Regional Technical Senior Specialist | Niamey, Niger | 2024

Chemonics seeks a Regional Technical Senior Specialist – Livelihoods (RTSS-LH) in support of the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) 8 Decision Support (DS) project to be based in Niamey, Niger. The FEWS NET DS project maintains six regional offices (i.e. East Africa; Southern Africa; West Africa; Middle East, North Africa, and Europe; Asia; and Latin America and the Caribbean) that coordinate and oversee technical and administrative management of over 40 country offices. The FEWS NET DS Team uses a livelihoods-based food security analytical framework grounded in Household Economy Analysis (HEA) principles. The RTSS-LH will liaise extensively with Household Economy Analysis (HEA) working groups throughout the region and must be able to articulate FEWS NET’s livelihoods approach, and its relevance for acute food insecurity analysis, to partners. The RTSS-LH will be expected to provide critical inputs to regional decision-support products, technical assistance and guidance to country teams, and training on relevant HEA food security analyses and tools, for FEWS NET and partner staff. The RTSS-LH will contribute to high-quality and effective early warning of threats to food security by supporting efforts to mitigate food insecurity and prevent food crises through the provision of actionable, evidence-based food security analysis.

While the preference is for candidates to be based in Niger, highly qualified candidates who have legal work authorization and are based in other select countries in which FEWS NET 8 operates in may be considered. Countries are as follows:

• West Africa Region: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Nigeria, and Togo

We are looking for individuals who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of people around the world.

FEWS NET is an integrated set of activities funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is intended to provide timely, accurate, evidence-based, and transparent food security early warning information and analysis. The eighth phase of FEWS NET includes the Decision Support (DS) project which is charged with providing integrated monitoring and analyses of current and forecast acute food insecurity in countries worldwide to support the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) policy and programmatic decisions. Based on an in-depth understanding of local livelihoods, FEWS NET DS Team monitors information and data on factors that affect food security, such as conflict, weather conditions and climate, crops, pasture, markets and trade, and nutrition. The work of the FEWS NET DS Team relies on close collaboration with international, regional, and national partners on food security data and information gathering and analysis. Major activities include joint monitoring and assessments, data sharing and exchanges, collaborative analysis and reporting, and technical capacity strengthening.

Responsibilities

The main responsibilities of the RTSS-LH include, but are not limited to:

