Policy Integration Consultant
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encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, color, 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: Policy Integration Consultant
Type of Contract: Consultant level I
Division: CBT / Cash-Based Transfers Division
Duty Station (City, Country): Rome HQ, Italy
Duration: 11 months
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food and cash assistance to change lives and empower people to meet their essential needs. WFP does this both through direct programming as well as by supporting governments on their national pathways toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in partnership with multiple stakeholders.
The Cash-based Transfer (CBT) Division in WFP’s Headquarters in Rome leads the organization’s global efforts in cash programming and is a dynamic and agile team that works multifunctionally and with a range of innovative partners to enable WFP’s field operations to provide high quality cash transfer programming in emergency and development settings.
CBT is the fastest growing component of WFP’s portfolio. Since its introduction in 2009, cash transfers have grown from USD 10m in 2009 to USD 2.3B in 2021. Globally, the number of countries using CBT increased from 10 to 69 during the same period and the number of people receiving cash transfers grew from 1m to 41.8m. There is now a large body of evidence attesting to the effectiveness of cash transfers, emphasizing the choice and flexibility that cash allows people to meet their essential needs, even during emergencies, and how cash multiplies in local economies.
WFP has over the past decade become the largest provider of humanitarian cash transfers. In addition to providing food assistance, many CBT programmes are also designed to facilitate financial inclusion, support women’s empowerment, enhance social cohesion, and increase return on investment. WFP’s large footprint brings a responsibility to share the expertise the organization has built and continue to explore ways in which cash transfers can be implemented to enhance the impact of food assistance and create lasting change for people that receive it.
Increasingly, governments are also requesting cash transfer expertise and services from WFP to implement or enhance their own government-to-person (G2P) payment systems and programmes. In 2021, WFP helped 52 governments with their cash transfer programmes. WFP has unique experience in transferring cash to people in challenging contexts. By sharing this learning with governments, WFP can help them be able to easily and securely transfer money to their citizens.
To bring in line its policy framework with these new realities, WFP is in the process of developing a new Cash-based Transfers Policy that will set out the direction for WFP’s cash operations for the coming decade. The new policy will be presented to the Executive Board for their approval in June 2023.
The policy will be accompanied by a new learning and evidence strategy that will ensure that the results of the new policy are measurable and tracked and that internal and external learning continues to inform WFP’s approach to cash transfers.
The development and subsequent roll out of the policy will be supported by new measures for ensuring integration between different CBT-related policy instruments as well as with overall Programme and Policy Development Department (PD) and those pertaining to specific technical areas within PD.
Purpose of the assignment
The development of WFP’s new Cash Policy is founded on extensive consultations with staff across the organization working in cash-based transfer operations and inter-related technical areas from the technical level to senior management. These consultations are critical for the development of a policy that is truly forward-looking, well-connected with other technical ares, and grounded in the realities on the ground. In addition to these internal conversations, the CBT Division is engaging with its Executive Board Members and external partners to ensure mutual alignment towards common goals and expectations.
As the consultations and work to prepare for the submission of the new CBT Policy to the EB intensifies, the CBT Division needs a CBT Integration Consultant that will support the coordination of internal and external stakeholder consultations, support its policy integration work, and assist with the development and implementation of an evidence and learning strategy.
Under the supervision of the Policy Coherence Team Lead, the CBT Policy Consultant will be responsible for the following specific tasks:
ACCOUNTABILITES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Support the formulation of WFP’s new Cash Policy by providing input to existing drafts, supporting the development of related annexes, background documents, and draft shorter policy pieces as required.
2. Ensure the effective coordination of the internal Technical Reference Group for the CBT Policy including scheduling meetings, content development, maintaining the Reference Group member list, and ensuring timely communication.
3. Assist the organization and coordination of consultations with external stakeholders, including EB members, donors, and partners, on the CBT Policy.
4. Review and advise on any new policy or guidance documents generated by the CBT Division and by other divisions, to ensure that integration and alignment between these is improved or maintained.
5. Ensure the effective and timely coordination and implementation of the cross-functional Normative Working Group that is responsible for reviewing and updating existing normative documents.
6. Support the preparation and shepherd the submission of CBT policy instruments through the relevant channels for approval.
7. Act as focal point for CBT-related indicators linked to the new CBT Policy and provide input for the development and implementation of an evidence and learning strategy to support the implementation of the CBT Policy.
8. Other tasks as required.
DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:
Consultative processes related to the CBT have been successfully arranged and input captured for the intended purposes.
CBT policy products are coherent with the overall policy framework and submitted for approval in a timely and effective manner.
Advise has been provided on the integration of CBT normative products with overall PD priorities and other technical areas as relevant.
A comprehensive list and methodologies for CBT indicators for measuring results of the new CBT Policy has been developed drawing on existing corporate data sources.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:
Advanced University degree in International Affairs, Development Studies, Anthropology, Law, Economics, or other field relevant to international
development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
Experience:
3-5 years' experience in the humanitarian and/or development field at the international level.
Experience engaging and coordinating with a diverse set of internal and external stakeholders on policy matters. Experience with project management and/or coordination.
Experience with project management and/or coordination.
Knowledge and Skills:
Strong analytical skills
Solid information management capabilities
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
Proven track record in stakeholder relationship management
Strong organizational and project management skills
Ability to handle large volume of work and meet strict deadlines
Languages:
International Professional: Fluency (level C) in English. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese,
French, Russian, Spanish and/or WFP's working language, Portuguese.
Deadline for applications: 20 December 2022
Ref.: VA No. 178776
Qualified female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply
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.
