Senior Programme Associate - Data Analyst SC7

.

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.

BACKGROUND

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.

In emergencies, WFP gets food to where it is needed, saving the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After an emergency, WFP uses food to help communities rebuild their shattered lives. Present in nearly 80 countries, the organization has the global footprint, deep field presence and local knowledge and relationships necessary to provide access to nutritious food and contribute to the lasting solutions, especially in many of the world’s most remote and fragile areas. In Sri Lanka. a lower-middle-income country, WFP is committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in tandem with sister UN Agencies and the government, and in particular, SDG 2, Zero Hunger.

Despite sound health indicators in Sri Lanka, in comparison to its South Asian neighbours, maternal, new born and child malnutrition continue to pose major challenges for the country, which is characterized by a high level of acute malnutrition, mild to moderate level of chronic malnutrition and widespread micronutrient deficiencies. Further compounding the issue is the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity, as the country undergoes a dramatic nutritional transition influenced by economic growth, urbanization and shifts in the quality and quantity of diets.

A WFP five-year Country Strategic Plan (CSP 2018-2022) was developed in consultation with the Government and other stakeholders and informed by contextual, gender and gap analyses, and recommendations from the 2017 National Strategic Review of Food Security and Nutrition towards Zero Hunger. It supports Sri Lanka’s national development vision with four major Strategic Outcomes:.

➢ Strategic outcome 1: Crisis-affected people have access to food all year round;
➢ Strategic outcome 2: School-age children in food-insecure areas have access to food all year round;
➢ Strategic outcome 3: Children under 5, adolescent girls and women of reproductive age have improved nutrition by 2025; and
➢ Strategic outcome 4: Vulnerable communities and smallholder farmers have strengthened livelihoods and resilience to shocks and stresses all year round.

Importantly, a nutrition lens is being integrated within the WFP-assisted School Meal Programme whereby WFP provides technical support to the national school meal programme implemented by the government. WFP is committed to augmenting the nutrition inputs and results of initiatives such as the school meal composition; piloting models to boost the agricultural production and livelihoods of communities linked to the provision of meals, including through improved value chains using community based groups; and integration of nutrition sensitive and nutrition specific approaches.

To support these efforts, WFP Sri Lanka is recruiting a National Programme Policy Officer (School Meals and Nutrition), with sound experience with designing and implementation of community based livelihood programmes and nutrition interventions through both nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programming. Efforts include supporting the government to scale up rice fortification efforts, promoting positive nutrition practices through a forward-looking nutrition advocacy campaign and behaviour change communication. A multi-sector approach to both school meal programmes and nutrition initiatives is critical.

JOB PURPOSE

Senior Programme Associate - Data Analyst will lead the data analytics activities of the Country Office, with responsibilities for data analysis, data standardization, data visualization, data integration, food security & nutrition surveys and studies. He/She contribute to building evidence of quality performance by WFP Sri Lanka though application of research, quantitative and qualitative analytics, and visualization of such evidence to internal and external stakeholders.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Working under the overall supervision of the Head of RAM and the direct supervision of the Programme Policy Officer (M&E), the Senior Programme Associate - Data Analyst will be responsible for the following duties within delegated authority:

Data Analysis

• Work with and closely support RAM and other programme colleagues for analysis of primary data and undertake secondary data analysis; ensure advanced analysis is conducted (t-tests, chi-square tests, regressions, propensity score matching, etc) to enhance the validity of the findings and to create additional insights.
• Support the RAM Unit to undertake and draft relevant analysis to inform programme design, implementation, and measurement of results.
• Identify and undertake trend analysis relating to key WFP intervention areas, specifically the resilience programme; perform synthetic analysis bringing multiple datasets together.
• Identify data gaps and advising relevant programmatic teams to better understand and address these gaps.
• Lead the data standardization initiative in coordination with RBB RAM team; Review assessment/PDM data as well as data collection forms/questionnaires and reconstruct them using the standardized codebook; Update the codebook based on new variables in PDMs and/or other monitoring tools.
• Support remote monitoring (mVAM/rM&E) and integrating with the existing mVAM practices. 

Monitoring

• Provide technical advice and hands-on support for assessments, baseline/endline surveys, post-distribution monitoring surveys, and process monitoring. This includes questionnaire reviews and development, methodology & sampling advice. 
• Provide assistance on the coordination of data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained.
• Support with data collection tool programming in WFP data collection platform (MoDa).
• Work in close collaboration with internal counterparts and external partners to strengthen the quality, accuracy and consistency of M&E activities in the field.
• Coordinate with the monitoring staff including the third-party monitors to ensure that monitoring activities are being conducted according to the plan and produce regular monitoring reports with status of results and implementation of improvements.

Data visualization, Reporting, and Information Management

• Contribute to evidence-based decision making on programme design and implementation, through making monitoring and assessment findings accessible, developing regular analytical monitoring reports or information products on status of results and implementation progress.
• Support the digital automation of the evidence generation process (from data to information products) using technologies such as Tableau. 
• Regularly update commodity price data to DataViz VAM portal. 
• Assist in the preparation, data collation, and analysis for the Annual Country Report (ACR). 

Capacity building of staff and partners

• Work closely with programme managers and M&E focal points to provide guidance and technical support, including guidance and assistance in planning and implementing M&E activities related the WFP programmes.
• Provide technical support and capacity development through training and information sharing for WFP and government staff on M&E (data collection and analysis, etc.)
• Serve as a technical resource to Country Office staff on evidence generation and data analysis issues.  
• Perform other related duties as required.
   

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Education : Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Econometrics, Public policy, agriculture or in other applied quantitative field or an advance diploma/HND with additional years of work experience.

Language : 

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in the English language.
• Fluency in local language/s.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

A minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience with Bachelor’s degree or 5 years of experience with an advance diploma/HND at a national or an international organization including designing and managing M&E Systems/frameworks, quantitative analysis, field research, statistics, data visualization. Familiar with IT solutions in support of programme and project monitoring and analysis; Experience in managing monitoring and/or evaluation activities spanning a range of policies and programme initiatives in international development or humanitarian contexts. Knowledge of WFP work would be considered an asset. 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Initial contract will be for a period of one year which is renewable, depending on the performance of the post incumbent, financial feasibility and the organizational requirements.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Tuesday, 07 December 2021

.

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.