Programme Policy Officer (Vulnerability Analysis & Mapping-VAM) NOA at World Food Programme (WFP)

Requisition: 107576
Location: Damaturu, Yobe

Organizational Context

• Under overall supervision and the technical guidance of the VAM Officer in Abuja, the Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping Officer (VAM) and with certain degree of independence provides well prepared, analytical work, manages projects with focus on food security and vulnerability issues
• Provides effective technical support in conducting assessments, food security monitoring, food assistance targeting and adjusts food aid requirements, maintains databases, etc; builds effective collaboration with other WFP units; supports, trains staff on food security and vulnerability; guides and/or supervises General Service staff.

Job Purpose

• To provide support to the development of VAM projects and activities, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with Sub Office strategy and wider WFP Nigeria VAM policies and guidance.

Key Accountabilities (not all-inclusive)

• Contribute to the development of VAM projects and activities, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with Sub Office strategy and wider WFP Nigeria VAM policies and guidance.
• Support the development of systems and tools for the food security monitoring and various type of assessments of food assistance needs in line with VAM methodologies and best practice.
• Support the development of food security and vulnerability analysis and the preparation of timely reports on various food security assessment needs in line with wider VAM policies, processes and guidance to enable effective decision-making.
• Provide assistance on the coordination of data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained.
• Coordinate/Support in developing a framework for systematically linking early warning data with others food security monitoring information to achieve comprehensive and timely vulnerability analysis and needs assessment.
• Coordinate/develop and maintain databases on food security market prices and relevant macro-economic indicators on regular basis.
• Analyze geographic patterns of food insecurity and vulnerability by integrating primary food security data with other sources of data in the Geography Information Systems (GIS) environment

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:

• Programme Lifecycle & Food Assistance: Demonstrates ability to identify key variables and contextual factors that affect food assistance problems and programmes throughout the lifecycle to inform quality programme design or re-design.
• Transfer Modalities (Food, Cash, Voucher): Demonstrates ability to analyse and consolidate quantitative and qualitative information from different sources (e.g., market studies) to inform transfer modality selection and programme development.
• Broad Knowledge of Specialized areas (i.e. Nutrition, VAM, etc.): Demonstrates the ability to interpret basic data in the context of WFP specialised fields to contribute to technical programme design, implementation and monitoring.
• Emergency Programming: Displays capacity to provide inputs into the development, implementation and realignment of high quality emergency programmes.
• Strategic Policy Engagement w/ Government: Develops thorough recommendations using multiple inputs (e.g., government counsel, research, own experience) to strengthen national or subnational entities and government owned food and nutrition security programmes.

Other Specific Job Requirements

• Assess training needs of government counterparts and design and organize appropriate training, including workshops, in spatial analysis, thematic mapping and dissemination of spatial data.
• Liaise with cooperative partners to monitor ongoing projects, ensuring effective collaboration, timeliness and efficiency and highlight potential risks to project delivery.
• Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to conduct vulnerability analysis to effectively inform preparedness and response activities.
• Provide technical support to WFP staff in the various units and relevant partners that are focusing on food security and nutrition issues to enable sharing of experience, lessons learned and best practice.
• Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a focal point and supporting them with analysis and queries.
• Act in an assigned emergency response capacity as required to meet emergency food assistance needs.
• Other as required.

Desired Experiences for Entry into the Role:

• Has gained experience in implementing technical programs (i.e. nutrition, etc.).
• Has implemented programmes and provided input into designing operations.
• Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.

Standard Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Advanced University Degree in Sociology, Economics, Agriculture, Geography, Nutrition, Rural development and or similar relevant discipline.
• Experience: At least three years of postgraduate progressively responsible professional experience in food security, vulnerability analysis or a closely related area, such as food security or early warning. Demonstrated experience in technical report writing.
• Skills: Strong knowledge of food security and data collection/processing, analysis techniques typically associated with it, technical report writing and cartography/mapping skills. Advanced computer skills in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Knowledge of Access database and SPSS is highly desirable.
• Language: Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and Hausa.
• Travel: Willing and able to travel extensively and on short notice.

Terms and Conditions

• Only Nigerian nationals or holders of valid residence and work permits are eligible to apply for this position
• Applications are to be submitted and recieved online and in English language only.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Canvassing is strictly prohibited and will lead to automatic disqualification of the concerned applicant.
• Selected candidate will be employed on a fixed-term contract with a probationary period of one year. WFP offers an attractive compensation package.