Programme Policy Officer – Food Systems & Market Access
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 Officer- Food Systems & Market Access: P4
Type of contract: Limited Fixed Term Contract (LFT)
Duty station: Dar-es-salaam Tanzania
Duration: 2 years renewable
ABOUT WFP
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. We
manage an operating budget of approximately $5.9 billion each year,
distributing 12.6 billion rations to those most in need. We reach an
average of 80 million people with food assistance in around 80 countries
each year.
For more on WFP and what we do, please go to http://www.wfp.org/videos/zero-hunger
ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
WFP
Tanzania is implementing its Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2017-2022,
which focuses on supporting the Government of Tanzania in its effort to
achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the Zero Hunger 2030
agenda. The Tanzania CSP aims to progressively shift the focus of WFPs
work from direct implementation of food assistance programmes towards
capacity strengthening and technical assistance to national partners.
As
part of the CSP’s Strategic Outcome 3 (Targeted smallholders in
prioritized districts will have increased access to agricultural markets
by 2030), WFP aims to reach small holder farmers across the country
with a range of initiatives and projects. Incorporating learning from
the past three years of direct project implementation, WFP plans to
further engage Government and partners, to provide accessibility of
services including knowledge and skills development, inputs, and
agri-technology on a national scale. The CO is embarking now in the
formulation of the next CSP 2022 – 2027, and Resilience and Smallholder
farmers market engagement is a key pillar of the next CSP and is
expected to be even more central based on the findings from the CSP
Mid-term review and other on-going evaluations.
WFP aims to
support farmers across Tanzania with a range of initiatives aimed at
increasing access to financing opportunities, quality inputs,
technology, and capacity on post-harvest loss management, and link them
to commercial markets. The Smallholder Farmer (SHF) unit brings together
all of WFP’s on-going and planned agricultural projects including the
Kigoma Joint Programme (KJP); the Climate Smart Agriculture Project and
the Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA).
JOB PURPOSE
Under
the direct supervision of the Head of Programme and the general
guidance of the Deputy Country Director, the incumbent will be
responsible for coordinating and overseeing the implementation of
resilience, livelihood and value chain activities, develop and foster
internal and external partnerships, lead WFP Tanzania Strategic Outcome 3
and manage its portfolio. In addition, the incumbent will supervise the
team and provide technical advice on agribusiness, agriculture
extension and post-harvest management, agriculture marketing and
agriculture policy engagement, and support to the field teams in the
areas of Climate Resilient Agriculture, Livelihoods and its linkages and
integrations to nutrition and supply chain outcomes.
More
specifically, the staff member will build and strengthen partnerships
between WFP and local and international, public, and private
organizations and institutions working in market-focused agricultural
development, post-harvest handling, good agricultural practices for the
overall goal to improve access to resilient livelihood and markets for
smallholder farmers/farmers’ organizations.
The staff member will be based in Dar es Salaam, with frequent travel to the field.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
- Coordinate
all smallholder farmer agriculture extension, market access and
integrate with climate adaptation and natural resource management
activities, ensuring full integration and coordination between the
various sub activities under the resilient rural livelihoods outcome. - Build,
maintain and lead a specialized team to support the delivery of WFP’s
commitments and to act as change agents to promote sustainable
pro-smallholder value chains in multi-stakeholder contexts. - Identify
and monitor risks and challenges in the design and implementation of
projects and propose mitigating actions and solutions. - Coordinate
monitoring and evaluation activities for agriculture portfolio in
collaboration with the country office Monitoring & Evaluations
(M&E) unit and partners. - Maintain a strong profile for WFP’s
work through active engagement in the agriculture policy space in
Tanzania, and through participation in the main meetings and
coordination groups, including the Agricultural Sector Working Group. - Increase
WFP’s visibility within the Ministry of Agriculture in Tanzania by
growing the partnership with the Ministry at the national level through
regularly sharing project updates and participating in relevant sectoral
meetings; - Contribute to WFP’s fundraising efforts by supporting
proposal development, developing key messages, and talking points, and
preparing internal and external reports. - Develop and lead the
implementation of livelihood and Smallholder Agriculture Market Support
strategy in coordination with CO units and partners. - Review
current activities with a food system strengthening lens in line with
the development of tailored Climate Resilience and Smallholder
Agriculture Market Support strategy for Tanzania. - Lead the
development of business linkages amongst targeted smallholders, farmers
organizations, cooperatives, low-income farmers, aggregators, off-takers
and other potential markets beyond WFP. - Develop the capacity of
supported households and smallholder farmers through targeted trainings
and workshops to ensure they gain valuable skills in production,
marketing, and business development. Put in place farmer-friendly
mechanisms and systems to reach smallholder farmers to encourage local
food procurement from surplus producing farmers and support rural
aggregation network for increased market access for smallholder farmers. - Enhance the linkages between WFP and relevant line ministries to support smallholder farmers.
