Programme Policy Officer job at World Food Programme (WFP)

World Food Programme (WFP)

Programme Policy Officer job Post

Location: Jobs in Uganda 2022 - 2023

Work Hours: Full-time, 08 hours per day

Salary: UGX

No. of vacancies: 01

Deadline: 25 February 2022

Hiring Organization: World Food Programme (WFP)

Job Details:

Programme Policy Officer (Forecast-based Financing) SC9 (156123)
Requisition ID 156123
WFP is looking for talented people who are committed to joining our efforts to eradicate hunger. It offers unlimited opportunities to grow your professionalism, talent and expertise. Start your journey to be a member of the world-wide effort to eradicate hunger. WFP has a policy of affirmative action for women.
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.

Brief description of WFP in Uganda
WFP delivers food assistance in emergencies and work with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. WFP provides life-saving food assistance and livelihood opportunities to refugees in Uganda. In addition, WFP assists the most vulnerable people in Karamoja with food and nutrition assistance. Finally, WFP works with smallholder farmers and links them to markets.
As Uganda strives to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030 and become a middle-income country by 2040, WFP is also assessing its relevance and repositioning its role in Uganda.

Are You Up To The Challenge?
We are seeking a qualified individual for the position of Programme Policy Officer (Forecast-based Financing) SC9 to be based in Moroto. The selected candidate will be employed on Service Contract.
Organizational Context
The World Food Programme (WFP), 2020 Noble Peace Prize winner, is the United Nations frontline agency in the fight against hunger. It is the largest and longest serving humanitarian agency in Uganda.
Karamoja sub-region where WFP has presence since 1964 is the poorest region in Uganda with over 80% population living under the poverty line. The region is prone to frequent and severe natural disasters, especially droughts, pests and diseases (humans, crops, and livestock) in part because of climate change.
WFP interventions in Karamoja involve working closely with the nine District Local Governments (DLGs) in joint design and programming, evidence gathering, knowledge sharing, strengthening sub-national capacities as well as establishing partnerships with other development partners.
The focus of WFP’s nutrition programming in Karamoja is to provide specialised nutritious food and nutrition-sensitive interventions to populations at risk. The nutrition programme portfolio has a nutrition sensitive focus and applies a food systems lens to nutrition programming, particularly in the prevention of malnutrition. The nutrition programme improves the quality of the moderate acute malnutrition treatment and ensures sustainable prevention interventions that can realistically be handed over to communities, DLGs and the national government.
The WFP nutrition programme in Karamoja features a strong systems approach to nutrition interventions focusing on sustainability and synergies with other programme activities i.e. asset creation and livelihoods, school based programme (school feeding), agriculture and market support, and strengthening of shock responsive systems.
Additionally, in Karamoja WFP supports government health facilities and staff to enhance the quality and coverage of programmes treating moderate acute malnutrition and promotes innovative approaches to preventing malnutrition including support for nutrition-oriented early childhood development programmes and gender-transformative nutrition focused behaviour change communication, including nutrition education to promote healthy diets.
WFP contributes to government systems and institutional mechanisms to engage government and non-government stakeholders, and technical assistance for government staff implementing nutrition policies. WFP works with the government and partners to identify holistic approaches to nutrition.

Job purpose
WFP is seeking a Programme Policy Officer with specialized skills in managing climate change adaptation projects, with experience in the technical areas of forecast-based financing, early warning systems, anticipatory actions and disaster preparedness and response to support WFP's 'Scaling up Drought Anticipatory Actions for Food Security in Africa'' and ''Strengthening shock-responsive systems in Karamoja'' projects. Based in Karamoja Area Office, the candidate will provide technical support to the implementation of the project, as well as administrative/project management support to implement and track project deliverables. The Incumbent will also provide technical inputs to the national advocacy/strategy for adopting in the FBF approach in the government disaster risk management system.

Key accountabilities (not all-inclusive)
• Provide specialized expertise and contribute towards the development of project activities, plans and processes in relation to the FbF project ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidelines.
• Follow data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained
• Research and analyze policy and operational issues to support senior colleagues in the development of policies, programmes and activities in relation to FbF
• 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
Key accountabilities b
• Liaise with internal counterparts to ensure effective collaboration and to monitor ongoing projects
• Support the identification, development and management of potential partnerships towards the institutionalization of the forecast-based financing approach in the Uganda government
• Support capacity building of partners and national government to prepare for and respond to food assistance needs, e.g. through project management and facilitation support of capacity building initiatives
• Provide guidance to support staff, acting as a point of referral and assisting them with analysis and queries
• Perform other related duties as required

4Ps core organisational capabilities
Purpose
• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Understands WFP’s Strategic Objectives and the link to own work objectives.
• Be a force for positive change: Flexibly adapts individual contributions to accommodate changes in direction from supervisors and internal/external changes (such as evolving needs of beneficiaries, new requirements of partners).
• Make the mission inspiring to our team: Recognizes and shares with team members the ways in which individual contributions relate to WFP’s mission.
• Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Sets own goals in alignment with WFP’s overall operations, and is able to communicate this link to others.
People
• Look for ways to strengthen people's skills: Assesses own strengths and weaknesses to increase self-awareness, and includes these in conversations on own developmental needs.
• Create an inclusive culture: Participates in open dialogue, and values the diverse opinion of others, regardless of background, culture, experience, or country assignment.
• Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Proactively seeks feedback and coaching to build confidence, and develop and improve individual skills.
• Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Participates in accomplishing team activities and goals in the face of challenging circumstances.
Performance
• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Shows willingness to explore and experiment with new ideas and approaches in own work.
• Focus on getting results: Consistently delivers results within individual scope of work on time, on budget and without errors.
• Make commitments and make good on commitments: Commits to upholding individual accountabilities and responsibilities in the face of ever-changing country or functional priorities.
• Be Decisive: Makes rational decisions about individual activities when faced with uncertain circumstances, including in times of ambiguity regarding information or manager direction.
Partnership
• Connect and share across WFP units: Seeks to understand and adapt to internal or cross-unit teams’ priorities and preferred working styles.
• Build strong external partnerships: Demonstrates ability to understand and appropriately respond to and/or escalate needs of external partners.
• Be politically agile & adaptable: Portrays an informed and professional demeanor toward internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Provides operational support on analyses and assessments that quantifies and demonstrates WFP’s unique value as a partner.

Functional Capabilities
• Understanding of Agenda 2030 and respective targets – particularly SDG1, SDG2 and SDG17 - and how the work of WFP can contribute to achieving them;
• Knowledge and experience with climate services and FbF;
• Ability to work independently in a timely and organized manner;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Willingness to explore and experiment with new ideas and approaches in own work.
• Ability to work in a team and establish effective working relationships with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds and multi-task as needed.
• Aility to develop and maintain in relationships with a variety of stakeholders, conveying an informed and professional demeanour toward internal and external partners and stakeholders;

Standard minimum qualifications
Education
A First University Degree in Meteorology/Hydrology, Climate Change Mitigation/Adaptation, Social Sciences or International Development or other fields relevant to social protection or emergency response. An Advanced Degree in one of these related fields is an advantage.

Experience
3-5 years of professional project management experience relevant to meteorology, hydrology, climate services, climate change adaptation/mitigation, disaster risk reduction, and/or humanitarian affairs. Experience in implementing forecast-based financing programmes is a strong advantage.

Language
• English.
• Proficiency in the language of the duty station would be an advantage (Nga Karimojong Languages).