DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS15 April 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.
To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.
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).
ABOUT WFP
This position is based in Bissau and reports to the Deputy Country Director.THE ROLE
JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer - Smallholder Agricultural Market Support (SAMS) National Officer
TYPE OF CONTRACT: Fixed-Term, National Officer grade NOB
UNIT/DIVISION: RBD, Guinea-Bissau
DUTY STATION (City, Country): Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
DURATION: 12 months
ELIGIBILITY: This position is only for Bissau-Guinean nationals
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
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.
Under Strategic Outcome 2 of the Country Strategic Plan, WFP is focussing on implementing WFPโs school feeding programmes and reinforcing national capacities in school feeding management. WFP is working closely with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to improve the implementation of the feeding programmes in Guinea-Bissau focusing on home-grown school feeding (HGSF). WFP progressively involves the government in implementing school feeding programmes aiming to achieve universal coverage by 2027.
Since 2020, WFP has been providing local produce through its HGSF programme after the successful implementation of a 2017 pilot in the Cacheu and Oio regions. HGSF benefits local communities at multiple levels. Furthermore, WFP works with national NGOs to identify smallholder farmers to be linked to school canteens through food commodities, pursuing the cyclical economic benefits of localised procurement practices.
The CO received a contribution from the Government of Guinea-Bissau financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) to implement ''the Project Supporting Urgent Food Security Needs in Guinea-Bissau (PAUSA)โโ and Support Value Chain Development and Agricultural and Rural Entrepreneurship (PACVEAR II/GAFSP) project.
The (PACVEAR II/GAFSP) project will provide additional financing to foster the economic inclusion of smallholder farmers through the promotion of modern and sustainable agricultural techniques that would improve productivity and competitiveness and generate sustainable income for rural communities, thereby improving the food security and nutrition of households.
Another component of the GAFSP project is support for school canteens. Under the original project, support was provided, on a pilot basis, to three school canteens through information, sensitisation and education activities on nutrition, hygiene and preventing the resurgence of of water-borne diseases. The additional financing will make it possible to scale up support for school canteens throughout the project area and in the Quinara region, thanks to the WFP Local School Nutrition Programme (HGSF).
Support for school canteens is a social safety net which aims to secure a diversified and nutritious daily meal for every child at school, using local foodstuffs, to ensure the effective presence of children throughout the school year. Such support emphasizes strengthening agricultural production to satisfy demand (local schools). The additional financing will make it possible to connect smallholder farmers with consumers. In the medium and long term, it is expected to (i) strengthen food sovereignty and stabilise the incomes of smallholder farmers, and (ii) develop local businesses and create jobs for women and young people. National school nutrition programmes currently create some 1,700 new jobs in food processing and production and feed 100,000 children in school canteens.
In 2023, the Country Office took some key initiatives to encourage the purchase of locally produced food through smallholdersโ farmers cooperatives. Over 20 cooperatives are already identified and 12 out them signed an agreement with WFP for locally produced food purchase. However, in addition to the food purchase WFP will very soon start to capacity capacity-strengthening programme for these cooperatives through Smallholder Agricultural Market Support (SAMS) activities.
Implementing this innovative project requires strong internal capacity for proper oversight and coordination, management of resources, programme life cycle, operational partnership, and networking-related risks are critical. There is also an urgent requirement for the expansion of strategic partners' engagement and a reinforcement of data management function to enhance credibility of reports for internal/external audiences.
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
Strategic Sustainable Food Systems and Resilience Outcomes
Lead WFP Guinea-Bissau rural entrepreneurship initiatives with focus on local agribusiness promotion.
Contribute to the design and implementation Sustainable Food Systems Transformation, including the enhancement of the smallholder agricultural market support (SAMS) in alignment with the new WFPโs corporate SAMS & value chains framework which seeks to leverage food demand, diversify & improve livelihoods, strengthen public-private partnership engagements for improved local food value addition, processing, quality & safety, distribution and consumption of affordable, safe, and nutritious foods.
Lead the design and implementation of initiatives that deliver innovative, inclusive, climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive and people/communitycentred food assistance programming in settings that may include early recovery, social protection schemes through the creation and management of productive assets and diversified livelihoods (ACL).
Advise and support the development and implementation of functional training opportunities that enhance the capacity of WFP staff and partners to design and deliver effective, sequenced, layered and integrated resilience programmes in line with WFPโs corporate guidance such as the Resilience Toolkit.
Lead the food systems transformation and resilience building knowledge management and evidence generation activities to inform and shape WFPโs corporate indicators as well as learning and sharing opportunities related to these programmes.
Facilitate the multisectoral integration of programmes and activities that ensure programme interventions are people/community-centred, complementary, cohesive, relevant to meet the needs of those we serve.
that intervention create climate- smart and nutrition-sensitive community and household level assets, that support livelihoods through individual skills development, and they strengthen local food systems, as well as promote access to local and regional markets.
Within the context of Guinea Bissau, foster synergies between strategic outcomes/activities/initiatives, including WFPโs south-south cooperation and triangular cooperation (SSTC) opportunities that strengthen local food systems through inclusive market building, reinforcement of capacities at individual, household, community, and institution levels to enable them to become more resilient to shocks and stressors.
