Programme and Policy Officer
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Job Title: Programme and Policy Officer
Type of Contract: International CST (Level 1)
Division: PRO-T SSTC
Duty Station (City, Country): Rome, Italy
Duration: 11 months
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
The World Food Programme (WFP) has stepped up its approach to broker South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) significantly over the past few years. WFP brokers SSTC to support national governments in achieving progress on food security and nutrition in line with country priorities as reflected in Country Strategic Plans. SSTC is increasingly important for WFP,and its host governments to access and mobilize the growing expertise, technologies and financial resources that already exist in the global South.
The WFP Programme (Humanitarian and Development) Division (PRO) coordinates the implementation of WFP’s SSTC Policy, which is being curently updated, and serves as a helpdesk for WFP Country Offices (COs) and Regional Bureaux (RBx) on SSTC. PRO assures normative guidance and provides technical support/coaching on SSTC to WFP RBx and COs while also engaging WFP’s Centres of Excellence and SSTC provider countries in order to help them identify and realize SSTC opportunities as part of WFP’s programme of work. The Division also coordinates WFP’s SSTC engagement with other UN-partners and government partners and positions WFP on key SSTC issues relating to food security and nutrition in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Purpose and scope of these Terms of Reference
In 2020 and 2021, WFP has rolled out an independent evaluation of WFP's 2015 Policy on SSTC. One of the recommendations from the evaluation was to update WFP's Policy on SSTC. In line with WFP's management response to the evaluation recommendations and building on an extensive and participatory consultation process, PRO coordinated the development of the SSTC Policy update along with its costed implementation plan. The SSTC Policy update is expected to be approved by WFP's Executive Board at the end of June 2023 and rolled out over the next five years starting from Q3 2023. Under the overall supervision of the SSTC Unit's Chief, the incumbent will support the lead of the SSTC workplan Progamme Support pillar to backstop WFP COs and RBx on the roll-out of South-South reviews, mainstreaming of SSTC in corporate planning and reporting tools, development of regional and country level SSTC strategies, design and monitoring of SSTC projects linked to SSTC Global Progammes.
This position is based in Rome, Italy, and will be for a period of 11 months.
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Support the review of Country Strategic Plans (CSPs) to ensure that SSTC is mainstreamed across CSPs' strategic outcomes and partnership strategies in line with corporate guidance.
2. Support the organization of SSTC regional mappings and South-South reviews in target countries to help COs scope SSTC opportunities and reflect them in their CSPs and Partnership Action Plans.
3. Capture and analyse key results, lessons learned and recommendations stemming from South-South reviews and regional mappings and support the development of SSTC country-level and regional strategies in line with the SSTC policy update implementation plan.
4. Provide backstopping support to COs to design, implement, monitor and report on SSTC projects in close collaboration with relevant Centres of Excellence and COs in SSTC provider countries in line with corporate guidance.
5. Provide backstopping support to WFP RBx and COs with regards to the use of SSTC indicators and SSTC marker of WFP's Corporate Result Framework and inclusion of SSTC results in corporate planning and reporting tools such as logical frameworks in Country Strategic Plans (CSP) and Annual Country Reports (ACRs).
6. Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely WFP's internal and external reports on corporate SSTC engagement (e.g. Annual SSTC Unit's report) gathering data from SSTC projects, CoEs reports, ACRs, and other sources of information.
7. Support the dissemination and further refinement of the SSTC M&E toolkit to include feedback from RBx, CoEs and COs
8. Other duties, as required by the function.
DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:
– Contribution to WFP's SSTC corporate report and SSTC project reports
– Analytical piece on South-South Review and regional mappings results, lessons learned and recommendations
– Inputs on draft draft CSPs narratives, Logframes and PAPs
– Inputs on country-levels and regional SSTC strategies
– South-South Review and regiona mapping reports
– Analytical piece on SSTC mainstreaming in ACRs and Logframes aligned with CRF SSTC indicators and Marker
– Other deliverables, as needed
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education: Advanced university degree in one of the following disciplines: social sciences, international development, development economics or another related field such as international relations, human rights or political science.
Experience: At least 3 years of relevant and solid experience in:
- Designing, managing, monitoring and reporting on development or technical assistance projects in a developing country setting.
- Facilitating SSTC projects ensuring close coordination and active engagement of partners in recipient and provider countries.
- Supporting national/SSTC development programmes, policies, strategies or plans and institutional structures, in relation to food security and/or nutrition and revolving around national capacity strengthening, SSTC and/or programme and knowledge management.
- Establishing contacts and liaising with partner organisations/companies.
- Working in an international environment engaging individuals from a diverse range of geographical and functional areas.
- Preferably, experience in country programming of WFP and/or another UN agency.
Knowledge and Skills:
- Solid understanding of Agenda 2030 and of SDG2 and SDG17 and respective targets.
- Solid knowledge of programme and project lifecycle tools, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
- Knowledge of SSTC cooperation framework, principles, international partners landscape is desirable.
- Knowledge of WFP's mandate and programme areas of work is desirable.
- Data collection and analytical writing skills, including ability to analyse and consolidate quantitative and qualitative information to understand national capacities across a wide range of policy and programme areas and identify gap and needs.
- Strong interpersonal skills demonstrated by the ability to gain the assistance and cooperation of others in a team endeavour through demonstrated technical leadership.
- Strong communication and conceptual skills.
- Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality written outputs and ability to present in English. Knowledge of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or WFP’s working language, Portuguese is desirable.
- Proficient computer literacy.
Language:
- International Professional: Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language, particularly that of the Regional Bureau in question: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or WFP’s working language, Portuguese.
Terms and Conditions
WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.
Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP.
http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.
Deadline for applications: 28 June 2023
Ref.: VA No. 827715
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.
