Programme Policy Officer NOC (Strategic Outcome 3 Manager - Smallholder Farmer Support)

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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 Country Office commenced a new five-year 2G 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 budget support for nutrition, social protection, and agriculture, despite the constraints in the country’s fiscal position, WFP’s overarching strategy seeks to enable the government to meet its national priorities with better 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 for 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). These SOs include: responding to crises and shocks, including support to refugees (SO1); addressing the root causes of malnutrition (SO2); building the resilience, enabling environment and market access for smallholder farmers, especially women (SO3); supporting government institutions to provide social protection systems (including home grown school meals) and disaster preparedness and response (SO4); and improving access to supply chain services for humanitarian and development actors (SO5).

REPORTING

The Programme Policy Officer (Strategic Outcome 3 Manager for Smallholder Farmer Support) will report to the Deputy Country Director and work in close collaboration with other Strategic Outcome teams and other relevant functional units, including field offices, innovation and transformation, information technology, monitoring and evaluation, supply chain, partnerships, communications, budget and programming, and finance, among others.

JOB PURPOSE

To design and manage programmes of moderate size or complexity that effectively meet food assistance needs, or contribute to policy formulation and/or provide technical advice or oversight on programme strategy and implementation.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

1. As the SO3 Manager, lead the Smallholder Farmer (SHF) Support team and provide technical backstopping in relevant activities in line with WFP standards and processes.
2. Support the government to strengthen and advance national initiatives, including the development and review of national government policies, action plans, protocols, and guidelines.
3. Provide strategic guidance on knowledge and adoption of climate services, climate smart and regenerative agriculture practices, mechanisation and innovative technologies among smallholders and nutritious food value chain actors to build resilience against climate change and other shocks.
4. Provide guidance on market access and value chains oriented SHF support, particularly on operationalization of the warehouse receipt system, strengthening the creation of localized sustainable market systems and value addition through agricultural aggregation, access to finance networks, enhance market price discovery, information, and dissemination through relevant technologies.
5. Strategically support activities around set-up and harmonization of private sector lead financial products (including weather-based index insurance) to government initiatives and increase meteorological services to enhance early warning systems.
6. Lead WFP engagement with various strategic partners on programme collaborations enhancing innovative solutions to achieve CSP targets.
7. Lead partnership engagement and resources mobilization with potential donors and cooperating partners and support development of donor proposals and reporting.
8. Continued advocacy and communication around nutrition-sensitive smallholder farmer support, climate change adaptation and resilience in general and ensuring that these are integrated into national strategies and programmes.
9. Build capacity of WFP staff, partners, and government to prepare for and respond to issues of national interest.
10. Guide and supervise junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them on more complex analysis and queries.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

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

Experience:

• At least five (5) years of postgraduate professional experience in a related field of operations.
• Experience in project management, with proven results in achieving programme milestones.

Language: Fluency in English, both spoken and written.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Has experience working across the Program portfolio including VAM/Nutrition.
• Has led a Sub Office or a small country/area office programme team or a component of a country office programme portfolio.
• Has engaged in policy discussions and provided input into policy decisions.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Deadline for submission of applications is 18th September 2023 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.