Conflict Sensitivity and Access Advisor

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, color, 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.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

WFP is well known for its ability to deliver food assistance rapidly to people in need. Increasingly, this emergency assistance is delivered in conflict-affected areas, where it runs the risk of inadvertently becoming caught up in the conflict itself. Many WFP staff around the world work hard to understand the contexts where they work and intuitively try to ensure that WFP programming and operations do not contribute to conflict or tensions. However, WFP needs to go beyond ‘Do No Harm’ to become truly conflict-sensitive in the many complex emergencies in which it operates. WFP has committed to the application of conflict sensitivity in all of its operations, not only through the 2013 Policy on WFP’s Role in Peacebuilding in Transition Settings but also more recently in signing up to the 2020 OECD DAC recommendation on the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus (HDPN).

The need for greater conflict sensitivity within WFP operations was identified in the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) case studies (2020-2022) which noted that “WFP programming often shows a lack of conflict sensitivity.” Where appropriate, WFP is also seeking to make Contributions to Peace (CtPs) through its FSN interventions and has a small but growing portfolio of projects with specific peace objectives funded through the UN Peacebuilding Fund.

There are several conflicts that are currently active in LAC and of concern for WFP:

• The Colombian armed conflict between the Colombian government and various insurgent groups, including the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN), and the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). The conflict has been ongoing for over 50 years and has caused widespread death, displacement, and poverty.
• The Venezuela crisis provoked massive migration due to instability, poverty, and lack of opportunities.
• The Nicaraguan political crisis, started in 2018, characterized by widespread protests, human rights abuses, and international condemnation.
• Honduras and El Salvador are facing harsh gangs’ clashes that affect the security of the population, their livelihoods, and access to opportunities.
• Ecuador has recently been affected by high levels of crimes related to the presence of drug-related groups that use kidnapping, extortion, and robbery to strengthen their power.

Haiti is affected by several years of deep multidimensional crisis erupted into violence and instability in the space left to extra-constitutional governance after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. This situation is deeply concerning for the United Nation, as demonstrated by the adoption of the Security Council Resolution 2653 at its 9159th meeting, on 21 October 2022 which is establishing sanctions for the perpetrators.

Over the last 20 years Non-State Armed Groups (NSAG) have been operating in the country and during the last three years, they have increasingly occupied the territory up to control 80% of the metropolitan area of Port au Prince, taking advantage of the lack of presence and power of the Haitian National Police (PNH) and the shortcomings in the judicial system. Armed clashes, homicides, kidnapping, and sexual violence, and population displacements are daily occurrences that force people to live in fear, unable to access basic services. Insecurity is growing also in the provinces, affecting food production areas, and blocking transport routes with a significant impact on productive and commercial activities, at a time when nearly half of the population is suffering from severe food insecurity, fuelling the mutually reinforcing relationship between hunger and political upheaval. Violence also hampered relief operations in areas severely affected by gang activities, and in this very volatile environment, during mass protests throughout the country, there have been episodes of direct attacks to humanitarian stocks and structures.

In general, the region faces a high level of criminality and impunity, affecting the groups already in a situation of vulnerability and threatening social cohesion.

The effectiveness of humanitarian action hinges on access – access by humanitarians to people in need, and by people in need to essential goods and services free from threats to staff, partners, beneficiaries, and assets. The Conflict Sensitivity Advisor will be responsible for ensuring that the outcomes of the WFP and FAO co-led conflict analysis are embedded into programme design and that conflict sensitivity is effectively mainstreamed across all WFP operations. The advisor will also be responsible for assuring technical and operational support to the implementation of the Community Acceptance Strategy adopted by WFP Haiti CO in 2023 to enhance trust in WFP and acceptance of its interventions. The approach aims to strengthen community engagement while further mainstreaming Accountability to the Affected Population (AAP) in all programmes and implementing WFP minimum standards of conflict sensitivity.

In addition, the Advisor will be responsible for increasing the mainstreaming of conflict-sensitivity in WFP operations (in Haiti and other relevant COs in LAC); and enhancing WFP’s programmatic offering with respect to stabilization and contribution to peace. This will be achieved through a combination of technical support, capacity building, coordination, partnership development, and knowledge management.

In addition, the Advisor will support WFP on policy and operational direction on issues related to humanitarian access and engagement with relevant stakeholders, including humanitarian actors, communities, and parties to the conflict dynamics, and provide advice on diverse issues related to safeguarding humanitarian principles and ensuring the effective delivery of WFP assistance and protection activities, in Haiti and other LAC countries.

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

This role of the Conflict Sensitivity and Access Advisor is both strategic and operational, supporting especially Haiti CO (70% of her/his time), and collaborating with other RBP/other LAC CO (30% of her/his time).

Specifically, the Advisor will be responsible for the following:

Technical support

1. Analysis: conflict sensitivity/peace contribution/community engagement and acceptance – For WFP Haiti CO and other countries as relevant lead and undertake political and contextual analysis and analyze the context/conflict and assess the conflict sensitivity of WFP’s operations and partnerships across the entire portfolio, by identifying programmatic and operational conflict-related risks including choices of transfer modalities, and proposing mitigation measures, as well as opportunities, including communication with communities and engagement approaches, to adjust and design WFP’s interventions to contribute to peace.

