Consultancy - Supply Chain Systems Strengthening and South-South Cooperation - Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Consultancy West Africa

 

 

Are you a Supply Chain specialist with knowledge of Food Systems and interested in South-South Cooperation and System Strengthening work? If yes, this opportunity is for you!

 

We are looking for candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles. We select our candidate on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance. Currently, we are looking for a candidate to support us in West Africa.

 

ABOUT WFP

 

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the largest humanitarian organisation delivering food assistance to over 90 million beneficiaries in 80 countries on a yearly basis. With over 5000 trucks, 50 ships and close to 100 planes on the move every single day, WFP, together with its partners, operates a global network to deliver life-saving food assistance to the most hard-to reach places.

 

This year, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize 2020 to the World Food Programme for its efforts to combat hunger and its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas.

 

SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION IN CERFAM AND SUPPLY CHAIN IN WFP

 

CERFAM, WFP's first centre of excellence in Africa, aims to support and build on efforts to accelerate the achievement of SDG 2 while simultaneously responding to the growing demands of national governments and regional institutions for technical expertise, specialised training, knowledge management and South-South Cooperation. Other areas of CERFAM’s thematic support include school feeding based on local purchases (Home-Grown School Feeding - HGSF), post harvest loss management, food safety, nutrition, community resilience, social protection, nutrition-sensitive food value chains, rural development, women's empowerment and strengthening of food supply chains.

 

CERFAM, in partnership with WFP country offices, regional bureaux, HQ, and external institutions, facilitates and mobilizes high-level expertise and promotes innovative solutions to fight hunger and malnutrition through the documentation and dissemination of good practices, innovative approaches and networking. CERFAM’s approach utilises the framework for South-South Cooperation whereby CERFAM has a service offer that is two-fold: (i) identify, document, promote and disseminate good practices in Africa, and (ii) deploy expertise for the implementation of good practices through capacity strengthening and South-South Cooperation. CERFAM seeks to harness these good practices from national and regional institutions and development actors in efforts to achieve food and nutritional security in Africa.

 

Known for its leadership in promoting food security and nutrition to support SDG implementation, WFP has developed excellence in logistics and has been engaging with governments and partners to support them in their daily challenges in this area. WFP also makes this global capacity and expertise available to the entire humanitarian community including UN agencies, NGOs and governments.

 

In January 2020, CERFAM and WFP Supply Chain Division (SCO) initiated a collaboration through a staff exchange with the deployment of a Food Safety and Quality Assurance Officer at CERFAM. In March 2020, the Centre and SCO signed a technical cooperation framework to promote joint actions in the areas of food systems and health product supply chains with a focus on country capacity strengthening and South-South Cooperation. In December 2020, both entities joined efforts to support the Government of the Republic of Congo and WFP Congo to organize a workshop on strengthening the cassava value chain through South-South Cooperation. Since then, CERFAM has been collaborating with ongoing efforts of SCO to launch a Regional Technical Training Centre for West Africa based in Accra. This initiative consists in a multi-stakeholder 5 years public private partnership (PPP) with Governments, the private sector, the UN, and other humanitarian organizations. This Training Centre will build on the experiences accumulated in the region and work as a platform that and transfer knowledge, share expertise, and disseminate good practices across West Africa. This project offers a mechanism that strengthens multi-stakeholder engagement on innovative and effective solutions in fleet management in the region to improve transport management and impact positively food systems

 

JOB PURPOSE

 

The assignment is part of the  implementation of the technical agreement between CERFAM and WFP Supply Chain Division on South-South Cooperation and country capacity strengthening. The scope of work includes support in thematic areas such as supply chain, logistics, post-harvest loss management, value-supply-chain assessments, and local food processing. In conjunction the consultant is expected to support expanded initiatives under the Regional Technical Training Centre in Accra, Ghana.

 

The consultant will be administratively based in CERFAM, Ivory Coast and will also work to advance the collaboration on the Logistics Training Centre for improving capacity in the region on transport management. The consultant will support the implementation of the action plan to make the Regional Training Centre operational ensuring strong coordination and liaison between CERFAM, WFP’s Supply chain teams at Headquarters, regional bureaux, country offices and Logistics Training Centre. The consultant will facilitate and coordinate relations with public actors in Ivory Coast to be involved in the Training Centre initiative. The consultant will explore additional collaborations with external partners on improving / strengthening value chains (e.g. rice and cassava).

 

 

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

 

Under the supervision of the Director of CERFAM and technical supervision from Supply Chain Division in Rome, the consultant will work across functions and teams to ensure synergies and integrated approaches and deliver expected project products in accordance with CERFAM’s mandate and mission and WFP's global policies and regulations.

