Resilience Officer

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, physical or mental disability.

Job Title: Resilience Officer

Type of Contract: Regular Consultancy

Division: PRO – Asset Creation, Livelihoods and Resilience Unit (PROR-L)

Duty Station (City, Country): Rome HQ

Duration: 11 months

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Resilience features prominently as a key focus area of WFP’s Changing Lives agenda. Resilience evidence generation supports strategic decision making, improved programming and resilience outcomes, learning, advocacy, and accountability. Evidence for resilience programmes can come from multiple sources, such as vulnerability, assessment and mapping (VAM) data; monitoring; complementary studies and data; qualitative research; and programme reviews and evaluations. The six-step resilience monitoring and measurement (RMM) is key to generating evidence on WFP’s contributions to this agenda.

The Asset Creation, Livelihoods and Resilience (PROR-L) and the Field Monitoring (RAM-M) Units in WFP Headquarters began the Resilience Building Blocks initiative (ResBB) in 2020. ResBB focuses on advancing a consistent approach to generating evidence for WFP's resilience programmes.

In mid-2021, ResBB developed and began field testing its new approach to RMM, comprising six steps:

1. Describe the resilience context.

2. Develop a resilience theory of change (ToC) to reflect the programme design

3. Develop questions for resilience monitoring and measurement

4. Select indicators and tools that correspond with questions

5. Design and carry out data analysis for resilience

6. Generate evidence-based insights and actions

By the end of 2022, the RMM approach has been tested or applied in 10 contexts. In 2023, the ResBB team is updating the guidance, resources and tools to reflect a broader use of sources of evidence. In 2024, the updated RMM and Evidence (RMME) approach will be rolled out corporately in collaboration with regional bureaux.

The Resilience Officer sits within the HQ ResBB team, comprising PROR-L and RAM-M colleages. A key part of the Resilience Officer's role is to (i) update guidance, resources and tools and (ii) drive the roll-out the RMME approach, with the ultimate aim of generating evidence to improve resilience programming. The Resilience Officer is a technical specialist and a capacity builder. This role reports to the Senior Resilience Specialist, PROR-L.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILTIES:

1. Guidance Development | Enhance WFP's corporate guidance on Resilience Evidence Generation by improving - and filling in gaps in - existing guidance, resources and tools. E.g. on interpreting and using context analyses; preparing resilience theories of change; generating evidence-based insights and actions; and/or producing resilience evidence products.
2. Capacity Building | Develop the capacity of HQ, RB and CO colleagues to generate evidence for resilience programmes using the six-step RMME approach, studies and/or evaluations. This includes designing and delivering in-person or virtual training workshops, providing follow-up coaching, and ad hoc troubleshooting.
3. Technical Support | Work with RB and CO colleagues to articulate their understanding of how their programmes leads to improved resilience, and document these in theories of change (ToCs). Work closely with RB and CO Programmes and Monitoring colleagues to generate high-quality evidence products (e.g. briefs, reports or papers) that inform programming with evidence-based insights and actionable recommendations.
4. Partnerships and Collaboration | With the HQ team, support a global network of Programmes, Monitoring and Evaluation professionals interested in resilience evidence. This may be through global or regional webinars or cross-learning sessions, peer exchanges, etc.
5. Knowledge Management | With others in the HQ team, collect and curate evidence products and contribute to a review of resilience evidence. With the knowledge management and communications focal point, develop and maintain online platforms to ensure guidance and tools are regularly updated and accessible to colleagues globally.
6. Strategic Events| Coordinate and develop inputs for the Executive Board roundtable on resilience evidence. This includes developing powerpoint material, briefs and talking points based on evidence and learning, and working closely with RB and CO colleagues to support them in preparations.
7. Reporting | Prepare annual reports for key donors and document progress and learning for relevant stakeholders.
8. Gender and Inclusion | Incorporate gender and social inclusion perspectives in all areas of work. This includes giving deliberate consideration to ensuring that experiences of women, youth, elderly, and a range of groups are represented in ToCs and evidence products.

9. Other: Additional accountabilities as agreed with the Senior Resilience Specialist

   DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

Over a duration of 11 months, the Resilience Officer is expected to deliver the following outputs:

1. Evidence generation guidance is completed.

2. Evidence generation guidance is rolled-out and available on online platforms.

3. COs have been supported to develop resilience ToCs or evidence-based insights and actions.

4. Evidence products are developed and/or contribute to the synthesis of resilience evidence.

5. Webinars or cross-learning sessions are held.

6. Inputs for Executive Board developed and consolidated.

7. Summary of lessons learned developed.

8. Donor reports completed in a timely manner.

9. Through all work, there is strong evidence that gender and social inclusion perspectives have been considered.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

A university degree in a field relevant to evidence generation (social science, anthropology), resilience or food security.

Experience:

3 to 5 years of ****relevant international experience in programming or monitoring.****

Knowledge and Skills:

Relevant skills and experience in the evidence generation processes, in particular, in qualitative research - e.g. developing question guides, training qualitative facilitators, sampling, data collection, data analysis, generating findings, visualisation, and/or reporting.

A deep understanding of resilience measurement principles and approaches and WFP's resilience policy and resilience programmes.

Proven skills and experience in working with programmes and monitoring teams to develop theories of change for resilience programmes.

Proven skills and experience in generating evidence-based insights and supporting programme learning.

Proven skills and experience in developing and/or improving corporate guidance, resources and tools.

Proven skills and experience in training, capacity building, coaching and troubleshooting - in-person or virtually - in a cross-cultural context.

Proven skills and experience in supporting global networks, communities of practice or working groups through cross-learning, peer exchanges and peer reviews.

Ability to form strong working relationships and a collaborative work culture even when working remotely with colleagues.

Excellent writing, communication and coordination skills.

Ability to work effectively both in-person and remotely. Ability to working on online collaborative work spaces, e.g. Microsoft Teams, Sharepoint, etc.

Language:

Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of Spanish or French is desirable.

Deadline for applications: 10 August 2023

Terms and Conditions

WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP.

http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.

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.