• Contributing to the identification of priority HEA livelihood activities in line with the strategic orientation of the DS Team’s work, including directly carrying out monitoring activities through field assessments in both presence and expanded global early warning (EGEW) countries monitored by FEWS NET within the region
• Providing high quality and effective early warning of threats to food security and supporting efforts to mitigate food insecurity and prevent food crises through the effective communication of actionable, evidence-based HEA food security analysis
• Providing HEA livelihoods-related inputs into monthly reporting requirements in a timely and quality manner, including conducting and sharing outputs from Outcome Analyses and other livelihoods analyses to contribute to Food Security Outlooks (FSOs) and FSO Updates
• Collaborating with regional and international partners in food security monitoring and analysis through the implementation of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) protocols, including providing technical support in the use of HEA within those protocols
• Providing regional leadership for the identification, review, and compilation of appropriate livelihoods data, by supporting national offices in maintaining a livelihoods knowledge base composed of, at a minimum, livelihood zone profiles and maps, sub-national seasonal monitoring calendars, and technical databases relevant to maintain livelihoods profiles and/or baselines in both presence and EGEW countries within the region
• Under the direction of the Livelihoods Advisor, helping establish and/or maintain systematic, timely, high-quality, and efficient HEA livelihoods data compilation and management processes among country, regional, and home office staff. Supporting the collection, organization, and storage of primary and secondary livelihoods data and information for submission to the FEWS NET Hub and USAID. Liaising with FEWS NET DS project staff and partners to facilitate timely data flows
• Contributing to the regular collection, organization, and storage of data as set out by the FEWS NET Senior Management Team in collaboration with the FEWS NET Data, Knowledge, and Learning Hub (Hub). As part of this responsibility, collaborate closely with the FEWS NET Knowledge Base mechanisms to support development of fundamentals reports for countries that fall within the region of coverage
• Liaising with other technical sectors of FEWS NET, including the Quality Assurance and Methods sector and Data sector, as well as other FEWS NET mechanisms (namely the Hub), to enhance the functionality of various livelihoods data domains in the central storage for HEA livelihood products
• Collaborating with regional technical specialists to ensure alignment between conflict, M&T, agroclimatology and livelihoods assumptions
• Supporting the Livelihoods Advisor in meeting USAID’s expectations on timely delivery of decision support products, which include, but are not limited to: responding to urgent questions within one day; providing briefings within one week of request; and contributing livelihoods analyses to requests for acute food insecurity analysis in EGEW countries that fall within region of coverage that will be delivered within one week of USAID request
• Providing consistent technical assistance and guidance to FEWS NET country offices within the region on how to gather and analyze livelihoods-related information as it pertains to food security analysis, early warning, and food assistance decision support. This may include assistance with the design and implementation of food security assessments, livelihood studies, and with the improvement of monitoring methods. The RTSS-LH may also be asked to lead or engage in food security assessments in the region, including partner assessments
• At the direction of the Livelihoods Advisor and in collaboration with the Knowledge Management, Communications, and Capacity Development Senior Specialist and Network Development Capacity Advisor, supporting building the skills of colleagues at the home, regional, and country offices, and of partners, on livelihoods analysis, including processes for the review and use of HEA livelihoods’ data. Capacity development initiatives include conducting training, developing guidance, and supporting the development of e-learning modules
• Closely collaborating with HEA partners within the region, as well as other mechanism of the FEWS NET 8 project (e.g. Save the Children Federation and the Knowledge Base project) to enhance the capabilities of partners and regional network members in HEA food security monitoring and early warning. Seeking collaboration with regional partners that enhances the quality of the DS Team’s food security monitoring; collaborating with partners to improve the quality of livelihoods’ information
• Under the supervision of the Livelihoods Advisor, and in collaboration with the Regional Technical Lead (RTL), support the design, execution, and monitoring of annual work plan activities that relate to the livelihoods sector
• As needed, the RTSS-LH will be expected to contribute to the FEWS NET DS Team’s decision support efforts to identify as early as possible potential or emerging food security crises. The RTSS-LH will be expected to demonstrate the ability to respond quickly to sudden increases and decreases in analysis needs globally by, under the direction of the Livelihoods Advisor, re-orienting work plans and initiating new lines of monitoring and reporting outside of traditional areas of coverage
• Assisting the RTL in carrying out a predetermined set of technical, management, and representational functions of the regional office, upon request and in coordination with the Livelihoods Advisor
• As needed, for limited periods of time, and with the agreement of the RTL, the Livelihoods Advisor and the senior management team (SMT), the RTSS-LH may be expected to serve as acting-RTL

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent work experience) in a discipline relevant to the work of FEWS NET, such as economics, agricultural economics, agronomy, nutrition, climatology, anthropology, or social geography is required. An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or higher) in a discipline relevant to the work of FEWS NET, such as economics, agricultural economics, statistics, or social geography is preferred
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience (with a Master’s degree) or 12 years of relevant experience (with a Bachelor’s degree) to the work of FEWS NET, such as economics, agricultural economics, agronomy, nutrition, climatology, anthropology, or social geography is required
• Proficiency and extensive experience in Household Economy Analysis (HEA) is required
• Previous experience with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is preferred
• Demonstrated ability to effectively conduct assessments, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and analyze information from relevant sectors using both qualitative and quantitative methods is required
• Demonstrated leadership capacities and an ability to work independently, when necessary is required, as are strong organizational skills
• Demonstrated analytical and report-writing skills are required
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are required, including demonstrated ability to coordinate productively with diverse partner stakeholders (e.g., UN, non-governmental organizations, host government entities) and multidisciplinary, multicultural teams, and to work effectively with remote-based colleagues
• Excellent computer skills (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint) are required; the ability to effectively use statistical software packages and/or GIS applications is desirable
• Willingness to travel regularly within the region, as well as both internationally as required, security permitting
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
• Written and spoken fluency in French and an intermediate understanding of English are required; other local language skills relevant to the region are desirable