Regional Disability Inclusion Advisor, Consultant Level II, Regional Bureau for Eastern Africa (RBN) at World Food Programme (WFP)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

• WFP is known for its ability to deliver food assistance rapidly to people in need, especially in humanitarian crises caused by conflict, violence and natural hazards. In Eastern Africa, numerous multidimensional crises and shocks continue to have humanitarian consequences within the region and beyond. WFP is continuing to respond to emergencies within the region, strengthening preparedness along with early warning and analysis, while also increasingly shifting its focus to better support host governments and strengthen their capacities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and Goal 2 (zero hunger) in particular. As it delivers on its humanitarian and development mandate, WFP is committed to advance the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. The WFP Disability Inclusion Road Map (2020-2021), approved in November 2020, outlines a plan for the organization to operationalize the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) and its obligations to disability inclusion (DI), more broadly, through its operations and internal support functions. Beyond 2022, WFP has incorporated disability inclusion into its Strategic Plan for 2022-2025 outlining three goals: to realize the meaningful participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in all operations and programming; to integrate disability inclusion as a key consideration for management and support functions; and to become an employer of choice for persons with disabilities.
• In turn, the WFP Regional Bureau for Eastern Africa and the country offices it supports are taking the initiative to demonstrate how disability considerations can be successfully integrated into all aspects of WFP’s work, including programmes and operations, access to WFP offices and facilities, procurement and partnerships, and recruitment and mind-set of WFP personnel, partners, volunteers, and others. From an operational perspective, WFP will aim to ensure the meaningful participation and perspective of persons with disabilities in programmes its delivers and supports. This requires strong partnership with organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) and consultation with persons with disabilities in the populations that WFP aims to serve.
• The WFP Regional Bureau for Eastern Africa (RBN) provides strategic direction, technical support and oversight to WFP country offices in ten countries. Our Programme team includes experts who cover these core themes and others: Food Security Research, Analysis, and Mapping; Social Protection; Food Systems; School-based Feeding; Health and Nutrition; Climate and Disaster Risk Management; Environmental and Social Safeguarding; Emergency Preparedness and Response; Protection and Accountability to Affected People; and Gender. 
• The RBN is seeking a Disability Inclusion Advisor to help advance the implementation, key priorities and actions as part of a Regional roll-out on disability inclusion, and provide support to Country Offices to operationalize the plan as appropriate in their context. The Advisor will need to coordinate closely with technical experts in Headquarters and contribute to corporate learning and efforts under the Disability Road Map and UNDIS. The Advisor may be required to undertake field missions to emergency and hardship duty stations as part of this role, depending on security and other conditions.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Under the overall supervision of the Regional Head of Programme and under the technical, functional, and day-to-day supervision of the Regional Protection and AAP Advisor, with guidance from the Global Disability Inclusion Advisor, the consultant will be responsible for developing and supporting the implementation of a Regional Disability Inclusion Roadmap in line with an established workplan, as well as providing technical advice and support on disability inclusion to RBN units and country offices. 

Key Responsibilities (not exhaustive)

• Coordinate and monitor the development and implementation of a Regional Disability Inclusion roll-out;
• Establish and provide advisory support to an RBN Advisory Group and Implementation Team on Disability Inclusion and manage CBM Global Engagement and support to WFP in the Eastern Africa Region;
• Provide technical advice and support to RBN heads of unit for programme, supply chain, administration and human resources and their teams to implement respective priorities and actions under the Regional initiative and country work plans;
• Provide technical advice and support to RBN technical teams and country offices to identify and gain a deeper understanding of barriers and challenges for disability inclusion and recommend ways to overcome those in operations and programme implementation;
• Provide guidance on integration of disability considerations in tools, processes and plans across the programme cycle, from data collection for vulnerability analysis to programme design and implementation to monitoring and reporting, as well as advocacy and translation of analysis into policy and technical recommendations to governments, where relevant, in countries where WFP operates;
• Lead the review of existing tools, approaches, and guidance as they relate to disability inclusion between HQ, RBN, and country offices;
• Produce and support the dissemination of knowledge management products, fact sheets and good practice on disability inclusion-related issues across the region that can contribute to corporate learning;
• Support RBN and country offices to identify and build meaningful partnerships with OPDs and other UN agencies and organizations with expertise in disability-specific programming and mainstreaming

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support RBN and country office advocacy and communication efforts on disability inclusion.
• Support and advise communications and programmes teams on developing inclusive programme sensitization and awareness materials;
• Support broader RBN efforts to sensitize and build awareness of staff on disability inclusion and its relevance to their work
• Advocate for RBN country offices to select disability focal points and support to build their capacity to roll out and implement their action plans;
• Provide feedback from the regional discussions to inform WFP Headquarters' implementation of the WFP Global Road Map on Disability Inclusion and subsequent Workplans;
• Prepare / support the preparation of briefing notes and proposals and inputs for advocacy materials on disability inclusion.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: 

• Advanced degree in one or more of the following disciplines: social sciences, development studies, international relations, sociology or other relevant field.

Experience: 

• At least 6 (six) years of professional experience in relevant areas and at least 4 (four) years progressively responsible professional experience in disability inclusion in a humanitarian assistance context and/or disability inclusion for development projects;
• Experience in delivering training and conducting capacity-building for field operations and supporting senior managers in implementing new concepts;
• Experience in operational research and programme design in the areas covered under this TOR is desirable;
• Experience in coordinating, facilitating and/or working with OPDs;
• Experience in the Eastern Africa region is desirable; and
• Flexibility to travel frequently and on short notice, when necessary.

Knowledge and Skills: 

• Strong analytical, written, and oral communication skills, as well as conceptual thinking are essential;
• Client orientation with excellent interpersonal skills;
• Proven ability to produce outputs independently, while at the same time seeking innovative ways to integrate areas covered by this TOR in the work of other relevant units.

Languages: 

• Excellent command of English (written and spoken) is essential.  Fluency in French is desirable.