 

The consultant will perform the following functions:

 

• Support and facilitate the sharing of WFP and partners’ experience and know-how in the field of supply chain, and coordinate with multi-actors from governments, private sector, UN agencies, and other humanitarian organizations, to develop and deliver learning initiatives
• Contribute to better knowledge management through the identification, documentation and dissemination of good practices, innovations and lessons learned and how these contribute to longer-term development – in the form of reports, policy briefs and other technical papers
• Conduct needs assessments and gap analysis exercises aimed at strengthening national supply chain systems, transport management and food value chains
• Contribute to the development and implementation of supply chain plans and procedures, in line with the global WFP supply chain strategy and regional/functional strategies, policies and plans, to achieve operational cost efficiency, agility, reliability, quality and to support countries’ capacity strengthening
• Prepare and facilitate consultations with internal and external partners and stakeholders to collect information and identify potential needs to carry out supply chain or value chain analysis/assessments
• Contribute to planning and implementation of CERFAM and Regional Technical Training Centre action plan to ensure a timely, effective and integrated approach in close cooperation with key supply chain stakeholders
• Build and maintain productive partnerships with supply chain counterparts amongst government and other national organizations, UN agencies, NGOs, and private sector based on ongoing operational needs. Collaborate with these counterparts to implement an integrated supply chain approach, value chain improvement and cross-functional implementation
• Provide technical and policy advice in capacity strengthening analysis and supply chain network mapping to improve supply chain performance through an appropriate range of training modules, including some for the Regional Technical Training Centre;
• Organize and facilitate trainings/workshops to governments and a wide range of partners on supply chain optimization
• Strengthen linkages between stakeholders so that they are able to independently connect supply to markets, manage food systems and deliver food assistance to those in need
• Facilitate and coordinate relations with public actors in Ivory Coast to be involved in the Training Centre initiative by strengthening and building productive partnerships with supply chain counterparts amongst government and other national organizations, UN agencies, NGOs, and private sector;

 

• Leverage information and collaboration with WFP country and regional offices and partners to implement the Regional Technical Training Centre action plan and support CERFAMs’ plan of work; 
• Perform other duties as required.

 

EXPECTED RESULTS

Within delegated authority, the consultant will develop the following:

1. Developed and implemented supply chain plans and procedures in line with the global WFP supply chain strategy and regional/functional strategies, policies and plans, to achieve operational agility, reliability, quality and to support national capacity strengthening
2. Effective liaison between CERFAM, HQ Supply Chain and Regional Technical Training Centre;
3. Designed and implemented training sessions
4. Prepared and facilitated consultations with internal and external partners and stakeholders
5. Support the Logistics Training Centre to ensure it is operational
6. The relations with public actors in Ivory Coast involved in the Regional Technical Training Centre are strengthened and one event in Ivory Coast has been organized;

 

7. Good practices that are documented and disseminated
8. Strengthened capacities of key stakeholders and external partners.

 

 

STANDARD MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

 

Education

Advanced university degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Economics, Business Administration, Commerce, Logistics, or other related field, or first university degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.

 

Experience

 

• At least 5 years of work experience in logistics and supply chain and in international development environment, including at least one of the following topics: food and nutrition security, school feeding programmes, post-harvest lost, South-South Cooperation, agricultural development;
• Experience in working with development, capacity strengthening and south-south activities.
• Experience in drafting strategies, policy papers and others related documents;
• Experience in multicultural environments and working with staff from other cultures and backgrounds is an asset;
• Experience in working with UN agencies, development partners, high level authorities, local governments and civil society organizations is desirable;
• Experience in facilitating multi-stakeholder or South-South Cooperation projects is a plus.
• Demonstrated strong team skills, strong communication, writing and conceptual skills including ability to use knowledge in applied policy formulation;
• Working experience in developing countries, particularly in West Africa is a strong asset

 

Language

 

• You are fluent in oral and written English
• You are fluent in oral and written French

 

DESIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES

 

• Solid understanding of end to end supply chain management and food systems/agri-food supply chain
• Demonstrated in-depth technical expertise in supply chain areas (planning, warehouse management, transport, etc.)
• Understanding of logistics networks and challenges in West Africa is desiderable
• Ability to facilitate strategic/technical conversations and drive stakeholders’ consensus
• Ability to create and maintain strong relationships with key counterparts 
• Ability to work independently in a timely and organised manner
• Strong coordination and problem-solving skills
• 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.

 

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

WFP offers a competitive compensation package that will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP:

http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.

 

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

 

Application deadline: 05 December 2021

 

Your CV must be submitted in English

 

Women 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.