The World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience.

The current prevalence of malnutrition in children is alarming. Maternal and child undernutrition is the underlying cause of approximately 45% of all mortality in children under 5. Stunting levels remain stubbornly high in many parts of the world, while child overweight is rising at a tremendous pace - even in low-income countries. In addition, global progress in reducing all forms of malnutrition among women of reproductive age is lagging against global goals and targets. Although the prevalence of underweight among women has improved in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), the prevalence of overweight and obesity among women has increased around the world. An estimated 170 million women worldwide suffer from underweight, while three times as many women (610 million) are living with overweight. And while the prevalence of anaemia among women has declined slightly, about 571 million women (29.9 per cent) worldwide are still affected.

In 2021, WFP nutrition programmes addressed the immediate determinants of malnutrition, such as poor diet and disease, in 51 countries. WFP also integrated nutrition in complementary sectors such as agriculture, social protection, and school-based programming in 69 countries to address the underlying determinants of malnutrition, such as inadequate access to food and care for children and women. WFP focuses on improving access to healthy and adequate diets and concentrates efforts on the most at-risk, targeting young children, pregnant and lactating women and girls (PLWG), and people living with HIV and TB. In 2021, WFP reached 7.4 million PLWG and 14.9 million children under the age of 5.

As one of the United Nations main agencies fighting malnutrition, the WFP is adapting to meet the current and emerging global nutrition challenges. This includes enhancing organizational capacity and innovating to improve programme quality, with a view to sustainably reducing all forms of malnutrition.

One example of such innovations is WFP’s CODA (Conditional On-Demand Assistance), a digital tool and full-service solution designed to simplify and streamline nutrition programme decision making, monitoring and reporting through the digitization of national guidelines and the recording of individual data of those enrolled in programme. CODA is an innovative approach for individualized digital WFP case management that aims to transform big data collection and analysis for programmes that require participation monitoring and/or on demand distribution.

Reporting to the Nutrition Division’s Chief of Knowledge Management and Digital Innovation, the consultant will lead the Digital Innovation team, identify and implement strategic actions for nutrition digital solutions, specifically CODA and supervise a team of direct reports.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead and manage the portfolio of Nutrition Digital Solutions and Innovation projects, specifically CODA, guiding all stakeholders to deliver a solution which achieves its value proposition to provide quality nutrition programme data to decision-makers at multiple levels.
Lead and motivate a team of Digital Innovation specialists, develop work plans, set objectives, monitor performance, and ensure appropriate development to enable high performance. Ensure day to day management of the team, including team structure and accompanying ToRs.
Manage the overall design, modelling, transition plan from previous versions to new and delivery process of CODA, working with data and qualitative insights to define the service offer and strategic proposition.
Determine the funding strategy and manage the overall budget for CODA.
Define the service model for CODA, including aspects such as change management, communication, feedback management, training, and support.
Analyse emerging Nutrition policy and strategy for implications to Digital Innovation, distil into team objectives and simple strategic documents and implement through the portfolio.
Ensure documentation of progress, achievements and lessons learned is in place across the Digital Innovation workstream.
Strategically coordinate and manage collaboration with TEC (including the Nairobi Hub), Programme Department (PD), Regional Bureaux, Country Offices, the Innovation Change Management Divisions (in particular the Innovation Accelerator), as well as with other divisions and departments across WFP, to ensure synergies between Digital Innovation initiatives and strategies.
In close collaboration with the Chief for Knowledge Management and Digital Innovation, develop and manage the Division’s Digital Innovation Resource Mobilization & Fundraising strategy to identify current funding needs and identify current and potential Private Sector and Government donors and partners to scale up existing innovation projects.
Work directly with TEC Division and engage the Global Privacy Office on Nutrition’s needs related to data protection and data privacy in alignment with the strategic objectives of WFP.
Plan and deliver external communications with relevant teams within WFP and the Nutrition Division (e.g. Knowledge Management, Communications) to highlight the Nutrition Division’s Digital Innovation projects, to further identify new partnerships and collaborations, and to increase fundraising opportunities.
Represent the Division at Digital Innovation events to further the visibility of the team’s portfolio and ensure synergies with other international agencies, Foundations, Private Sector Partners and Governments.
Work in collaboration with monitoring and evaluation and evidence officers to ensure evidence generation and best practices on digital innovations for nutrition and use of digitalization to improve nutrition global evidence base and WFP monitoring and evaluation.
Remain up-to-date on the social good and digital innovations to ensure business continuity, and provide required backstopping when needed.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

Activities for the successful pilot delivery, use, governance, and maintenance of CODA are defined and carried out in close collaboration with the product teams.
Digital Innovation team effectively managed and meeting its annual objectives, including product reporting lines that may not be in the direct line management.
Team workplans for the team and sub-teams linked with WFP’s Nutrition and Strategic Objectives
CODA service model and its packages (including the engagement strategy) are defined and communicated to ensure coordination with Country Offices and Regional Bureaux.
Metrics and key performance indicators for CODA are defined and tracked, areas for improvement are identified, and corrective actions are taken when applicable.
Overseeing roll out, support, training and adoption oversight including change management activities as required for CODA.
Effective collaboration with PD, TEC, INK in place to achieve Nutrition’s digitalization priorities.
Strong relationships networks with appropriate stakeholders established.
Successful leadership in implementing identified strategy to raise the profile of WFP, build relationships and further organizational aims.
Effective leadership and management of scale-up of existing Digital Innovation projects
Nutrition Digital Innovation budget, fundraising and resource mapping strategy is developed, covering Private Sector, Governments, Foundations and Accelerator opportunities.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Advanced university degree in relevant disciplines including Nutrition, public health, business management, social sciences, information technology or related field with relevant work experience.

Experience:

Experience with introduction and scale up of innovations, preferably related to digitization of programme monitoring/management

At least 7 years or more of postgraduate progressively responsible experience in humanitarian aid operations, including nutrition programmes

Experience in developing project plans and managing tight timelines

Experience working on information technology projects including digital product development preferably in an agile environment

Expertise in project management with demonstrated progression in management responsibilities and leadership required

Knowledge & Skills:

Expertise in nutrition, public health or related field, with required

experience in digitalization

Expertise in Information communications technology (ICT) and innovation/Labs strongly desired

Ability to lead and manage projects and teams

Strong track record of delivering results in a complex environment

Demonstrated capacity for innovative problem-solving and flexibility to undertake new tasks required

Clear communication skills and the ability to discuss complex topics with a variety of audiences

Strong interpersonal skills for consensus building and collaborative result accomplishment required

Experience working in WFP or another UN agency

Ability to coordinate with multiple stakeholders on deadlines required

Ability to work independently and take initiative required

Good planning skills and ability to work well in a team setting required Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point) required

Languages:

Fluency in English required, with working knowledge of English and working knowledge of one of the other UN official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) desired.

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.

Deadline for applications: 10th April 2023

Ref.: VA No. 686314

Qualified 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 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: wfp.org