WORK CONTEXT / BACKGROUND:
West and Central Africa this year are set to hit the highest number of acutely food insecure people and malnourished children in the past decade, under the combined effects of erratic rainfall, record-high food prices, and further security deterioration. Most recent available data (UN, March 2022) report that more than 38 million people across the region are projected to be in Food Insecurity Crisis or worse (Phase 3 and above) during the pastoral and agricultural lean seasons (June-September 2022). Half of this vulnerable population are children and numbers are expected to rise as suggested by the exponential increase we are witnessing in countries such as Mauritania, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
As a result, WV has declared a multicountry food crisis response for six of its nine countries of operations in West Africa, including Burkina Faso, Chad, Central African Republic, Mali, Niger, and Mauritania. This Multicountry response model will allow countries to join forces and foster synergies in responding to the emergency, particularly on issues such as advocacy, external engagement, and resource mobilization while monitoring and supporting early actions in Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Ghana.
PURPOSE OF POSITION
The Food Security & Livelihood Specialist will provide oversight to WV food security, nutrition, livelihoods and resilience-building work in the region, in close consultation with the Food Assistance Senior Advisor, Cash Senior Advisor, and Country Food assistance and Nutrition managers. The FSL specialist serves on the Multicountry Response Team (MCRT). S/he will support the design and monitoring of the food security-related activities of the hunger response and lead WV participation in relevant regional technical forums. The position will facilitate the mobilization of technical expertise, support staff capacity building, innovation in design, quality results and organizational learning within World Vision West Africa. The candidate is expected to possess up-to-date sectoral knowledge to ensure that current thinking is reflected in World Vision’s Food Security, Livelihood and Resilience programs for this crisis.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
STRATEGY AND LEADERSHIP
Refine and lead the realization of food security and livelihood sector objectives from the country Strategies, ensuring synergy, and integration with other sectors.
Based on the evidence of impact, monitor and analyze progress and provide recommendations towards achieving Food Security and Livelihoods strategic objectives at response levels.
Provide leadership and direction to the overall food security and livelihoods sector, including on cash-based programming, in collaboration with response teams
Create a learning environment in which Food Security, Livelihoods and Nutrition staff regularly reflect, learn from mistakes and use lessons for personal growth and to revise work plans to improve ministry impact.
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING
Provide Food Security, Livelihoods and cash/market expertise, technical support and updated knowledge during project/program design, monitoring, implementation and evaluation, as well as to related staff across the food crisis response.
Ensure understanding and quality embedding of Food Security, Livelihoods and cash technical standards at project, program and strategic levels.
Ensure capacity building of Food Security and Livelihoods staff where required.
Lead development of strategic new Food Security and Livelihoods approaches in line with the programming context and imminent funding environment of emergency, recovery and development initiatives where relevant.
Work with other technical leads and M&E to support the coordination and exchange of lessons learned and good practice.
Be the knowledge center of all field Office Food Security and Livelihoods projects in this response
Analyze the impact of the project and promote learning by documentation of best practices.
Travel as needed to countries to ensure proper oversight to Food Security and Livelihoods interventions, ensuring that evidence-based best practices and quality standards are being utilized in implementation and reporting to the Global Hunger Initiative dashboard.
EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY
In coordination with the Disaster Preparedness and Information Management Advisor and Advocacy and External Engagement Specialist, represent World Vision in relevant working groups (food security and nutrition, CaLP, resilience…) in donor meetings, private sector engagements, and at conferences.
Use credible and validated evidence from programming to advise/support policy dialogue and policy recommendations at the country level
Represent World Vision in regional coordination forums and liaise with government officials, UN-bodies and other partners as appropriate and required.
GRANT ACQUISITION
In collaboration with the MCRT and country teams, actively engage in designing the technical components of new project proposals and take the lead in designing Food Security and Livelihoods components and project applications for donors.
Ensure final review is done by the MCRT on major donor project reports
Support FOs coordination with Support Offices on match acquisition for grants
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
University degree in Agriculture, Economics or related field.
Master degree in relevant field required.
At least five years of working experience at a senior level in Food Security, Livelihoods and Resilience sector in a humanitarian context.
Good understanding of and experience in cash/market-based interventions
Excellent technical understanding of Sustainable Development, Economic Development and Livelihoods and Resilience, including agriculture.
Experience designing and facilitating Livelihoods capacity-building activities and training.
Good understanding of both Development and humanitarian architecture.
Substantial experience in networking and positioning with external stakeholders.
Extensive experience in developing successful project proposals.
Experience in advocacy, preferably on trans-national level.
Experience of working in West Africa would be an advantage.
Work Experience And Abilities
Advanced written and oral French and English skills (ability to express ideas clearly and effectively, both in spoken and written English).
Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
Knowledge of project cycle elements, M&E systems design and management.
Understanding of integrated rural community development programming and processes.
Strong capacity-building and facilitation skills.
Cross-cultural sensitivity, flexible worldview, emotional maturity and physical stamina.
Self-starter who can work independently under pressure and who has ability to manage work tasks without direct supervision.
Effective in establishing priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor activities, juggle competing demands and work to tight deadlines.
Strong ability to work with and relate to diverse personality types, to practice relational and ideological tolerance, and to contribute to a positive organizational culture.
Willing to travel as required.
Commitment to World Vision Core Values, Vision and Mission Statement.
Knowledge of and adherence to the Red Cross and NGO Code of Conduct and capability of incorporating standards in implementation and evaluation of relevant projects.
Understand Humanitarian Industry and have proven experience within a relief/ Disaster Management setting
Effective in written and verbal communication in French and English
Ability to express ideas and concepts clearly and persuasively with senior internal and external stakeholders
Work Environment:
The position requires ability and willingness to travel up to 50% of the time in country
CORE CAPABILITIES
Achieving quality results & service.
Communicating information effectively.
Understanding the Humanitarian Industry.
Practicing innovation & change.
Who We Are
Even the most vulnerable children deserve a chance at a bright future. As a global Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation we help children, families and communities overcome poverty and injustice, irrespective of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.
World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Inspired by our Christian values, we are dedicated to working with the world’s most vulnerable people. We serve all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. Our integrated focus is that We are Christian, Child-Focused and Community Empowering.
