Programme Policy Officer (Data and Innovation), SC10, Nairobi

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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 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. 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.

BACKGROUND OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF Kenya 2022 – 2026 has prioritized four target groups who are at risk of being left behind: women and girls; children and youth, people living in urban informal settlements and people living in North-Eastern Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs). Mandera, Wajir and Garissa counties, key borderland counties within the ASALs, face multiple and interlinked socio-economic factors coupled with inter/intra clan conflicts and security challenges and compounded by longstanding marginalization and exclusion.

The UN Kenya and the Office of the Deputy President are implementing a two-year project, on Promoting Peace and Inclusive Development in Borderlands Counties in North-Eastern Kenya, targeting Mandera, Wajir and Garissa counties. The project will be jointly implemented by the UNDP, the WFP, the OHCHR and the Peace and Development Advisor in the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office.

The project will showcase a consultative and inclusive model involving national and county governments, civil society, communities, development partners and other stakeholders to collaboratively shape peace, human security and sustainable development initiatives that subsequently address the structural causes of conflicts in the target counties. The focus will be on inclusive governance, strengthening social accountability mechanisms at the local level, building trust between communities and security forces actors through Civil- Military Cooperation (CIMIC) and the implementation of micro ‘peace dividends’ livelihood projects. Further, the project will enhance collaboration, coordination and inclusivity amongst actors implementing projects under the larger North and Northeastern Development Initiative. Improved coordination of these initiatives will contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) Kenya 2022 – 2026 and strengthen avenues for meaningful participation of the communities in their planning and implementation to enhance Northeast Kenya’s development, prosperity, and long-term stability. The project is set to be catalytic, piloting a transformative model for community engagement and participation in human security and development initiatives and processes, thereby enhancing their effectiveness and sustainability. If this model is proven successful through this project, it can be scaled up through the interventions and investments of development partners deployed in borderland areas of Kenya.

JOB PURPOSE

Under the guidance of the PBF Project Manager, the Data and Innovations Specialist will work closely with the Recipient UN Organizations (RUNO), collaborating partners at the national and county levels, the Northeast Advisory Group and relevant coordination mechanisms to identify collaborative pathways for the collection, organization, interpretation, and summarizing data. They will also provide technical advice to ensure quality and impact of data and innovation projects in North-Eastern Kenya as well as provide advanced on-demand data analytics and data visualizations to support contextual analyses and decision-making, and to enable data-driven project planning, implementation, monitoring, and communication of results. The Data Innovation Specialist will work closely with the Knowledge Management and Communications Officer (KMCO) to explore ways in which data from the project can be utilized to inform advocacy and decision making.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

1. Technical advice to ensure quality and impact of data and innovation projects in North-Eastern Kenya

2. Technical support and quality control for the development of a new digital data platform that provides a one-stop portal to consolidate key information about all ongoing activities (state and non-state actors) related to the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus in target counties in North-Eastern Kenya.

3. Work with RUNO on Capacity building and technical support to enable the effective use of digital platforms and data analytics by national and county government partners to improve coordination of development and peacebuilding activities in North-Eastern Kenya.
4. Build county level data dashboards to enable county governments to understand who is doing what, and to enhance data informed decision making.
5. Provide technical support for testing the usefulness of advanced predictive analytics tools to forecast political violence with focus on translating and facilitating communication between international academic project partners and government stakeholders.
6. Design and implementation of MoUs between county governments and civil society in target counties to facilitate improved data sharing and better coordination of development and peacebuilding activities.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (cont.)

1. Establish and maintain platforms of information exchange between national and county level actors including the Office of the Deputy President, the North East Advisory Group, County level actors amongst others
2. Technical support for social media monitoring and digital peacebuilding.
3. Ensure that project implementation strategies consider societal risks and opportunities associated with digital innovations.
4. Establish and oversee relevant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for data and innovation workstreams to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability.
5. Support policy advisory services that contribute to inclusive use of digital innovations

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (cont.)

​​​​​​​B. Provide advanced on-demand data analytics and data visualizations to support contextual analyses and decision-making, and to enable data-driven project planning, implementation, monitoring, and communication of results.

1. Support the conceptualization, development, technical implementation, and maintenance of digital data platforms for information sharing amongst project stakeholders in North-Eastern Kenya.
2. Develop and maintain a structured collection of relevant data to support knowledge management and information sharing amongst project stakeholders.
3. Working closely with the KMCO, produce tailored data analysis and data visualizations, including geospatial analysis, to support project activities and provide background for decision-making and planning (using, e.g., MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, Tableau, Power BI, QGIS).
4. Technical advice in development, implementation, and use of digital peacebuilding tools (e.g., social media).
5. Conduct contextual analyses and situational monitoring based on synthesis and interpretation of qualitative and quantitative data (e.g., as input for talking points and decision-support).
6. Ensure the effective use of data in project implementation, across the data lifecycle, and support ensuring effective monitoring, evaluation and learning on project impact.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (cont.)

1. Conduct a survey to gain a comprehensive understanding of the data and innovation landscape and stakeholder linkages in Northeastern Kenya highlighting a detailed plan and entry points in line with project priorities.
2. Identify data needs of a diverse set of project stakeholders, including national and county governments, civil society, private sector, and international donors.
3. Establish/strengthen inclusive data/information collection, sharing and management systems at county and national levels, with a focus on leave no one behind (LNOB) groups, to collect, analyze and manage the county specific disaggregated data.
4. Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks, communities of practice, and digital knowledge platforms.
5. Translate results obtained from digital innovations, data analytics and futures approaches to actionable options for early response activities, including through the use and localization of foresight and forecasting methods in target counties in NE Kenya.
6. Technical support for capacity building workshops on data and innovation in target counties in North-Eastern Kenya.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Five (5) years post graduate (master's degree or equivalent) in Data Science, Information Management, Research, or related field, OR A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional seven (7) years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Experience in handling both qualitative and quantitative data (e.g., collecting, cleaning, visualizing, interpreting)
• Data analysis & visualization with MS Excel and MS PowerPoint
• Data analytics and visualization with Business Intelligence Tools like Tableau or MS Power BI
• Geospatial data analytics (e.g., modelling, mapping with GIS software like QGIS, ArcGIS)

Language: Fluency (level C) in English language and the duty station’s language, if different.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (cont.)

Knowledge & Skills

• Computer programming/coding skills (e.g., Python)
• Data management techniques (e.g., SQL)
• Futures approaches (e.g., foresight, scenario building, forecasting)
• Open-Source Intelligence tools & techniques (e.g., social media monitoring, data fusion)
• Basic graphic design (e.g., Adobe Products, InkScape)
• Basic Web Design (e.g., WordPress)
• Capacity and willingness to quickly learn key concepts of new digital tools (e.g., forecasting political violence using machine learning) and evaluate their usefulness in practical context of development and peacebuilding.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• 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

The deadline for application is 23:59 pm East Africa Time on 24 October 2023.

CONTRACT DETAILS

Type of contract: Service Contract, Level SC10

Duty station (City, Country): Nairobi, Kenya

Duration: 12 Months (with possibility of extension)

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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.