DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
29 April 2026-23:59-GMT+05:45 Nepal Time (Kathmandu)WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.
ABOUT WFP
The World Food Programme 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.
At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.
To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.
WHY JOIN WFP?
WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).
WFP encourages female candidates and people with disabilities to apply
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
Organizational Context:
Nepal is highly exposed to a wide range of natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, droughts, floods and climate induced shocks, which continue to undermine development gains and disproportionately affect the poorest and most vulnerable populations. Since the introduction of the 2015 Constitution, Nepal has undergone a major transition to a federal system with three tiers of government (federal, provincial and local) each with roles in disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management. However, the Constitution and subsequent legislation leave ambiguities regarding the distribution of responsibilities for disaster preparedness, financing, response and recovery across these tiers. While key institutions and policies exist, including disaster management funds at multiple levels, mandates for decision making, coordination, and accountability remain insufficiently defined, constraining timely, predictable and well coordinated action before and after shocks.
In Nepal, multiple disaster risk financing and climate related funding mechanisms exist at federal, provincial and local levels, alongside social protection programmes and contingency budgets intended to support households during crises. However, the “money in” and “money out” pathways are fragmented and poorly understood. It is often unclear where funds are held, what triggers their release, who has the authority to activate them, and how they are supposed to flow across institutions and government levels. Critically, linkages between disaster risk financing instruments, disaster management funds and scalable social protection mechanisms are weak, limiting the ability of the system to deliver rapid, adequate and well targeted support at scale to affected populations during disasters and stresses.
Against this backdrop, WFP works closely with the Government of Nepal to strengthen disaster risk reduction, resilience, and national systems, and is increasingly shifting towards technical assistance and country capacity strengthening under its 2024–2028 Country Strategic Plan. Building on existing analytical work commissioned by WFP and the Government on disaster risk management, targeting systems, social protection and disaster financing, this Terms of Reference seeks an expert who can consolidate and deepen this body of work. The assignment will result in a clear, practical and authoritative analysis – including detailed flow charts and operational narratives – that maps where disaster related funds sit, how they can be accessed and triggered, how they flow across the three tiers of government, and which delivery channels, including social protection programmes, can be used to reach the most vulnerable quickly and effectively in times of disaster and stress.
JOB PURPOSE
The purpose of this assignment is to lead the assessment of existing climate and disaster risk financing mechanisms (‘money out’) in Nepal including the policy, institutional and operational architecture of decision making at federal, provincial and local levels of government.
The role builds on previous work done by WFP, including (1) a broad overview of existing social protection schemes and programmes including targeting methods; and (2) a landscape analysis of climate and disaster risk finance insurance and opportunities to link it with social protection.
TERMS AND CONDITION
Position Title: Programme Policy Officer (Disaster Governance and Public Finance Expert)
Contract Type: Special Service Agreement (SSA)
Level: SSA L9
Contract Duration: 60 workdays spread over 4 months from EOD
Duty Station: Kathmandu, Nepal
Date of Publication: 16.04.2026
Deadline of Application: 29.04.2026
WFP offers a competitive benefits package including salary plus CIGNA health insurance.
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
Under the overall guidance of the Head of Programme and the direct supervision of Programme Policy Officer (EPR), the incumbent will undertake the following responsibilities:
Review and Mapping of Existing Disaster Risk Financing Mechanisms (and Cash Flow)
Conduct a comprehensive review of disaster risk management funding instruments, national financing frameworks and funding flow at federal, provincial and local levels of government. The review should evaluate their effectiveness in supporting timely, predictable and adequately funded emergency response, and should ultimately identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for strengthening financial preparedness and early action.
Analysis of Social Protection Systems and Shock-Responsiveness
Assess the maturity, scalability and operational capacities of existing social protection systems and programmes, including cash-based interventions, social security allowance registries and digital payment systems.
Evaluate the extent to which these systems can withstand and respond to climate and disaster-related shocks.
Recommend measures to enhance system resilience and shock responsiveness.
Identification of Opportunities for Institutional and Operational Integration
Building on the existing exercises, map opportunities to integrate CDRFI, disaster management funds and social protection systems at institutional, policy, and operational levels. Provide recommendations to strengthen financial resilience through pre-arranged financing, early action triggers, and adaptive and shock-responsive social protection measures.
Support development of integrated approaches that enhance national and local response capacities.
Deliverables:
1. One analytical report on Disaster Management Fund mechanisms in Nepal (institutional, policy and operational structure, budgetary allocation, replenishment, decision making system, connection between different levels of funds and application of shock responsive social protection and relief standards etc.); and
2. One consolidated Action Plan for integration of CDRFI and efficient management and strengthened governance of disaster management funds.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education: Advanced University degree (master’s degree) in Economics, Public Policy, International Development, Sociology, Anthropology, Climate and Disaster studies, Social Science or any other relevant field. First University Degree (Bachelor's) in the relevant field with additional years of related work experience and/ or training/courses.
Experience
At least three years of post-graduate professional work experience (after master's degree) in disaster management, governance, public finance management, social protection, humanitarian and development project management.
Knowledge & Skills
Strong knowledge on Nepal’s governance system, disaster risk reduction and management architecture, public financial management system and disaster management fund management mechanisms.
Understanding emergency preparedness and response, Shock Responsive Social Protection and Relief Guidelines 2024 (SRSP), and social protection systems.
Ability to design/refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), feedback systems, and operational guidance.
Strong facilitation, documentation, and coordination skills with Local Governments (LGs), National Statistics Office (NSO), Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
Languages: Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and Nepali languages.
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REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: global.inclusion@wfp.org
NO FEE DISCLAIMER
The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.
REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.
We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.
At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.
All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.