Programme Policy Officer

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Description

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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

WFP works in Honduras to foster and protect livelihoods and human capital, while addressing the root causes of hunger and poverty and addressing the basic needs of the most vulnerable populations in crisis situations in close collaboration with the Government and other partners in the country.

The WFP has been present in Honduras since 1970, reaching nearly 1.5 million beneficiaries annually. The WFP has a strong presence in the field, with offices and logistics structure in Tegucigalpa, Comayagua, Marcala, Santa Rosa de Copan, Choluteca, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba, Gracias a Dios and Puerto Lempira.

The job holder will be working under the supervision of the Head of Programme, receiving guidance and regular feedback on work performed. The job holder will lead resilience and nutrition projects and programme (activities 3, 4 and 6), spearheading a diverse team of professionals based in Tegucigalpa and in the field, in close coordination with the field offices. The position involves managing a varied portfolio of development programs and projects, in coordination with strategic partners (government, NGOs, private sector, donors), on key issues for the country office and its positioning in Honduras (risk management, resilience and climate change, urban resilience, nutrition for vulnerable populations). The WFP Honduras Country Office Development Team Manager will have a strategic role of creating linkages and integration between the different projects and programs under his/her supervision, while ensuring the mainstreaming of protection, gender, inclusion and nutrition issues throughout the program cycle, and the strengthening of the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus approach.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Contribute towards the development of a limited number of projects, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance. Provide project management support to specific and defined programmes and projects of small to moderate size that are relatively straight forward in nature, ensuring a coordinated approach with wider programmes that complies with WFP standards and procedures. Follow data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained. Research and analyse policy and operational issues to support senior colleagues in the development of policies, programmes and activities. Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on programmes and activities that enable informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders. Liaise with internal counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects. Support the identification, development and management of potential partnerships to collaborative working leading to improved food assistance packages. Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to prepare for and respond to food assistance needs, e.g. through project management support of learning initiatives. Provide guidance to support staff, acting as a point of referral and assisting them with analysis and queries. Other as required.

OTHER POST REQUIREMENTS (details to be determined by Post Managers):

Coordinate development activities in support of senior management at CO level in line with WFP Protocols, Policies and Frameworks and contribute to funding mobilization strategy. Provide guidance to support cross-functional coordination by mobilizing expertise from various technical/functional areas to ensure that development programmes are delivered in a coherent, integrated, and efficient manner. Contribute to the overall strategic development, implementation and management of development project and programmes, to ensure adequate sustainability and operational readiness and where feasible, a transition plan for graduation strategies for development programmes. Provide guidance for the engagement of cross-cutting, nutrition and social protection approaches throughout WFP development operations, in line with corporate policies, and ensure their timely implementation and the maintenance of a strategic vision. Develop strategies to strengthen national or subnational entities and government owned food and nutrition security programmes.

Manage the research and analysis of emerging food security trends and potential socio-economic and political instability to identify emerging risks and develop strategies and adaptations for ongoing and future operations. Identify and propose optimal use of available funding mechanisms, partnership networks and communication and advocacy platforms to raise visibility of the development operation and requirements.

Give appropriate follow-up to data collection and monitoring systems, which ensures that rigorous quality standards are maintained. Ensure use of technological tools and solutions to enhance operations effectiveness and efficiency. Communicate technical issues related to the development operations, both internally and externally, and enhance visibility of development operations. Manage, motivate, and develop a medium-sized emergency response team to enable high performance.

FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES

• Lifecycle & Food Assistance Demonstrates ability to identify key variables and contextual factors that affect food assistance problems and programmes throughout the lifecycle to inform quality programme design or re-design. 
• Transfer Modalities (Food, Cash, Voucher) Demonstrates ability to analyse and consolidate quantitative and qualitative information from different sources (e.g., market studies) to inform transfer modality selection and programme development. 
• Broad Knowledge of Specialized areas (i.e. Nutrition, VAM, etc.) Demonstrates the ability to interpret basic data in the context of WFP specialised fields to contribute to technical programme design, implementation and monitoring. 
• Resilience, Nutrition Programming and Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus Displays capacity to provide inputs for the implementation of the triple nexus, and into the development, implementation and realignment of high-quality development programmes.
• Strategic Policy Engagement w/ Government Develops thorough recommendations using multiple inputs (e.g., government counsel, research, own experience) to strengthen national or subnational entities and government owned food and nutrition security programmes.

Education:

Advanced University degree in International Affairs, Economics, Nutrition/Health, Agriculture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Experience:

• Has gained experience in implementing technical programs (i.e. nutrition, etc.).
• Has implemented programmes and provided input into designing operations for development/humanitarian context.
• Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.

DESIRED SKILLS

• At least one year of professional experience in development programmes related to food security, rural development, livelihoods and/or nutrition.
• Experience in programmes and projects with indigenous and afro descendent populations and food security.
• Knowledge of humanitarian protection, gender and inclusion frameworks.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to communicate complex data in a simple manner.
• Conflict management in the personal and professional sphere.
• Solid analytical, research, and problem-solving skills.
• Effective and timely interaction with colleagues and concerned parties internally and externally.
• Proactive, independent, with ability to plan and organize work, efficient in meeting commitments, meeting deadlines and achieving results.

Languages:

• Fluency (level C) in Spanish language.
• Fluency (level B) in English language.

Source: https://wd3.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/wfp/job_openings/job/Tegucigalpa-Honduras-The-Republic-Of/Programme-Policy-Officer–Development-_JR107328

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