UN University Volunteer in Data Analysis

Details

Mission and objectives

We want Lao PDR to become independent and efficient in providing healthy food for its people.
Our goal is to gradually stop distributing food and to set up an environment that ensures that the authorities can assist and guide communities in making their own informed choices about what kind of food to put on their families’ tables.

Context

Having established a presence in Lao PDR in 1975, the World Food Programme (WFP) is supporting the Lao Government’s vision of “a prosperous country, with a healthy popula-tion, free from food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty”. In its approach, WFP is gradually shifting from the delivery of services to building the capacity of both institutions and com-munities to address the challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition. As populations are scattered over vast areas where access can be difficult, strengthening the self-reliance of communities for solving their own nutrition and food security problems is central to WFP’s strategy. By promoting changes in people’s behaviour – such as introducing complemen-tary, nutritious foods; diversifying diets; improving infant and young child feeding practices; and enhancing communities’ ownership of initiatives like school feeding – WFP aims to improve the nutritional status of vulnerable people throughout their life cycle, as well as their resilience to seasonal and long-term shocks and stresses. As of January 2022, WFP has been implementing a Country Strategic Plan 2022-2026 for the achievement of the fol-lowing outcomes:
1. Schoolchildren in vulnerable areas have improved food security, nutrition and learning results through a sustainable national school meals programme.
2. Vulnerable people at risk of any form of malnutrition, in particular women and girls of reproductive age, children under 5 and school-age children, have improved nutri-tion outcomes in line with national targets.
3. Vulnerable people in disaster-affected or at-risk areas have enhanced food and nu-trition security all year round and increased capacity to mitigate and manage risks associated with climate and other shocks.
4. Crisis-affected populations in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic are able to meet their food, nutrition and other essential needs during and after disasters risks associated with climate and other shocks.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of Head of Research, Assessment and Monitoring, the UN University Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• Support data collection and analysis
• Contributes to report writing
• Support data visualization