Partnership Officer at World Food Programme

Akwajobs   (Yaoundé, Centre, Cameroun)

Posted : 19 November, 2021

Category : Program/Project Management   Location : Yaoundé, Centre, Cameroun

Job type : Full Time

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Position Title : Partnerships Officer

Unit/ Division : Country Office Management

Direct Reporting Line

Contract Duration: 6 months (renewable based on performance)

Duty Station : Yaoundé

About WFP

Assisting almost 100 million people in around 83 countries each year, the World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies, and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience.

Our mission 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.

Organisational context

Since its establishment, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has been entrusted with a dual mandate: to meet emergency and protracted relief food needs (saving lives) and to support economic and social development (changing lives). To contribute to national development agendas in an impactful way, WFP innovates to tackle the root causes of hunger and malnutrition and builds resilience both at a community and system level. The organization works with multiple stakeholders, aiming to build strong partnerships with national governments, development partners, including International Financial Institutions (IFIs), and the private sector.

Effective Design And Implementation Of Development Programmes Requires

• Robust engagement and investment in relationships with governmental authorities (local, subnational and national);
• Robust engagement and investment in relationships with other development actors, including International Financial Institutions;
• Expertise in public policy and public administration and contextual knowledge of how respective Governments and ministries operate.

Supporting the WFP Country Director and working closely with the Country Office Management, the Partnerships Officer will help position WFP strategically as a key development partner amongst the national stakeholders and will co-lead the engagement with the national Government, IFIs and other development actors in the country to maximize the impact of WFP’s development programmes.

The Advisor will facilitate WFP’s contribution to the design of key policies and programmes in country and will mobilize resources for WFP programmes contributing to the country’s development agenda.

Why work with us?

• WFP provides food assistance to more than 86 million people in 83 countries, including Cameroon. Your work will have a positive impact on lives of the world’s most vulnerable people.
• You will join a diverse team of professionals and will have an opportunity to exchange your experiences with your colleagues and continuously learning from each other.
• WFP invests in the training and development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, mentorship and other programs as well as through international mobility opportunities.
• Our team is growing nationally and internationally and the timing to join us cannot be better!

Join us to make a difference, watch this video to know more about us!!

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnaxfnNKdsM

What will you do ?

Responsibilities

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Country Director and in close coordination with the Country Office Management, the Programme and Partnerships teams, the Partnerships Officer will undertake the following key responsibilities to advance the efforts of the Country Office in programme and partnership building and resource mobilization with the Government, IFIs and other development actors

Strategic Advice and Analysis

• Provide strategic direction and advice to the Country Director and Country Office Management to strengthen WFP’s relationship with the Government and positioning WFP as a key actor across the nexus, to bridge the humanitarian and development responses.
• Proactively scan the country development landscape and support exploration of viable opportunities and new approaches for WFP’s strategic engagement in the development space with the Government and other development actors, such as IFIs, particularly in the areas of social protection, rural transformation, sustainable infrastructure and human capital development.
• Closely follow relevant external developments and processes involving the Government and IFIs (e.g. national budgetary processes, approval of key strategic documents, and loan negotiations) and support the development of the Country Director’s/Office’s position on these matters.
• In close contact with relevant colleagues from the Country Office, support the development of WFP’s value proposition and specific offerings in the areas of rural transformation, sustainable infrastructure and human capital development, and contribute to the process of project design, where necessary.
• Leverage WFP corporate support to build WFP’s capacity in country contexts, coordinating support and advice as needed from relevant technical units as needed.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop and co-lead the implementation of WFP’s partnerships with Government and key development actors, including IFIs, academia, regional organisations and other UN agencies working on development issues.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with key stakeholders as relevant, through regular and systematic communication channels.
• Inform and support the Country Office management as well as its technical teams on the engagement with key partners on the strategy, design, relevance and impact of programmes that can be supported by WFP to advance national development priorities.
• Liaise with government agencies in support of projects and operational activities that strengthen government capacities.
• Provide advice on WFP’s representation and messaging in various national instances/committees /working groups (on humanitarian/development issues).
• Support the management of WFP’s brand among key external stakeholders as a UN agency with a dual humanitarian and development mandate and a trusted development partner.

Key Working Relationships

• Internal: Reports to the Country Director. Works closely with the Country Office Management and Programme and Partnerships Teams and liaises with the Head of Partnerships at the Regional Bureau and a relevant focal point in the Strategic Partnerships team.
• External: Facilitates engagement with the Government, including relevant ministries and agencies, key development actors, including IFIs, and academia in close coordination with the Country Director.

Key Deliverables

• On-going strategic advice leading to game-changing support from WFP to the government and increased funding for WFP’s work contributing directly to the country’s development portfolio.
• Government and development actor (including IFIs) engagement strategy including stakeholder mapping for WFP at country level.
• Lead the implementation of the above-mentioned partnerships strategy both by supporting the country office management and also by building and maintaining partnerships directly as relevant.
• Joint concept notes with the national government on areas of joint engagement.
• Advocacy documents and position papers on WFP’s development work.
• Regular stakeholder meetings and technical workshops, where relevant.

Education

Qualifications and Key Requirements

Advanced university degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Economics, International Development, or other relevant field..

Desired Technical Skills And Experience

• At least 8 years of experience working in the public sector.
• Ideally experience with development issues and significant experience in developing relationships and managing strategic partnerships with governments and development partners, particularly IFIs.
• Proven record of accomplishment in new partnership building, brokering relationships with partners, and engagement at a senior level.
• Experience in project design processes and coordination with internal and external stakeholders, including governments and IFIs.
• Experience working closely with academia and think tanks.
• Knowledge of WFP operations in country and international experience is a plus.

Languages

Fluency in English language. Fluency in local language, if English not widely spoken. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language is a plus (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or WFP’s working language, Portuguese)..

Deadline for application

Date: 02nd December 2021 at 11:59 PM (GMT+1).

Terms and Conditions

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 an inclusive work environment in which diversity is valued and where no form of discrimination is tolerated. We aim to achieve parity in our teams in West and Central Africa.

Qualified female applicants are especially encouraged to apply.

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate based on 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.

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