Title: Programme Policy Officer – Food Systems Transformation Expert
Duration of Assignment: 11 months
Contract type & grade: CST-II
Unit: Programme
Duty Station: Antananarivo / Madagascar

A roster of qualified candidates may be established as a result of this recruitment process to fill counterpart positions at the same or lower grade throughout WFP offices in Madagascar.

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.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Madagascar is a low-income country with an estimated population of 26 million. With a gross domestic product per capita of USD 422, the country is ranked 164 out of 189 on the Human Development Index. Almost 70 percent of the population lives on less than USD 1.90 a day. Five million people are affected by recurring natural disasters, including cyclones, floods, and droughts. The 2018 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey showed that the rate of acute malnutrition is 6 percent, and the rate of chronic malnutrition is 42 percent, placing Madagascar as the 10th worst country affected by stunting in the world.

WFP’s Country Strategic Plan in Madagascar (CSP 2024-2028) aims to promote an integrated, shock-responsive social protection system for ensuring that vulnerable populations have access to nutritious food before, during and after crises. It also aims to provide children in vulnerable communities with access to nutritious foods while at school and extend integrated approaches among vulnerable women, adolescent girls and children. Moreover, WFP helps build the resilience of vulnerable smallholder households and communities and ensure that interventions for addressing both chronic and acute needs are supported by enhanced capacities and resources for emergency preparedness and response.

WFP is looking for a Programme Policy Officer – Food Systems responsible for managing our Food Systems Transformation portfolio (corresponding to the following programme components: (i) smallholder agricultural market support and value chains (SAMS) and (ii) resilient assets creation, ecosystems, and livelihoods (ACL) and cross-cutting integration of public-private partnerships for climate-smart food security and nutrition innovation). WFP is seeking an expert in supporting the government to access climate finance from various bilateral and multilateral sources such as the Adaptation Fund (AF), to design climate adaptation projects, draft the proposals and related documentation, review the proposals with the respective funds’ secretariats and submit them to the funds’ Board. The expert will furthermore be overseeing activities related to early warning systems, anticipatory actions and disaster preparedness.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The incumbent will report to the Head of Programmes and shall be responsible for conceptualizing and designing integrated packages of programme interventions and activities that effectively meet food assistance needs or contribute to policy formulation and/or provide technical advice or oversight on programme strategy and implementation.

This position requires specific skills and particular professional experience.

DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND OUTPUT EXPECTATIONS (not all-inclusive)

1. Contribute to formulation of programme policies in line with organisational strategic approach for WFP’s engagement on food systems in Madagascar under the five-year Country Strategic Plan (CSP 2024 -2028).

2. Provide technical advice, support, and capacity building to WFP field office teams and partners in the implementation of the food systems programme portfolio.

3. Mobilize technical expertise and proposal development that articulates a business case for WFP’s contributions to food systems and explores new potential resource channels by supporting joint fund-raising efforts.

4. Developing programme guidance and implementation modalities and operations, of food systems programmes advancing agriculture value chains, nutritious products, adoption of climate-smart technology, market systems and market infrastructure development, with a focus on expanding pastoral and agropastoral value chains and markets and resilience interventions including creation and management of productive assets, diversification of livelihoods, and restoration of ecosystems for enhanced community resilience and adaption to climate change.

5. Supervise, lead, motivate, and develop the capacity of a diverse technical team to enable high performance and results, including national and international officers.

6. Advocate for and contribute to mobilizing resources through sound technical proposal development that articulates a business case for WFP’s contributions to food systems and explores new potential resource channels by supporting joint fund-raising efforts in the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF 2024-2028).

7. Support the government to access climate finance from various bilateral and multilateral sources such as the Adaptation Fund (AF), to design climate adaptation projects, draft the proposals and related documentation, review the proposals with the respective funds’ secretariats and submit them to the funds’ Board. The expert will furthermore be overseeing activities related to early warning systems, anticipatory actions and disaster preparedness.

