The World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. As the international community has committed to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition by 2030, one in nine people worldwide still do not have enough to eat. Food and food-related assistance lie at the heart of the struggle to break the cycle of hunger and poverty. For its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict, WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.

Malawi is a small landlocked country in Southern Africa. With a population expanding rapidly at 3 percent per year and the majority of livelihoods dependent on agriculture, the population is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate-related disasters. Poverty is experienced by most rural families, with those headed by women suffering the most. Relying on small parcels of densely cultivated land for their livelihoods, rural Malawians are highly affected by climate change. Episodes of drought as well as severe flooding are increasing in frequency, intensity and unpredictability, giving the most vulnerable households inadequate time to recover.

Malawi’s challenges are also compounded by high rates of HIV infection (at 9.6 percent), low primary school completion rate (at 51 percent) and chronic under-nutrition (at 37 percent for children under 5). WFP continues to partner with the government, other UN agencies, NGOs, civil society and the private sector to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, with a particular emphasis on reaching Zero Hunger (SDG 2), addressing structural drivers of hunger wherever possible.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

“Responding to government’s dedication to ownership of hunger solutions, [the CSP] represents a shift in approach that will increasingly position WFP in Malawi away from implementation to capacity strengthening, working to help government implement its own policies …”

Under the Country Strategic Plan, Malawi CO is undergoing a strategic shift from relief to resilience building, moving away from emergency responses and towards multi-year interventions in support of the Government achieving progress towards SDG 2 by 2030. Social protection globally is seen as a critical tool to end poverty and hunger, and in Malawi, WFP has emerged as a key actor in this space.

WFP articulates its dedication to social protection in activity 2 of the CSP: Support national social protection systems to become increasingly shock-responsive and hunger- and nutrition-sensitive [capacity strengthening]. WFP has also taken leadership of the pillar of the new UNDAF (2019-2023) that gathers social protection, and technical lead for various joint UN programmes which also center on social protection. The link between social protection and humanitarian action was also highlighted as an area to focus on under the Malawi Zero Hunger and Malnutrition Strategic Review.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

The country office is seeking a Social Protection Advisor to report to the Head of Strategic Outcome 2, working closely with key WFP country office colleagues across different functional areas to undertake this work. They will have the following key accountabilities/ responsibilities

1 Policy coherence, advocacy, and representation

Lead on the implementation of WFP’s social protection strategy to best advocate for a hunger and nutrition critical, and shock-responsive Government social protection system
Improve and develop strategic partnerships on social protection, i.e. with the UNICEF, the World Bank, ILO etc.
Ensure annual workplans signed with the Government of Malawi
Undertake strategic coordination functions as required

2. Evidence generation and innovation

Lead on the quality assurance of all technical outputs on social protection including but not limited to on beneficiary management systems; epayments; public works/ cash plus; shock-responsive social protection; coordinated social protection programming;
Lead the dissemination of learning (e.g. learning events; brown paper bag sessions), using Government taskforces to ensure their ownership

3. Activity responsibilities/AOB

Lead social protection advisor in the Malawi CO
Lead a team of 2 full time staff, and various international short-term consultancies (av. 3 at a time)
Undertake quality assurance for all reporting (narrative and expenditure) to the current joint programmes on social protection as well as other grants as they emerge

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT

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Policy coherence & advocacy

A clear roll out of social protection activities aligned to the CSP;
Increased capacity of CO staff in social protection through various internal sessions at CO and BTSO levels
Strategic partnerships enhanced/ developed

Evidence generation and innovation

Critical evidence generation on individual areas is produced either conducting the work, or through contracting and leading consultancy contracts for better Government and WFP programming and policy
WFP’s commitments on broader system development advanced

Activity responsibilities / AOB

Team of 2 full time staff, and various international short-term consultancies (av. 3 at a time) led
Reports and grants requirements optimally adhered

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced university degree (masters) with experience in one or more of the following fields: economics, social or political sciences, development, agriculture, environmental sciences, disaster risk management or related field

Experience: Has 5 or more years of proven experience in social protection, with its links to food security an asset. International research experience preferred

Knowledge and Skills:

Experience in the establishment of partnerships with public and private sector actors.
Strong understanding of international policy issues related to social protection (incl. beneficiary management information systems, and epayments an asset), and links to food security.
Excellent work planning and project management skills ideally demonstrated in international or UN context.
Ability to coordinate and laterally lead across multiple units, organizations and partners.
Strong research background, ideally with experience producing peer-reviewed evidence
General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations and procedures governing international policy, governance and frameworks.
Experience in joint programmes
Excellent written and spoken English, with the ability to organise events and workshops, and draft background supporting documentation and policy documents.
Excellent ability in word processing, spreadsheet, and power point tools.
Understanding of, or previous work in the Malawian context or Southern Africa preferred.
Languages: Fluency in English is required.

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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.

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Added 3 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: wfp.org