Programme Policy Officer (Innovation and Special Projects Officer) P4, Botswana

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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

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to end global hunger. 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 shattered lives. Present in nearly 80 countries, the organization has the global footprint, deep field presence and local knowledge and relationships necessary to provide access to nutritious food and contribute to the lasting solutions, especially in many of the world’s most remote and fragile areas. We manage an operating budget of approximately $5.9 billion each year, distributing 12.6 billion rations to those most in need. We reach an average of 80 million people with food assistance in around 80 countries each year. The World Food Programme office in Johannesburg is a Regional Office coordinating and supporting the delivery of humanitarian assistance and providing technical support to 12 Southern Africa countries including, Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Republic of Congo, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Kinshasa Declaration on Rural Transformation provides clear guidance and mandate to AUDA-NEPAD and WFP to support African Union member states in their efforts to achieve sustainable rural development through the implementation of the Africa Rural Futures Programme to tackle socio-economic challenges of rural communities post-COVID19.

This position will be based in Bostwana and hosted by the SADC.

JOB PURPOSE

The position aims to drive WFP and AUDA-NEPAD’s JPIT in identifying and deploying bold new tools and approaches across Southern Africa to help solve hunger as well as to advance the work of the Joint Implementation Project Team (JIPT) in the implementation of the Kinshasa Declaration on Rural Transformation as well as the Rural Futures Programme.

The Innovations and Special Projects Officer will be selected upon consultation with the AUDA-NEPAD and appointed by the host agency, WFP. Will have an employment contract with WFP and thus remunerated by WFP with joint supervision of AUDA-NEPAD and WFP. The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the Coordinator/Head, Joint Implementation Project Team (JIPT).

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Strategy and Analysis

• Provide expert advice and support JIPT and its partners on matters pertaining to innovative food security and nutrition strategies, policies, programmes, and ensure the timely and productive use of related outputs in a manner that complies with WFP and AUDA-NEPAD standards and processes.
• Contribute to the development of innovative systems and tools for the monitoring and assessment of food assistance needs in line with innovative methodologies and best practice.
• Ensure that all innovation support activities are planned and implemented in an effective and efficient manner, with all relevant internal and external clients and stakeholders;
• Support building strong collaborations and partnerships within the SADC Region and with the innovation community globally, as applicable.
• Facilitates the strategic innovative engagement with relevant Government, Private sector, and other National stakeholders on the development of special projects and programs.
• Support the implementation of the AUDA-NEPAD programs including mapping of the potential partners and stakeholders in the selected country.
• Identify Priorities, Opportunities, and Gaps that should be addressed which are aligned with the SADC regional strategies.
• Identify the best practices and successful innovative initiatives that could be replicating and scaled up, in close collaboration with other governments, such as Egypt and other development partners to other African countries and vice-versa through knowledge centres, such as Luxor.
• Facilitate the partnership between WFP, AUDA-NEPAD and national governments with a focus on delivering the capacity programmes in the selected countries.
• Identify the key institutions and entities to partner with in implementing various programmes and initiatives.
• Provide leadership and support to relevant partners that are focusing on food security and nutrition to enable sharing of experience, lessons learned and best practice.

Coordination of Geospatial Platform across the SADC Region

• Lead and coordinate the gathering, analyzing, and storing of geospatial data according to the needs of the SADC member states in furthering the Zero Hunger Goal.
• Document the best practices in the implementation of the Geospatial platforms and prepare a guideline with the detailed steps and lessons learned to be shared and replicated within SADC countries in a coordinated way.
• Facilitate the development of technical and digital solutions that support the evidence-based decision-making process, that are aligned with the SADC region strategies.
• Support the implementation of the various initiatives of regional forums, including the implementation of training programs and capacity-building initiatives.

Implementation of Kinshasa Declaration and Coordinate South-South Cooperation

• Coordinate and follow up on the implementation of decisions of the Kinshasa Declaration on "Rural Futures" by leveraging the potential of South-South cooperation, and exploration of alternative mechanisms of financing WFP’s humanitarian and development projects.
• Maintain a positive work environment with SADC Secretariat, Development Partners and other Stakeholders that facilitates South-South collaboration, lessons, and information sharing.
• Provide systematic organizational support and expert advice for the facilitation of practical cross-regional South-South knowledge exchange in rural development in close collaboration and coordination with the WFP and AUDA-NEPAD Centre of Excellences, including, among other things, on e-commerce solutions, such as Big Data for Agricultural Monitoring and Early Warning Project (consonant to Geospatial Information System initiative successfully rolled in other locations).

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 the ability to design, implement, monitor and provide oversight over effective and efficient programmes deploying different transfer modalities. Broad Knowledge of Specialized areas (i.e. Nutrition, VAM, etc.) Demonstrates the ability to incorporate technical information into programme design and implementation and appropriately communicate it internally and externally. 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 Demonstrates the ability to engage key stakeholders (e.g., WFP units, external partners) in policy dialogue to strengthen national government food and nutrition security strategies and programmes.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Demonstrable experience with government, public sector economic planning and budgetary processes.
• Demonstrable experience with international development issues and significant experience in developing relationships and managing strategic partnerships with governments and development partners.
• Proven record of accomplishment in new partnership building, brokering relationships with partners, and engagement at a senior level.
• Experience in project design processes and coordination with internal and external stakeholders, including governments and IFIs is desired.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Advanced University degree in Economics, Food Security, Statistics, Data Science, Public Health/Nutrition, Geography or other related field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.

Experience:

• Eight years or more of postgraduate professional experience in a relevant field of work, with a background and interest in international humanitarian development.

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English language (level C).

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

This Vacancy Announcement will close on Thursday, 06 October 2022 at 11:59pm Johannesburg time.

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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.