Manager), the incumbent will be responsible for coordinating the implementation of emergency preparedness and response in relation to the food and nutrition related needs of refugees and other vulnerable populations, who are adversely affected by displacement, food insecurity and disruption to livelihoods. The incumbent will be responsible to provide technical advice and oversight of the deep field component of the emergency response and to contribute to the strategic evolution of the country office’s overall emergency response under the CSP. The specific responsibilities of the candidate are as follows:

• Lead the internal coordination of the UGCO Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) task force with work streams to support i) contingency planning ii) capacity strengthening and iii) EPRP tracking, in coordination with relevant Country Office units.
• Support operational and technical coordination of response activities at inter-agency level, with government stakeholders, NGO partners and other stakeholders and act as the focal point with other agencies engaged in contingency planning processes, ensuring a collective and inter-sector response (food assistance, livelihoods, nutrition, shelter, WASH, etc.), where possible.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (2/3)

• Coordinate with the Nutrition, VAM and M&E sections of the Programme Unit to monitor the evolution of needs of refugees and other vulnerable populations in Uganda and develop appropriate and flexible response plans to the evolving needs.
• Lead the technical revision and implementation of revised Food Assistance Collection procedures with the Government of Uganda and UNHCR, including the review of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and the respective capacity building and communication campaigns in the settlements.
• Support the development of an OPM-UNHCR-WFP tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through support in establishing a steering committee as per internal audit recommendations.
• In close collaboration with WFP Technology Unit (TEC), co-lead the roll-out of a digital Beneficiary Information & Assistance Management System (BIAMS), including through coordination with UNHCR on centralized data access.
• Support the coordinated roll-out of a household-level prioritization scheme for General Food Assistance (GFA), providing different levels and types of assistance, based on varying degrees and types of vulnerability.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (3/3)

• Manage accurate and timely emergency information and reporting to enable informed decision-making and consistency of information presented to a wide range of stakeholders including briefings notes, talking points and presentations.
• Support work on partnership cycle management (partner selection, oversight, reporting and assessment), building quality cooperating partnerships.
• Support the regular development of Decision Memorandums and other documentation required for accountability purposes.
• Provide field-level support for other WFP operations (e.g. MCHN+), including activity design, implementation, monitoring as well as budget management.
• Support programme and policy issues including assessment and analysis, the choice of objectives, activities, transfer modalities.
• Provide guidance and support related to the programme business process management (budget revisions, internal advance requests, others).
• Identify, recruit, and train the new generation of emergency officers (through recruitments, simulations, mentorships and other workforce development initiatives); and engage in dedicated personal learning opportunities as required

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Advanced University degree in Economics, International Development or Social Sciences or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.
• At least five (5) years of relevant experience in humanitarian work, including at the field level.
• At least one (1) year working in WFP is required.
• At least one (1) year of experience in Cash-based Transfers (CBT) design and implementation activities is required.
• Experience in drafting and developing humanitarian project proposals, donor proposals and drafting of donor/end of project reports, consolidating information from different sources.
• Experience in supporting coordination and relationship management with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills, as well as strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Fluency (level C) in English is required.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

18 March 2022

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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