Position Title : Programme Policy Officer: Cash-Based Transfers (CBT),
Grade : NOB (Fixed Term)
Duty Station : Johannesburg Regional Bureau, South Africa
Salary : Min 546 893 per annum
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide.
The WFP Southern Africa regional office, based in Johannesburg South Africa, is looking for a suitably qualified candidate to fill the post of Programme Policy Officer on Cash-Based Transfers (CBT).
Background
As the largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, the United Nations World Food Programme’s (WFP) core mandate and strengths centre around three priorities: saving lives in emergency situations; improving the nutrition and quality of life of the most vulnerable people; and helping to build assets and promote the self-reliance of poor people and communities. With the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), WFP is positioning itself to align and contribute to the 2nd Goal: to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
The WFP addresses food insecurity using food, cash or voucher transfers, depending on the local context and market realities. To be able to deliver cash based transfers as well as in-kind food assistance, the organization is investing in enhancing internal capabilities as well as partnerships with strategic partners, key among them being national governments.
It is against this backdrop that the the WFP southern Africa office is seeking to hire a national programme policy officer with the requisite knowledge, skills and experience, to support the evolving ways WFP is contributing to the zero hunger challenge, in line with SDG 2.
Job context and supervision
Under the direct supervision of the Regional CBT Programme Policy Advisor, and the overall supervision of the Senior Regional Programme Policy Advisor, the National Programme Policy Officer will provide technical support and oversight function in cash-based programming in the 11 countries under the responsibility of RBJ with the goal of developing and strengthening CBT programming and government capacity development and augmentation related to CBT. The tasks will include:
- Monitor implementation of CBT at County Office (CO) level by compiling data in corporate systems (WINGS and COMET), and produce CBT fact sheets periodically based on this data;
- Identification of potential entry points in engaging with government’s social safety net programmes focusing on delivery mechanism, and further guide COs in providing technical assistance to the government in this area;
- Provide technical support and guidance to COs to design and implement CBT in a manner that is cross-functional and supports alignment to the corporate guidance. This includes online assistance and field missions, where necessary, focusing on needs assessments, response analysis (choice of transfer modality), design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of cash and voucher based programmes;
- Review and provide relevant feedback on project proposals, documents, standard project reports, and other relevant documentation, to ensure quality assurance and compliance with corporate policies, strategic objectives and guidance, as well as to highlight issues of potential concern at the operational level;
- Document field experience, lessons learned and best practices, and produce advocacy documents based on such information gathered.
- Support capacity building initiatives related to CBT including provision of trainings, and participate in training and workshops as required;
- Facilitate information exchange among CBT focal points in the region.
- Represent WFP at workshops, seminars, meetings and other events related to CBT as requested;
- Perform other duties as required.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
Advanced university degree in Economics, International Affairs, Nutrition, Public Health, Agriculture, Environmental Sciences, Social Sciences or a field relevant to international development assistance, OR First University Degree with additional 2 years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
Experience
- At least 3 years of postgraduate progressively responsible professional and project management experience in either: 1) planning, design and implementation of humanitarian and development programmes; 2) government social safety nets programmes; OR 3) financial services linked to bulk disbursement of grants.
- Desired experiences include:
- Experience in the design and implementation of in-kind food, cash and voucher transfers.
- Relevant work experience at the implementation level in developing countries
- Experience in government-led safety net programmes
- Experience of working in private sector (especially banking or telecommunications sector) linked to bulk payment of grants.
- Experience working with databases is an asset.
Knowledge and skills
- An understanding of the theory and application of food security, livelihood and safety net programmes.
- Understanding of targeting, monitoring and evaluation techniques and their application.
- Knowledge of major humanitarian, recovery and development challenges and issues, specifically strategies for poverty and hunger reduction.
- Knowledge of national social safety nets highly desirable.
- General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations and procedures governing administration is highly desirable.
- Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Publisher) and other standard office software packages and systems.
Language
Proficiency in writing and verbal communication in English. Working knowledge in French and/or Portuguese is desirable.
CLOSING DATE: 04 May 2016
HOW TO APPLY:
Interested individuals meeting the above qualifications are requested to submit a cover letter together with a detailed curriculum vitae, via email to: HR.Johannesburg@wfp.org, quoting Announcement No: 006/2016. ***Applicant must be a South African national.**
