Consultant - Coordinator - Inter-Agency Resilience and Safety Net Programme

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.  The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.  Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

Job Title : Coordinator - Inter-Agency Resilience and Safety Net Programme

Duty Station : GOMA/Democratic Republic of Congo

Section/Unit : Resilience and Safety Net Unit / Programme

Contract Type/Level : Consultant III/IV

Contract Duration : 11 months renewable

Date of issuance : 31.12.2019

Closing date : 14.01.2020

BACKGROUND

Jointly the WFP, FAO and UNICEF are scaling up an innovative model of community resilience in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The programme will be implemented in 3 territories and 3 health zones.

The three United Nations agencies are enhancing their capacity to coordinate resilience programme among geographical areas with a dedicated technical staff to be based in Goma under the administrative supervision of the Head of the WFP Goma Area Office. The technical oversight will be ensured by the concerned staff of the three agencies in Goma in close coordination with the respective technical units in Kinshasa, Bukavu and Goma. While administratively under WFP’s supervision, the candidate will serve the interests of the three UN agencies.

He/she will ensure the monitoring and coordination of the three agencies’ resilience programme to ensure that activities are carried out within time and budget and in compliance with donor’s contractual obligations.

He/she will also coordinate the preparation of relevant documents and ensure good information flow through regular reports, joint meetings and other relevant channels with the three UN agencies, partners and local communities.

In particular, the joint Programme Coordinator (Kivu) will be expected to:

Inter-Agency Coordination roles- Resilience

• Consolidate workplans and ensure optimal alignment and interdependencies of agencies’ activities. 
• Facilitate the planning and execution of joint procurement, monitoring & evaluation and site inspection plans, among others.
• Oversee planning and implementation also through regular field visits jointly with agencies’ staff.
• Ensure compliance with relevant project documents and contractual obligations in close coordination with the agencies’ technical units in the different geographical locations as well as with the Joint Programme Committee in Kinshasa.
• Organize and facilitate regular meetings with all parties involved, including cooperating partners and government services to share information, discuss bottlenecks and identify solutions in the 3 health zones/territories covered by the joint project.
• Foster the relationship among WFP, FAO and UNICEF teams and other parties involved at local level.
• Liaise closely with the Joint Programme Committee in Kinshasa for normative guidance, decision making & support as well as information sharing.
• Together with the M&E appointed colleagues, contribute to and coordinate joint local accurate and timely analysis/surveys for effective project design and decision making.
• Consolidate and develop simple but comprehensive/informative reports and projects documents on the analysis and results achieved for the government, donors, partners and beneficiaries (in both French and English).
• Provide support to the agencies’ Goma-based officers responsible for project implementation and ensure proper coordination with other sectors and organizational functions.

• Ensure the visibility of the joint resilience programme at provincial level with all relevant actors
• Ensure good coordination with other organizations working in the same areas and same sectors, in order to foster synergies and avoid duplications of intervention.
• Coordinate field visit, when requested.  Other tasks, as required.

Reporting and Communication

• Develop and implement a communication, advocacy and visibility plan in close collaboration with technical units (M&E, communication, & Joint committee on resilience) in Kinshasa
• Summarize evidence-based recommendations and lessons learned and prepare improved guidance materials (e.g. manuals) on project implementation.
• Regularly liaise with the communication units of the three participating organisations to ensure the joint programme is given adequate visibility in their respective campaigns, websites, newsletters, etc.
• In liaison with the WFP Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, maintain a database on projects’ outputs and achievements.
• Lead regular communications with local government services and authorities in coordination with the 3 programme implementation Officers.
• Gather information and update regularly internal progress reports, including budget consumption, critical bottlenecks and risks.
• Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reports, publications, and a variety of information products for external use.
• Ensure all communications with donors are channelled though the agencies’ country offices.
• Ensure the same information sharing line for North and South Kivu.

A minimum of 7 years of profession experience and has:

• Preferably worked in DRC;
• Experience in Resilience, Safety Nets and Social Protection programming in fragile contexts;
• Led a country / area office programme team or joint programme or a substantial component of a complex programme;
• Managed multi-sectorial resilience programmes
• Previous experience in managing and coordinating multi-agencies consortia
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and in writing
• Experience on M&E and management of Joint programme is desirable;
• Worked with government agencies and gained policy experience;
• Led team in strategic discussions;
• Preferably worked for a UN agency or international NGO.

Education:

Advanced University degree 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.

Language:

Fluency in English and French languages, both written and oral. Swahili an asset. 

Applications must be received by14 January 2020.

Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

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.