Programme Policy Officer(Nutrition-NOB)-Vientiane

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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.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

These jobs are found in Country Offices (COs) and job holders report to a Head of Nutrition. Job holders operate with a high degree of independence, manage more junior staff to ensure that programme and policy objectives are achieved in full. They are usually involved in a wide variety of programme and policy activities and analytical work, some of which may be of a considerable complexity. At this level job holders are expected to contribute to performance improvement.

JOB PURPOSE

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Nutrition, the Programme Policy Officer (Nutrition) will support the operational needs of Strategic Outcome 2 of the WFP Country Strategic Plan (CSP, 2022-2026). They will also be responsible for advising on nutrition across the other Strategic Outcomes of the CSP and co-leading the strategic thinking around WFP’s work in nutrition. In all activities, the PPO (Nutrition) will be responsible for collaborating with several partners, including development partners and the Government of Lao, and providing technical support and strengthening capacity, particularly to implement the National Nutrition Plan of Action (NPAN).

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.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

1. Contribute to the development of nutrition projects and activities, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider nutrition policies and guidance.
2. Provide project management and operational support to nutrition projects and activities, ensuring a coordinated approach with wider programmes, complying with WFP standards and procedures.
3. Develop and coordinate research and data gathering using monitoring/assessment systems, ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained.
4. Track and analyse project data to inform programme adjustments and provide input into reporting activities, to contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting, enabling informed decision making and consistency of information presented to donors and stakeholders.
5. Work closely with internal WFP staff in procurement, logistics, finance and other programme units and divisions to ensure effective design and delivery of WFP nutrition programming.
6. Liaise with key stakeholders, including the Government of Lao PDR, and implementing partners, to ensure effective design and delivery of nutrition policies and programmes.

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Understands WFP’s Strategic Objectives and the link to own work objectives.
• Be a force for positive change: Flexibly adapts individual contributions to accommodate changes in direction from supervisors and internal/external changes (such as evolving needs of beneficiaries, new requirements of partners).
• Make the mission inspiring to our team: Recognizes and shares with team members the ways in which individual contributions relate to WFP’s mission.
• Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Sets own goals in alignment with WFP’s overall operations, and is able to communicate this link to others.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people's skills: Assesses own strengths and weaknesses to increase self-awareness, and includes these in conversations on own developmental needs.
• Create an inclusive culture: Participates in open dialogue, and values the diverse opinion of others, regardless of background, culture, experience, or country assignment.
• Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Proactively seeks feedback and coaching to build confidence, and develop and improve individual skills.
• Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Participates in accomplishing team activities and goals in the face of challenging circumstances.

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Shows willingness to explore and experiment with new ideas and approaches in own work.
• Focus on getting results: Consistently delivers results within individual scope of work on time, on budget and without errors.
• Make commitments and make good on commitments: Commits to upholding individual accountabilities and responsibilities in the face of ever-changing country or functional priorities.
• Be Decisive: Makes rational decisions about individual activities when faced with uncertain circumstances, including in times of ambiguity regarding information or manager direction.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units: Seeks to understand and adapt to internal or cross-unit teams’ priorities and preferred working styles.
• Build strong external partnerships: Demonstrates ability to understand and appropriately respond to and/or escalate needs of external partners.
• Be politically agile & adaptable: Portrays an informed and professional demeanor toward internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Provides operational support on analyses and assessments that quantifies and demonstrates WFP’s unique value as a partner.

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 ability to analyse and consolidate quantitative and qualitative information from different sources (e.g., market studies) to inform transfer modality selection and programme development. Broad Knowledge of Specialized areas (i.e. Nutrition, VAM, etc.) Demonstrates the ability to interpret basic data in the context of WFP specialised fields to contribute to technical programme design, implementation and monitoring. 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 Develops thorough recommendations using multiple inputs (e.g., government counsel, research, own experience) to strengthen national or subnational entities and government owned food and nutrition security programmes.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Master degree in International Affairs, Economics, Nutrition/Health, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences, Food Technology, Medicine or other fields relevant to international development assistance.

Language: Fluency (level C) in English language and Lao

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

This section is optional to describe additional responsibilities & knowledge required for the specific job.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• At least five (5) years post-graduate experience developing or implementing programme strategies with a focus on nutrition, health, agriculture and/or education;
• Strong technical knowledge in the field of nutrition gained through exposure to technical teams and projects;
• Strong understanding and direct experience in project management and project cycle;
• Experience in developing/implementing community-led nutrition activities, including Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) strategies and related activities to improve nutrition;
• Experience facilitating, developing and monitoring development programmes;
• Experience in conducting and coordinating nutrition assessments;
• Ability to work in a team and establish effective working relations with several different stakeholders.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Contract Type: Fixed Terms Contract ( Lao Nationals Only)

Duration: One year with renewal

Grade: NO-B

Duty station: Vientiane

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Opening date: 27 September 2022

Closing date: 10 October 2022

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Female applicants 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.