WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.
Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.
Are you a Programme Policy Officer – Project Manager interested in further developing your professional experience while contributing to ending global hunger? Would you like to join WFP, a highly reputable organisation bringing positive change to lives of people affected by hardships? Would you like to join a global organisation investing in its people?
If your answer is yes, then this is a great opportunity for you to become an integral member of a diverse and passionate team that works on varied and international projects directly contributing to beneficiary assistance.
ABOUT WFP
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) 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. With more than 18,000 colleagues worldwide, WFP works to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry.
WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN WFP?
- WFP assists more than 86 million people in around 83 countries. Your work will have a positive impact on the lives of the people most affected by food insecurity and with the least capacity to respond to shocks through own resources and coping mechanisms
- The way WFP serves hungry and vulnerable people – including groups that are especially at risk from being excluded from opportunities for self-reliance, is truly important for strengthening their safety and dignity
- You will join a diverse team of professionals and will have a chance to exchange your experience and expertise with your colleagues
- WFP invests in the training and development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities
- Our team is growing internationally and the timing to join us cannot be better!
- We offer attractive compensation package (please refer to Terms and Conditions section)
REGIONAL BUREAU DAKAR
The WFP Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa region is based in Dakar, Senegal. It supports 19 country offices (CO) in their programme delivery and advocate for the integration of WFP corporate priorities (People at the center, Organizational effectiveness, Triple Nexus and Digital transformation) into national policies and programmes.
The Regional Bureau core functions are to provide strategic guidance, technical support and operational oversight. By providing guidance and policy support to COs, the Regional Bureau ensures clear communication at management level between HQ, RB and COs, in line with the realignment of HQ-RB responsibilities, including advisory support to improve the quality of programme implementation, positioning and fundraising efforts. Significant work of the Regional Bureau is around technical support provided to COs, notably to ensure the quality of project design, to facilitate the sharing of technical resources and enhance CO’s staff capacity. WFP Regional Bureau also advocates for assessing and recommending appropriate actions to strengthen the capacities of Governments and National actors involved in achieving SDG2, foster the linkages between national academics, research entities and WFP operations. The Regional Bureau works to strengthen emergency preparedness and response capacities across the region to strategically position WFP as the leading organization responding to emergencies.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic which is affecting food security, local economies and markets in West and Central Africa, the Regional Bureau is focusing on sustaining, expanding and complementing national responses and systems, through holistic, participative, adaptive and coordinated approaches, around three complementary and mutually reinforcing systems that are central to effective response and where WFP has demonstrated value as a partner of choice for national governments: social protection systems; basic services (nutrition and school-based programmes); and food system.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The World Food Programme Regional Bureau in West Africa (RBD) is seeking to fill the position of Programme Policy Officer (Programme Cycle) to support the organization’s country strategic planning in support of the 2030 Agenda, and in accordance with the United Nations reform and other key corporate processes.
The Programme Cycle/Country Strategic Planning unit, within the Programme Support Unit is responsible for Programme Cycle Management, taking on a normative role in guiding Country Offices through the roll-out of second-generation Country Strategic Plans (CSPs), that are compliant with the requirements of UN reforms. The team carries out core functions related to the production of corporate guidance and provision of direct support to Country Offices in designing quality CSPs, including by facilitating formulation workshops and accompanying them through the internal and external review and approval process.
Major system-wide transitions in relation to WFP’s corporate Integrated Road Map (IRM) and to UN reforms require adjustments to programme and technical guidance, contribution to which will constitute a critical part of the assignment.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
Under the direct supervision of the Senior Regional Programme Adviser, the Programme Policy Officer (Programme Cycle) is expected to:
- Provide strategic and process related policy guidance and support to WFP country offices engaged in the formulation of second generation (interim) country strategic plans, the United Nations Development Cooperation Framework (UNDCF)/ and Common Country Assessment (CCA) and other key processes.
- Contribute to rolling-out corporate initiatives in relation to second generation of CSPs, IRM, and other corporate Policy and Programme initiatives.
- Ensure that CSPs and their revisions are compliant to WFP corporate policy and programme standards.
- Coordinate overall Programme Cycle Management.
- Manage the Programme Cycle team and assume other managerial functions upon request.
Specifically, the Programme Policy Officer (Programme Cycle) will perform the following functions:
- Support Country Strategic Planning processes at country level
- Support Country Offices in designing and rolling-out their CSPs:
- Provide support to Country Offices in their strategic engagement with key stakeholders at country level before, during and after the UNSDCF design including facilitating the design or review of national Zero Hunger Strategic Reviews (ZHSR) as a key input to the CCA.
