JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer (Cash Based Transfer)
TYPE OF CONTRACT: Consultant (Level I)
UNIT/DIVISION: Programme (CBT)
DUTY STATION (City, Country): Jigjiga, Ethiopia
DURATION: 11 Months
REPORTING LINE: Head of Programme
Job Description
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.
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
• Advanced University degree in Computer Science/Engineering, Economics/Statistics or Information Management, Community Development, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience.
Experience:
• At least four years experience in working at the field level implementing community-based development projects
• Experience in CBT operations including coordination with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience in conducting analytical and conceptual work in support of strategy design and implementation of CBT operations.
• Experience in data storing and retrieving skills, data analysis and working with large data sets
Languages:
• Fluency in both oral and written communication in English. Knowledge of the local language is added advantage
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
WFP Ethiopia is working with the government and other humanitarian partners to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance to resident communities, refugees and nutrition interventions. WFP also implements longer term programmes to change lives and build resilience of livelihoods to impacts of natural hazards, such as drought and desert locusts. Programmes aimed at changing lives and saving lives are implemented through resource transfers, including humanitarian assistance, livelihood support both in in-kind as well as cash-based transfers.
WFP Ethiopia move to the Country Strategic Plan the Saving Lives; Changing Lives mission is working with the Government of Ethiopia and other humanitarian organizations and UN Agencies to address food security needs of both citizens and refugees. Under the Humanitarian Response Plan, WFP is currently providing assistance to over 2.9 million beneficiaries in the Somali region of Ethiopia, as well as about 250,000 refugees.
Currently, only about a quarter of these beneficiaries receive assistance through CBT modalities, which is contrary to the government’s cash-first principle in a region which has been assessed to have immense potential for cash-based transfers. In addition, a significant portion of the cash transferred currently is done through cash-in-envelop, which is exposed to various accountability issues.
The Programme Officer (CBT) will therefore play an important role in providing technical support in WFPs efforts to expand cash-transfers in the region, build capacity of sub office and partners in delivering cash, and ultimately contribute to an improved government system for social support for drought affected community members
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
Under the direct supervision of the Head of Programme at the WFP Jig-jiga Area Office, the Programme Policy Officer (CBT) will be responsible for providing strategic guidance and operational support for the implementation of CBT in the region.
Specific tasks and responsibilities will include:
- Lead in Area Office technical engagements with financial service providers, government, and country office units in all matters regarding digitized cash
• Support digitization of beneficiary registers in compliance with WFP corporate systems and in support of government in developing a customizable means of providing social support
• Support the government partner in targeting of the CBT beneficiaries.
• Manage CBT beneficiary’s data at the Area Office.
• Ensure proper documentation of lessons learnt and adoption and best practices for replication in other regions of the country
• Provide leadership at the area office by participating, coordinating, and leading market and cash feasibility assessments to ensure strong evidence generation for cash-based transfers
• Build capacity of field staff, government partners and financial service providers to implement CBTs effectively and efficiently
• Establish and coordinate partnerships with other UN agencies, NGOs and the Government of Ethiopia to increase adoption of CBT as a preferred modality for humanitarian assistance among host community and refugee camps
• Provide technical linkage between the Country Office and Sub Offices covered by the Jigjiga Area Office
• Represent WFP in meetings and conferences, that focus on cash-based transfers at the regional and local levels.
• Undertake oversight, support missions as appropriate, clarify and improve the proper application of CBT-established policies and procedures, and prepare comprehensive reports on findings with improvement action plans.
• Support the regional cash working group jointly with the regional government and other cash stakeholders to ensure harmony and coordination in cash and voucher assistance in the Somali region
• Perform other related duties as required
o Support in Area Office review of monitoring and other reports, concept note development and other documentation
o Engage in technical discussions within the context of ensuring quality programming for WFP activities
o Provide timely information and input to the country office for proposal development and development of donor reports
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
| Capability Name | Description of the behaviour expected for the proficiency level |
| Programme Lifecycle & Food Assistance | Displays ability to identify the main hunger problem at the national or subnational level to design and implement context-specific programmes that integrate complex analysis and the full range of food assistance tools. |
| Transfer Modalities (Food, Cash, Voucher) | Demonstrates ability to analyse and consolidate quantitative and qualitative information from different sources (e.g., market studies) to inform transfer modality selection and programme development. |
| Broad Knowledge of Specialized areas (i.e. Nutrition, VAM, etc.) | Demonstrates the ability to interpret basic data in the context of WFP specialised fields to contribute to technical programme design, implementation and monitoring. |
| Emergency Programming | Displays ability to translate understanding of programme principles in emergencies and protracted conflict situations into relevant, effective, and context specific approaches. |
| Strategic Policy Engagement w/ Government | Develops thorough recommendations using multiple inputs (e.g., government counsel, research, own experience) to strengthen national or subnational entities and government owned food and nutrition security programmes. |
TECHNICAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
- Understanding of community based participatory planning approaches
• Ability to conduct capacity gaps needs assessments and design programmes to fill these gaps.
• Experience in working in arid and semi-arid parts of Africa, working in Ethiopia will be an added advantage.
• Familiarity with CBT processes and delivery mechanisms
• Experience in working with communities, financial service providers and mobile money services.
• Excellent communication skills – both written and oral in English
• Skills in workshop facilitation.
• Strong organization and planning skills coupled with good interpersonal skills.
• Good analytical skills; resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgment, tact, negotiating skills;
• Ability to work in a team and establish effective working relations with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to deal patiently and tactfully with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE
- Has deepened technical knowledge through exposure to technical teams.
• Has taken leadership of implementing programmes.
• Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
29 JANUARY 2023
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.