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

Under the supervision of the Head of Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit, the selected candidate will be responsible for coordinating the regional bureau’s efforts to provide technical advice and support to country offices and coordinate and engage regularly with dedicated Protection Advisers/officers/focal points at the country office level and with relevant technical units in the regional bureau and headquarters (HQ). In the absence of dedicated protection staff, this person will support respective country offices and cooperating partners to integrate people-centered programming principles in assessments, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting tools. The Emergencies and Transitions Unit (PRO-P) in HQ will provide technical support and guidance.

JOB PURPOSE

WFP teams are providing life-saving assistance in the region that is affected by drought, floods and conflicts causing significant displacement and hunger. The Regional Bureau provides strategic guidance, technical support and direction to WFP country operations in 19 countries in West and Central Africa. This post is intended to ensure dedicated expertise in the Regional Bureau, with a focus on countries in conflict, affected by the crisis as well as in transition.

The Regional Humanitarian Policy Adviser is a technical expert that is fully dedicated to the implementation of WFP guidance on people-centred programming which encompasses: protection, accountability to affected populations (AAP), beneficiary data protection, conflict sensitivity, humanitarian access and disability inclusion in alignment with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Guidelines and the Sphere Standards. They will also frequently cover programmatic aspects related prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. Significant travel to country offices, including regular field missions to emergency and hardship duty stations is to be expected to provide guidance and protection on the job mentoring.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Provide strategic and technical support for the mainstreaming of protection and AAP across WFP operations in the region.
• Support the development of country strategic plans (CSPs) to ensure the centrality of protection and other people-centred programme design elements are effectively integrated into programme design
• Translate the WFP protection and AAP policy, statements on humanitarian principles and access, and respective guidance on CFMs, data protection, and conflict sensitivity into the regional level of practices and strategies to support diffusion and implementation of WFP corporate policies.
• Lead and regularly update context, protection, and conflict risk analyses and diversity mapping at the regional level in coordination and collaboration with respective country office protection teams.
• Coordinate protection assessments, privacy impact assessments, conflict and context analysis exercises in Country Offices where there is no Protection advisory capacity and design an action plan to address the findings.
• Advise the regional bureau, respective country offices, and cooperating partners on the implementation of mitigating measures in operations and appropriate adjustments to ensure the inclusion of the most vulnerable and at-risk categories.
• Support principled humanitarian action and act as a humanitarian access focal point – as and when needed/requested by the Regional Bureau and the respective country offices.
• Develop and implement functional training in the areas covered by this ToR to address WFP personnel and cooperating partners’ gaps.
• Act as a subject matter expert for staff in relevant functional areas both at the regional and country office level, providing relevant guidance and support based on needs and gaps identified.
• Identify staffing needs at the country level for the areas covered by this role and support the Country office to recruit and select the most suitable candidate in line with the functional requirements.
• Disseminate WFP corporate guidance on people-centred programming areas across the region.
• Promote partnership with and cross-learning from cooperating partners on integrating people-centred programming principles in food security activities.
• Liaise with protection partners on analysis, capacity development, referral procedures and pathways.
• Represent WFP and actively contribute to the different regional coordination mechanisms, especially the Regional Protection working group, the Regional Access Working Group, the Gender-Based-Violence working group, the Child Protection in Emergencies working group, the Education in Emergencies working group, the CALP working group and the Emergency preparedness working group.
• Keep abreast of protection mandated organizations’ discussions and initiatives on Gender-Based Violence, Civil documentation, Land & property in regional and national forums.
• Contribute to building synergies and support UN/INGOs efforts on promoting principled humanitarian assistance and humanitarian access, especially in the Lac Chad Basin and the Centre Sahel countries.
• In collaboration with the regional donor relations unit, raise awareness with donors on WFP’s work on protection, accountability, and humanitarian access and develop concept notes and sections of proposals to raise funds for continued regional expertise and operational requirements of country offices to integrate the areas covered by this ToR.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Advanced academic degree in one or more of the following disciplines: international law, humanitarian/development studies, human rights, international relations, anthropology, social sciences, or another relevant field.

Experience

• At least eight years of progressively responsible professional experience in development projects and/or humanitarian experience, of which at least 5 years of international field experience. This should include experience working in crisis or post-crisis contexts.
• Demonstrated field experience working on protection/human rights programming and establishing accountability mechanisms towards affected populations.
• Experience in assessing humanitarian access and advising on the development of strategies and to ensure humanitarian space and the protection of civilians.
• Understanding food security programming with previous experience from WFP or any of its cooperating partners is a strong asset.
• Demonstrated high performance and leadership capacity.
• Demonstrated excellent partnership-building skills with external and internal stakeholders.
• Proven strategic and policy engagement skills in an international setting.
• Experience working in sub-Saharan Africa is desirable.
• Women from the Global South are strongly encouraged to apply.

Competencies:

• Client orientation with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Experience and excellent command of the project cycle.
• Proven experience in training, mentoring, and capacity building is required.
• Strong analytical, written, and oral communication skills, as well as conceptual thinking.
• Proven ability to produce outputs independently, while at the same time seeking innovative ways to integrate areas covered by this role in the work of other relevant units.
• Flexibility to travel frequently and on short notice, when necessary.
• Strong motivation to contribute to WFP’s mandate.
• Demonstrated learning abilities and thirst for constant growth.

Languages:

• Fluency in oral and written French and English is a requirement.
• Oral and/or written knowledge of Portuguese, or any other relevant language spoken in the region would be an asset.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This is an International Professional fixed-term position and is open to all nationalities. Visas required for relocation will be provided by the organization.

• The selected candidate will be employed on a fixed-term contract of two years (renewable) with a probationary period of one year.
• Mobility is and continues to be a core contractual requirement in WFP. The initial assignment in Dakar is for four years, after which the incumbent will be expected to apply internally for other positions with WFP.
• WFP offers an attractive compensation and benefits package, 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. For more details please visit icsc.un.org

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

The deadline to receive applications is Sunday, 3 October 2021 (11.59 PM CET).

How to apply:

Please apply through the following link: https://career5.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=149283&company=C0000168410P