Career Opportunities: Program Policy Officer: Bamenda, Maroua and Kousseri- WFP World Food Program WFP World Food Program Cameroon

General
Description of assignment title
Program Policy Officer: Bamenda, Maroua and Kousseri

Assignment country
Cameroon

Expected start date
01/09/2023

Sustainable Development Goal
2. Zero hunger

Volunteer category
International UN Volunteer Specialist

Host entity
WFP

Type
Onsite

Duration
24 months
(with possibility of extension)

Number of assignments
3

Duty stations
Maroua, Kousseri, Bamenda

Details
Mission and objectives
The World Food Program 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. Created in 1961 as an experiment to provide food aid through the UN system, WFP is enshrined in 1965 as a fully-fledged UN Programme.

Powered by the passion, dedication and professionalism of our 20,000 staff worldwide, the World Food Program (WFP) works in over 80 countries to bring life-saving food to people displaced by conflict and made destitute by disasters, and help individuals and communities find life -changing solutions to the multiple challenges they face in building better futures.

Social protection is an increasingly prominent strategy for governments to reduce extreme poverty, hunger, and inequalities and promote access to essential needs. As a global leader in fighting hunger and malnutrition worldwide, often in very difficult contexts, the World Food Program (WFP) is increasingly called upon by governments to support national social protection systems.

WFP is partnering with governments across over 75 countries to strengthen their national social protection systems, making support in social protection an integral part of its activities in most of the countries where it operates. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable are put at risk across the globe, undermining decades of progress towards the SDGs. In response to this, many governments are currently adapting and/or putting in place new social protection policies, systems and schemes.

Background
Cameroon is a lower-middle-income country with a population of 23.3 million people of diverse ethnic and two linguistic groups. Ranked 153rd of 188 countries in the 2016 Human Development Index, the average life expectancy is 58 years; 24% live on less than USD 2 per day and poverty is concentrated in the Northern and Eastern regions, where 90 percent of people requiring humanitarian support reside. At least 75 percent of the people over 15 years of age are illiterate, with wide disparity between men and boys (78 percent) and women and girls (65 percent).

Cameroon is confronted with three major complex crises: the crisis in the Lake Chad basin impacting the Far North region; the consequences of the influx Central African refugees in the east and the crisis in the Northwest and Southwest (SW/NW). More than one million people are displaced, and 4.5 million people have humanitarian needs. These challenges are reinforced by structural factors and chronic vulnerabilities that aggravate the impact of crises and affect people’s resilience capacity.

The World Food Program (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. WFP’s current Country Strategy Program (2018-2021) contributes to all four United Nations Development Assistance Framework pillars: (i) increase employment opportunities and measures to protect women, young people, children and socially vulnerable people in target areas; (ii) improve the health of target populations and prevent child malnutrition in all its forms; (iii) improve access to education and quality vocational training; and (iv) strengthen the resilience of target populations addressing food insecurity and environmental, social and economic shocks.

WFP Cameroon is currently seeking for International UN Volunteers to provide support and technical expertise to the Field Offices with the design and management of programs of moderate size or complexity that effectively meet food assistance needs or contribute to policy formulation and / or provide technical advice or oversight on program strategy and implementation.

Task description
Under the general supervision of the Head of Field Office, and the technical supervision of the CO Head of Policy, the incumbent UN Volunteer will perform the following tasks:

1. Contribute to formulation of WFP-wide program policies in line with both organizational strategy and the practical realities of operating in the field; or translate program policy into Regional/Country level practices. Developing program guidance and implementation modalities and operations, to ensure a clear and strong connection between HQ and field operations.
2. Provide advice and support to COs on moderately complex issues to clarify ambiguities and ensure that policy and program operations are consistent with WFP policies, Executive Board decisions, and other relevant guidance.
3. Provide technical advice or mobilize technical expertise on program and policy issues including assessment and analysis, the choice of objectives, activities, transfer modalities and appropriate food products, the deployment and testing of innovative approaches and the development of strategies to support government efforts to reduce hunger and malnutrition.
4. Assist counterparts in governments and other partners in identifying where food assistance can be usefully employed and provide support and technical expertise for the planning, formulation, and implementation of moderately complex food assistance programs to strengthen government and community ownership and effectiveness of food security and nutrition programs at national and sub-national levels.
5. Establish and maintain operational partnerships to identify opportunities for collaborative approaches and initiatives that improve assistance packages and support advocacy work.
6. Enhance WFP’s leadership status in forums relating to area of ​​specialism, for example food security, nutrition, livelihoods, resilience or engagement in humanitarian, transition and development contexts through direct participation, briefings, information products and other materials.
7. Manage operational research and evidence building on issues relevant to food assistance.
8. Manage the preparation and dissemination of timely analytical and critical reports, publications, and a variety of information products or proposals for internal or external use.
9. Contribute to resource mobilizations efforts for WFP projects, including clearly articulating the need for food assistance and related program opportunities, and follow up on the resource situation of projects including commodity and cash availability, seeking advice from senior colleagues where necessary.
10. Advice and support the development of functional training in areas of expertise to enhance the capacity of WFP staff and partners to design and deliver effective food assistance programmes.
11. Lead, motivate and develop a team of staff to enable high performance.
12. Ensure the best use of assigned financial resources for achievement of set objectives within a moderate budget.
13. Contribute to Country Office Emergency Preparedness ie early warning, risk analysis, and contingency planning in order to respond to humanitarian crises and needs.
14. Other as required.

Eligibility criteria
Age
27 – 80

Nationality
Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.

Requirements
Required experience
3 years of experience in • Has experience working across the program portfolio including VAM/Nutrition.
• Has led a sub-office or small country/ area of ​​office program team or a component of a country office program portfolio.
• Has engaged in policy discussions and provided input into policy decisions.
• Proficiency in Windows MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Strong analytical skills to conduct independent research and analysis, including familiarity with and experience in the use of various research sources and statistics.
• Advanced skills using database, statistical analysis, and data visualization software, such as SPSS, Stata, R, Tableau, etc. Experience with data collection using ODK/ONA a plus.
• Behavioral competencies such as Action Management, Client Orientation, Cognitive Capacity, Innovation, Partnering and Teamwork.
• Experience in humanitarian context as well as relevant experience within the UN system is desirable.
• Ability to quickly establish and maintain effective working relations with people of different cultural backgrounds and languages, willingness to strengthen capacities of partners and colleagues, share best practices and lessons learned.

Area(s) of expertise
Economics and finance, Agriculture, Development programs

Driving license
–

Languages
​​English, Level: Fluent, Required
French, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level
Master degree or equivalent 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.

Skills and values
• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to WFP; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferable to WFP procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and customer-oriented;
• Integrity: demonstrate the values ​​and ethical standards of the UN and WFP in daily activities and behaviors while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behavior; does not abuse power or authority.
• Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;
• Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of ​​expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.
• Planning and organizing effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;
• Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; ability to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;
• Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of ​​operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of ​​operations as necessary.
• Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance, and commitment towards WFP’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

All applications must be submitted ONLINE at:

https://app.unv.org/opportunities/1732368096070912