Program Policy Officer (Emergency Response)

Job Title: Program Policy Officer – Emergency Response

Organization: United Nations Volunteers (UNV)

Host entity: WFP

Assignment country: Mozambique

Expected start date: 01/02/2024

Sustainable Development Goal: 2. Zero hunger

Volunteer category: International UN Youth Volunteer

Type: Onsite

Duration: 12 months

Number of assignments: 1

Duty stations: Maputo

Details

Mission and objectives

The United Nations World Food Programme is a solution provider in the challenge to end hun-ger and malnutrition and focuses on reaching the most food insecure, and the malnourished all over the world. WFP’s dual mandate allows it to use a development lens in its humanitarian responses, and to align early recovery and development interventions accordingly. In Mozambique, WFP has a five-year Country Strategic Plan (2017-2021), which aims to strengthen resilience, emergency preparedness and response while continuing to address the underlying causes of hunger in the country. WFP has collaborative relationships with host governments, donor governments, NGOs, the private sector, the United Nations system, international finance institutions, interna-tional and regional organizations, academia and think tanks. WFP adopts a partnering ap-proach with the children, women and men its serves, the governments that sit on its governing bodies and the media.

Context

Under the Strategic Outcome 1 (SO1) WFP has committed to ensure that people are better able to meet their food and essential needs, through support to crisis-affected populations to have safe and equitable access to adequate and nutritious food. More specifically under Act 1 of the new CSP 2022-2026, WFP aims to save lives and protect the food security and nutrition status of vulnerable populations affected by shocks and strengthen essential health and nutrition service delivery, while leveraging opportunities to initiate resilience building and self-reliance activities. Whilst WFP will continue to augment government capacity for emergency response, this CSP’s focus on capacity and systems strengthening promotes resilience and long-term sustainability and scalability of national responses. The two main responses include provision of cash and/or food transfers to vulnerable households affected by extreme weather events (such as cyclones, floods, drought) by saving lives and protecting livelihoods and man-made disasters including conflicts; investing in the prevention and mitigation of disasters through implementation of early recovery resilience building activities as well as support to refugees through relief and self-reliant activities in the country.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of Crisis Response Activity Manager , the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: 1. Contribute towards WFP’s corporate effort to maintain and improve emergency preparedness, early warning analysis, early action, and emergency response, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance. 2. 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. 3. Support to follow data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained. 4. Research and analyse policy and operational issues to support senior colleagues in the development of policies, programmes and activities. 5. 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. 6. Liaise with internal counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects. 7. Support the identification, development, and management of potential partnerships to collaborative working leading to improved food assistance packages. 8. 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, learning initiatives, and on-the-job experience building. 9. Provide guidance to support staff, acting as a point of referral and assisting them with analysis and queries. 10. Deploy when required to emergency situations and, under close supervision, contribute to the implementation of emergency response operations. 11. Other duties as required.

Eligibility criteria

Age

18 - 26

Additional eligibility criteria

This assignment is funded by the Government of the Republic of Ireland and therefore specific criteria apply: - Only the following are eligible to apply: Irish citizens or a European Economic Area nationals with an unrestricted right to reside in Ireland or have a declaration of refugee status from the Minister for Justice and Law Reform.

Nationality

Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.

Donor priorities

-

Requirements

Required experience

No experience required

Area(s) of expertise

Agriculture, Health

Driving license

-

Languages

Portuguese, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable English, Level: Fluent, Required French, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable

Required education level

Bachelor degree or equivalent in International Affairs, Economics, Nutrition/Health, Agri-culture, Environmental Science, Social Sciences or other field relevant to international development assistance

Competencies and values

☒ Accountability ☒ Adaptability and Flexibility ☒ Building Trust ☒ Client Orientation ☒ Commitment and Motivation ☒ Commitment to Continuous Learning ☒ Communication ☒ Creativity ☒ Empowering Others ☒ Ethics and Values ☒ Integrity ☒ Knowledge Sharing ☒ Planning and Organizing ☒ Professionalism ☒ Respect for Diversity ☒ Self-Management ☒ Technological Awareness Working in Teams

Other information

Living conditions and remarks

Mozambique is a coastal country with extremely attractive landscapes that include peerless tropical beaches and warm ocean waters, friendly and welcoming people with amazing cultures (hospitable and tolerant), cuisine (food blended of African, Portuguese and Arabic influences) and hospitality, and rich natural resources and fertile lands that are only just beginning to be tapped. Conversely Mozambique also contends with undeveloped infrastructure and services, high levels of corruption and abject poverty throughout the country and it isn't unusual for Mozambicans to live with very poor amenities and no electricity or running water mainly in Rural areas. Many imported products are expensive. Eating out and entertainment in touristy areas is also quite costly, as is a high quality of life. In relation to terrorism and political unrest, in the northeastern of Cabo Delgado and northeasternmost of Nampula, there's been a rise in extremists attacks and all visitors to those parts of the country should exercise caution, despite significant reduction on the number of attacks as a result of the SAMIM Military Forces to eliminate the non -armed groups attacks. English is not widely spoken in Mozambique, so learning a few key Portuguese can help expats culture shock and show the locals they're putting in the effort.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy

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