Programme Policy Consultant_Cash-Based Transfer CST II

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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.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Burundi is a land-locked country in the Great Lakes region of East Africa with an estimated population of 12.5 million people, growing annually at 2.7 percent characterized by a young population: children aged 0 to 15 years represent almost 48 percent of the total population and age 15 to 34 years represent 30 percent. The country ranks 187th of 191 countries in the 2021/2022 Human Development Index (HDI).

GDP per capita current prices is 249 US$ and an estimated GDP growth of 3.3 percent in 2023. The year-on-year inflation rate reached double digits since April 2022 and has been steadily increasing to 32.8 percent in March 2023, with food inflation reaching 49 percent, affecting household expenditures, 66 percent of which are related to food and limiting access to other basic needs.

The Country Office (CO) is developing a new Country Strategic Plan (CSP) to cover the period 2024-2027. The major strategic shift of this CSP will be the adoption of a sustainable, nutrition-sensitive and gender-transformative food systems approach for better outcomes. The strategic outcomes will be intrinsically linked, with gender-transformative social protection and safety nets embedded across. If Burundi’s capacity to implement shock-responsive safety nets (outcome 1) is augmented, food systems are improved sustainably, resilience is enhanced (outcome 3) and human capital is developed (outcome 2), then the need for WFP to respond directly to emergencies is expected to decrease over time. Productive safety nets (outcome 3) contributing to enhance the asset and capital base of the most vulnerable will gradually integrate shock-affected food insecure people to strengthen their resilience, become less dependent on unconditional assistance and graduate towards food and nutrition security. A substantial increase in CBTs across all relevant CSP outcomes, accompanied by an integrated resilience and nutrition-sensitive approach that layers and sequences interventions, such as women economic empowerment and social and behaviour change communication (SBCC), will support the shift towards this transformative programming of the WFP Strategic Plan (2024‒2027) and Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 17. 

Since 2013, WFP in Burundi has progressively assisted beneficiaries through cash-based transfer (CBT) modalities. The CSP will continue implementing CBT for refugees, lean season response, returnees, FFA, nutrition and school feeding activities. WFP also co-chairs the inter-agency CBT working group (led by OCHA) with the government of Burundi and is implementing a successful CBT capacity building project with the Burundian Red Cross. The World Bank is also implementing a large social safety nets project and there is further scope for WFP to collaborate and create stronger synergies with the World Bank to integrate refugees into the national social protection programmes through the Merankabandi project.

A Cash-Based Transfer Consultant is needed to bring to scale WFP’s CBT portfolio across the activities, with emphasis on resilience-building and on the nexus humanitarian-peace-development.    
 

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Programme, and building on the strategy elaborated by Burundi CO for CBT, the Cash Based Transfer Officer will perform the following responsibilities:
 

Strategic plans

• In close collaboration and consultation with the head of programme and the DCD, ensure that the new CSP formulation clearly describes the CBT strategy for Burundi CO.Technical and operational support to the CO and SOs
• Ensure that the division of tasks and responsibilities within the CO follows the revised RACI model and revise/update the SOPs as necessary.
• In collaboration with other members of the CBT working group (CBTWG), and particularly with VAM team for market and essential needs analysis, assist SOs in organizing CBT capacity assessments, justifying selected modalities via essential needs’ assessment, and finalizing plan of operations through support missions and/or coaching.
• Assist CO in preparing funding proposals and donor reports.
• Review the proposals, FLA and its budget to provide the CO and SOs with technical guidance.
• Continue in-house refresher trainings on CBT as updates become available.

Coordination with Sectorial Units

• Place a solid coordination mechanism with SOs to follow up on M&E and VAM related issues to assure baseline data, PDM, regular monitoring and required reporting.
• Ensure the implementation of the M&E strategy related to CBT modalities in collaboration with M&E Officer to enhance evidence-based and comparative advantages of CBTs vs. in kind.
• In support of activity managers, ensure that all commitments are raised, and recognition of expenditure is done on the month of actual distribution.
• Support the CO to ensure distribution reports are received and treated immediately from the partners.

Reports/Statistics:

• Produce monthly CBT report for the CBTWG meeting.
• Review and validate the monthly pipeline report produced by BPO.
• Update statistics regularly and share the report with CO.