1. Capacity Building: Initiate, plan, and implement efforts that build the capacity of WFP staff in Haiti and other LAC country offices, including building systems and processes to undertake conflict sensitivity analysis and assessments. Build and maintain a cadre of expertise across the region and set up focal points that will champion conflict sensitivity, humanitarian access, and peace-building approaches in all WFP programming. Providing capacity-building training on Conflict Sensitivity, humanitarian access, contribution to peace to CO focal points, developing contextualized training materials and guidance tools, and supporting action plan developments.

1. Advise: development and implementation of access strategies – Based on the analysis above, advise WFP Haiti CO and other LAC CO on components, good practices, key actors, and concerns to be considered in the formulation of strategies to reach affected communities and facilitate their access to essential WFP assistance and services. This includes advising and coordinating with Programme, Access, AAP/Gender/Protection and Security Officers, and Supply Chain colleagues to ensure coherent and well-informed engagement, regular input, and information sharing as situations evolve.

1. Implement and Monitor: conflict dynamics in Haiti and any other potential crisis and status of WFP’s acceptance – Maintain an overview of the state-of-play of conflicts dynamics and insecurity across the countries, including supporting WFP’s efforts to engage with communities and conflict actors with a view to advise and participate into operational decision-making to assure better acceptance and contribute to accountability to the affected population. This includes the monitoring and mapping tools to understand where and why WFP may be unable to reach beneficiaries or might incur in reputational risks.

1. Community Engagement and Communication Strategy- Support effective community participation to assure the conflict sensitivity approach; advise the development of programmes beneficial to enhance peaceful coexistence and social cohesion and mitigate protection and security risks. Close monitoring of the conflict dynamics and risks for preparedness and early action and identify peace actors and access focal points in the hotspot areas to facilitate humanitarian assistance.

Partnerships

1. Inter-agency engagement – Ensuring that WFP is visible and actively participating in relevant inter-agency discussions and coordination concerning conflict sensitivity, access, protection, and AAP and that WFP’s role in contributing towards peacebuilding outcomes is highlighted.

1. UN-wide engagement – Ensuring that WFP in LAC is actively engaged in UN system-wide initiatives related to conflict sensitivity, humanitarian access, conflict mitigation and resolution as well as peacebuilding, including support to FAO and WFP joint conflict analyses and collaboration with the RCO on Community acceptance related matters.

1. Coordination and collaboration with FAO and other relevant actors on the implementation of activities related to The Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) in terms of analysis and information sharing at the regional level and support/strengthen similar coordination at the country offices level.

Knowledge Management

1. Documentation and dissemination – Documenting good practices and learning from across the region and ensuring that it is systematically disseminated to feed the corporate development of guidance and tools among countries’ offices of the region. Ensure that WFP Haiti CO and other LAC CO are acting in a timely manner on any new opportunities to enhance their engagement on conflict-sensitivity, humanitarian access, and contribution to peace opportunities (including emerging funding windows). Participate in learning events and activities to build knowledge across the emergent peacebuilding and conflict sensitivity network across WFP

1. Any other duties as required.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT

1. Conflict analyses supported in at least 2 countries, with conflict sensitivity risks identified and captured in the risk register, with clearly articulated mitigation measures
2. Key actions of the Haiti community acceptance strategy implemented and reported
3. Community Acceptance and Access strategies developed in at least 2 countries, and support provided for their implementation, including indicator-based results
4. Conflict sensitivity elements incorporated in the relevant country offices ACRs, including risks identified and related mitigation measures adopted.
5. Conflict sensitivity mainstreamed in Colombia and Guatemala’s upcoming CSP documents.
6. Document with lessons learned across the region developed and disseminated, with a focus on Haiti
7. WFP is well represented during relevant inter-agency discussions and coordination concerning conflict sensitivity, access, protection, and AAP in Haiti and other countries when needed
8. A solid collaboration with FAO and other relevant actors on the implementation of activities related to The Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) is assured
9. Active monitoring of conflict and acceptance dynamics across the country/region, political negotiations, and WFP’s ability to reach beneficiaries and/or facilitate their access to essential goods and services.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK: COMMON STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOUR

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Education: Advanced academic degree in international relations, development studies, conflict studies, or another relevant discipline

Experience:

Essential

• At least 6 years of professional experience providing technical support to integrate conflict sensitivity into both humanitarian and development programming.
• Experience in design, drafting, presentation, and dissemination of conflict analyses with a gender and protection focus.
• Experience in capacity building (training, accompaniment) on conflict sensitivity.
• Solid knowledge of peacebuilding programme design, including the articulation of theories of change of food security/food assistance programming and analysis.

Desirable

• Experience in supporting strategic planning processes to integrate conflict and peace
• Experience in negotiating humanitarian access and developing access strategies in a complex emergency setting with state and non-state actors.
• Experience with community engagement in conflict settings.

Technical Skills & Knowledge:

Essential

• Commitment to WFP’s mission and values
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong communication skills
• Strong influencing and networking skills
• Ability to work independently under minimal supervision
• Proficiency in Window MS office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook)

Desirable

Technical training in areas that are directly or indirectly relevant to peacebuilding and/or conflict sensitivity

Competencies: Knowledge of WFP’s operation and previous experience with WFP is considered an asset

Languages:

Essential

Fluency in French, and English, both written and spoken is essential.

Working knowledge of Spanish is also required.

Desirable

Knowledge of Haitian Creole is an asset

WORKING ARRANGEMENTS:

The incumbent will be based in WFP Haiti Country Office, with travels to other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean

Applications deadline: July 18, 2023

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