- Support Country Offices in aligning their current strategic planning cycles with the UNSDCF including through Budget Revisions;
- Organize and facilitate CSP formulation exercises, workshops and consultations, in close coordination with the Regional Bureaux and Headquarter counterparts;
- Support Country Offices in designing, framing and drafting their CSPs and guide them through the internal and external approval and review processes;
- Provide and continuously improve guidance, knowledge-sharing and lessons learned on strategic formulation and CSP design.
- Roll-out of corporate initiatives related to the IRM
- Contribute to the development of WFP’s conceptual approaches for CSPs:
- Take stock and analyse previous CSP processes, lessons learned, best practices and key findings;
- Engage in the ongoing UN and corporate reform discussions and analyse the implications for WFP’s country strategic planning;
- Contribute to corporate guidance on the application of the UNSDCF framework at country level;
- Provide support to corporate position papers, proposals and briefs for WFP management and the Executive Board;
- Contribute to IRM simplification work, including with regards to emergency response and preparedness activities to ensure efficiency and excellence in emergencies.
- Oversight of CSPs and their revisions to ensure compliance with WFP corporate policies and programmatic standards
- Conduct oversight of country portfolios and activities design and implementation stages to improve programme effectiveness, efficiency and normative guidance:
- Undertake quality oversight of programme design and implementation;
- Ensure that WFP interventions are designed and implemented in accordance with corporate procedures and guidelines and meet the established standards;
- Identify and document best practices and contribute to the development of standards and tools for programme design;
- Where relevant, support the establishment of ZHSR (zero hunger strategic review) follow-up mechanisms / SDG2 roadmaps and knowledge-sharing and lessons learned exercises in relation to CSP design.
- Coordinate overall Programme cycle Management.
- Coordinate the Programme Review Process and programme design:
- Support country offices in the revision of the (I) CSPs, including assisting COs in the drafting and editing of the documents and the submission for the s-PRP and the e-PRP.
- Ensure strategic and technical comments from s-PRPs, e-PRPs and feedback from Executive Board are adequately addressed and incorporated into the (I)CSPs.
- Provide support to COs in drafting CSP revisions and coordinate the quality review within the RB.
- Support Cos in drafting the Country Office Management Plan (COMP) and coordinate quality review and assurance within the Regional Bureau.
- Perform managerial functions
- The Programme Policy Officer (Programme Cycle) leads a small team of two people i.e. “RBD PC (programme cycle) within the Programme Support Unit team.” Upon request, he/she will also often perform other managerial activities.
Other tasks as required and assigned by the senior management.
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Advanced university degree; with emphasis in one or more of the following disciplines: political science, economics, agriculture, international affairs, social sciences, development studies or a field relevant to international development or humanitarian assistance;
- Strong writing, analytical and research skills (qualitative and quantitative) and ability to use knowledge in applied policy formulation;
- Excellent knowledge and understanding of United Nations System processes and standards;
- Knowledge of humanitarian development challenges and issues, including hunger solutions;
- Good understanding of project lifecycle, humanitarian principles and tools, programmes and transfer modalities;
- Knowledge of international humanitarian and development cooperation;
- Ability to explain WFP portfolios and operations to Government counterparts and partners clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing;
- Good interpersonal skills, teamwork spirit and ability to work in multicultural settings;
- Experience in West and Central Africa is an asset.
EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- At least 8 years of international experience working in development cooperation and/or humanitarian assistance;
- Relevant experience in food security analysis, programme design, and field experience in the implementation of projects using food assistance is required
- Experience in emergency context is desirable;
- Previous experience in country strategic planning processes, programme management and interagency coordination in a large multicultural institution, preferably within the UN, is an asset;
- Knowledge of UN reform processes such as UNDCF and CCA is an asset;
- Language: Fluent in English and French B – intermediate required.
CLOSING DATE: 31 October, 2020
VA Number: (126667)
Terms and Conditions
Mobility is, and continues to be, a core contractual requirement in WFP. The selected candidate will be employed on a Fixed-Term contract with an initial duration of two years including a probationary period of one year.
WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, pension plan and medical insurance. For more details, please visit icsc.un.org.
Qualified female applicants and qualified applicants from Low- and Middle-Income 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.
More Information
- Job City Dakar