8. Ensure the best use of assigned financial resources for achievement of set objectives within a significant budget.

9. Participate in community consultations (at concept note stage) to assess communities’ vulnerabilities, capacities and needs in terms of climate change adaptation, discuss activities’ ideas, collect information on gender roles and specific vulnerabilities/needs, collect information on environmental and social risks– in collaboration with gender and Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) experts.

10. Liaise with technical and government partners (agricultural, meteorological) to support the development of drought thresholds and seasonal forecast triggers for drought anticipatory actions.

11. Coordinate with M&E and VAM teams in the WFP CO to support effective collaboration, implementation of evidence base initiatives to demonstrate WFP results.

12. Others task as required….

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives : Utilizes understanding of WFP’s Strategic Objectives to communicate linkages to team objectives and work.
• Be a force for positive change : Proactively identifies and develops new methods or improvements for self and immediate team to address work challenges within own work area.
• Make the mission inspiring to our team : Identifies opportunities to further align individual contributions with WFP’s mission of making an impact on local communities.
• Make our mission visible in everyday actions : Helps colleagues to see the link between their individual tasks and the contributions of their unit’s goals to the broader context of WFP’s mission.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people’s skills : Is able to identify, support and encourage focused on-the-job learning opportunities to address gaps between current skillsets and needed future skillsets for WFP.
• Create an inclusive culture : Recognizes the contributions of teammates, and encourages contributions from culturally different team mates to recognise the value of diversity above and beyond just including it in programming for beneficiaries.
• Be a coach & provide constructive feedback : Provides and solicits ongoing constructive feedback on strengths and development opportunities to help develop individual skills, whilst also helping others identify areas for improvement.
• Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit : Sets clear targets for self and others to focus team efforts in ambiguous situations (e.g., unprecedented issues and/or scenarios)

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions : Thinks beyond team’s conventional approaches to formulate creative methods for delivering food aid and assistance to beneficiaries.
• Focus on getting results : Maintains focus on achieving individual results in the face of obstacles such as volatile or fragile environments and/or organizational roadblocks.
• Make commitments and make good on commitments : Takes personal accountability for upholding and delivering upon team’s commitments and provides assurance to stakeholders.
• Be Decisive : Demonstrates ability to adjust to team’s plans and priorities to optimize outcomes in light of evolving directives, while also responding quickly in high-pressure environments, such as in emergency settings.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units : Demonstrates an understanding of when and how to tactfully engage other units in conversations on impact, timing, or planning
• Build strong external partnerships : Networks regularly with key external partners using formal and informal opportunities to understand each partner’s unique value proposition, and to build and strengthen relationships
• Be politically agile & adaptable : Demonstrates ability to adapt engagement approach in the context of evolving partner circumstances and expectations
• Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships : Demonstrates ability to articulate to internal and external audiences the value that individual contributions and immediate teams bring to partnerships.

FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

1. Demonstrated expertise and knowledge in ecosystems rehabilitation on main technical areas related to watershed development and landscape management, food systems related value chains development, or other social protection or social safety net schemes etc.
2. At least five years of related experience in food security, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction.
3. Experience focusing on disaster risk reduction activities, early warning systems, seasonal and crop forecasting models. Experience in WFP climate-related programme is an added advantage.
4. Experience leading resilience building planning & implementation processes based on the three-pronged approach (3PA), including conducting (i) Integrated Context Analysis (ICA) at the national level, (ii) Seasonal Livelihood Programming (SLP) at the sub-national level, and (iii) Community-based Participatory Planning (CBPP) at the local level.
5. Experience leading and/or supporting the planning and organization of Environment Impact Screening and sharing of related tools and interpretation of technical findings/results.
6. Experience leading and supporting multidisciplinary technical teams.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced university degree, preferably in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Forestry, Environmental Science, or other related fields relevant to food systems, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.

Experience: At least five (5) years or more of postgraduate relevant experience

Language: Level C in French and at least Level B in English languages.

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QUALIFIED FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

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.