Programme Policy / Operational Access Officer

 

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

 

 

Job Title: Programme Policy / Operational Access Officer 

 

Type of Contract: Consultant

 

Division: EME / Emergency Division - Global Food Security Cluster, EMEF 

 

Duty Station (City, Country): HQ Rome, Italy (deployable to support field operations)

 

Duration: up to 11 months

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

 

Humanitarian access is critical to enable effective response to food security and nutrition crises in complex and conflict affected environments. Due to its mandate, operational presence, and size, WFP is more regularly operating in complex contexts where humanitarian access poses a challenge to operating efficiently. Thus, the demand on WFP to strengthen its corporate and field level capacities to negotiate, maintain and improve access is increasing.

The role of the Operational Access Officer intends to support Head Quarter (HQ), Regional Bureaus (RB) Country Offices (COs) to integrate a multi-dimensional approach to access to implement access strategies and work plans. The Officer will also manage the analysis of the prevailing humanitarian situation with a view to alerting and anticipating their implications on WFP operations. 

The effectiveness of humanitarian action hinges on access - access by humanitarians to people in need, and by people in need to essential goods and services. Negotiation is one of the most important enablers of access in situations of armed conflict. The Operational Access Officer will be responsible to support WFP’s role in humanitarian access negotiations with non-state armed groups and civilian administrative entities in conflict and transitional settings as a key component of strategies developed to reach beneficiaries.

While the position is based in HQ- Rome, the Operational Access Officer will deploy to support WFP COs across the regions when needed. Specifically, the Operational Access Officer will be responsible for the following:

 

Technical Support:
 

• Work with functional Units in HQ, RBs and COs to develop long-term institutional arrangements necessary to implement access strategies.
• Support and advise WFP Country Offices on components, good practices, key actors and concerns to be considered in the formulation of strategies to reach beneficiaries and facilitate their access to essential go      ods and services.
• Provide guidance and assistance on considerations pertaining to engaging with non-state armed groups and other civil entities for the development of implementation plans to assist WFP in conflict and post-conflict settings.
• Support identifying programmatic and operational access-related risks and proposing mitigation measures, as well as opportunities to adjust and design WFP’s interventions to efficiently deliver WFP programmes in a timely manner.
• Assist the development of context-specific guidance on administrative and legal regulations
• Facilitate the development of country-specific guidelines on frontline negotiations and engagement with non-state armed groups, criminal gangs and other civilian entities.
• Support strengthening and establishing sustainable operational access capacities in key countries.
• Initiate and support efforts to build the capacity of WFP staff to undertake operational access and negotiation work, building a cadre of expertise across the region by assisting the training of WFP staff on humanitarian access, engagement and negotiation with non-state armed groups and civilian entities.

 

Knowledge management (essentials): 

 

• Support COs to undertake contextual analysis and assess access related risks to alert and anticipate their implications on humanitarian operations and propose mitigation measures as well as opportunities to adjust and design WFP’s programmes.
• Support RBs and COs to develop and maintain an overview of the state-of-play of conflicts and insecurity, including WFP’s efforts to engage with communities and conflict actors with a view to supporting operational decision-making. This includes the implementation of access monitoring and mapping tools to understand where and why WFP may be unable to reach beneficiaries.
• Document good practices and learning from across WFP’s operations and ensure that it is systematically disseminated to feed the corporate development of guidance and tools and among countries offices. Ensure that Country Offices aware in a timely manner of any new opportunities to enhance their engagement on access and negotiation issues (including emerging funding windows).
• Participate in learning events and activities to build the knowledge across the emergent peacebuilding and conflict sensitivity network across WFP.

 

Knowledge management: (desirables): 

 

• Ensure that WFP is actively participating in relevant inter-agency discussions concerning access. This includes forging partnerships with traditional and non-traditional partners and other experts to improve performance in this area.
• Establish and maintain dialogue with NSAGS parties to the conflict and other civilian entities through coordinated and principled engagement, negotiation of access coordination, mainstream of access and establishment and maintenance of partnership and collaboration.

 

 

 

DELIVERABLES:

 

• Active monitoring of conflict dynamics, political negotiations and WFP’s ability to reach beneficiaries and/or facilitate their access to essential goods and services.
• Deployment carried out to support COs and FOs
• New operational partnerships are developed at supported CO level to strengthen WFP approach to access.
• Support provided in expanding the establishment of the access monitoring tool in countries where humanitarian access is a challenge.
• Capacity on access negotiation is strengthened in supported COs.
• Lessons learnt documented and disseminated with relevant and HQ.
• Access strategies developed and support provided for their implementation.
• Advice to COs and RB on access issues affecting WFP’s ability to deliver its programmes, including the identification and dissemination of good practices.

 

 

 

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education: Advanced academic degree in international relations, International Law, development studies, conflict studies, or another relevant discipline Essential     Experience (essentials):   At least ten (8) years of professional experience related to significant humanitarian programming with demonstrated experience in deep-field locations. Demonstrated experience in humanitarian access negotiations Demonstrated conflict and security analytical competency Strong knowledge of civil war and organized violence, in particular working with non-state armed actors and civilian entities.   Experience (desirables):     Experience in researching, analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing information Experience with the UN or comparable international organization Experience in design and completion of conflict analysis Experience in capacity building (training, accompaniment) Technical Skills and Knowledge (essentials):   Commitment to WFP’s mission and values Strong analytical skills Strong communication skills Strong influencing and networking skills Ability to work independently under minimal supervision Proficiency in Window MS office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook)   Technical Skills and Knowledge (desirables):   Technical training in areas that are directly or indirectly relevant to humanitarian access, negotiations and networking

Competencies:

 

Knowledge of WFP’s operation and previous experience with WFP is considered an asset

 

Languages:

 

Fluency level (oral and written) English and Frecn 

Knowledge of one of the other UN languages is an asset 

Spanish

Russian

Chinese

 

 

 

 

Terms and Conditions

 

 

WFP offers a competitive compensation package which 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: 06 December 2021

 

Ref.: VA No. 154062

 

 

 

 

Qualified 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.