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 (Market Systems) SC8 to be based in Arua. The selected candidate will be employed on Service Contract

This job is found in Uganda Country Offices (COs) and job holders report to a more senior Programme Policy Officer.
Job holders are likely to be working under the close support and guidance of a more experienced professional staff member receiving guidance and regular feedback on work performed. They are typically involved in programme or policy activities or similar nature and analytical work of limited complexity.

Under the 2018 to 2022 Country Strategy Plan for Uganda, WFP is committed to increasing the use of cash-based transfers (CBT) in food assistance activities. In the operational areas of the Arua Area Office (i.e. the subregions of West Nile, Acholi and Bunyoro), there is a plan to accelerate a shift from in-kind provision to CBT in general food distribution for refugees (GFA). In West Nile, WFP under a SIDA funded programme is also working with the District Local Governments to strengthen social protection systems, which includes the provision of nutrition-sensitive cash transfers to vulnerable, crisis-affected households. The SIDA Child-Sensitive Social Protection (CSSP) Programme in West Nile focuses on strengthening social protection systems and piloting a nutrition-sensitive cash transfer.

For cash recipients to realize maximum benefits of the transfer value for improved food and nutrition security, there is a need to ensure that their local markets respond to an increased demand for commodity items in terms of volume, diversity, quality, safety and pricing. In northern Uganda, WFP programmes are mostly located in remote rural areas where market systems are not developed. As CBT expands in the northern region, WFP is thus adopting a facilitative approach to local market systems development under its agricultural portfolio to fill a supply and demand gap, strengthen pro-smallholder and micro-enterprise supply chains for both dry and fresh foods, and collaborate with government and non-state actors to improve the quality of support services and foster the enabling environment for sustainable market development.

The position of the Programme Policy Officer will provide technical leadership in the area of market systems development to the Field Offices under the Arua Area Office. The incumbent will liaise with technical units in Kampala cash-based food assistance, and is aligned to the priority actions of the District Local Governments.

Under the supervision of the Head of Programme, Arua, the Programme Policy Officer  Market Systems will be responsible for the following duties:

1.  Contribute to programme design and adjustments (e.g. the Country Strategic Plan, market systems development strategy and collaboration matrix) to ensure alignment with national and sub-national priorities in agricultural and market development and programme integration within WFP.
2. Provide input into the development and review of the Annual Performance Plan.
3. In collaboration with AMEL conduct desk review, participate in studies (e.g. market systems and value chain analysis), and establish/maintain relations with the UN and other development organizations to develop a good understanding of systemic issues and best practices in pro-smallholder and micro-enterprise market developme intervention.
4. In collaboration with AMEL contribute to the analysis of agriculture and market information, produced by WFP and other institutions, follow a trend, and remain on alert of potential shocks in agriculture and food supply chains.
5. Develop a system for the identification of market actors (e.g. producers, millers, traders, retailers, wholesalers and financial service providers) and retail engagement, and support the Field Offices to map them out for facilitation in relationship building.

6. Provide technical backstopping to the Field Offices in the planning and implementation of market systems development activities, including sub-national capacity strengthening government programmes (e.g. the Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project) and systems and strengthen the policy framework.

7. Liaise with the technical units at the Head Office and other Area Offices for knowledge sharing to continuously seek innovation in programming.

8. Support in the identification of knowledge and skill gaps and organization of capacity building initiatives for WFP and NGO partner staff in the market systems development approach.

9. Draft, or provide input into, briefs, presentations, proposals, reports and other information materials for internal and external advocacy, communications, coordination and resource mobilization for the Arua Area Office as well as the Head Office.

10. Facilitate capacity building to the Field Offices (FO) towards delivery of quality outputs and outcomes.

11. Perform any other tasks as required

• Basic university degree in one of the following disciplines: social sciences, international development, development economics or another related field like international relations, commerce, agricultural economics, or humanitarian studies.
• At least 5 years of solid progressively responsible professional work experience with evidence of innovation in market systems and cash-based programming

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.