Programme & Policy Officer -Social Protection Officer At World Food Programme

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is well known for its ability to deliver food assistance rapidly to people in need. To continue responding effectively to challenging contexts while also contributing to longer-term efforts to end hunger, WFP is in the process of strengthening its engagement and support to national social protection systems and safety nets, as part of efforts to support governments with their fight against hunger.

In this context, the Libya Country Office (CO) is enhancing its support to the Government of Libya to social assistance being provided through the National Poverty Targeting Component and beyond, as well as support national system-strengthening and capacity-building efforts as part of this.

JOB PURPOSE: This position is intended to ensure dedicated expertise to lead support to national social protection and safety nets efforts by the Government in Libya, in line with the Country Office’s Interim Country Strategic Plan, including contributing to policy formulation, technical guidance on programme strategy and implementation and associated delivery mechanisms.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive, within delegated authority):

1. Define and provide strategic direction for CO social protection engagement

1.1. Provide strategic thinking and direction on the CO’s role in social protection programming identifying opportunities for WFP’s positioning and engagement in this area;

1.2. Formulate CO strategy in social protection in line with organisational and regional strategy and the practical realities of operating in the field, including formulating clear programme and implementation plans related to social protection, and translating WFP programme policy into Country level practices, programming and implementation modalities and operations, working in close conjunction with CO management and relevant CO teams. This includes considerations for transition in a peace context, from humanitarian to longer-term programming, working closely with all relevant units in the CO;

1.3. Inform CO engagement in and support specific national social protection schemes;

1.4. Inform strategic and technical Programme development, fostering integration of the work of relevant technical teams (cash based transfers, school feeding, nutrition, emergency preparedness and response planning, TEC…), including liaising as required with the Regional Bureau and Headquarters focal points as required;

1.5. Based on the findings of WFP: World Bank joint assessment on social protection programmes, identify options for building Libya’s targeting and national social registry systems for implementing mitigation programs.

1. Lead WFP’s technical work on social protection and capacity strengthening

2.1. Lead WFP’s engagement with the work with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) and other relevant line ministries in their efforts to bolster the national social protection system in Libya;

2.2. Support on-going initiatives relevant to social protection together with key partners, such as the World Bank and UN sister agencies;

2.3. Provide technical advice and help mobilize additional technical expertise for Government, on a wide range of programme and policy issues related to social protection including on analysis, objectives, activities, transfer modalities, the deployment and testing of innovative approaches and the development of strategies to support government efforts to reduce hunger and malnutrition through national social protection systems;

2.4. Provide technical assistance to Government counterparts on the development of strategy and systems for social programmes;

2.5. Advise and support the development of functional training in areas of expertise to enhance the capacity of Government counterparts to design and deliver effective programming;

2.6. Facilitate knowledge capture, documentation and exchange to develop innovative approaches to better design and implement social protection systems.

1. Partnerships

3.1. Inform partnership development with Government, International Financial Institutions, sister UN agencies and development partners, laying out a roadmap towards that and support building a policy dialogue on social protection;

3.2. Maintain established partnerships and develop new ones in line with opportunities for collaborative approaches and initiatives, working closely with the Partnerships team;

3.3. Maintain a network of national and international social protection professional contacts;

3.4. Attend external events linked to social protection, as needed;

3.5. Identify new funding opportunities for the social protection unit and develop funding proposals;

3.6. Together with the World Bank, co-chair the Social Protection Platform meetings.

1. Involvement in broader Social Protection discussions

4.1. Act as a WFP’s subject-matter expert on social protection for the elaboration of the national social protection policy;

4.2. Represent WFP in policy dialogue on social protection with key actors (e.g., Ministries, UN agencies, social partners);

4.3. Enhance WFP’s leadership in different forums on issues related to social protection through direct participation, briefings, information products and other knowledge products;

4.4. Contribute to facilitating the national social protection policy development process through the coordination, preparation, moderation and reporting of the policy drafting committee’s technical group on shock responsive social protection;

4.5. Support CO to build a policy dialogue on social protection with the host government and development partners;

4.6. Coordinate WFP activities to assist in the completion of a national social protection policy more specifically regarding the shock responsive social protection strategic axis of the policy document, including the hiring and oversight of WFP consultants, internal and external experts.

1. Evidence building

5.1. Manage or oversee operational research and evidence building on issues relevant to social protection and the related dissemination of reports and information products.

1. Team management

6.1. Manage the social protection workplan to ensure deliverables are met in a timely manner;

6.2. Ensure the best use of assigned financial resources for achievement of set objectives;

6.3. Develop, lead and motivate a team to support social protection efforts within the Tunis and Libya offices to enable high performance;

6.4. Support team members through coaching and guidance to support performance and ensure appropriate development. Conduct targeted trainings for staff, as required;

6.5. Take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives in all areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men;

6.6. Contribute to Country Office Emergency Preparedness i.e. early warning, risk analysis, and contingency planning in order to respond to humanitarian crises and needs;

6.7. Other tasks as required and assigned by the supervisor or senior management.