Programme Officer (Disaster Risk Reduction/Natural Resource Management)FT-NOA, Jijiga (1) 1

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.

Assisting 91.4 million people in around 83 countries each year, the World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. On any given day, WFP has 5,000 trucks, 20 ships and 92 planes on the move, delivering food and other assistance to those in most need. Every year, we distribute more than 15 billion rations at an estimated average cost per ration of US$ 0.31. These numbers lie at the roots of WFP’s unparalleled reputation as an emergency responder, one that gets the job done quickly at scale in the most difficult environments. WFP’s efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid and special operations.

WFP Ethiopia is working with the government and other humanitarian partners to strengthen the resilience of Ethiopia’s most vulnerable population and to chart a more prosperous and sustainable future for the next generation. The Country Office also supports programmes that use food assistance to empower women, transform areas affected by climate change and keep children in school. It aims to contribute to Ethiopia’s five-year development agenda, the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP), through which the Government combats food insecurity.

Under the general supervision and guidance of Team Leader of Climate Solutions, the DRR/NRM Programme Officer will provide technical support and guidance for natural resource management and disaster risk reduction activities under the climate solutions umbrella. The Climate Solutions work plan currently comprises 2 programmes i. R4 Rural Resilience Initiative and ii. The Satellite Index Insurance for Pastoralists in Ethiopia (SIIPE). A brief programme description follows:

R4 Rural Resilience Initiative:  R4 has broken new ground in the field of climate risk management by enabling poor farmers to pay premiums for crop index insurance with their own labor. Farmers can access insurance by paying with their labor through Insurance-for-Work (IFW) schemes. When a drought hits, compensation for weather-related losses prevents farmers from selling productive assets and stimulates faster recovery. IFW schemes are built into the government’s PSNP programme. Assets built through risk reduction activities promote resilience by steadily decreasing vulnerability to disaster risks over time. 

Insurance also facilitates access to credit at better rates, serving as collateral. Households can thereby invest in riskier but more remunerative enterprises, as well as in improved seeds, fertilizers and new technologies to increase their agricultural productivity. 

Participants also establish small-scale savings, which are used to build ‘risk reserves.’ Savings help build a stronger financial base for investing – but also act as a buffer against short-term needs and idiosyncratic shocks, such as illness and death. To ensure long-term sustainability, R4 contributes to the creation of rural financial markets, by building local capacity and gradually transitioning farmers to pay for insurance in cash. 

Satellite Index Insurance for Pastoralists in Ethiopia (SIIPE):  The SIIPE programme currently provides index-based livestock insurance coverage to 5,001 beneficiary households in the Somali region of Ethiopia. Within the Somali region, the programme started in three districts (Woredas). Similar to R4, SIIPE targets PSNP households who own between 5 – 11 Tropical Livestock Units. Pastoralists can access insurance by paying premiums with their labor through Insurance-for-Work (IFW) schemes. In 2019, the programme will scale up to cover more than 10,000 households in the region and beyond.

In both the above programmes, WFP aims to improve the quality of work done through these DRR activities by collaborating with PSNP, federal and regional government and the implementing partners. In addition, there may be new programmes in the forthcoming months in both high as well as low land areas of the country that build upon WFPs vast experience as well as aim at introducing the latest technology in planning and implementation of DRR and NRM activities on the ground.

Under the general supervision and guidance of Team Leader of Climate Solutions, the DRR/NRM Programme Officer will provide technical support and guidance for natural resource management and disaster risk reduction activities under the climate solutions umbrella.

To support DRR activities in the programmes, support development of new solutions, support with capacity strengthening, establish indicators, and support development of technical specifications for the programmes. When needed, the programme officer may be required to support other programmes that may be initiated in the near future requiring DRR interventions.

The focus of this function will be to ensure that Climate Risk Management initiatives in Ethiopia follow WFP’s corporate policies (Climate Change, DRR, and Environment), create guidelines for natural resource management activities, integrated watershed management, DRR, and liaise with implementation partners and government agencies as needed. The Programme Officer will be working on various workstreams within the Unit that require a DRR/NRM intervention. These include the R4 Rural Resilience Initiative, the Satellite Index Insurance for Pastoralists in Ethiopia, and other DRR/NRM interventions where needed under the climate solutions workstream. In this regard, the Programme Officer will be responsible for the following:

1. Liaise with the regional and local government bodies (such as the woreda watershed team) to review the land use plans and maps in consultation with local communities, district authorities and develop detailed follow up activities for concerned watersheds;
2. Establish technical guidelines and specifications in coordination with government extension services;
3. Quality management and compliance with standards during construction. This includes adherence to the Environment policy 2017 of WFP as well as those requested by donors;
4. Collaborate with NGO partners for R4 as well as regional governments and PSNP authorities to identify DRR, NRM activities for the respective projects;
5. Where needed, conduct training sessions in collaboration with NGO partners for regional, district and village facilitators in participatory NRM principles and methodologies;
6. Provide technical and policy recommendations for the consolidation, monitoring and possible replication of DRR /NRM activities (including institutional arrangement, rules and regulations, links to land tenure, etc.) at watershed level including with the management and improvement of lowland agriculture;
7. Support development of SOPs for Forecast-based Financing. This would include conducting a gap assessment, supporting the development of triggers for drought forecast as well as support development of SOPs for developing the early warning, early action approach;
8. Liaise with national counterparts, M&E and VAM teams in Ethiopia CO and global climate team to support effective collaboration, implementation, compliance and monitoring of ongoing project activities;
9. Other as required.

Support DRR activities in the programmes, support development of new solutions, support with capacity strengthening, establish indicators, and support development of technical specifications for the programmes. When needed the programme officer may be required to support other programmes that may be initiated in the near future requiring DRR interventions.

Education: University degree in Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Disaster Risk Reduction, Social Science or other related field; with 2 years of relevant professional work experience OR a master’s degree with at least 1 year of professional experience in a related field.

Experience: At least two years of working experience focusing on DRR/NRM activities including the formulation of guidelines, community engagement, implementation of watershed rehabilitation plans. Experience in WFP specific programmes like MERET, Climate Change Adaptation is an added advantage.

Language: Fluency in oral and written English and Amharic is sufficient. Knowledge of other Ethiopian regional languages would be an advantage.

Knowledge & Skills: 

• Ability to work independently in a timely and organized manner;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Willingness to explore and experiment with new ideas and approaches in own work;
• Ability to work in a team and multi-task as needed;
• A strong understanding of Climate and DRR context of Ethiopia.

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.

WFP is an equal opportunity employer. Female candidates meeting the above qualifications are encouraged to apply on-line through the WFP recruitment website.

This VA is open ONLY to Ethiopian Nationals.

Public access: http://www1.wfp.org/careers/job-openings

WFP staff access: http://newgo.wfp.org/services/e-recruitment

Deadline for Applications: 20 February 2020

Please note that WFP does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.

Female applicants and qualified applicants 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.