Programme Policy Officer (Resilience & Social cohesion), Int CST, Niamey, Niger

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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.

CONTEXT

Niger is a low-income, landlocked Sahelian country, ranked last in the global Humanitarian Development Index (HDI). The country faces chronic vulnerabilities caused mainly by poverty, demographic pressure, economic and climatic shocks, food insecurity, in addition to persistent gender inequalities. National budgets dedicated to social protection are limited and capacity in terms of human and financial resources are low, especially at the decentralized level for food security, nutrition and education. In addition, annual population growth is 3.9%, the highest in Africa, and out of 14.4 million hectares of arable land in Niger, 3.9 million hectares are degraded.

Grounded in the government’s High Commission for the Initiative "Nigeriens Nourish Nigeriens" (I3N), WFP began rolling out an integrated, participatory, multi-year and multisectoral livelihoods programme in 2014. Working together with partners and the Government, WFP’s livelihoods approach combines asset creation, school feeding and nutrition interventions, capacity strengthening, adolescent girls support, lean season assistance, social protection, and other activities. Five years of this approach in Niger have highlighted several positive effects in assisted communities, including on social cohesion, agricultural productivity, as well as women’s and youth empowerment. Based on these results, WFP scaled-up integrated livelihoods interventions since 2018 as a contribution to the I3N “Pro-resilience” program launched in 2018. To ensure the success of the programme, WFP Niger works with a range of relevant strategic and operational partners to enhance leadership and capacity strengthening with the government, strengthen synergies and complementarities with UN agencies and NGOs, and to enhance evidence building on the impact of livelihoods interventions with research institutions.

Looking forward, WFP Niger aims at further scaling-up livelihoods interventions, with a focus on strengthening the integration and leveraging synergies between different WFP activities as well as with other programs, such as WFP’s support to the National Adaptive Social Protection (ASP) programme. WFP is working to advance operational partnerships to ensure real convergence of efforts on the ground and consolidate complementary, harmonised and concerted action, particularly with UN agencies (e.g. UNICEF, RBA), NGOs (e.g. USAID RISE II, World Vision), and technical partners (e.g. GIZ). At the same time, WFP is working to enhance government ownership and sustainability of interventions by reinforcing partnerships with government technical services, strengthening community participation and community-based approaches, investing in local businesses and income generation, and advancing progression strategies in coordination with NGO, UN and government partners. Further, to build a robust evidence base to inform programme design and implementation, WFP is promoting evidence building and knowledge transfer by documenting good practices, partnering with universities, and testing new tools and indicators to measure livelihood outcomes.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Resilience Coordination and Capacity Strengthening Unit, the consultant will support WFP Niger’s programming in conflict settings to enhance resilience and contribute to social cohesion, as part of support to the operationalisation of the Government’s Nexus approach. The job holder will be supporting the unit’s work on resilience, focusing on supporting the operationalisation of WFP’s social cohesion and nexus approaches.

MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Working under the direct supervision of the Resilience Officer and overall guidance of the Head of Programme, the Consultant will be :

1. Contribute to the formulation of nexus/social cohesion projects in conflict-affected and fragile settings, mainstreaming the WFP Nexus approach and conflict sensitivity approach within WFP emergency and resilience programming, in line with the Government nexus approach, the priorities set forward in the Country Strategic Plan.

   Support the overall implementation of nexus/social cohesion programs (i.e. FPI, BMZ Nexus, WFP-UNICEF Resilience and social cohesion in Diffa, etc.):

• Internally: through internal programme coordination, including the formulation, planning, geographical targeting, implementation, in close collaboration with programme and technical units, ensuring alignment with WFP tools and approaches if feasible (3PA approach, geographic prioritisation, etc.). This will include close ilmplementation follow-up with Sub-Offices in priority regions, including Tillaberi and Diffa.
• Externally: identifying partnership opportunities for complementary approaches to improve joint delivery, including planning, implementation, monitoring and advocacy.

2. Support WFP Niger on conflict sensitive programme management (CSPM) by supporting early warning mechanisms for anticipating the immediate consequences of conflict and mitigate the impact on food security, in close collaboration with the RAM unit.

• Within the CSPM, supporting the adaptation of WFP activities and identify any negative conflict-aggravating effects, including, social, economic or gender-specific issues, and advise if they support the do-no-harm approach; provide guidance to reinforce project design.
• Supporting the preparation of proposals and reports related to nexus, social cohesion and conflict-sensitive programming, in close collaboration with the programme, VAM and M&E units Donor relation unit.
• Contributing to research and evidence building on WFP’s programmes’ contributions to social cohesion, in collaboration with Programme, VAM and M&E units.
• Developing WFP staff and partners’ capacity strengthening on nexus/social cohesion and conflict-sensitivity programming.
• Regularly sharing updates on progress made on nexus, social cohesion and conflict-sensitive programming (meetings/written updates).
• Performing other relevant duties as assigned.
• Provide hands-on support and guidance to SOs and partners in good practice documentation and capitalization, through the development and roll-out of trainings.

