DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS11 February 2025-23:59-GMT Greenwich Mean Time (Bissau)
WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.
ABOUT WFP
The World Food Programme is the worldโs largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.
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WHY JOIN WFP?
WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).
JOB TITLE:
Partnerships Officer
TYPE OF CONTRACT:
Consultancy LI
UNIT/DIVISION:
Donor Relations, Partnerships, Communications
DUTY STATION (City, Country):
Bissau
DURATION:
6 Months
Start Date: February/March 2025
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security. WFP works in over 80 countries globally, providing food assistance to people facing the challenges of famine, food scarcity, and displacement. Its efforts focus not only on emergency food aid but also on development assistance that fosters self-sustainability through programs like school feeding, nutritional support, supply chain enhancements and agricultural development. The organization's ultimate goal is to achieve zero hunger, making it a critical partner in global efforts to improve food security and nutrition standards worldwide.
To support this mission, the Partnership Officer in Guinea-Bissau will play a crucial role in developing and implementing partnership and resource mobilization strategies, creating concept notes and funding proposals, and conducting donor intelligence to secure additional resources.
Guinea-Bissau is a country with a history of political instability and weak public institutions, which have contributed to its fragility, disrupting governance, and persistent poverty. Despite having a predominantly agrarian economy and abundant natural resources, the country's gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated to be $1.64 billion in 2021, with an annual growth rate of 3.8%. According to the World Bank, poverty levels in Guinea-Bissau have remained largely unchanged over the past decade, with around 47.7% of households living below the national poverty line. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Guinea-Bissau is one of the least developed countries in the world, ranking 175 out of 191 countries in the 2021-2022 Human Development Index (HDI). The country also faces significant challenges in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of poverty reduction (SDG 1), zero hunger (SDG 2), health (SDG 3), education (SDG 4), and gender equality.
In 2023, WFP renewed its partnership with the Government of Guinea-Bissau to achieve \"zero hunger\" and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, through its new second generation Country Strategic Plan (2023-2027). WFP's new Strategic Plan focuses on supporting rural communities to build resilience to climate shocks and strengthen livelihoods while supporting the Government's efforts to lay the foundations for an inclusive social protection system that is sensitive to nutrition and climate shocks.
The first year of implementation of the CSP was marked by a tense political situation in the country. On 4 June 2023, Guinea-Bissau held its first national elections since the dissolution of parliament following an attempted coup in February 2022. The elections resulted in a national power shift, with the opposition coalition winning a majority of seats in parliament - a new government cabinet was appointed, and the country entered a period of political settlement. However, the democratic stability generated by the country's successful parliamentary elections was suddenly interrupted by the dissolution of the National Parliament by the President of the Republic in December 2023, following a political-military crisis that the President considered to be an attempted coup d'รฉtat. Despite this situation, and the recurrent turnover of ministers and senior staff, WFP has successfully continued to build on its strong relationship with key government stakeholders.
WFP focuses on the capacity strengthening of government institutions and builds synergies with national partners to optimize mutually supportive and gender-transformative interventions that are part of an integrated strategy encompassing home-grown school feeding, social protection, resilience, malnutrition prevention, and treatment, emergency preparedness, and response. WFP has been present in Guinea-Bissau since 1974.
The objectives of this Partnerships Officer (also referred to as Head of Donor Relations, Partnerships, Communications) is to ensure continued partnerships and resource mobilization efforts to enable WFP Guinea-Bissauโs operations. The Partnership Officer Consultant will report directly to the WFP Deputy Country Director (Head of Programme) under the overall supervision of the Country Director.
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
[Partnerships Strengthening]
- Identify, develop and strengthen quality partnerships in support of WFP strategic objectives.
- Proactively contribute to a partnerships portfolio, including partner profiling, data/trends analysis and outreach activities, with the aim to maximize resources and leverage policy and technical support for WFPโs work.
- Gather and share partner intelligence (including forecasting), using key information systems (e.g. Salesforce, WINGS, WFPGo).
- In the context of the UN system and multilateral fora, support the development of partnerships and joint events with member states, civil society and intergovernmental organizations to advocate for the SDGs and Zero Hunger on the global agenda and advance WFP priorities and objectives, based on a basic understanding of member statesโ dynamics and interests.
- Contribute to the preparation of strategic agreements, joint strategies and MOUs in order to promote the SDGs and Zero Hunger on the national, regional and global agenda and to reach advantageous outcomes for WFP.
- Provide inputs to partnerships strategies, including the development of Partnership Action Plans.
[Resource Mobilization]
- Draft high-quality concept notes and proposals to government donors, private sector partners, and international financial institutions.
- Use data to propose options to managers to expand support from existing partners and to scope new partners, guided by programmatic assessment and context-specific analysis, with the aim to enhance the impact of WFPโs work and diversify the resource base.
- In coordination with the Programme unit and other relevant units, draft quality briefs and advocacy notes to mobilize resources to support WFP operations.
[Communications and Reporting]
- Ensure partner visibility and that partner conditions are met.
- Support Communications unit in preparing weekly updates, media messages, fact sheets, and newsletters.
- Represent WFP at meetings, conferences, and other events as required to promote zero hunger.
DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:
- Concept notes and proposals for new funding opportunities with existing and new donors developed.
- Updated Salesforce and other relevant knowledge management platforms.
- Weekly updates and other communication/ advocacy materials developed and disseminated.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:
Advanced University degree in Political Science, International Development, Development Economics, International Relations, Law, Marketing, Communications or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
Experience:
โข Has an advanced understanding of government and corporate strategies and priorities and experience in developing multi-stakeholder partnerships.
โข Has managed to protect, grow, and diversify resource base and partnerships in humanitarian and development settings.
โข Has provided inputs into developing solutions with prospective partners and explored innovative ways to scale-up existing activities and bring in new activities.
โข Has designed and implemented a partnerships and resource mobilization strategyand and provided resourcing advice to senior management.
โข Has gained experience in using technology and digital tools for data collection, analysis and shared data-based insights to add value to all partnerships.
โข Has supported creation of external communications and briefing materials.
โข Has provided advanced technical support and identified opportunities for service delivery excellence to strengthen partnerships.
โข Has motivated team spirit and contributed to a gender-balanced, inclusive and sound working environment.
โข Minimum three or more years of relevant professional work experience in partnership roles.
Languages required:
Fluency (level C) in English and French languages. Intermediate level or fluency in Portuguese is an asset.
WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK
WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.
Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
WFP is dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our recruitment process is inclusively crafted to welcome candidates of all backgrounds, celebrating diversity and ensuring a respectful environment for all. We aim for an accessible and fair recruitment journey. Should you need any reasonable accommodations or have accessibility concerns, please reach out to us confidentially at global.inclusion@wfp.org. Our DEI team is here to ensure your full participation in our recruitment process.
NO FEE DISCLAIMER
The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.
REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
Please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified
All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
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.