Job Vacancy For Programme Policy Officer



The office of the United Nations World Food Programme, invites applications from suitable candidates to fill the vacancy below.

Job Title: Programme Policy Officer
Duration: 1 year fixed Term (renewable)
Post Grade: NOC
Duty Station: Accra

Under the direct supervision of the Sustainable Food Systems Coordinator, and the overall supervision of the Country Director, the Programme Policy Officer will be expected to perform the following duties:

The Government of Ghana (GoG) is committed to achieving Zero Hunger by 2030. While the country’s lower middle income country status, achieved in 2010, shows progress toward reducing poverty overall, inequalities are on the rise, anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies are widespread in all 10 regions, and Ghana still counts important pockets of populations vulnerable to food insecurity, with high incidence of malnutrition, namely stunting, anaemia, and rising overweight. In a globally changing climate, Ghana’s Food Systems will increasingly face deterioration and inefficiencies across all its Food Supply Chains, which will drive up post-harvest losses, food wastage, and increased incident of food safety & quality issues. Over the last years, WFP Ghana has been providing nutrition support to vulnerable populations, supported school feeding, girls’ education, agricultural market support to smallholder farmers, and enhancing local capacities in the processing & distribution of specialized nutritious foods and improving food safety management in Ghana.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

• Over the next five years, WFP will continue to support the GoG within a well-defined Country Strategic Planning (CSP) framework. Under the CSP, WFP will play a key role
• Over the next five years, WFP will continue to support the GoG within a well-defined Country Strategic Planning (CSP) framework. Under the CSP, WFP will play a key role in leveraging its food and nutrition security, smallholder farmers’ market access, logistics and food systems supply chains competencies to support GoG’s efforts to build Food Systems that are private sector & market –driven, inclusive, equitable and resilient.

JOB PURPOSE:

• To design and manage programmes in the areas of sustainable food systems, food and nutrition security and smallholder farmers agricultural market support that are aligned and support Government’s priorities in achieving the Zero Hunger Agenda.
• To provide leadership in positioning WFP as a partner of choice of the Government of Ghana in the area of sustainable local food systems.

DUTIES & RESPONSABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

General Programmatic and Managerial responsibilities:

• Manage and supervise the Sustainable Food Systems team and Budget under the Country Strategic Plan (CSP)
• Provide technical advice or mobilize technical expertise on programme and policy issues related to Sustainable Food Systems and Smallholder Farmers Agriculture Market support, including assessments and analysis, the design and implementation of programme activities, the testing of innovative approaches and the development of strategies to support Government efforts to reduce hunger and malnutrition
• Establish and maintain strategic and operational Partnerships with Government Agencies, Private Sector entities, UN, Civil Society and Academia relevant to the implementation of the Country Strategic Plan (CSP) activities under the Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Outcome, and ensure that WFP’s comparative advantage and complementarity are clearly communicated, understood, and valued in the support to the Government of Ghana (GoG)
• Enhance WFP’s leadership status in forums relating Sustainable Food Systems, Food Security and Nutrition, Smallholder farmers agriculture market support, resilience and sustainable livelihoods
• Ensure and coordinate comprehensive and quality oriented Reporting for internal as well as external audiences, including Donor reports, for all activities under the Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Outcome in the CSP
• Contribute to resource mobilization efforts by identifying possible funding opportunities in the area of Sustainable Food Systems, Agriculture Market Access for smallholder farmers, food security and nutrition and related areas, and by developing tailored project proposals
• Represent WFP in relevant UN forums as appropriate

Responsibilities specific to Sustainable Food Systems activities:

In close collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Ministry of Health and Regulatory bodies, UN Rome-Based Agencies and other key Partners:

• Develop detailed Annual Activity Plans in alignment with available Budget and oversee their implementation; manage, monitor and report on activity budgets and expenditures;
• Design and oversee the implementation of WFP Ghana’s Post-Harvest Management Interventions (PHMI) to best support vulnerable households, smallholder farmers, aggregators, and Government warehousing schemes. Under this component, manage the implementation of WFP-sponsored projects that promote Best Post-Harvest Management practices, including promotion of sound warehousing, storage and other appropriate technologies in order to curb post-harvest losses;
• Design and oversee the implementation of WFP Ghana’s Agricultural Market Development Initiatives (AMDI) to best support smallholder and medium scale farmers to access and keep markets
• Design and oversee the implementation of WFP Ghana’s Food Supply Chains Initiatives (FSCI) to best support and strengthen the capacity of the Government food warehousing and Storage schemes, including National Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO)
• Design and oversee the implementation of WFP Ghana’s Nutrition & Safety-Sensitive Agro-Food Value Chains (NSAFVC) to best support local industrial, medium-scale, and community level food processors as well as strengthening the capacity of public standards and regulatory agencies such as Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
• Coordinate and manage key assessments and studies in support to government counterparts as well as other public and private implementing partners.
• Build and maintain an inventory of food systems assets (producers, distributers, retailers, researchers, health promoters, educators, hunger and malnutrition and equity advocates)
• Design and oversee implementation of tailor-made Capacity Strengthening schemes for smallholder farmers, aggregators, warehouse operators, processors and relevant Government agencies, including through the promotion of South-South cooperation opportunities

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE:

• Must have a minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience providing leadership on all matters related to administrative, organizational, managerial aspects of food systems programmes.
• Fluency in food systems knowledge based tools to assess and monitor food sustainability as well as the capacity to support actions to address challenges in (production, processing, distribution, marketing, and sale of food).
• Comprehensive understanding of public-private partnership engagement, including relationship building across sectors and industries.
• Analytical, problem solver, have leadership and project management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills are required.
• Team player and demonstrate ability to work with people of diverse background.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE:

• Eight or more years of experience in the relevant areas desirable
• Has overall understanding and experience of Food and Nutrition Security programme design and implementation
• Has led a component of a country office programme portfolio, managed a team and a country portfolio budget
• Has proven experience working in Ghana in at least two of the following areas: Agricultural Market Support, post-harvest management and reduction of post-harvest losses, value chains development, food systems supply chains, promotion of nutrition-sensitive agriculture
• Has experience managing strategic and operational partnerships including public-private partnership
• Has engaged in Policy discussions and provided inputs into Policy decisions
• Excellent project planning and budgeting skills corroborated by substantial experience in project management;
• Ability to analyze complex information and synthetize it into clear and action-oriented reports targeted to external and internal audiences

Qualification Required & Experience

Education:

• Advanced University degree in applied Agriculture & Social Economics, preferable with specialization in Agribusiness, Food Logistic Systems, and Value Chains, or other relevant fields.
Language: Fluency in English language is essential.

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Applicants should submit their applications and CV stating 3 references online. To submit your application, click on the link below and complete all relevant fields on the online application form.

Click Here To Apply Online

Closing Date: 30 August, 2018

Only shortlisted candidates meeting the criteria will be contacted.

Qualified Female Candidates are encouraged to apply