Programme Policy Officer (Emergency Preparedness and Response) NOB

Job Description

Outcome 1 of WFP?s Country Strategic Plan (CSP) for 2023?2025 in Lebanon focuses on ensuring vulnerable and food-insecure populations in Lebanon can meet their essential food and basic needs. In partnership with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), WFP provides unconditional cash assistance for food and basic needs to Syrian refugees. Simultaneously, WFP supports vulnerable Lebanese households impacted by the economic crisis and armed conflict through a combination of in-kind food assistance and targeted cash transfers leveraging existing national shock-responsive social safety nets. The Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Unit is the main entity in the Country Office responsible for ensuring proper coordination and operational planning of emergency preparedness measures and assistance implementation, while improving the delivery of assistance by considering recommendations from evaluations/missions and consultation with beneficiaries on different matters of concern. Moreover, EPR Unit oversees the effective resource utilization and distribution cycle management according to WFP rules and procedures, while ensuring close monitoring of operational risks, potentially requiring revision of the Activity One Implementation Plans (e.g. CBT transfer values and caseload adjustments, food basket composition, modality choice etc.).Contract Duration: 12 Months, (Renewable based on availability of funds, business needs and performance)Job Purpose: To provide support to policy and programme activities that effectively meet food assistance needs of vulnerable populations in Lebanon. The post is based in Beirut Country Office (CO) and the incumbent is to report to the Head of EPR Unit / International Programme Policy Officer, under the overall supervision of the Head of Programmes. The position de-facto serves as the Deputy Head of EPR Unit, overseeing all day-to-day operational activities, including distribution cycle management and emergency preparedness and response planning, requiring close coordination with field offices and other functional units involved in programme implementation. The incumbent will be expected to contribute to strengthening programmatic and strategic partnerships with relevant government ministries (e.g. the Disaster Risk Management Unit), other UN agencies (especially UNHCR) and key sector partners (through coordination with the Food Security and Agricultural Cluster) to ensure that the food and other basic needs of vulnerable women, men, girls and boys in in Lebanon are met. The incumbent will be expected to operate with a high degree of independence, manage more junior staff to ensure that programme and policy objectives are achieved in full. The selected candidate will be involved in a wide variety of programme and policy activities and analytical work, some of which may be of a considerable complexity. At this level job holders are expected to contribute to performance improvementKey Responsibilities (not all-inclusive, nor exhaustive): Within delegated authority and under the direct supervision of the Head of EPR Unit, the Programme Policy Officer (NOB) will be responsible for the following duties:

• Contribute towards the development of a wide variety of projects, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance.
• Provide project management support to specific and defined programmes and projects of considerable size/complexity, ensuring a coordinated approach with wider programmes that complies with WFP standards and procedures.
• Develop and coordinate data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained.
• Research and analyse a range of policy and operational issues to inform the development of policies, programmes and activities.
• Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on programmes and activities that enable informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
• Liaise with internal and external counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects and highlight potential risks to project delivery.
• Support the identification, development and management of potential partnerships to collaborative working leading to improved food assistance packages.
• Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to prepare for and respond to food assistance needs, e.g. through providing inputs into training materials.
• Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with analysis and queries.
• Other as required.

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