Programme Policy Officer (Access and Engagement Advisor) P4 – Kabul, Afghanistan

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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 or disability.

Are you a Programme Policy specialist interested in further developing your professional experience while contributing to ending global hunger? Are you passionate about helping those in need? Would you like to join a global organization investing in its people?

If so, an exciting & fulfilling career awaits you! Join our diverse and passionate team that works on varied and international projects directly contributing to saving & changing millions of lives around the globe.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications must be submitted by Monday, November 21, 2022 (10:59 PM CET)

WHO WE ARE

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), a highly prestigious, reputable & world’s largest humanitarian organization, operating in more than 120 countries and territories, bringing life-saving assistance in emergencies, building pathways to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change and supporting sustainable and resilient livelihoods for a world with zero hunger.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: UN World Food Programme (WFP) and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

WHY JOIN US?

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

WFP’s operation in Afghanistan has grown rapidly as a result of the complex emergency in the country, both due to the severe drought and the economic collapse following the political transition in August 2021. The operational environment for WFP and partners remains complex and, at times, insecure with humanitarian space and access more complicated. There remains the potential for a proliferation of actors and fragmentation of groups over the coming year, complicating security, access, and relationship management for humanitarian actors dealing with the Defacto Authorities and non-state actors seeking to influence the situation in the country. WFP and partners continue to respond to severe and extreme humanitarian needs within a deeply complex and dynamic operational environment.

While WFP was engaged with Armed Opposition Actors, including the Taliban, before the August 2021 takeover, the context of that engagement has become more complicated. The Taliban takeover means that WFP now must engage with the de facto authorities in order to facilitate its work. This process is complicated by sanctions and the de facto authorities not being recognised. Furthermore, the Taliban’s informal networks continue to develop, and they shape policy and interaction with the population and the UN. Those networks have enmeshed with many of the Republic’s structures, in which some civil servants continue to work, which adds further layers of complication to engagement with the authorities.

Where WFP’s engagement with the Taliban typically revolved around traditional access issues when they were an insurgent group, engagement now has taken more the form of government relations. Nonetheless, there are severe limitations on such engagement given that WFP cannot engage with the de facto authorities as a recognised government. The de facto authorities will continue to pressure the UN to cede control to them regardless of recognition. Traditional access issues, such as access to territory, may once again surface as armed opposition in the country develops over the coming years, which will complicate relations with the de facto authorities further.

This position requires someone with an excellent understanding of the political, ethnic and security context in the country. The candidate will need to understand and translate regional, national, and sub-national geopolitics and analyze conflict dynamics to provide inputs to the Country Director on access issues and positioning for WFP’s field level operations and advocate for principled and sustained humanitarian access.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under the supervision of the Country Director, the candidate will be responsible for the following duties:

• Compile data and provide regular analysis and advice on the evolution of the conflict to inform WFP operations and advocacy efforts.
• Assist the Country Director in exploring and developing strategic partnerships on humanitarian access issues.
• Support the Country Director with compiling data and reports to inform advocacy on humanitarian access and humanitarian space issues with the Defacto Authorities.
• Provide preliminary analysis and advice on WFP access posture to ensure the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance in accordance with humanitarian principles.
• Support the operational access team with analysis to facilitate sustained and systematic negotiation with DfA & non-state armed actors
• Map stakeholders in the areas of interest
• Map relevant sanction regimes and assess implications for WFP operations as the conflict and context evolves.
• Compile relevant data on the behavior and tactics of belligerents in contravention of Security Council Resolution 2417. Provide inputs to the Country Director in design of advocacy and response efforts in collaboration with strategic allies, i.e. the ICRC, HCT.
• Participate in internal and external humanitarian access and security fora.
• Support training initiatives for WFP teams and partners

KEY REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION:

• Advanced university degree or university degree with course work in political science, law, history, international relations, anthropology, or a related field.

EXPERIENCE:

• At least 8 years of postgraduate experience, with significant humanitarian programming with demonstrated experience in deep-field locations, including Afghanistan.

LANGUAGE:

• Fluency (level C) in written and spoken English.
• Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese (A WFP working language)
• Working knowledge of Dari, Farsi and/or Pashtu is an advantage.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

These are the common standards of behaviour that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Different expectations of behaviour are defined depending on your grade and role/responsibilities within WFP.

MORE ABOUT YOU

You have:

• Familiarity with WFP programming and ways of working and armed conflict and food security in conflict environments including in Afghanistan and/or demonstrated ability and willingness to rapidly acquire such in-depth knowledge.
• Demonstrated experience in humanitarian access negotiations.
• Demonstrated conflict and security analytical competency.
• Strong knowledge of civil war and organized violence, including state and non-state armed actors in Afghanistan.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing
• Ability to lead a team and build effective working relationships with persons of many national and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability and willingness to cope with situations which may threaten health or safety and to live in challenging environments.
• General knowledge of humanitarian principles, UN rules, regulations and procedures.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• This is an International Professional position and is open to all nationalities.
• Mobility is and continues to be, a core contractual requirement in WFP. The selected candidate will be employed on a fixed term as well as a rotational contract with a probationary period of one year.​
• WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package in line with ICSC standards (http://icsc.un.org) including basic salary, post adjustment, relocation entitlement, visa, travel and shipment allowances, 30 days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent children, a pension plan, and medical insurance.
• The selected candidate will be required to relocate to Kabul, Afghanistan to take up this assignment.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
• Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
• Please contact us at [email protected] in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

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WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to conduct such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore undergo rigorous background verification internally or through third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may lead to disqualification or termination of employment

WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.

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