Programme Associate SC6 (Resilience) – UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME

Lusaka
3 months ago
Contract
Application deadline closed.

Job Description

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

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.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
In July 2023, the World Food Programme (WFP) Zambia commenced a new five-year Country Strategic Plan (CSP), informed by and aligned with national and United Nations priorities and global commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It embraces the Government’s long-term Vision 2030; aligns with 16 key strategic areas of the 8th National Development Plan (NDP8); and contributes to the joint Zambia-United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).

WFP Zambia’s integrated and pragmatic CSP shifts away from unsustainable localized and micro-level interventions, to embrace more effective advocacy and engagement with national policies, systems, and programmes to achieve national impact on SDG2. Given the Government’s commitment to budgetary support for nutrition, social protection, and agriculture, despite the constraints in the country’s fiscal position, WFP’s overarching strategy seeks to strengthen the government’s capacities to meet its national priorities through stronger systems, expertise, and resources for implementation. This means a decisive shift of WFP’s country positioning towards the provision of innovative, sustainable, and upstream technical assistance to support nationally owned solutions.

Advancing the global WFP Strategic Plan (2022-2025), the CSP addresses both SDG2 and SDG17, and WFP’s Strategic Results 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. WFP will implement seven activities to achieve five Strategic Outcomes (SO) under the CSP.  These SOs include: (SO1) responding to crises and shocks ensuring that crisis-affected people, including refugees, are able to meet their urgent food and nutrition needs; (SO2) addressing the root causes of malnutrition; (SO3) building the resilience, enabling environment and market access for smallholder farmers, especially women; (SO4) supporting government institutions to provide social protection systems (including home grown school meals) and disaster preparedness and response; and (SO5) improving access to supply chain services for humanitarian and development actors.

JOB PURPOSE

Under direct supervision of Programme Policy Officer (Activity 3 Manager) – Resilience, the Programme Associate will be the interlocutor between field implementation and CO on aspects of Integrated Climate Risk Management (ICRM) approaches for resilience building with Department of Agriculture, Department of Agribusiness, Technical Services Branch, and the Zambia Agriculture Institute of Zambia (ZARI) from the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). Other ministries will include the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS), and the Private Sector (Agro-processors and agro-dealers), supporting the planning and provision of technical oversight on implementation of regenerative agricultural practices including green production, climate smart agriculture and promotion of mechanization technologies for enhanced crop productivity and processing capacity.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

  1. Support the development of agriculture extension content and materials that are appropriate for targeted beneficiaries, and other secondary partners including rolling out Training for Trainers (ToT) on various topics including but not limited to e-extension services and information on sustainable farming practices, financial literacy, and post-harvest loss management, focusing on logistics and supply chain engagement with the private sector.
  2. Support the provision of complementary technical support to the Zambia Meteorological Department in training to Government (MoA – Block and Camp Extension Staff) and NGO partners in participatory climate services for Agro meteorology.
  3. Support capacity and systems strengthening in production and dissemination of customized weather forecasts and climate services that integrate indigenous knowledge systems and translate information into local languages to enhance uptake and utilization by local communities.
  4. Support regenerative agriculture practices in collaboration with partners such as the Ministry of Agriculture and NGO implementing agencies to enhance adoption and practice of climate smart agriculture practices including Conservation Farmers (CA).
  5. Support the design, refinement, and implementation of the resilience programme around the input sector of value chain, including developing of annual implementation plans and budgets.
  6. Facilitate private sector participation through input companies, to support farmers’ access to improved and diverse seed varieties, optimize crop enhancing products including farm-level composting production and regenerative agricultural practices.
  7. Support the implementation of sustainable green agriculture and increased investment in value chains in areas such as horticulture.
  8. Support the promotion of mechanisation models including land preparation, food processing and irrigation technologies for enhanced productivity and value chain development.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

  • Has worked with technical teams (i.e. nutrition, VAM, etc.).
  • Has contributed to implementation of programmes.
  • Has observed or assisted with policy discussions.
  • Ability to analyse and translate numerical data to show WFP’s outcomes and impact against the objectives; ability to explain WFP projects and operations to counterparts and to communicate with Government and partners clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing; General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations, and procedures.
  • Ability to understand the cultural and political environment and to work well with colleagues.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education: University Degree in one or more of the following disciplines: Agriculture/Agronomy, Horticulture, Agriculture Economics, Agribusiness, Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Education Range Management, Livestock, Natural Resource Management or equivalent qualification from a recognized institution.

Experience: Has minimum of 3 years working experience working in comparable and/or relevant position in the public service or private sector or an international organization.

Language: Fluency in both oral and written English. Understanding of local languages an added advantage.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
OPEN TO ZAMBIAN NATIONALS ONLY!

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
Deadline for submission of applications: 24th June 2024 at Midnight.

Applications should be sent on-line only, through WFP recruitment website at: https://www.wfp.org/careers

Qualified female candidates and persons with disabilities 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.

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