Strategic Partnerships Consultant Roster
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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.
ABOUT WFP
The United Nations World Food Programme 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. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
These jobs are found in Headquarters (HQ), Global Offices (GOs), Regional Bureaux (RB) and Country Offices (COs), and generally report to the relevant Director or a more senior Partnerships Officer. The World Food Programme is investing in partnerships with national governments and development actors -including International Financial Institutions – to strategically position WFP within the development sphere and mobilize new resources to achieve zero hunger and advance other related development priorities. To ensure effective and coherent support for Country Offices seeking to engage in partnerships with national governments and IFIs, the Strategic Partnerships Officer will be recruited to support efforts at a national, regional or corporate level.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
WFP’s expansion of the strategic engagement with national governments and International Financial Institutions is part of a broader corporate initiative to diversify partnerships and sources of funding, particularly around the Changing Lives agenda. This corporate investment has resulted in an increase in the number of agreements signed to support national objectives.
In order to respond to the demand for establishing partnerships and leveraging opportunities, as well as to support country offices in the process of preparing proposals and contracts, a roster is being developed of candidates with appropriate profiles. The Strategic Partnerships Officer provides a unique bridge between programme design and partnership development. Supporting Country Offices, the incumbent will provide support in navigating engagement with government and IFI counterparts.
Successful candidates will contribute to strategically positioning WFP within the development sphere and mobilize new resources. Based on the years of experience, the areas of responsibility could include some or all of the following.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
- Proactively scan the development landscape and support exploration of viable opportunities and new approaches for WFP’s strategic engagement in the development space with the Government and other development actors, such as IFIs, particularly in the areas of rural transformation, sustainable infrastructure and human capital development, including social protection.
- Support WFP engagement with National Government counterparts and International Financial Institutions, including through scoping and mapping the national and regional priorities (including national capacity gaps, budget allocations and fiscal space) and, drafting tailored strategies and value propositions, and process support.
- Ensure tailored follow up on strategic and funding opportunities to advance countries’ development agendas and support achievement of relevant goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda, the SDGs, and other relevant platforms, within the framework of national Zero Hunger Strategic Reviews, WFP’s Country Strategic Plans, and SSTC;
- Analyse the national development, budgeting and spending priorities to determine how WFP could support the Government with furthering its priorities and closing the funding gap.
- Provide technical advice or mobilise technical expertise, to support the development of agreements with national governments which support government efforts in the achievement of SDG 2.
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
- Support the design and negotiation of large/complex partnership proposals, joint strategies and/or MOUs in line with corporate norms, processes and external regulations.
- Contribute to complex negotiations on strategic partnership agreements in line with WFP’s corporate norms, processes and external regulations, in order to reach advantageous outcomes for WFP, with government and other development actors, including IFIs.
- Provide strategic advice to Senior management for engagement with governmental authorities (local, subnational, and national), and other development actors including International Financial Institutions.
Undertake any other duties as requested, in line with the Terms of Reference and purposes of strategic partnerships.
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Advanced academic degree in one or more of the following disciplines: political science, law, economics, international affairs, public health, social sciences, development studies, or any other field related to international development or humanitarian assistance.
DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE
The ideal candidate will have diverse mix of experience related to the portfolio and would benefit from a strong understanding of WFP’s operations, policy, planning and budget, and/or Financial Institutions and/or government policy design. He/She should be a self-starter, organised, flexible and comfortable with working with multiple senior internal and external actors and to tight deadlines.
He/she will have experience supporting WFP Country Offices in developing Country Strategic Plans and engagement in WFP strategic planning processes. At least 5 years of postgraduate progressively responsible professional experience in public sector management, development projects, emergency assistance and/or institutional strengthening. Working directly in or with WFP operations in Latin America and the Caribbean is an asset.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Knowledge & Skills: Strong writing, analytical and research skills; good interpersonal skills, teamwork spirit and ability to work in multicultural settings; superior cognitive capacity.
Timeframe: 6 months (+5)
Language skills: Proficiency/level C of English (requirement); other UN language(s) desired.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
20 April 2023.
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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.
