Programme Policy Officer NOB (Activity 4 Manager - Market Systems Development)

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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.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

In July 2023, the World Food Programme (WFP) Zambia commenced a new five-year Country Strategic Plan (CSP), informed by, and aligned with national and United Nations priorities and global commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It embraces the Government’s long-term Vision 2030, aligns with 16 key strategic areas of the 8th National Development Plan (NDP8); and contributes to the joint Zambia-United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).

WFP Zambia’s integrated and pragmatic CSP shifts away from unsustainable localized and micro-level interventions, to embrace more effective advocacy and engagement with national policies, systems, and programmes to achieve national impact on SDG2. Given the Government’s commitment to budgetary support for nutrition, social protection, and agriculture, despite the constraints in the country’s fiscal position, WFP’s overarching strategy seeks to strengthen the government’s capacities to meet its national priorities through stronger systems, expertise, and resources for implementation. This means a decisive shift of WFP’s country positioning towards the provision of innovative, sustainable, upstream technical assistance to support nationally owned solutions.

Advancing the global WFP Strategic Plan (2022-2025), the CSP addresses both SDG2 and SDG17, and WFP’s Strategic Results 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. WFP will implement seven activities to achieve five Strategic Outcomes (SO) under the CSP. These SOs include: (SO1) responding to crises and shocks ensuring that crisis-affected people, including refugees, are able to meet their urgent food and nutrition needs; (SO2) addressing the root causes of malnutrition; (SO3) building the resilience, enabling environment and market access for smallholder farmers, especially women; (SO4) supporting government institutions to provide social protection systems (including home grown school meals) and disaster preparedness and response; and (SO5) improving access to supply chain services for humanitarian and development actors.

REPORTING

The Programme Policy Officer (Activity 4 Manager) – Market Access will report directly to the Programme Policy Officer (Strategic Outcome 3, SO3Manager) – Smallholder Farmer Support and Team Lead of Smallholder Farmers Support Unit in close liaison with the Deputy Country Director.

JOB PURPOSE

To provide support to policy and programme activities that effectively meet food assistance needs.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Lead the expansion of aggregation networks in urban and rural areas to improve access to agricultural input and output markets for smallholders and other value chain players, especially women and young people.
• Facilitate access to predictable markets for nutrient-dense crops in close collaboration with the SUN Business Network aimed at increasing supply, processing and marketing of processed foods using established aggregation channels.
• Lead market linkages and operationalization of the decentralized food procurement strategy under the government led HGSM programme.
• Support the implementation of the local and regional food procurement policy and by mainstreaming good practices through strategic partnerships by means of out grower schemes and anchor farm models.
• Lead the scaling-up of the e-commerce platform “Maano-Virtual Farmers Market” in scope and service delivery to enhance equity and inclusive access to various agribusiness services including financial services, markets, logistics, weather and market information, insurance products and mechanization services.
• Lead the implementation of weather-based index insurance services including crop and livestock products in collaboration with private sector players with Government support.
• Lead the scale up of financial services for rural and urban farmers, including village savings and loan associations.
• Lead the mapping local potential markets focusing on legume (Soybean, Cow Peas, Mixed Beans value chains.
• Assess the resources, skills and capacities of small farmers related to procurement of inputs and production of legumes (soya beans, mixed beans, cow peas and ground nuts).
• Understand the existing market environment and market negotiations between different market players.
• Understand the production capacity of smallholder farmers through their farmer Organizations in terms of their ability to access services, credit, information and resources.
• Suggest improvements in the value chain system to ensure direct linkages of the smallholder farmers to the major markets to increase their agricultural incomes.
• Support the identification, development and management of potential partnerships leading to improved market support to smallholder farmers.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced University degree in one or more of the following disciplines: Agriculture/Agronomy, Horticulture, Agriculture Economics, Agribusiness, Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Education Range management, and equivalent qualification from a recognized institution or first University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/ or trainings/courses. Experience: 5 years working experience in comparable and/or relevant positions in the public service, private sector or with an international organization. Additionally, experience in project management, with proven results in achieving programme milestones.

Language: Fluency in English language both written and spoken.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Significant professional experience in smallholder farmer support, climate change adaptation and/or resilience programming.
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing teams, designing programmes, and implementing and monitoring technical assistance activities.
• Able to build and sustain effective collaborative relationships and coordinate with Government institutions, cooperating partners and other stakeholders.
• Experience with organization, coordination and facilitation of meetings, trainings and workshops.
• Experience with designing and delivering capacity strengthening activities with Government institutions and cooperating partners, including through different modalities, such as training/workshops and distance learning.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including presentations and report writing, and ability to communicate complex messages with stakeholders.
• Advanced computer skills including MS Office applications.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Deadline for submission of applications is 2nd January 2024 before mid-night.

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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.