Programme Officer (Livelihood Support Specialist - highland & lowland livelihoods), FT, NOA,Bahirdar

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 either existing government social safety nets (PSNP). 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 labour 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.

Under the general supervision and guidance of the Climate Solutions Team Leader, the Programme Officer will provide technical support and guidance for the Climate Risk Management Programmes to introduce livelihood support, market linkages and income generating activities under the climate solutions umbrella.

To provide support to policy and programme activities that effectively meet food assistance needs.

The focus of this function will be to introduce relevant livelihood support activities and market linkages (where possible) to increase the incomes of poor farmers and pastoralists in partnership with NGOs, regional government and the implementing partners. The objective of these activities would be to provide a sustainable source of income for the household to increase its overall cash inflow. These activities will be implemented in Tigray, Amhara, Somali Region and potentially Oromia. Such activities must have a climate adaptation lens whilst complementing the existing livelihoods ensuring improved and diversified income sources.

The Programme Officer will be working on various workstreams within the unit that require a livelihood related intervention. S/he will collaborate with colleagues in other units who work on similar activities to ensure that efforts are not duplicated, and economies of scale are enhanced. In this regard, the Programme Officer will be responsible for the following:

1. Liaise with implementing partners, NGOs, UN agencies as well as research institutes to understand the livelihood challenges of the population;
2. Plan and implement livelihood/IGA interventions for both highland and lowland areas. This includes exploring possibility of introducing fuel efficient cook stoves for women, nutrition sensitive farming for kitchen gardens, formation of primary cooperatives, connecting markets with small scale producers;
3. Liaise with climate solutions colleagues to ensure that interventions are complementary to other components and ensure a sustainable approach;
4. Establish technical guidelines, and specifications in coordination with government extension services, micro finance institutions to ensure sustainability of the interventions over time;
5. Where needed conduct training sessions in collaboration with NGO partners for regional, district and village facilitators;
6. Provide technical and policy recommendations for the consolidation, monitoring and possible replication of livelihood activities at community level;
7. 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;
8. Other as required.

Education: University degree in International Development, Economics, Agriculture, Social science, Management or other relevant fields 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 2 years of relevant work experience working in food security-related livelihood enhancement, financial inclusion or rural development projects.

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 micro finance sector in Ethiopia.

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