KEY DELIVERABLES

1. Supported the formulation of two new nexus/social cohesion programmes taking into account conflict sensitivity.
2. Supported the coordination of twonexus/social cohesion programs
3. Four new partnerships identified for nexus/social cohesion and conflict-sensitivity programming with WFP (i.e. complementary efforts with other UN agencies or NGOs; or new cooperating partners, or research institution, etc.).
4. Conflict-sensitive programming mainstreamed throughout the programme cycle and specific activities adapted to ensure conflict-sensitivity.
5. Inputs provided on nexus and social cohesion into proposals and reports
6. Inputs provided on studies and research focusing on nexus and social cohesion.
7. Rolled out 3 trainings on WFP nexus, social cohesion and conflict-sensitive approaches.
8. Monthly updates on progress made on nexus, social cohesion and conflict-sensitive programming share.

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives : Utilizes understanding of WFP’s Strategic Objectives to communicate linkages to team objectives and work.
• Be a force for positive change : Proactively identifies and develops new methods or improvements for self and immediate team to address work challenges within own work area.
• Make the mission inspiring to our team : Identifies opportunities to further align individual contributions with WFP’s mission of making an impact on local communities.
• Make our mission visible in everyday actions : Helps colleagues to see the link between their individual tasks and the contributions of their unit’s goals to the broader context of WFP’s mission.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people's skills : Is able to identify, support and encourage focused on-the-job learning opportunities to address gaps between current skillsets and needed future skillsets for WFP.
• Create an inclusive culture : Recognizes the contributions of teammates, and encourages contributions from culturally different team mates to recognise the value of diversity above and beyond just including it in programming for beneficiaries.
• Be a coach & provide constructive feedback : Provides and solicits ongoing constructive feedback on strengths and development opportunities to help develop individual skills, whilst also helping others identify areas for improvement.
• Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit : Sets clear targets for self and others to focus team efforts in ambiguous situations (e.g., unprecedented issues and/or scenarios)

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions : Thinks beyond team’s conventional approaches to formulate creative methods for delivering food aid and assistance to beneficiaries.
• Focus on getting results : Maintains focus on achieving individual results in the face of obstacles such as volatile or fragile environments and/or organizational roadblocks.
• Make commitments and make good on commitments : Takes personal accountability for upholding and delivering upon team’s commitments and provides assurance to stakeholders.
• Be Decisive : Demonstrates ability to adjust to team’s plans and priorities to optimize outcomes in light of evolving directives, while also responding quickly in high-pressure environments, such as in emergency settings.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units : Demonstrates an understanding of when and how to tactfully engage other units in conversations on impact, timing, or planning
• Build strong external partnerships : Networks regularly with key external partners using formal and informal opportunities to understand each partner’s unique value proposition, and to build and strengthen relationships
• Be politically agile & adaptable : Demonstrates ability to adapt engagement approach in the context of evolving partner circumstances and expectations
• Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships : Demonstrates ability to articulate to internal and external audiences the value that individual contributions and immediate teams bring to partnerships.

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 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..

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• At least five (5) years of relevant postgraduate experience in areas pertinent to the subject of the assignment.
• Proven experiences in humanitarian and development work in multicultural environments requiring high level of interpersonal skills.
• Participated in a moderately complex emergency operation/ development programme; Exposure to WFP programmes and experience with WFP resilience building programmes and in the Sahel in particular desirable.
• Ability to communicate effectively and showing a problem-solving mindset.
• Experience in the design, setup, implementation and monitoring of projects and programmes, including aspects of resource mobilization and funds management.
• Demonstrated partnership-building skills with international and external stakeholders and proven strategic and policy engagement capabilities in an international setting.
• Strong motivation and proven ability to make a difference.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: Advanced University degree in Political or Social Sciences, Environmental Studies, Rural Development, or a related field from an accredited academic institution, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.
• Language: Fluency in oral and written French and English
• Context: Good understanding of Niger and Sahel context is highly desirable.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

WFP offers equal opportunities to all

WFP is committed to promoting a work culture in which every employee understands and is able to carry out their work responsibilities and maintain the dignity of their co-workers. WFP offers career opportunities for its employees and supports them in their professional development with training and continuous learning actions.

WFP is also committed to creating and maintaining a harmonious climate in the workplace, based on mutual respect and understanding, free of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and abuse of authority and respectful of diversity. WFP is committed to diversity and inclusion in its workforce and encourages qualified women and men from all religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. WFP has a zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate based on the status of HIV / AIDS.

Finally, WFP seeks to promote gender equality and women's empowerment and is confident that its mission to fight global hunger can only be achieved if women, men, girls and boys equal opportunity for access to resources and services and participation in decision-making roles

• Contract Duration: 11 months extendable
• Remuneration: A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered.
• Eligibility: WFP is an equal opportunity employer. Female candidates meeting the above qualifications are encouraged to apply.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Closing date of application: 25 October 2022

Applications should be sent only on-line through WFP recruitment website.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

If you do not hear from us within 2 months, please consider your application unsuccessful.

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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.