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

In Uganda, WFP provides monthly food (in-kind and cash) assistance to almost 1.3 million refugees across 13 rural settlements as well as other crisis-affected populations, most recently providing emergency food assistance in response to alarming levels of food and nutrition insecurity in the Karamoja region. WFP Uganda also provides agricultural and market support to smallholder farmers, buying directly from farmers for its school feeding programme where possible. The UN agency uses its supply chain network to not only transport food but also other commodities such as medical protective gear to support the government COVID-19 response. WFP Uganda is also working closely with the government to strengthen its social protection systems and make them more responsive to shocks, both critical ingredients to achieving food security.

ARE YOU UP TO THE CHALLENGE?

We are seeking a qualified individual for the position of Programme Policy Officer (Technical Coordinator) SC9to be based in Kampala. The selected candidate will be employed on a short-term contract (11 Months).

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The job is found in WFP Uganda Country Office.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Uganda and the United  Nations  Children’s  Fund  (UNICEF)  with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), are implementing a multi-year Child-Sensitive Social Protection Programme (CSSP) in the refugee hosting districts of West Nile, Uganda. The programme’s overall objective is to improve the community and household resilience among refugees and host populations in refugee-hosting districts of the West Nile. This will be achieved by working within existing government systems and programmes to address social protection, health and nutrition needs, and vulnerabilities in the West Nile sub-region. WFP is implementing the programme’s social protection systems strengthening and nutrition-sensitive cash transfer components. In West Nile WFP partners with six refugee-hosting districts—Adjumani, Koboko, Madi Okollo, Obongi, Terego, and Yumbe—and at the national level with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Development (MGLSD).

WFP is seeking a National Advisor with specialized skills in social protection systems strengthening. Under the supervision of the WFP CSSP Manager, the National Advisor will be seconded to MGLSD, reporting to the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator MGLSD, as MGLSD is the government agency responsible for spearheading implementation of the national social protection policy, and will have a working relationship with other relevant stakeholders, including OPM. The National Advisor will be based in Kampala at the Expanding Social Protection (ESP) offices and maintain close contact with OPM, with field visits as required.

JOB PURPOSE

The role’s key focus will be to support MGLSD and OPM to implement CSSP activities according to work plan and project timelines; provide technical support to both agencies; help coordinate implementation with district local governments; and liaise with other implementation partners and government agencies as needed.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (1/2)

The National Advisor will be key to ensure that the agreed actions under the CSSP MoU and multi-year work plans are implemented effectively and on time. Main tasks will include:

• Lead the development of an overarching framework to organize support through the CSSP programme to the MgLSD.
• Work closely with technical leads from WFP Kampala and West Nile to ensure coherent implementation of all activities between MGLSD and DLGs
• Facilitate quarterly work planning and review meetings, tracking budgets and expenditures of CSSP activities.
• Ensure timely engagement of leadership for guidance and decision making
• Define and maintain coordination arrangements within and outside the Ministry, especially OPM, Ministry of Local Government and Ministry of Finance,  to ensure collaboration across sectors
• Provide technical advice and support for the implementation of Harmonised Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) procedures for receipt, management and accounting of resources received under the CSSP.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (2/2)

• Provide technical advice to monitor and evaluate activities and capture results, lessons learned and good practices
• Support in supervision, monitoring, quality control, coordination and direct provision of technical guidance relating to CSSP activities to ensure good quality and timely delivery of outputs
• Support the Ministry to define and implement a learning agenda to strengthen knowledge and information sharing and knowledge networking with stakeholders
• Support drafting terms of reference and concept notes
• Ensure quality of all requests for activity implementation from MGLSD/OPM are reviewed before they are submitted to WFP
• Support MGLSD with report writing, communications and advocacy, presentations and knowledge sharing
• Perform other duties as required

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced University degree in social protection, public policy, public administration, social sciences, development studies or other field relevant to social protection.

Language: International Professional: Fluency (level C) in English language.

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

Experience/Competence:

• At least 8 years professional experience relevant to social protection, contributing to food security and/or nutrition objectives.
• Has direct experience and demonstrated deep technical knowledge of various programme types relevant to social protection (e.g. cash-transfer programmes and public works).
• Demonstrated experience in policy discussions and decisions
• Experience in managing substantial components of a complex programme
• Knowledge and experience working with government social protection programmes is essential
• Strong organizational, planning, analytical, and writing skills
• Ability to work independently in a timely and organized manner
• Flexibility and excellent communication skills
• Good computer skills (Excel and Word)
• High level of ethical standards, integrity, transparency, and accountability
• Excellent ability to coordinate across multiple units and organizations
• 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
• Ability to develop and maintain relationships with a variety of stakeholders, conveying an informed and professional demeanour toward internal and external partners and stakeholders

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

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

23 October 2021