United Nations UN Programme Policy Officer Jobs – World Food Programme (WFP)
Job Title: Programme Policy Officer (Social Protection and Resilience)
Organization: World Food Programme (WFP)
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
Reports to: Programme Policy Officer or Programme Associate
About WFP:
United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) 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. In emergencies, WFP gets food to where it is needed, saving the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After an emergency, WFP uses food to help communities rebuild their lives. On average, WFP reaches more than 80 million people with food assistance in 80 countries each year. The organization has the global footprint, deep field presence and local knowledge and relationships necessary to provide access to food and contribute to lasting solutions, especially in many of the world’s most remote and fragile areas.
Organizational Context
WFP Uganda Country Office in the Country Strategic Plan is shifting from direct implementation to becoming an enabler for effective service delivery. This also includes entering some strategic areas of supporting government in delivering efficient and impactful social protection programmes.
Job holders operate with a high degree of independence, manage more junior staff to ensure that programme and policy objectives are achieved in full. They are usually involved in a wide variety of programme and policy activities and analytical work, some of which may be of a considerable complexity. At this level job holders are expected to contribute to performance improvement.
Job Summary: Under direct supervision of the Resilience and Social Protection specialist, the Programme Policy Officer (Social Protection and Resilience) will be responsible for supporting technical coordination and engagement with the government to strengthen the implementation of different national and sub national social protection and resilience programmes; and ensuring that provision of strategic guidance, in line with WFP’s corporate agenda, Country Strategic Plan and the Uganda National Development Plan 3 trajectory
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Contribute towards the development of a wide variety of projects, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance.
- Provide project management support to specific and defined programmes and projects of considerable size/complexity, ensuring a coordinated approach with wider programmes that complies with WFP standards and procedures.
- Develop and coordinate data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained.
- Research and analyse a range of policy and operational issues to inform the development of policies, programmes and activities.
- Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on programmes and activities that enable informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
- Liaise with internal and external counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects and highlight potential risks to project delivery.
- Support the identification, development and management of potential partnerships to collaborative working leading to improved food assistance packages.
- Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to prepare for and respond to food assistance needs, e.g. through providing inputs into training materials.
- Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with analysis and queries.
- Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on programmes and activities that enable informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
- Liaise with internal and external counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects and highlight potential risks to project delivery.
- Support the identification, development and management of potential partnerships to collaborative working leading to improved food assistance packages.
- Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to prepare for and respond to food assistance needs, e.g. through providing inputs into training materials.
- Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with analysis and queries.
- Ensure close coordination with Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development, Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Ministry of Karamoja Affairs on policy advocacy and funding opportunities relating to social protection and resilience activities in the country office.
- To actively lead and extend technical assistance and advice/guidance to the implementation of government social protection programmes on policy, design and operational matters.
- Oversee implementation and operations and support the secretariat coordination (internal and external) for the Sida project for effective implementation at country office. This includes acting as first level focal person between UNICEF, Government, Area Office/Field and Country office.
- Support the PRO-ACT implementation and ensure WFP is positioned as a preferred partner of choice for the Government in social protection and contribute to broader donor engagement with the EU delegation (ECHO/DEVCO).
- Facilitate timely access of WFP to Government’s relevant policy documents, structures and institutions responsible for social protection, Disaster Risk Management and Resilience. This includes keeping the government informed on the value-addition of WFP’s technical strengths in the implementation, and design of social protection programmes and systems.
- Explore partnership opportunities with the Government, UN and civil society that strengthen existing capacities of WFP and Government programmes.
- Ensure adherence to the national priorities and guidelines in the implementation for the National Social Protection Programmes.
- Ensure timely responses to the Government queries on WFP operations and any request for support and technical assistance in the social protection and resilience portfolio.
- Identify opportunities where WFP can support the Government’s efforts and build/strengthen their capacities using the country capacity strengthening (CCS) approach.
- Facilitate timely access of WFP to Government’s relevant policy documents, structures and institutions responsible for social protection, Disaster Risk Management and Resilience. This includes keeping the government informed on the value-addition of WFP’s technical strengths in the implementation, and design of social protection programmes and systems.
- Explore partnership opportunities with the Government, UN and civil society that strengthen existing capacities of WFP and Government programmes.
- Ensure adherence to the national priorities and guidelines in the implementation for the National Social Protection Programmes.
- Ensure timely responses to the Government queries on WFP operations and any request for support and technical assistance in the social protection and resilience portfolio.
- Identify opportunities where WFP can support the Government’s efforts and build/strengthen their capacities using the country capacity strengthening (CCS) approach.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The ideal applicant must hold a University degree in International Affairs, Economics, Nutrition/Health, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses in Social Protection.
- National Professional: Fluency (level C) in English language and the duty station’s language, if different
- At least three years of experience in social protection with additional experience in implementing technical programs
- Has deepened technical knowledge through exposure to technical teams
- Has taken leadership of implementing programmes
- Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified candidates are encouraged to apply online at the link below
Deadline: 30th July 2020