Innovation Advisor Consultant, Level II (P3 Equivalent), Regional Bureau of Eastern Africa (RBN)

BACKGROUND:

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the United Nations frontline agency fighting hunger. WFP reaches more than 80 million people every day – delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with smallholder farmers, communities and governments to improve nutrition and build resilience.

As conflict and climate change drive up the number of hungry people in Eastern Africa, finding innovative solutions to the complex humanitarian & development challenges in the region is essential, now perhaps more than ever. WFP Regional Bureau for Eastern Africa which oversees some of the most promising innovations at WFP, has recently launched a WFP Innovation Hub for Eastern Africa to disrupt hunger in the region (Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda). Its main goals are to a) upscale & support local innovation ecosystems to strengthen local food systems and climate resilience, b) facilitate best practices & knowledge sharing and c) support WFP country offices to test new products and innovations.

Based in Nairobi, the WFP Innovation Hub for Eastern Africa identifies, supports, and scales high potential solutions to hunger worldwide. It supports entrepreneurs (could be WFP innovators or external startups, NGOs, companies) to take their innovations to the next level – either getting ideas to the first proof of concept or already implemented solutions to the next scale-up. Supported innovative projects can get seed funding, hands-on support and access to WFP's operations in Eastern Africa countries and globally through different acceleration and incubation programmes. The most promising innovations are supported in scaling further.

The WFP Innovation Hub for Eastern Africa is now supported by USAID, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other partners. A wide range of next-level innovation are being supported, ranging from innovative businesses in South Sudan to start-ups in Uganda and Rwanda. With additional funding secured, the Hub is planning to launch new innovation programmes in the region, build more services and products to support WFP teams in their quest to build the WFP of tomorrow and implement its newly developed theory of change and M&E framework.

PURPOSE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The incumbent, reporting to the Head of the WFP Regional Innovation Hub for Eastern Africa, will be working with all functional units in RBN including Partnerships, Supply Chain, Programme, etc. and Country Offices (COs) as well as stakeholders and partners within the Eastern Africa external innovation ecosystems and the global WFP Innovation Accelerator. The incumbent will lead innovation engagement across the region in coordination with relevant RBN, CO teams and external stakeholders. The incumbent will lead the planning, partner coordination, implementation, and reporting for innovation hub programs, projects, and events.

The incumbent’s responsibilities will include:

1. Lead Country Office (CO) engagement
   1. Lead on the ongoing development of the RBN and CO engagement plan for the Innovation Hub and build and nurture relationships with RBN and CO innovation focal points
   2. Lead workshops with COs as needed to jointly develop localized innovation strategies, programmes, projects and work with the Regional Learning and Impact Advisor to build capability to execute innovation activities and measure impact
   3. Lead on knowledge management, capturing and sharing knowledge from innovation activities between Country Offices and externally

1. 1. Collect, analyze and present knowledge, information and data on Country Office innovation needs and activities relevant for the hub’s broader learning, program design and fundraising activities

1. Lead engagement with ecosystem partners

1. Develop the external engagement strategy, identify external partnerships and collaborations relevant to the Innovation Hub, building on the extensive network of WFP and CARE
2. Build strong relationships with partners and create meaningful connections with relevant innovation ecosystems and communities of practice that support Innovation Hub activities. Work together with the Innovative Financing Advisor who will identify and connect with the network of innovative financing partners
3. Lead the procurement and contracting process and advisory services for engaging external implementing partners needed for Innovation Hub activities
4. Activate the network of external partners as needed for programmes and projects

1. Strategic innovation programme and project management

1. Based on identified demand and needs from Country Offices, lead on the continuous development of the strategic programme and project portfolio for innovation activities in the region aligned with the impact set out in the Innovation Hub’s Theory of Change
2. Document and communicate key information and knowledge on programmes and projects in the portfolio
3. Lead on the design and delivery of strategic innovation programmes and projects in collaboration with RBN, CO and partners as required
4. Work together with the Learning and Impact Advisor to continually update the Innovation Hub’s Theory of Change and M&E framework and incorporate relevant metrics for impact measurement (e.g., sustainability metrics)
5. Contribute to proposal writing and fundraising efforts, annual report writing, measurement and evaluation activities and theory of change/ vision mapping

1. Support other Innovation Hub activities

1. Provide analysis and content preparation (data analysis on projects, market research, PowerPoint presentations, briefs etc) for priority topics and new strategic initiatives
2. Support core programs at critical moments (during recruitment, during events, on special missions, etc) as required
3. Support other core processes of the Innovation Hub (e.g., communications, fundraising, partnerships, contracting etc) as required
4. Support the Head of the Innovation Hub as required

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:

• Internal organisational engagement plan developed and up to date
• Partnership engagement strategy developed and up to date
• Strategic programme and project portfolio developed in line with the Innovation Hub Theory of Change, with core programming underway and monitoring and evaluation, communications, and knowledge management in place
• Successful support on core programs and enabling functions with satisfactory 360 review by manager and collaborating team members

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education: Advanced University degree in business, economics, innovation, international development or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Experience:

At least 5 years of progressively responsible national or international experience in start-ups, private business or in the humanitarian/international development sector.

Experience in building and managing partnerships to deliver innovative, sustainable projects from within the private and humanitarian sectors.

Experience owning and building strategies for end-to-end verticals of work (e.g. delivering consulting products, knowledge management products).

Knowledge & Skills:

• Passion and deep understanding of the East African innovation ecosystem and relevant context
• Wide-reaching networks in the East African innovation community
• Start-up experience or start-up mentality. Worked or led cross-functionally and get things done in a scrappy and hands-on way
• Proven track record of driving projects – effectively managing projects and events from design to completion
• Strong conceptual thinking to develop new strategies and innovative projects, especially those which are driving progress towards the SDGs
• Able to interact with a broad range of stakeholders and external audience with maturity and tact
• Excellent communication/presentation skills, with the ability to write strategy documents, to develop business plans and to write and deliver presentations
• Collaborative spirit, able to partner with a wide range of people at all levels and across different cultures and to act with credibility and diplomacy
• Self-motivated and able to work with a high degree of autonomy
• Sets high-level of ownership over projects to achieve impact for WFP constituents
• Fully committed and motivated to achieve the aims of the UN World Food Programme

Languages: Fluency in oral and written English mandatory. An intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish), Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages), and/or Swahili is desirable.

Deadline for application: 2 May 2023

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