- Collaborate
closely with relevant UN agencies such as FAO, IFAD, and other partners
in the implementation of all activities supporting smallholder farmers
and build synergies between the different projects. - Prepare
donor proposals, reports, and visibility materials to highlight and
advocate for the programme and to document good practices and lessons
learned. - Build capacity of WFP staff and partners to support the implementation of the Smallholder Agriculture Market Support activities.
- Support
integration of nutrition sensitivity and enhanced gender, youth and
protection mainstreaming within the resilience and Smallholder
Agriculture Market Support portfolio. - Identify and promote new tools, methods, and solutions to mitigate post-harvest losses at household level.
- Provide regular updates to management and raise issues requiring management attention in a timely manner.
- Perform other related duties as required.
DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:
- Finalise WFP Tanzania Climate Resilient Agriculture and Market Access Strategic Plan and the approach to have impact at scale.
- Mid-term results targets for relevant projects are achieved in line with plans.
- Project implementation is aligned with the approved workplan and budget.
- Project
staffing structure is in place to meet the expected results and staff
are supported and capacitated to fulfil their responsibilities. - Projects
incorporate elements of nutrition, social protection, gender, youth,
supply chain capacity and innovation in line with the objectives of the
Country Strategic Plan. - Relevant reporting requirements have been met.
- WFP local procurement agreements and partnership opportunities are aligned with smallholder farmer activities and approaches.
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
Advanced University degree in International Affairs, Economics,
Nutrition/Health, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences,
Agronomy, Business Administration, or other field relevant to
international development assistance, or First University Degree with
additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses
Language: Fluency (level C) in English language. Knowledge of Kiswahili language is an important advantage.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
- Eight
years or more of post graduate work experience in agri-business or
agriculture economics and agriculture value chains development. - Proven
experience in planning and implementing smallholder farmer projects,
including support and capacity building of partners at national or
sub-national levels. - Ability to lead, coach and motivate teams for efficient and effective delivery of results.
- Demonstrated knowledge of small and medium enterprises, smallholder procurement and commercial agriculture.
- Strong
oral and written communication skills to ensure WFP strategies and
projects are well articulated to all stakeholders including
beneficiaries, partners, local governments, ministries, and donors. - Ability to assimilate and analyse complex issues using independent judgment.
- Negotiation skills with the ability to influence at senior levels within and beyond the organization.
- Tact and ability to work harmoniously with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
- Resourcefulness, initiative and problem-solving skills, strong client orientation for value chain stakeholders.
- Knowledge of various aspects of financial services and modelling.
- Strong
analytical and writing capacity, including the ability to produce high
quality reports, presentations, and knowledge products.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Limited
Fixed-Term Appointment (LFT) position is a non-mobile staff appointment
in the international professional category for a limited period for up
to 4 years and is open to all nationalities. The position is based in
Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania and the selected candidate will be expected to
relocate. Incumbents of LFT positions are not eligible to apply for
other mobile positions advertised internally through the Reassignment.
WFP
offers an attractive compensation and benefits package in line with
ICSC standards (http://icsc.un.org) including basic salary, post
adjustment, relocation entitlement, travel and shipment allowances, 30
days’ annual leave, home leave, an education grant for dependent
children, a pension plan, and medical insurance.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
09 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
