Programme Officer (Cash & Voucher)

 The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to end global hunger. Every day, WFP works around the globe 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.

We are building a Programme Officer (Cash & Voucher) Talent Pool that will be comprised of highly competent professionals who can play a key role in helping achieve zero hunger. All applicants will go through a comprehensive selection and assessment process to demonstrate their technical and organisational capabilities and the potential to grow and work across different field locations. Successful applicants will remain in the Talent Pool for 12 months, and can be considered for short or long-term international professional employment opportunities at entry and mid-management levels (P2, P3 and P4), in Country Offices, Regional Bureaux and Headquarters.

Strategic Purpose of the Function

Cash and vouchers are modalities that allow beneficiaries to gain access to food items in the marketplace. These transfers can either be conditional (impose requirements on beneficiaries, such as participation in work, training or school attendance), or unconditional (meaning there are no demands for use but the assumption is that the cash/vouchers will be used for food purchases). After four years of piloting cash and voucher (C&V) transfers at the country–office level, the Cash-for-Change initiative was started early in 2011 to enable WFP to integrate food, cash and voucher transfers into its food-assistance toolbox so that appropriate combinations can be provided to address particular beneficiary needs.

Job Purpose

Depending on the size and the needs of the office or unit and in line with the Cash and Voucher Corporate Business Model, the Programme Officers (Cash & Voucher) are responsible for the overall cash and voucher programme management, which includes design, implementation and monitoring of programmes and activities. They assess the need for food assistance in emergency and refugee/displaced person situations and draw up plans for timely arrival of either food or cash and vouchers in coordination with government and other donors. They operate with minimal supervision, and provide guidance to junior staff to ensure that operation and project objectives are achieved.

Key Accountabilities

·      Design and manage the implementation and monitoring of cash and voucher projects, with cash component as well as emergency cash/voucher relief transfers in response to emergency response, food security and nutrition crisis, in line with the new Cash and Voucher corporate business model.

·      Coordinate and manage technical implementation and evaluation components of the Government funded projects (trust fund) "Cash assistance to most vulnerable households" to compare different transfer modalities: cash-for-work vs. food-for-work, and unconditional/conditional cash and food transfers.

·      Coordinate the implementation of mandatory sectorial assessments, cost-effectiveness and risk analysis prior to a cash or voucher intervention, prepare concept papers, and other preliminary work that will guide the eventual choice of best transfer modality for operations, ensuring compliance with WFP corporate policy and strategic objectives.

·      Liaise with different units (Logistics, Procurement, ICT, Finance, VAM), to ensure coordinated preparation and implementation of cash or voucher based projects.

·      Coordinate regular collection of market prices and closely monitor effects on local and regional markets in the respective areas of operation.

·      Participate in the design of disaster risk reduction activities, develop partnerships with NGOs, Government and donors.

·      Develop the performance framework and identify key monitoring and evaluation indicators in collaboration with WFP's vulnerability assessment monitoring unit. Participate in the design of the monitoring systems and coordinate its' establishment and implementation.

·      Draft and share Standard Operating Procedures for the implementation of the Cash and Vouchers Programmes for prospective staff members and cooperating partners;

·      Provide technical support, training and guidance to WFP programme staff and cooperating partners.

·      Liaise with Finance unit to ensure the partner's payments are processed in time and work in identifying areas of improvement for the cash and vouchers payment process.

·      As required, identify opportunities to link the Cash and Voucher distribution modalities and create synergies with other programme initiatives.

·      Carry out people management responsibility, as required.

·      Perform other related duties as required.

Qualification Requirements

Education:

·      Advanced University degree in Economics, Agriculture, International Affairs, Business Administration, Social Sciences, Development Studies or other related fields or First University degree with two additional years of relevant work experience from the minimum experience requirement stated below.

Experience:

·      P2 level: At least three years of postgraduate progressively responsible professional experience in the relevant field.

·      P3 level: At least five years of postgraduate progressively responsible professional experience in the relevant field.

·      P4 level: At least eight years (of which three international) of postgraduate progressively responsible professional experience in the relevant field.

Functional Capabilities (scope of capabilities will vary by grade level):

·      Strong understanding of the theory and application of food security, livelihood and safety net programmes.

·      Good understanding of targeting, monitoring and evaluation techniques and their application.

·      Knowledge of major humanitarian, recovery and development challenges and issues, specifically strategies for poverty and hunger reduction.

·      Design, implement and evaluate of in-kind food, cash and voucher transfers cash.

Organisational Capabilities:

·      Purpose – ability to align individual purpose to WFP's mission.

·      People - support our people to be the best equipped to serve our beneficiaries.

·      Partnership – lead across boundaries to deliver the best for our beneficiaries.

·      Performance – deliver practical, sustainable, solutions to achieve WFP's mission.

Language:

·      Fluency in oral and written English.

·      Although intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) or Portuguese (one of WFP's working languages) is mandatory for fixed-term posts, for some roles exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Terms and Conditions

For fixed-term appointment, 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, pension plan and medical insurance. For more details about the UN grading system and the compensation package, please visit icsc.un.org

Application Procedures:

Go to: http://bit.ly/1xb4AM0

Step 1: Click on "Description" to better understand the actual accountabilities and requirements at different levels.

Step 2: Click on "Apply" to create an online CV and answer application questions to submit your application.

Deadline for applications: 31 January 2015