VAM Officer NOA at World Food Programme (WFP)

JOB PURPOSE

The Programme Policy Officer will contribute to VAM evidence base that supports food security and nutrition policies and programmes (e.g., needs and market assessments and situation analyses, programme design, targeting, cost effectiveness, and operational efficiencies. They will advise on emerging technologies and provide geo-spatial data analytics and data visualizations to support contextual analyses and decision-making, and to enable data-driven project planning, implementation, monitoring, and communication of results.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

• Contribute to the development of VAM projects and activities, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider WFP policies and guidance.
• Support the development of systems and tools for the monitoring and assessment of food assistance needs in line with innovative methodologies and best practice.
• Support the development of food and nutrition security and vulnerability analysis and the preparation of timely reports on food and market information needs in line with wider VAM policies, processes, and guidance to enable effective decision-making on the development of country strategy, policies and programmes.
• Plan, design and lead market assessments, value chain analysis, surveys, and special studies to inform market-based programming in the various WFP Kenya Country Office outcomes and activities.
• Provide technical advice on the composition and costing of the Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB), the Minimum Food Basket (MFB), including their use in determining of Cash & Voucher transfer values.
• Support on the coordination of data gathering and monitoring systems ensuring that rigorous quality standards are maintained.
• Support in the design and maintenance of digital platforms for data analysis and data visualizations, including geospatial analysis, to support programme activities and provide background for decision-making and planning (using, e.g., MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, Tableau, Power BI, ArcGIS).
• Support the capacity building of WFP staff, partners, and national government to conduct vulnerability and market analysis to effectively inform preparedness and response activities.
• Participate in relevant coordination and technical forums with Government, agencies and partners ensuring WFPs views are represented and for exchange of information and joint initiatives.
• Provide training and support to relevant partners that are focusing on food security and nutrition issues to enable sharing of experience, lessons learned and best practice.
• Guide and supervise staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with analysis and queries.
• Act in an assigned emergency response capacity as required to meet emergency food assistance needs.
• Other as required.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• University degree in Economics, Food Security, Statistics, agri-business, Data Science, Public Health/Nutrition, Geography, Agriculture, Development studies or a field relevant to International Development Assistance.

Experience:

• Minimum two years professional postgraduate experience in the field of market, prices, and value chain analysis.
• Experience in handling both qualitative and quantitative data (e.g., collecting, cleaning, visualizing, interpreting).
• Experience in collaborative work with national governments, other UN agencies and key stakeholders in food and nutrition security.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Demonstrated proficiency in the use of several statistical tools and methods for food and nutrition security analysis.
• Developed practical expertise in food security analysis and mapping by participating in multiple assessments, including the design, data collection analysis and reporting.
• Demonstrated technical knowledge and understanding of WFP vulnerability mapping systems and emergency assessment standards.
•  Data analytics and visualization with Business Intelligence Tools like Tableau or MS Power BI.
• Geospatial data analytics (e.g. modelling, mapping with GIS software like ArcGIS, QGIS).

Languages:

• Fluency (level C) in English language.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Demonstrated proficiency in the use of several statistical tools and methods for food security analysis.
• Developed practical expertise in food security analysis and mapping by participating in multiple assessments in countries, including the design, data collection and analysis.
• Demonstrated technical knowledge and understanding of WFP vulnerability mapping systems and emergency assessment standards.