Programme Policy Officer- Emergency Preparedness SC 9

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WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.

ABOUT WFP

We are the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide and the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate****. Our mission is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every single day, we work worldwide to make sure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable can access the nutritious food they need.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Experience: Advanced University degree in International Affairs, Economics, Nutrition/Health, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences or other field relevant to international development assistance with at least 3 years of related work experience, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

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

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Following Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, WFP launched the Office for Caribbean Emergency Preparedness & Response in Barbados (WFP Caribbean) in 2018. WFP Caribbean office works closely with CDEMA and its participating states to enhance emergency preparedness, while also maintaining WFP’s operational readiness to respond to such events in support of CDEMA and governments. WFP Caribbean has a combination of features that distinguish it from other WFP offices globally. The office covers multiple states (22 countries and territories), and the office’s primary work is on capacity-strengthening. The main partner of WFP is CDEMA.

To date, capacity strengthening has focused on two primary areas. The first is creating linkages between social protection and disaster risk management, broadly referred to “shock-responsive social protection”. There are several instances in the Caribbean of social protection programmes – or the systems and institutions underpinning them –playing a direct role in emergency and recovery efforts. A common thread of these experiences is that the social protection programmes and systems were adapted to play these roles after a disaster or shock. A key objective of WFP Caribbean is to strengthen the capacities of governments ahead of shocks to respond through social protection systems and programmes. This has been accelerated as a result of COVID-19, and WFP is prioritizing supporting governments in their use of social protection in response to the COVID-19.

The other primary focus on the office is supporting the end-to-end management of relief supply chains and improving telecommunications, coordination and response. WFP seeks to use and transfer its operational expertise in food security programming, logistics and emergency telecommunications to regional and national authorities, with a strong focus on building CDEMA’s capacities. WFP has undertaken end to end supply chain trainings, provided logistics equipment to CDEMA and prepositioned emergency response kits in the four sub-regional focal point countries (SRFPs) under the management of CDEMA, supported logistics staff and is working with CDEMA to build a smart supply chain management system digitally. These efforts emphasize the role of CDEMA’s sub-regional focal point countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago). When WFP support is required during emergencies, WFP supports CDEMA and regional national disaster offices in the SRFPs and Participating States and works closely with them, providing assistance as needed on logistics, assessments, food assistance, cash transfers and other relevant areas as needed. Two additional areas of WFP Caribbean’s work are cross-cutting – vulnerability analysis and disaster risk financing.

JOB PURPOSE

WFP’s work on supply chain and shock-responsive social protection have natural linkages, since social protection is one instrument for assisting people in need, and both emphasize the crucial importance of emergency preparedness in order to promote effective response. This position will bridge both the shock-responsive social protection and supply chain areas with an overall focus on emergency preparedness. The role will include supporting WFP’s capacity-strengthening and preparedness efforts with CDEMA and Participating States, identifying opportunities to strengthen engagement, monitoring progress on activities, flagging potential bottlenecks and facilitating linkages and synergies between different areas of support (on supply chain, shock responsive social protection, vulnerability analysis). It will include supporting trainings through planning, managing participants, facilitation/presentation of some sessions and reporting on outcomes (in collaboration with other team members). Other engagement will be with UN partners and structures on emergency preparedness, including inputting into strategies and participating in meetings. Finally it will include being part of emergency operations as needed, if WFP is requested to respond to an emergency.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

1. Contribute towards the development of a wide variety of projects, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance.
   2. Provide project management support to specific and defined programmes and projects of considerable size/complexity, ensuring a coordinated approach with wider programmes that complies with WFP standards and procedures.
   3. Develop and coordinate data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained.
   4. Research and analyse a range of policy and operational issues to inform the development of policies, programmes and activities.
   5. Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on programmes and activities that enable informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
   6. Liaise with internal and external counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects and highlight potential risks to project delivery.
   7. Support the identification, development and management of potential partnerships to collaborative working leading to improved food assistance packages.
   8. Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to prepare for and respond to food assistance needs, e.g. through providing inputs into training materials.
   9. Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with analysis and queries.
   10. Other as required.

