Overview

JOB TITLE:

Programme Policy Officer (Refugee Programme)

TYPE OF CONTRACT:

Consultant  

UNIT/DIVISION:

Programme Unit

DUTY STATION (City, Country):

Kibondo, Tanzania

DURATION:

11 months (Mid-February 2019 to Mid-January  2020)

 

 

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Tanzania is currently hosting approximately 300,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi in Kigoma Region, western Tanzania.  WFP in close coordination with the Tanzanian Government, the UNHCR and other agencies and organizations is providing food assistance in the form of general food distributions and supplementary feeding to refugees residing in three camps—Nyarugusu, Nduta and Mtendeli.  In addition, WFP and its partners provide food assistance at reception and transit centers for new arrivals and repatriating refugees. Refugee operations are managed out of two sub-offices:  Kasulu which manages the operations in Nyarugusu camp; and Kibondo, which manages operations in Nduta and Mtendeli camps.  The situation of arrivals and returns is unpredictable, although there has not been any large scale movement since early 2017. 

In line with renewed global momentum to address refugee needs in a more holistic manner, to reduce dependence on humanitarian assistance, and to assist host communities the UN Tanzania Country Team launched a Joint Program for the Kigoma region.  WFP is the lead agency for the Agriculture component of the joint program.  To stimulate the local economy and improve diet diversity of refugees, WFP will be starting a voucher program in 2019; implementation of the voucher program will be supported by SCOPE, which is currently being rolled-out in the camps.  Through its Innovation Strategic Outcome, WFP will pilot and or scale-up innovations in the Kigoma region when deemed an appropriate target community and operating environment.

 

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.

 

JOB PURPOSE

The Programme Policy Officer (Refugee Programme) will oversee WFP’s operations in the Kigoma region and provide WFP with a necessary level of seniority at area coordination forums.

 

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Within the delegated authority the Programme Policy Officer (Refugee Programme) has the responsibility for the implementation of the agreed operations providing assistance to Burundian and Congolese refugees in Tanzania,

• to coordinate, supervise and lead sub-offices directly managing refugee operations;
• to liaise with Government authorities, representatives of UN and other international organizations, local representatives of national and international NGOs and other partners in Kigoma Region;
• to identify, analyze and present information to prompt and facilitate strategic and operational decisions by CO Management;
• to ensure support is provided for the implementation of the Kigoma Joint Program and pilot innovations;
• to monitor performance and resource utilization of the Country Strategic Plan Activity 1 and propose options and make recommendations to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

 

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT

1. Food assistance provided to refugees on a timely basis, in line with ration scales based on funding availability, and ensuring protection the safety, dignity and rights of the beneficiaries.
2. Improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of delivery of food assistance and progress towards accountability to affected populations through evidence-based decision making. 
3. Oversight and performance monitoring missions are supported and recommendations (including JAM) are implemented or have a clear action plan and timeline.
4. Cash-based transfers have re-started and operations are scaling up using SCOPE for beneficiary and CBT management.
5. WFP’s assets—food and non-food, staff, cash—have been safeguarded, have been used in accordance with WFP policies, and have been used to maximize the impact on beneficiaries.
6. Kasulu and Kibondo sub-offices are well functioning, appropriately staffed and have good lines of communications with the country office.  Staff are supported in their work, their career development and their well-being.
7. Donor visits showcase WFP and its partners’ work, the condition and impact of assistance (or lack thereof) on the refugee and host communities and challenges faced.  The country office has been provided with inputs for development of proposals and donor reports.
8. CO management is updated on progress, trends, new developments, and issues related to operations in Kigoma and information is provided on a timely basis for advocacy, corporate reporting, monitoring and management action and decision making.
9. WFP’s policies and procedures on food assistance to refugees and support to host communities are reflected in relevant strategies, workplans and standard operating procedures.
10. Results are being achieved in the Kigoma Joint Program Agriculture Theme and UN agencies are operating in a coordinated manner. 
11. Relationships with the Government, UNHCR and other humanitarian and development actors operating in Kigoma are healthy; WFP is viewed as a valuable and reliable partner delivering quality programs in a collaborative manner.

 

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Understands WFP’s Strategic Objectives and the link to own work objectives.
• Be a force for positive change: Flexibly adapts individual contributions to accommodate changes in direction from supervisors and internal/external changes (such as evolving needs of beneficiaries, new requirements of partners).
• Make the mission inspiring to our team: Recognizes and shares with team members the ways in which individual contributions relate to WFP’s mission.
• Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Sets own goals in alignment with WFP’s overall operations, and is able to communicate this link to others.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people's skills: Assesses own strengths and weaknesses to increase self-awareness, and includes these in conversations on own developmental needs.
• Create an inclusive Culture: Participates in open dialogue, and values the diverse opinion of others, regardless of background, culture, experience, or country assignment.
• Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Proactively seeks feedback and coaching to build confidence, and develop and improve individual skills.
• Create an “I will”/” We will” spirit: Participates in accomplishing team activities and goals in the face of challenging circumstances.

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Shows willingness to explore and experiment with new ideas and approaches in own work.
• Focus on getting results: Consistently delivers results within individual scope of work on time, on budget and without errors.
• Make commitments and make good on commitments: Commits to upholding individual accountabilities and responsibilities in the face of ever-changing country or functional priorities.
• Be Decisive: Makes rational decisions about individual activities when faced with uncertain circumstances, including in times of ambiguity regarding information or manager direction.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units: Seeks to understand and adapt to internal or cross-unit teams’ priorities and preferred working styles.
• Build strong external partnerships: Demonstrates ability to understand and appropriately respond to and/or escalate needs of external partners.
• Be politically agile & adaptable: Portrays an informed and professional demeanor toward internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Provides operational support on analyses and assessments that quantifies and demonstrates WFP’s unique value as a partner. Demonstrates ability to understand and appropriately respond to and/or escalate needs of external partners.
• Be politically agile & adaptable: Portrays an informed and professional demeanor toward internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Provides operational support on analyses and assessments that quantifies and demonstrates WFP’s unique value as a partner.

 

FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES

• Programme Lifecycle & Food Assistance: Displays ability to identify the main hunger problem at the national or subnational level to design and implement context-specific programmes that integrate complex analysis and the full range of food assistance tools.
• 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 specialized fields to contribute to technical programme design, implementation and monitoring.
• Emergency Programming Displays ability to translate understanding of programme principles in emergencies and protracted conflict situations into relevant, effective, and context specific approaches.
• Strategic Policy Engagement with 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.

 

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

 

Education:

Graduate degree in a related field of study.

Experience:

At least 3 years international experience supervising staff

Knowledge & Skills

Knowledge of refugee operations and of the U.N. system.

 

Languages:

 Excellent English communication skills.

Grade Level:Level I

 

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Has deepened technical knowledge through exposure to technical teams.
• Has taken leadership of implementing programmes.
• Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.

 

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

 

Friday, 08 February 2019 (Midnight Tanzania time)

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted

 

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.

 

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.