Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping (VAM) Officer , World Food Programme

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. We are seeking to fill a consultancy position of Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping Officer Short Term at the P3 level, based in Bujumbura, Burundi.

The VAM Officer will report to the Head of Programme and will head the Assessment and Monitoring & Evaluation team of Burundi Country Office. In collaboration with the team the successful candidate will be responsible for the following key duties:

Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping:

· Lead and/or participate in food security and vulnerability assessments as well as other joint assessments.

· Strengthen the operational capacity of WFP staff and partners to conduct food security and nutrition assessments and analysis at the Country and Sub-Office levels.

· Collect, analyse and interpret primary food security data to support emergency preparedness i.e. risk analysis, early warning and contingency planning, including in preparedness activities, organize and conduct emergency needs assessments and support operational planning.

· Generate useful information products which describe food insecurity and vulnerability in Uganda and which will inform decision making by WFP’s programme units, as well as other country stakeholders including civil society organizations, bilateral donors and UN agencies.

· Foster partnerships with government and civil society that build upon and strengthen existing capacities for vulnerability analysis.

· Oversee and approve the collation, drafting and dissemination of political and humanitarian analysis pertaining to WFP current or future responses and donor policies, trends and preferences to ensure country specific input to WFP’s humanitarian and operational reporting.

· Collaborate with counterparts and other UN agencies to ensure consistency in humanitarian information and to complement WFP analysis and information.

· Generate useful information products which describe food insecurity and vulnerability in Burundi and which will inform decision making by WFP’s programme units, as well as other country stakeholders including civil society organizations, bilateral donors and UN agencies.

· Manage a small team of VAM and M&E staff, providing coaching and guidance as required to ensure appropriate development and enable high performance.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

· Provide technical support and guidance to the maintenance and analysis of project monitoring and evaluation systems designed to measure the performance of WFP projects in Burundi.

· Contribute to the development of systems and tools that support effective operational information management, performance reporting and inter-agency information management in line with WFP and UN policies and practices.

· Provide technical advice, governance and oversight to CO on the integration of VAM and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) policies and guidance into established systems to drive the quality, consistency, standardisation of information management and performance reporting across WFP.

· Oversee and approve data collection and the information collated from monitoring and local internal and external sources to facilitate and maximise the exchange of information and data flow between functional area networks in WFP, to provide operational awareness and understanding of events that may have humanitarian and/or operational impact.

· In collaboration with the various programme units, manage the evaluation process, including reviewing the terms of reference, identifying and selecting independent consultants to lead and conduct evaluations, following up on in-country missions, ensuring quality control of summary evaluation report and technical reports.

· Enhance the capacity of WFP staff, partners and governments to effectively assess food security needs, conduct of disaster management simulations, and manage operational information and performance reporting through and provision of the relevant VAM and M&E training.

· Provide evaluation feedback into policy/project/programme design, including comments on various documents.

· Follow up on the implementation of evaluation recommendations; evaluate the responses and actions taken by management and provide advice or clarification to managers and staff on evaluated issues.

Qualifications & Experience required

Education:

· Advanced University degree in Political Science, Sociology, Economics, Food Security, Agriculture, Nutrition, Rural Development, Statistics, Social Sciences or other related fields obtained from a reputable Institution; or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.

Experience:

· At least 5 years (of which 2 international) of postgraduate progressively responsible professional experience in food security, vulnerability analysis, or a closely related area, such as food security information management systems.

· Experience in monitoring and evaluation with a background and interest in the analysis of socioeconomic issues and related policy matters.

· Past experience in statistical analysis and mapping software (i.e. SPSS, STATA, ArcGIS).

· Experience in early warning and remote sensing and familiarity with the speciality software applications associated with them.

· Familiarity with quantitative and qualitative survey techniques.

· Experience in the design and implementation of food assistance programmes.

· Some experience in remote sensing interpretation and analysis, NDVI, CCD are desirable.

Technical Skills and Knowledge:

· Strong knowledge of food security analysis and the data collection, treatment, and manipulation techniques typically associated with it.

· Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Access, Outlook) and GIS applications.

· Working knowledge of basic statistics.

· Knowledge of research methods and monitoring and evaluation standards.

· General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations and procedures governing administration is highly desirable.

Competencies:

· Excellent presentation skills.

· Strong analytical and negotiation skills.

· Resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgement and tact.

· Ability to establish priorities, coordinate and monitor own work plan and those under supervision.

· Ability to analyse technical data and draw final conclusions, make recommendations and proposals.

· Ability to formulate new strategies and technical approaches.

· Strong writing skills, ability to draft clear and concise reports or rationale for decisions on key issues.

· Demonstrated effectiveness in developing policies, procedures and new programmes.

· Technical leadership demonstrated through the ability to lead an office and/or a project team towards fulfilment of WFP objectives.

· Willingness to travel for extended periods of time.

· Ability to provide training and expert advice on complex issues; and make proposals.

· Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective work relationships with counterparts and staff within the office, host population, NGOs and other UN agencies.

· Ability to work in a team, and establish effective working relations with diverse people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.

Language:

• Fluency (level C) in French (as Burundi is a French working environment) and in English is required. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish) or Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages) is desirable.

HOW TO APPLY:

Application Procedures:

Go to: http://i-recruitment.wfp.org/vacancies/16-0020992

Step 1: Register and create your online CV.

Step 2: Click on “Description” to read the position requirements and “Apply” to submit your application.

NOTE: You must complete Step 1 and 2 in order for your application to be considered for this vacancy.

Deadline for applications: 26 April 2016