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Understands WFP’s Strategic Objectives and the link to own work objectives.
• Be a force for positive change: Flexibly adapts individual contributions to accommodate changes in direction from supervisors and internal/external changes (such as evolving needs of beneficiaries, new requirements of partners).
• Make the mission inspiring to our team: Recognizes and shares with team members the ways in which individual contributions relate to WFP’s mission.
• Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Sets own goals in alignment with WFP’s overall operations, and is able to communicate this link to others.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people's skills: Assesses own strengths and weaknesses to increase self-awareness, and includes these in conversations on own developmental needs.
• Create an inclusive culture: Participates in open dialogue, and values the diverse opinion of others, regardless of background, culture, experience, or country assignment.
• Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Proactively seeks feedback and coaching to build confidence, and develop and improve individual skills.
• Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Participates in accomplishing team activities and goals in the face of challenging circumstances.

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Shows willingness to explore and experiment with new ideas and approaches in own work.
• Focus on getting results: Consistently delivers results within individual scope of work on time, on budget and without errors.
• Make commitments and make good on commitments: Commits to upholding individual accountabilities and responsibilities in the face of ever-changing country or functional priorities.
• Be Decisive: Makes rational decisions about individual activities when faced with uncertain circumstances, including in times of ambiguity regarding information or manager direction.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units: Seeks to understand and adapt to internal or cross-unit teams’ priorities and preferred working styles.
• Build strong external partnerships: Demonstrates ability to understand and appropriately respond to and/or escalate needs of external partners.
• Be politically agile & adaptable: Portrays an informed and professional demeanor toward internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Provides operational support on analyses and assessments that quantifies and demonstrates WFP’s unique value as a partner.

FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES

Capability Name Description of the behaviour expected for the proficiency level Programme Lifecycle & Food Assistance Displays ability to identify the main hunger problem at the national or subnational level to design and implement context-specific programmes that integrate complex analysis and the full range of food assistance tools. Transfer Modalities (Food, Cash, Voucher) Demonstrates ability to analyse and consolidate quantitative and qualitative information from different sources (e.g., market studies) to inform transfer modality selection and programme development. Broad Knowledge of Specialized areas (i.e. Nutrition, VAM, etc.) Demonstrates the ability to interpret basic data in the context of WFP specialised fields to contribute to technical programme design, implementation and monitoring. Emergency Programming Displays ability to translate understanding of programme principles in emergencies and protracted conflict situations into relevant, effective, and context specific approaches. Strategic Policy Engagement w/ Government Develops thorough recommendations using multiple inputs (e.g., government counsel, research, own experience) to strengthen national or subnational entities and government owned food and nutrition security programmes.

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Experience contributing to regional disaster response guidance in the Caribbean
• Experience developing and contributing to UN risk preparedness and response strategies
• Strong training/facilitation skills
• Project management experience
• Experience preparing proposals, project reports and tracking progress towards project outcomes related to emergency preparedness
• On-the-ground experience supporting responses to disasters or other shocks (e.g. COVID-19)
• Experience working with governments in their efforts to prepared for and response to disasters in the Caribbean
• Familiarity with making contributions to advocacy pieces, reports, briefing notes and communications products related to emergency preparedness and response
• Experience working within CDEMA and CARICOM institutions
• Previous work experience with the World Food Programme is an asset

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Has deepened technical knowledge through exposure to technical teams. • Has taken leadership of implementing programmes. • Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• Please note that applications received after the deadline will not be considered and only short-listed quaified candidated will receive an acknowledgement.
• Only open to citizens of Barbados or CARICOM Member States: Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Haiti, Montserrat, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent $ the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago.
• The selected candidate will be employed on a Service Contract (SC6) that does not carry and expectancy of renewal.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

13 April 2021

Please note that we review applications on a continuous basis, which is why we encourage you to send your applications as soon as possible.

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Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

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.