Programme Associate SC6

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME - ZAMBIA COUNTRY OFFICE - PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE SC6

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME - ZAMBIA COUNTRY OFFICE

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER 105415

POSITION TITLE: PROGRAMME ASSOCIATE (Market Access)

POSITION GRADE: SC6

CONTRACT TYPE: SERVICE CONTRACT

DUTY STATION: LUSAKA

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.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: University Degree in one or more of the following disciplines: Agriculture/Agronomy, Horticulture, Agriculture Economics, Agribusiness, Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Education Range management, and equivalent qualification from a recognized institution

Language: Excellent written and spoken English
 

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

WFP Zambia has formulated a five (5) year Country Strategic Plan (2019 – 2024) that aims at addressing challenges that inhibit the Zambian Government to sustainably attain Zero Hunger, a commitment that is fully embraced in the Long-term Vision 2030, the 7th National Development (NDP7) and the Joint UN Sustainable Development Partnership Framework (UNSDPF).  Emanating from WFP’s broad experience and long standing programming presence in Zambia coupled with fully embracement of lessons from evaluations and reviews which highlighted the need to create synergies and consolidation of ‘pilot’ initiatives, WFP will to a larger extent use the CSP as the main conduit of improving integration of gender transformation approaches into all the four (4) Strategic Outcome Areas.

Since August 2014, WFP has been implementing an integrated smallholder resilience building programme in Southern Province (Pemba, Monze, Mazabuka, Namwala and Gwembe) since August 2014 funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Korea Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The initial focus of the programme is scaling up the integrated risk management which includes traditional microfinancing done through savings groups, index insurance to avert negative effects of climate shocks, prudent borrowing done in form of input credit, linkage to viable markets and fostering integration into national social systems. Scope of the project have continued to evolve with market becoming the main thrust of the smallholder support with increased private sector engagement and/or collaboration that has seen a number of network of aggregators identified and trained to bulk commodities from smallholders while adhering to required quality and standards.

Since November 2018, a joint Climate Resilience on Agriculture livelihoods project under the Green Climate Fund (GCF) was approved with WFP being a responsible party to manage Post Production actions to include aggregation, market access and insurance among others. This is further enhancing and/or complementing the market access under activity 4 of SO3. Adaptation actions will benefit largely the poorest and most vulnerable regions (Agro-Ecological Regions I and II). Furthermore, WFP has just recently sourced funds from Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) aimed at promoting the Production and Consumption of Nutritious Foods through an Integrated Multi Sectoral Approach.  Using the CSP strategies underpinned under the SO2 (Nutrition) and SO3 (Smallholder Support), the project will support Government initiatives enshrined in the Most Critical Days Project II (MCDPII) and NDP7 to address nutrition knowledge gaps, promotion of good feeding practices, promotion of diversified agriculture, and facilitating access to viable and functional markets for nutritious value chains. Gender transformation will remain at the core of the project implementation.

JOB PURPOSE

To provide coordination, administrative services and research to support the efficient and effective procurement services.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Financial Markets

• Contribute to the design, coordination and analysis of market-based methodologies and approaches to increase the production, consumption and access to market of nutrition dense crops.
• Support project implementing partners to develop and implement technically sound work plans on aggregation.
• Initiate collaboration with relevant stakeholders in the agriculture and food sectors, specifically private sector enterprises involved in food marketing, agricultural inputs, and service delivery.
• Identify constraints, market-based solutions, and incentives to integrate small-scale producers into efficient and nutrition-sensitive market systems.
• In collaboration with the Programme Officer – Market access and Aggregation, develop value proposition pitches to on board private sector on the VFM Platforms
• Foster linkages and collaboration with related projects that support agricultural infrastructure, production, capacity building, and market development.
• Coordinate technical reporting of project activities related to market systems and market trends.
• Contribute to project planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and learning tools and processes, and reviews.

Aggregator Management

• Technical support in formulating training modules and provision of agribusiness training for aggregators on financial management, food safety, quality and quantity
• Manage the development of training and user manuals for Micro-Aggregators and Traders
• In close liaison with Programme Officer – Market and Financial Service and Markets, provides on spot support to project leaders and extension from Government and Implementing Partners in operationalizing tailored curriculum meant to strengthen aggregators’ skills in support to smallholder farmers;
• Provide field level support to partners in undertaking research on rural financial market modelling in collaboration with government and private sector financial partners;

Other Tasks

• Perform any other tasks required by the activity and SO managers.

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives: Coaches team in the most effective ways to communicate WFP’s Strategic Objectives to WFP team and partners in the field.
•  Be a force for positive change: Implements new methods or tools to improve team’s work processes and productivity.
•  Make the mission inspiring to our team: Maps team’s activities and tasks to specific successes in beneficiary communities to showcase positive impact.
•  Make our mission visible in everyday actions: Explains to teammates how each unit contributes to the overall WFP mission.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people's skills: Identifies skill development opportunities such as training modules or on-the-job experiences for self, colleagues and direct reports.
•  Create an inclusive culture: Facilitates team building activities to build rapport in own unit.
•  Be a coach & provide constructive feedback: Facilitates the pairing of junior colleagues with coaches within own team.
•  Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit: Proactively anticipates potential challenges and develops mitigation plans to ensure that team meets goals and targets.

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions: Identifies opportunities to be creative in own work and to help team be more innovative and accurate in their respective tasks and areas of work.
•  Focus on getting results: Monitors team’s deliverables and provides feedback to ensure outcomes are delivered consistently and accurately.
•  Make commitments and make good on commitments: Provides accurate guidance to team on expected responsibilities and tasks, whilst also upholding own commitment to the team.
•  Be Decisive: Sets an example and provides guidance to junior team members on when to escalate issues when faced with challenging issues in the workplace or in the field.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units: Facilitates partnerships with other WFP units to accomplish missions in the field.
•  Build strong external partnerships: Sets an example and provides guidance to team on how to build relationships with external partners.
•  Be politically agile & adaptable: Articulates to colleagues or direct reports the value of contributing to other WFP teams and agency partnerships in fulfilling WFP’s goals and objectives.
•  Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships: Organizes, monitors, and prioritizes own and team’s efforts to ensure that they will fulfill the needs of internal and external partners.

FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

This section is optional to describe additional responsibilities & knowledge required for the specific job.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Demonstrate ability to analyze and write report as well as engage with external relevant stakeholders such as Government, UN Agencies, NGOs and Private Sector;
• Understanding of food security vulnerability and ability to link analysis to Programme design, in the context of WFP programmes.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

THIS POSITION IS OPEN TO ZAMBIAN  NATIONALS ONLY. 

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

05 June 2019

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WFP IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYER. QUALIFIED FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.