Programme Policy Officer (Roster), NOB, Juba, South Sudan

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

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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.

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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).

JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer (Roster)

UNIT/DIVISION: Programme

Type of Contract: Fixed term (NOB)

This recruitment / VA will also serve as a roster for national positions at the same or lower grade levels and in short-term contract modalities (e.g., NOA level or Service Contract SC8/SC9), with various duty stations, to meet potential future operational needs.

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Juba, South Sudan (This roster will also be used to fill the vacancies in other Field location based on operational requirements).

DURATION: 6 – 12 months based on contract type and renewable based on performance and budget availability

1.1 Country Context:  

South Sudan has been in protracted crises since 2013. Independence in 2011 gave hope for national unity, peace, oil revenue, and socio-economic development. Yet, by the end of 2013, the country descended into war again. After a number of violent incidents, ceasefires and peace attempts, the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) was signed in 2018. The agreement has brought renewed hope, and there has not been a national-level violent incident. However, the implementation of R-ARCSS chapters has been delayed; thus, South Sudan remains in a fragile state, especially with growing levels of subnational and localized violence and an extension of the transition period until 2026.

Nearly 60 percent of 14 million people in South Sudan are facing acute levels of food insecurity. The number of people in acute food insecurity has tripled since independence, particularly over recent years due to persistent communal violence, economic shocks triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war and Sudan crisis, and mass flooding along the Nile and other riverine systems. Traditionally, people in South Sudan have community safety nets and locally adapted coping strategies for shocks. Yet, compounded effects of the years of war and conflict, deep-seated poverty, climatic events, and limited investments in social and economic services and unsustainable natural resource management have significantly or completely depleted household and community capacities to restock their livelihoods and withstand future shocks.

WFP South Sudan:

The World Food Programmes (WFP) vision in South Sudan is to address entrenched inequity and isolation, with the goal of leaving no-one behind and fostering unified, interconnected and peaceful communities. This builds on the recognition that in pre- and post-independence, the regions of South Sudan have had different access to social and economic opportunities, with much of the country having been left out from development or resilience-building assistance. As a result, inequity and isolation remain a threat to achieving zero hunger and lasting peace and stability in South Sudan.

To achieve this vision, WFP has been layering, sequencing, and integrating its programmes to increase their efficiency, quality and impact on targeted communities to provide relief in crisis situations, restore livelihoods, strengthen resilience to shocks, and rebuild social cohesion and self-reliance increasingly in hard-to-reach areas. Currently, WFP operation is guided by the 2023 to 2026 Country Strategic Plan (CSP) with five strategic outcomes: 1) access to food, 2) access to social services, 3) resilience and sustainable food systems, 4) strengthened country capacity, and 5) enhanced humanitarian services. While continuing to deliver assistance directly to communities, WFP is also engaging the government to enhance the coverage and quality of social services, design and implement food security programmes, develop infrastructure, and stimulate economic activities for country ownership and sustainability   

Background of the assignment:

In order to maintain agility to respond to crises and strengthen head and field office programme teams for new and ongoing initiatives and projects to transition from humanitarian assistance to resilience building and advance country capacity strengthening, WFP South Sudan is establishing a Programme Policy Officer roster at NOB level. This roster is meant to prequalify South Sudanese nationals who believe in WFP’s mission in the country, possess specific experience, knowledge, and skillsets, and can be called on to take up a short- or long-term assignment at any WFP office.

This roster will also serve as a roster for national positions at lower grade levels and short-term contract modalities (e.g., NOA level or Service Contract SC8/SC9) to meet potential future operational needs. In addition, it may be used to fill vacancies in Juba or field locations as required. Candidates selected for this roster will remain valid for a period of two years from the date of placement. Appointments from the roster will be made subject to operational requirements and the confirmed availability and interest of the selected candidates.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not exhaustive, within delegated authority):

When assigned to a programme or project, the Programme Policy Officer, will be supervised by the Head of Programme or thematic lead in the designated WFP office. S/he may be responsible for the following tasks:  

• Contribute to the development of projects, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with WFP corporate and South Sudan programme policies and guidance.
• Lead, or provide support, project coordination and management for a specific programme/s or project/s that is implemented by WFP only, multiple UN partners, or WFP together with government partners or in a UN and non-UN consortium.
• Ensure coordination and collaboration in programme or project implementation across WFP units and offices.
• Conduct or update stakeholder mapping for programme and project implementation and build partnerships for aligning approaches, complementing interventions, and avoiding duplication.
• Ensure that monitoring systems are established and strengthened for assigned programmes and projects and that information and data are collected, analysed, and discussed for adapting programming, reporting, and knowledge sharing.
• Conduct programme or project supervisory or monitoring missions, including joint missions with government and non-government partners, to verify progress, interact with beneficiaries and other stakeholders, discuss good practices and improvement areas, agree on action points, and follow up on the action points through an action tracker.  
• Lead in drafting, or provide input into, accurate and timely WFP and donor reports on assigned programmes and projects, consolidating contributions from various WFP units and offices and partners.  
• Contribute to WFP communications and donor engagement and visibility by feeding into communication plans, providing programme information for communication products, compiling human interest stories, and participating in meetings, missions, and publicity events.         
• Ensure the budgets for assigned programmes and projects are managed as per approved plans, proactively identify the need for adjustments, and trigger a process for budget alignment or revision.    
• Take part in WFP programme and project planning and review activities and contribute to organization-wide knowledge management.  
• Participate, or represent WFP, in government and partner coordination fora, including for thematic policy and strategy planning and review.   
• Support the capacity building of WFP staff and government and non-government partners to strengthen the quality of programmes and projects, which may include the development and update of training materials. 
• Guide or supervise a team for programme or project implementation. 
• Mission travels to/from Juba Head Office and Field Offices based on operational requirements.
• Other as required.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or higher) in agriculture, economics, rural development, health and nutrition, social sciences, international affairs, environmental science, or another related field. Or first university degree (bachelor’s) in the above field with additional years of related work experience.

Required Experience:

For master's degree holder or higher: three years of progressively responsible work experience in programme or project implementation with humanitarian and development organizations.

For a candidate with a first university degree, at least five years of the above experience is required.

Experience in leading and managing programmes and projects in humanitarian assistance, livelihoods, climate resilience, or institutional capacity building, and social safety nets in UN agencies or non-government experience is essential.

Desirable experiences:

• Evidence-based programme and project design, implementation, and adaptive programming.
• Programme and project coordination, supervising a team, leading a technical area and or managing a budget.  
• Programme and project implementation, promoting inclusion, women and youth economic empowerment, and partnerships.
• Monitoring and supervising field-level activities, including beneficiary feedback mechanisms is considered a strong asset.

Skills & Behavioural competencies:

• Ability to communicate effectively in a diverse workplace environment
• Demonstrated experience in coordination with stakeholders including government counterparts, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, donor-funded project, and the private sector in implementing field activities.
• Strong organizational and communication skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Languages:

Fluency in English is required

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

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.