Programme Policy Officer

November 7, 2024
Urgent
Application deadline closed.

Job Description

Job description
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

18 November 2024-23:59-GMT+03:00 East Africa Time (Djibouti)

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.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP’s values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP?

WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.

WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.

A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.

We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer

TYPE OF CONTRACT: International Consultancy (CST I)

UNIT/DIVISION: Management/Programme

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Djibouti, Republic of Djibouti

DURATION: 6 months, with possibility of extension

REPORTING LINE: Country Director/Deputy Country Director

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The World Food Programme (WFP) in Djibouti is currently providing lifesaving and life changing assistances to vulnerable populations affected by food and nutrition security. These include in-kind or cash-based transfers for food assistance for those affected by droughts and floods, support for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, school feeding programmes and treatment for malnourished children and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

The Djibouti operational environment is characterized by a high dependency on government entities for implementing WFP activities, limited availability of non-governmental implementing partners, and challenges in logistical coordination due to infrastructure constraints and extreme weather conditions.

The Executive Director’s Assurance Project is designed to enhance WFP’s accountability and ensure that people receiving assistance are safeguarded against fraud, corruption, and diversion. This initiative establishes standards and minimum assurance measures across WFP’s operations, including community feedback mechanisms, identity management, and oversight of vendors and cooperating partners. The aim of this post is to support the Country Office (CO) in the implementation of these standards within a challenging operational environment.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

Under the overall guidance/supervision of the Country Director and/or his Deputy, the Consultant will work with the different units at the Djibouti CO to ensure compliance with the assurance standards, including beneficiary targeting and registration, feedback mechanisms, and due diligence processes for partners and vendors. More specifically, the consultant will work with the Head of units to ensure a smooth implementation of the Assurance Framework. He/she will also provide general support to programme design and implementation as necessary and when asked to do so. Amongst other responsibilities, the Consultant will:

1. Liaise with and ensure a good coordination between the different Units of the CO for an effective implementation of the assurance project;

2. Organize one-on-one and periodic meetings with the different units to examine progress on the assurance measures;

3. Prepare an informative dashboard for the CO and update it regularly to document progress made and areas of improvements to ensure compliance with the assurance measure;

4. Follow discussions at corporate/regional and CO levels on the implementation of the assurance measure and bring any potential gap or issue to the attention of the CO management;

5. Monitor progress against deadlines in the implementation of corporate monitoring, assurance and quality control measures at the country office;

6. Support the CO management in addressing sensitive compliance issues, making sure that they are properly escalated, and corrective actions/measures swiftly and effectively implemented to address the identified issues/bottlenecks;

7. Support the CO to align all programmatic activities with the Global Assurance Standards and minimum measures;

8. Conduct follow ups on monthly reconciliations between programme and supply chain and work with concerned staff to ensure that identified issues are quickly resolved;

9. Conduct regular field visits to support activity implementation and compliance with the minimum assurance standards;

10. Provide backstopping supports to activity managers in the implementation of their activities as necessary, verifying compliance with WFP policies and procedures, accountabilities and donor commitments;

11. Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on activity implementation covering the compliance aspects of the reports;

12. Review existing agreements with partners and vendors, advising on areas of improvements to enhance compliance with assurance measures.

Skills and qualifications
Education:

Advanced 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.

Desired experiences for entry the role:

Required: at least two years relevant work experience in programme design and implementation including GFD (cash-based transfers and in-kind food distributions), school feeding, nutrition, resilience and social protection.

Desired: any experience working on assurance and compliance issues at the UN in general and WFP in particular is an asset; as well as direct involvement in field activity implementations.

Language:

Fluency (level C) in French and English language is mandatory.

Knowledge of another official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese is desirable (but not a requirement).

How to apply
WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our recruitment process is inclusively crafted to welcome candidates of all backgrounds, celebrating diversity and ensuring a respectful environment for all. We aim for an accessible and fair recruitment journey. Should you need any reasonable accommodations or have accessibility concerns, please reach out to us confidentially at global.inclusion@wfp.org. Our DEI team is here to ensure your full participation in our recruitment process

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).

Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language

Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter

Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time

Please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.