Programme Policy Officer (Food Systems), NOA

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WFP encourages female candidates and people with disabilities to apply.

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles. Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis. We are committed to promoting diversity and the principle of equal employment opportunity for all our employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of religion or belief, ethnic or social background, gender, gender identity and disability.

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, 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 RELATED KEY INFORMATION

Job Title: Programme Policy Officer (Food Systems), NOA

Grade: NOA

Type of Contract: Fixed Term

Duration: 1 Year

Duty Station: Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Vacancy Number: 678989

Date of Publication: 23 March 2023

Deadline of Application: 6 April 2023

This vacancy announcement is for Nationals of Tajikistan

Terms and Conditions: WFP offers a competitive benefits package including salary, pension, leave plus a medical insurance.

BACKGROUND

Despite positive economic growth and progress in poverty reduction, Tajikistan is still facing a challenging food security and nutrition situation. Recent socioeconomic challenges compounded by population growth have contributed to the reclassification of the country as low-income in 2018 while the COVID pandemic and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has further increased household vulnerability. Malnutrition rates remain the highest in Central Asia, and the number of undernourished has remained stagnant. Tajikistan faces different environmental challenges, including environmental and soil degradation and poor natural resource management. Additionally, Tajikistan is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which has further exacerbated food security and livelihoods of vulnerable communities. Given the above, the government has identified food security and access to quality nutrition as one of its development priorities.

In tandem with the new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) covering 2023-2026, WFP is currently operating under the Tajikistan Country Strategic Plan (CSP) of the same duration. By means of the CSP, WFP is undertaking a strategic shift from direct implementation to enabling and strengthening capacities of national and sub-national institutions to deliver on their food security and nutrition priorities. WFP activities support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The geographic scope of WFP Tajikistan operations encompasses the entirety of the country. In addition to the country office in Dushanbe, WFP has field offices located in Bokhtar, Gharm, Khorog, and Khujand to oversee operations in those specific regions.

WFP intends to scale-up its climate change adaptation and resilience building (CCARB) portfolio by broadening its reach to include more food-insecure and vulnerable populations in urban and rural areas with improved climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive agri-food value chains. This will be achieved through an integrated, participatory approach that includes the provision of climate information services, capacity strengthening, food systems and value chain development, sustainable natural resources management, climate-resilient agriculture and forestry, and ecosystem-based approaches. Collaborating with smallholder farmers and leading innovative endeavours to combatting hunger through innovative methodologies and technological solutions that respect local traditions and knowledge will be central to the new approach. By integrating a nutritious food systems approach, WFP targets all elements and activities from production to consumption of healthy food, and their effects, including economic, nutritious, and environmental.

WFP also prioritizes linkages between its resilience building work with emergency planning and response (EPR), including disaster risk reduction and mitigation and responses to socioeconomic crises. The CCARB portfolio also includes shock responsive social protection and building back better through applying the principles of the triple nexus (i.e., the humanitarian, development, peace nexus) and concentrating on early warning.

JOB PURPOSE

The above-described initiatives require enhanced capacity at the country office level and strong coordination with internal and external stakeholders. The National Officer, Food Systems, will lead the overall management and implementation of farm-to-fork projects and capacity development for WFP Tajikistan and serve as main liaison to the EPR team in relation to shock responsive social protection and building back better.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Working within the CCARB team, reporting directly to the CCARB Coordinator / activity manager and under the general guidance of the head of programme, the incumbent is expected to perform the following duties:

Nutritious Food Systems Management • Develop a strategy/implementation plan and standard operating procedures, monitoring and reporting formats, and other guidance documents for WFP innovative nutritious food systems programming; • Coordinate effective and efficient nutritious food systems activities through integration of new technologies, using sustainable and ecological approaches, and maximizing locally available materials; • Research, develop, and diversify nutritious food systems programming through sourcing and obtaining alternative funding streams, including through initiation of concept notes and proposals; • Provide support to the field offices and cooperating partners to assist in initiating projects and ensure compliance with agreements and contracts, travelling to the field as necessary; • Support the capacity building of WFP country office and field staff, partners, and government counterparts as relates to nutritious food systems and resilience building, travelling to the field as necessary; • Ensure financial and narrative reports from cooperating partners follow WFP guidelines and transfers to beneficiaries are conducted in a timely manner; • Initiate, design, and develop socioeconomic assessments and desk reviews relating to nutritious food systems, training relevant stakeholders on methodologies as required, and presenting outcomes and recommendations for adjusted or future programming; • Provide direct supervisory support to junior staff and serve as direct liaison for external technical staff or outsourced service providers supporting the nutritious food systems portfolio; • Within programme unit, serve as main liaison from the CCARB team to the EPR team, providing direct support and leadership on all projects incorporating the triple nexus approach and to build back better; • Serve as main liaison to interagency efforts on food systems and shock responsive social protection; • Support as required all other initiatives within the CCARB portfolio, including the management of the Green Climate Fund project;

Cross-cutting • Support the implementation of the WFP Tajikistan CSP through ensuring cross-cutting efforts such as nutrition-sensitivity, gender and diversity inclusion, protection and accountability, and capacity development, are integrated throughout the portfolio and to ensure equal participation and consideration of women and men, boys and girls, and people living with specific needs and/or disabilities; • Perform all duties and functions of an officer as relevant to internal WFP processes and procedures in accordance with all deadlines (e.g., potential partner proposals, field level agreements, service provision processes and contracts; invoice/transfers clearances; corporate systems such as WINGS/COMET/SCOPE; expenditure planning and reporting; monthly deliverables such as mission plans, country brief inputs and bank forecast inputs; responding to official letters requesting support or information; serving as hiring manager; etc.); • Support in the development of and ensure proper use of a structured information management and archival system for the CCARB team, which links to the greater programme unit and country office systems; • Any other business

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum one year of relevant professional experience with Advanced university degree (Doctorate or Master) in integrated analysis of food systems, livelihoods and programme implementation. Additional years of relevant professional experience and/or training courses are required with First university degree (Bachelor); • Knowledge of food systems policy and programming and multistakeholder processes; • Experience in the analysis and formulation of food security and nutrition policies and programmes for sustainable improvement in agricultural sectors; • Experience in working with government agencies on development projects; • Experience with community-based participatory planning approaches; • Experience in working within social protection schemes, especially integration or assessment of shock responsiveness.

EDUCATION:

• Advanced university degree in agriculture, environmental science, social sciences or other field relevant to agricultural development assistance, or first university degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses; • Strong analytical skills and ability to prepare publications, technical reports and other relevant materials, especially as relates to nutrition-sensitive food system issues; • Strong knowledge of global and regional agricultural landscapes and value chains; • Behavioural competencies such as action management, client orientation, cognitive capacity, innovation, partnering and teamwork.

LANGUAGE:

• Required fluency (level C) in oral and written English • Required fluency (level C) in oral and written Tajik or Russian

TRAVEL: Will travel extensively and regularly throughout the country to remote and sometimes difficult to reach project locations with potentially minimal services.

APPLICATION PROCESS

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.

Request for Disability related Reasonable Accommodations:

It is important to WFP to create an accessible and inclusive workplace for everyone. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection and hiring process, please direct your request and inquiries to the Diversity and Inclusion team on: [email protected], cc’ing [email protected]. A member of the reasonable accommodation team will contact you to confidentially discuss your needs.

This email is only to be used for any disability related accessibility requirements, and not for sending the application itself. Due to volume of applications, any applications or CVs sent through this email address will not be considered as a formal application and will not receive a reply from WFP.

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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