Programme Policy Officer (FSP contracting)

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encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, color, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information,

gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status, physical or mental disability.

Job Title: Programme Policy Officer (FSP contracting)

Type of Contract: Regular Consultant level II

Division: CBT / Cash-Based Transfers Division

Duty Station (City, Country): HQ Rome, Italy

Duration: 11 months renewable, based on needs performance

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food and cash assistance to change lives and empower people to meet their essential needs. WFP does this both through direct programming as well as by supporting governments on their national pathways toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in partnership with multiple stakeholders. WFP is the largest cash actor in the humanitarian community: WFP transferred over US$3.3 billion to 56 million people across 72 countries in 2022.

WFP endeavours to reach as many people in need as possible utilising available resources. This means making sure that assistance reaches intended people while preventing or detecting the possible divergence of entitlements (food and cash). WFP either collects personal data from people directly or receives data from partners to enrol people into assistance programmes, and then continually verifies people to make sure that assistance is reaching the right individuals and families.

The Cash-Based Transfers (CBT) division is actively supporting cash activities across the globe and in particular it is strengthening its capacity to support Country Offices (COs) in contracting Financial Service Providers (FSPs). The capacity aims at scaling up and diversifying the portfolio of solutions and players to deliver cash to the people in need and to support governments’ social protection efforts. The solutions are mostly sought in local financial markets, but also obtained through roll outs of WFP’s payment solutions, or obtaining services from non-traditional players, like cooperating partners acting as transfer agents and hawalas.

This diversification is driven by the priorities of the recently approved Cash Policy to use cash in emergencies, where appropriate, and to allow recipients to choose where to receive WFP’s and governments’ assistance. In the medium term the diversification and customer centricity of these efforts will contribute to efficiency gains for WFP, as it will foster competition among financial players in the markets and better customer service.

A small team in CBT in HQ, operating cross-functionally with units in finance, procurement and legal, supports CO’s activities to access financial services for the people we serve through quick resolution of challenges faced by COs throughout the FSP contracting process, escalating common challenges to decision-makers and normative groups and through guiding COs towards the most appropriate channel to obtain these services. The team is designing a service that will complement the standard support and that will allow COs in need to outsource the FSP process to a dedicated team.

The team is coordinating a series of cross-functional capacity building activities on FSP contracting and transfer mechanisms, especially digital payments, for self-paced learning of field staff, so that they can carry out the process with confidence and knowledge.

Lastly, the current emphasis placed by WFP on identity management, triggered by the diversion uncovered in Ethiopia, calls for strengthening the procedures attached to FSP contracts, in particular on how ID data flows to and from FSP systems. This requires strengthening procedures, based on corporate systems used by CBT, attached to the contracts, and the review of the templates.

Thus, the CBT division in HQ requires enhancing its capacity to support COs on transfer mechanism selection, FSP contracting, roll out of systems, while also leading or supporting corporate initiatives designed to simplify the process and guide COs on various activities, closely coordinating with HQ finance, procurement and legal units. The resource will be based in HQ, reporting to the CBT Special Projects lead, and will:

WFP is committed to an accessible, inclusive recruitment process. Please contact us at [email protected] to advise us of any disability related reasonable

accommodation or accessibility requests you may have. A member of the reasonable accommodation team will contact you to confidentially discuss your needs

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Take charge of specific aspects of designing and implement the Financial Service Provider (FSP) contracting service, in line with corporate guidance and principles of cost recovery for WFP country offices.
2. Lead the drafting of standard operating procedures and templates that feed into FSP contracts, based on CBT systems and procedures, to simplify the contracts.
3. Provide expertise, or coordinate with subject matter experts, to cross-functional capacity building activities, webinars and trainings, on programmatic and financial aspects of FSP contracting and digital payments.
4. Support COs, directly or through coordination with other units in HQ and RBx, on financial assessments, risk analyses, business processes and delegation of authorities, ensuring that COs are guided in line with cash policy priorities and the realities on the ground.
5. When possible, support partnership strengthening activities with government bodies and regulators in the area of financial inclusion.
6. Maintain a global view, and analyse needs, on FSP contracting, to support the COs in a preventative manner, augmenting RB work as needed.
7. Ensure all COs request are promptly and professionally addressed, in coordination with the cross-functional teams in HQ and RB as needed.
8. Contribute to corporate guidance to budget and programming activities for CBT in the field.
9. Perform the preparation and dissemination of timely analytical and critical reports, on publications, and a variety of information products or proposals for internal or external use on the subject matter.
10. Other duties as needed.

BEHAVIOUR STANDARDS:

• Build and maintain partnerships, through identification and promotion of mutual goals, and collaborating and coordinating other people’s activities to deliver common objectives.
• Has strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Stay calm under pressure. Demonstrate humility and willingness to learn.
• Drive results and relivers on commitments, for maximum impact, and adapting to change.
• Foster inclusion and collaboration, giving and taking constructive feedback.

DELIVERABLES:

1. Inputs for the formulation of corporate policy, tools, guidance and services completed, including on service provision, intersecting CBT, finance, procurement and legal expertise;
2. Technical support to COs provided promptly and professionally on FSP contracting, programme implementation in line with cash policy priorities, especially choice model and digital payments;
3. Capacity building programme completed.
4. Templates of procedures including data flows from corporate systems to and from FSP systems completed.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

University Degree in Business Administration, Finance/Accounting or another related field

Experience:

Five or more years of relevant work experience in the field, in CBT related areas, with specific experience in FSP contracting, digital payments and budget and programming.

Knowledge and Skills:

Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Data Analysis skills. Proficiency in corporate systems (WINGS and/or SCOPE) is advantageous.

Language:

Fluency (level C) in English. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language, especially Arabic or French or Spanish is a plus.

Terms and Conditions

WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP.

http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.

Deadline for applications: 12 February 2024

Ref.: VA No. 831450

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.