Job Title: Programme Policy Officer – Gender and Protection
Type of Contract: Fixed-Term, NOB
Unit/Division: Programme
Duration: 1 year renewable (upon confirmation of the probationary period)
Duty Station: Antananarivo
Vacancy Number: One (01) position
Date of Publication: March 14, 2025
Deadline for Application: March 30, 2025
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
WFP’s Madagascar Country Strategic Plan (CSP) for 2024-2028 is part of a forward-looking vision to transform food systems and social protection in order to strengthen Madagascar’s resilience. A key element of this ambition is investment in human capital, which requires an approach that contributes to gender equality while protecting the fundamental rights of affected populations. The country office has therefore created a new Gender, Protection and Inclusion (GPI) sub-section within the Human Capital Development department in the Program unit dedicated to these themes during the first half of 2024 to support this vision.
THE ROLE
Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Head of Programme, the Programme Policy Officer – Gender and Protection will be responsible for strengthening protection and gender mainstreaming throughout the WFP programming cycle in the country. He/she will contribute to the implementation of the country office’s GPI strategic action plan. By conducting and coordinating protection and gender analyses of our programs, he/she will take stock of our current practices. He/she will help to make subsequent programmatic adjustments in collaboration with all sections of the Program Unit, the Cooperating Partners Management Unit (CP), and the Research, Assessment and Monitoring (RAM) Unit.
The Programme Policy Officer – Gender and Protection should have the technical expertise and experience to support gender mainstreaming in national strategic plans, coordinating with UN and civil society partners working on gender and protection issues. He or she should also have a good understanding of gender budgeting and monitoring.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):
- Contribute towards the development of a wide variety of projects, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance.
- Provide project management support to specific and defined programmes and projects of considerable size/complexity, ensuring a coordinated approach with wider programmes that complies with WFP standards and procedures.
- Develop and coordinate data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained.
- Research and analyse a range of policy and operational issues to inform the development of policies, programmes and activities.
- Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on programmes and activities that enable informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
- Liaise with internal and external counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects and highlight potential risks to project delivery.
- Support the identification, development and management of potential partnerships to collaborative working leading to improved food assistance packages.
- Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to prepare for and respond to food assistance needs, e.g. through providing inputs into training materials.
- Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with analysis and queries.
- Other as required.
OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS
1. Gender and protection analysis and planning:
- Contribute to the implementation and ongoing updating of the country office’s GPI action plan.
- Undertake protection and gender assessments of programs in order to assess current practices and make recommendations.
- Undertake and/or contribute to contextual protection and gender analyses
- Review and/or contribute to the development of quantitative and qualitative primary data collection tools in the various assessments carried out by the VAM (Vulnerability Assessment and Monitoring) sub-section to ensure gender and protection mainstreaming.
- Exploit and triangulate data collected through protection and gender analyses, M&E and VAM surveys and the CFM in order to improve current practices.
2. Support for protection and gender mainstreaming in implementation:
- Proactively collaborate with all sections of the program unit as well as RAM and CP Management to identify and integrate protection risk mitigation measures as well as gender-sensitive / gender-transformative actions based on analyses
- Update and/or develop guidance tools and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for WFP and its partners to ensure the integration of gender and protection considerations into WFP activities.
- Map organizations focusing on protection and gender (including disability inclusion).
3. Protection and gender-sensitive monitoring and evaluation
- Review monitoring and evaluation tools to ensure the collection of protection and gender data
- Support the improvement and operation of accessible Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) channels.
4. Capacity building
- Conduct training on protection and gender issues for WFP staff (including the GPI Taskforce) and partners, including government actors.
- Conduct GPI capacity assessments (including AMAP) of cooperating partners in collaboration with the CP Management section.
5. Resource mobilization, communications and reporting
- Proactively contribute to the development of project proposals, ensuring the integration of protection measures and gender-responsive and transformative actions in all aspects of proposals (narrative, budget, logical framework, etc.).
- Improve the reporting process from cooperating partners to better capture protection and gender practices, results and lessons learned.
- Contribute to corporate processes related to gender mainstreaming and protection in line with policies and guidance (e.g. annual country report, annual protection survey, PAA and CE, gender certification program, gender and age marker, etc.).
- Work closely with the communications team to develop gender-sensitive communications materials focused on gender and protection for internal and external use.
- Contribute to the integration of the gender and protection dimension in donor reports.
- Organize events around international and national days focused on gender equality, including International Women’s Day, 16 Days of Activism on Gender-Based Violence and other key annual events.
- Participate actively in inter-agency groups on protection and gender issues.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Education: Advanced University degree in social sciences, gender, international development, development economics or another related field such as international relations, human rights or political science or First university degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.
Experience:
- With an Advanced university degree, at least three (03) years of relevant experience at a professional level
- At least two (05) years experience as a protection and/or gender specialist
- Technical expertise in gender and protection in humanitarian and development contexts, ideally in food security and nutrition projects
Desired experience for entry into the role:
- Has deepened technical knowledge through exposure to technical teams.
- Has taken leadership of implementing programmes.
- Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.
Language: Fluency (level C) in French language and an Intermediate level in English.
SKILLS AND APTITUDES
- Strong research and analytical skills, including gender and protection analysis and qualitative analysis
- Communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively through multiple media (e.g. policy, advocacy, reporting, training)
- Adult learning skills
- Ability to work in a team, participate in open dialogues and value the diverse opinions of others, regardless of gender, culture, background or experience
- Ability to work independently and proactively, in a timely and organized manner.
- Behavioral competencies: leads by example with integrity, generates results and delivers on commitments, fosters inclusive and collaborative teamwork, applies strategic thinking, builds and maintains sustainable partnerships.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: March 30, 2025
More Information
- Job City Antananarivo
