Programme Policy Officer (Statistician and Data Scientist) - VAM - NOA

Job Description

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXThese jobs are found in Country Offices (COs), Regional Bureaux (RBs), and Headquarters (HQ). Job holders performing front office management functions typically report to the Division Director or Country Directors. In cases where these positions support a specific business stream, the reporting line may be to the Head of Unit or Chief.At this level job holders are expected to demonstrate responsibility and initiative to respond independently to queries with only general guidance. They have responsibility for undertaking specialised business support work, such as organisation and coordination of work. There is a requirement to use judgment in dealing with unforeseen problems on a daily basis. Job holders are expected to manage resources, and coach and/or coordinate a team of support staff.JOB PURPOSEOver the last 6 years and because of the conflict and related break down of the economy in Yemen, the food security situation in Yemen has been worsening with an intermittent improvement in 2019. The December 2020 IPC results indicated that 16.2 million people would be food insecure (IPC 3+) in the first half of 2021, even when humanitarian food assistance is provided; this includes 47,000 people classified in IPC phase 5 (catastrophe). Thus, WFP plans to continue the reinforcement of the analytical capacities for improved food security and economic analysis services to be able to inform the programme.The research, assessment and monitoring unit undertakes regular large-scale surveys, monitoring activities, rapid assessments and mapping services to inform the WFP country officed with updated food security information including economic and price data. These help both programmatic decisions and advocacy efforts. Given the large and comprehensive datasets the CO has been able to collect and will continue to do so, for example through the Food Security and Livelihood Assessment (FSLA) or through remote calls, there is need to have additional statistical analysis and data science capacity available in WFP. The RAM unit in Sana?a is recruiting a statistician / data scientist to help design data collection tools, co-lead data analysis of different sets of data, contribute to setting up in country databases for RAM and manage automation of analysis and visualisation.KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

1. Contribute towards the development of a limited number of projects, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance.
2. Provide project management support to specific and defined programmes and projects of small to moderate size that are relatively straight forward in nature, ensuring a coordinated approach with wider programmes that complies with WFP standards and procedures.
3. Follow data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained.
4. Research and analyse policy and operational issues to support senior colleagues in the development of policies, programmes and activities.
5. 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.
6. Liaise with internal counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects.
7. Support the identification, development and management of potential partnerships to collaborative working leading to improved food assistance packages.
8. Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners and national government to prepare for and respond to food assistance needs, e.g. through project management support of learning initiatives.
9. Provide guidance to support staff, acting as a point of referral and assisting them with analysis and queries.
10. Other as required.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)Under the supervision of National Officer and with the overall guidance of the Head of VAM, the Statistician/Data Scientist will have the following responsibilities:

• Prepare, test, run and store standardized analysis codes for food security analysis
• Build econometric models to contribute to analysis of food security, prices, and poverty
• Develop codes for automated and predictive analysis
• Lead in the set-up of a database for RAM that captures price, food security, import and other data and that allows for exchange with other corporate databases
• Prepare data visualisations that are directly linked to data bases
• Contribute to the implementation of WFP?s standardized code book for data collection efforts in CO Yemen
• Contribute to finetuning data collection tools
• Prepare draft analytical narratives of analysis conducted
• Perform other related duties as required.

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