Capacity Development for CPs and Local Authorities.

• Organize trainings for cooperating partners (CPs) on CBT related issues, such as SCOPE, ENA etc. 

Partnerships with CPs and Donors:

• Contribute to improve the strategic orientation of the inter-agency CBT WG.
• Act as CBT WG co-lead.
• Reinforce the coordination with all CBT actors for rapid response to population displacement/return and for resilience/safety nets interventions.
• Assist CO to organize donor meetings and field visits with donors and other stakeholders.
• Support the social protection officer to consolidate the partnership with the World Bank and other major actors to enhance synergies and complementarities between WFP CBT portfolio and social protection programmes. 

Innovation on Technologies:

• Follow-up new solutions either with mobile money, banks and other innovative solutions being implemented in Burundi by other actors and by WFP.
• Coordinate with IT to scale-up corporate IT applications, SCOPE, for e-registration and e-voucher.
   

4Ps CORE ORGANISATIONAL CAPABILITIES

Purpose

• Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives : Utilizes understanding of WFP’s Strategic Objectives to communicate linkages to team objectives and work.
• Be a force for positive change : Proactively identifies and develops new methods or improvements for self and immediate team to address work challenges within own work area.
• Make the mission inspiring to our team : Identifies opportunities to further align individual contributions with WFP’s mission of making an impact on local communities.
• Make our mission visible in everyday actions : Helps colleagues to see the link between their individual tasks and the contributions of their unit’s goals to the broader context of WFP’s mission.

People

• Look for ways to strengthen people's skills : Is able to identify, support and encourage focused on-the-job learning opportunities to address gaps between current skillsets and needed future skillsets for WFP.
• Create an inclusive culture : Recognizes the contributions of teammates, and encourages contributions from culturally different team mates to recognise the value of diversity above and beyond just including it in programming for beneficiaries.
• Be a coach & provide constructive feedback : Provides and solicits ongoing constructive feedback on strengths and development opportunities to help develop individual skills, whilst also helping others identify areas for improvement.
• Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit : Sets clear targets for self and others to focus team efforts in ambiguous situations (e.g., unprecedented issues and/or scenarios)

Performance

• Encourage innovation & creative solutions : Thinks beyond team’s conventional approaches to formulate creative methods for delivering food aid and assistance to beneficiaries. 
• Focus on getting results : Maintains focus on achieving individual results in the face of obstacles such as volatile or fragile environments and/or organizational roadblocks.
• Make commitments and make good on commitments : Takes personal accountability for upholding and delivering upon team’s commitments and provides assurance to stakeholders.
• Be Decisive : Demonstrates ability to adjust to team’s plans and priorities to optimize outcomes in light of evolving directives, while also responding quickly in high-pressure environments, such as in emergency settings.

Partnership

• Connect and share across WFP units : Demonstrates an understanding of when and how to tactfully engage other units in conversations on impact, timing, or planning
• Build strong external partnerships : Networks regularly with key external partners using formal and informal opportunities to understand each partner’s unique value proposition, and to build and strengthen relationships  
• Be politically agile & adaptable : Demonstrates ability to adapt engagement approach in the context of evolving partner circumstances and expectations 
• Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships : Demonstrates ability to articulate to internal and external audiences the value that individual contributions and immediate teams bring to partnerships.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in CBT programming
• Experience/awareness in WFP operations in the field, with desirable experience with CBT in social protection and resilience programmes
• Ability to work effectively in a sensitive political environment.
• Ability to cooperate with UN, NGO, government partners and donors.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

JOB TITLE:                                     Programme Policy Officer_Cash-Based Transfer
TYPE OF CONTRACT:                  CSTII 
UNIT/DIVISION:                             Programme
DUTY STATION (City, Country):    Bujumbura, Burundi
CONTRACT DURATION:             11 months

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION IS FIXED ON 28.11.2023

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WFP has a zero-tolerance approach to conduct such as fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to WFP’s standards of conduct and will therefore undergo rigorous background verification internally or through third parties. Selected candidates will also be required to provide additional information as part of the verification exercise. Misrepresentation of information provided during the recruitment process may lead to disqualification or termination of employment

WFP will not request payment at any stage of the recruitment process including at the offer stage. Any requests for payment should be refused and reported to local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action.