Provide technical support and guidance relevant, to individual, household, and community livelihood assets creation through watershed/landscape-based approaches by adopting and promoting nature-based solutions, soil and water conservation, water infrastructure; individual skills development related to on-farm and off-farm livelihoods both in rural and urban contexts, livelihoods in refugee and displacement contexts, climate adaptation, food systems interventions, and foster programme synergies in line with both organizational strategy and the practical realities of operating in the field.
Ensure the translation of WFP-wide programme policy into Country level contexts and implementation modalities and operations.
Provide solid technical support on a broad range of strategic, programmatic, technical, and operational issues including (type of activities, standards and norms, toolkits, standard operating procedures -SOPs, training, etc.) to support government efforts and engage with partners and stakeholders to scale up resilience programmes that well sequenced layered, integrated and that have the potential to contribute to reducing hunger and malnutrition.
Engage with government stakeholders and partners to provide support and technical expertise for the planning, formulation and implementation, including through (advocacy and extended field work) of integrated resilience and livelihood programmes that improve community ownership and effectiveness in the adoption of recommended best practices, appropriate technologies that deliver food security and nutrition outcomes at national, sub-national and local levels.
Support the development of effective operational partnerships with other multisectoral partners (governments, UN, NGOโs, academia, and research institutions) to foster collaborative approaches and initiatives that improve resilience and livelihoods related assistance packages and support advocacy work (e.g., best practices and other technical/training guidance).
Contribute to enhancing WFPโs leadership status in different forums on thematic areas related food systems and resilience to support the organizationโs engagement in the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus contexts; identify clear WFPโs entry points for context-specific resilience programming; participate through physical presence, discussion and deliberation and/or through briefings, information products and other training/guidance notes materials, as appropriate.
Support and reach out to Country Office programme team members, other functional and support Units to coordinate efforts to design programmes on issues related to food systems transformation and resilience, including corporate strategies and frameworks, value-chain analysis, and policy dialogue.
Monitor and support operational research and evidence building on new and emerging issues relevant for the development of resilient livelihood (such as gender equality and women empowerment, youth employment, new areas of skills development) to support advocacy and resource mobilization for WFP and collaborating partners to strengthen programme/proposals formulation and mobilization of resources.
Manage and contribute to the preparation and dissemination of timely analytical and critical reports, publications, and a variety of information products or proposals for internal and/or external use, that demonstrate how resilience building efforts are advancing to enable informed decision-making related to the programmes.
Ensure that the assigned financial resources are put to best use for achievement of set objectives.
Work closely with the gender team to ensure gender and youth perspectives are incorporated in all areas of this work to ensure meaningful participation of women and men and the empowerment of women and youth and other marginalized groups. This may include actions at multiple levels from individual, household, community, institutions, and systems, such as access to information and training, land tenure rights and other mechanisms to ensure access to land and community assets for women and vulnerable/marginalized groups and enhancing womenโs social capital.
Provide technical support to ensure that all relevant thematic areas (functional and support Units) integrate correctly and mainstream in their work pertinent cross-cutting issues, e.g., gender, nutrition/diet, environment and social safeguards, protection & accountability to affected populations.
Contribute to CO operations that build resilience and resilient livelihoods at different levels through Country Strategic Plans; liaise with Emergency Preparedness and Social Protection focal persons in terms of early warning, trends and risk analysis, and contingency planning to ensure complementary response to humanitarian crises and nexus needs, especially in areas important for livelihoods.
Supervise, lead, motivate, and develop team capacity of staff and CPs (at Country Office and field office levels) to enable high performance.
Other duties/tasks as required.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Education : Advanced university degree, preferably in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Finance, Economics, Management, Entrepreneurship, Social Sciences or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
Desired experience for entry into the role:
Five (5) years or more of postgraduate relevant experience.
Experience in coordination of entrepreneurship programmes.
Has taken leadership in implementing programmes.
Has provided input into policy discussions and decisions.
Demonstrated expertise and knowledge on main technical areas related to watershed development and landscape management, soil and water conservation, water infrastructure, agriculture, rural development, rural and urban livelihoods, synergies with nutrition-sensitive programmes, food systems related value chains development, or other social safety nets etc.
Experience leading and supporting multidisciplinary technical teams.
Experience in operations which include integrated resilience building to shocks, asset creation, livelihoods, and other types of activities as relevant.
Experience shaping operational strategies and technical partnerships. โช contributed to major resilience programme in country/region.
Experience in participatory planning at community level and facilitation of multi-stakeholder consultations.
Demonstrated experience in engaging with national and local governments on resilience and related agenda.
The ability to establish and maintain partnerships with internal and external partners and stakeholders.
Provided and coordinated input into policy discussions and decision-making processes.
Languages required:
Fluency in Portuguese (Level C), French and/or English (Level C) and Intermediate level in a second UN language (English or French).
Knowledge & Skills:
Proven leadership capacity to build and foster an inclusive team.
Proven capacity to initiate and lead innovation that strives for continuous improvements.
Good coordination skills
Strong motivation to make a difference and to contribute to WFPโs mandate.
Proven effective cognitive abilities, analytical and problem-solving skills.
Learning agility and thirst for constant growth.
Openness and passion for new experiences and multicultural environment.
The ability to communicate effectively and compellingly, orally and in writing.
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 committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: global.inclusion@wfp.org
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.