Consultant Programme Policy Officer at World Food Programme (WFP)

JOB PURPOSE

The Anticipatory Action Officer will be the main focal point within WFP Nigeria for anything related to EW&AA. He/she will work under the overall supervision of the Head and Deputy head of Programme, and in close collaboration with the crisis response, resilience, capacity strengthening and RAM units. The duration of this assignment is initially for six months, with the possibility of an extension.

The AA Officer will help formulate WFPs strategy with regards to EW&AA, working closely with OCHA, FAO, UN agencies, IFRC, (I)NGOs and government counterparts to ensure harmonized approaches. This entails the development of a coherent concept that identifies what risks to focus on, what funding mechanisms might be tapped into (CERF, NHF, GCF, etc.), what the pre-defined triggers would be, and what kind of support WFP would be able to provide as part of a wider multi-sectoral response. The AA Officer will also represent the CO vis-à-vis the AA Task Force and explore other areas where EW&AA activities could be implemented.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

• Facilitate the Technical Support mission that is expected to take place in Nigeria during the first half of February.
• Together with the Capacity Strengthening (SO4) and Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) focal point, make sure EW&AA activities are aligned with Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) as well as Disaster Response activities.
• In collaboration with relevant technical staff from HQ/RBD, identify WFP support areas for technical capacity strengthening of national institutions such as the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), state level Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET), with the objective to improve flood forecasting ability in terms of quality and timing.
• Identify flood related anticipatory actions that could be implemented at the community level and linked to crisis response and resilience building activities.
• Review current SOPs and communication structures (vertical and horizontal) for flood risk and make suggestions for potential improvements to strengthen flood early warning, preparedness, and anticipatory actions at different levels.
• Review concept notes and learn from WFP experiences where Anticipatory Actions for flood risks are already being implemented such as in Bangladesh, Burundi, and Nepal.
• Prepare concept notes and, jointly with RBD and HQ, draft the Anticipatory Action Plan (AAP) for WFP Nigeria.
• Together with OCHA and FAO, facilitate workshops and trainings to ensure EW&AA concepts are well understood among various stakeholders, including (I)NGOs and government counterparts from the federal down to the state and local levels.
• Produce an overview of the current NEMA and SEMA communication strategy for flood alerts and warnings and areas for improvement.
• Produce an overview of community-based flood preparedness and come up with suggestions for improvement for communication of alerts/warning and anticipatory actions.
• Represent WFP at various forums related to EW&AA, including the AA Task Force, Trigger Working group, etc.
• Ensure adequate reporting on EW & AA vis-à-vis the 2025 HNRP and ECHO HIP 2025.
• Screen the donor landscape for potential funding of the Anticipatory Action concept in Nigeria and prepare project proposals accordingly. One possibility to investigate is funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

Professional Experience:
Consultancy Level II: Applicable to tasks which require five to ten years of relevant professional experience and knowledge of a variety of different methods, procedures and alternatives to complete the assigned tasks. Such tasks which will normally consist in providing guidance, recommendations or proposals to the Programme.

Additional Certifications:

• Specialized knowledge and experience in working with national institutions and government for strengthening early warning capacity towards impact-based forecasting and in strengthening central and horizontal coordination, communication and policies for the design and implementation of anticipatory actions ahead of an extreme weather event.
• Experience in working with communities and local governments to ensure last-mile communication and cash-pay outs ahead of a forecast extreme weather event.
• Certifications in Risk Assessment or Disaster Management can be advantageous.
• Training in Early Warning Systems or Data Analysis Tools may also be beneficial.

Education:

Advanced University Degree or Master's Degree or equivalent in fields such as: Disaster Risk Management, Environmental Science, Climate Change, Public Health, International Development, Agronomy or Food Security, Data Science/Statistics.