Regional Forecast-based Financing Advisor – P3 – STP At World Food Programme

Are you ready for SAVING LIVES CHANGING LIVES of the world’s most vulnerable people?
If yes, this opportunity is for you!

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles. Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Job Title: Regional Forecast-based Financing Advisor
Grade: P3
Type of contract: Short Term Professional
Vacancy Number: 144508
Duration: 11 months
Duty Station: Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is a leading organization delivering food assistance and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. We also support governments of developing countries in their efforts to eliminate hunger and malnutrition by addressing the underlying causes and disparities in access to food and good nutrition to ensure that no one is left behind in line with the Agenda2030, Sustaining Peace and Agenda for Humanity. WFP is particularly focused on Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and Goal 17 (Partnerships).

The 2020 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to WFP is recognition that ending hunger is a critical first step towards global peace. WFP recognizes that one of the greatest contributions it can make to humanity is to provide a voice to the 690 million hungry people in the world. The Nobel Peace Prize gives us a platform to make their needs heard and to mobilize support for the assistance they need.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THIS ASSIGNMENT

The Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBB) provides guidance and support to seventeen WFP Country Offices (COs) and governments on activities related to climate risk management, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. These services range from climate analyses to understand climate change impacts on food security and nutrition to providing technical and policy advisory services to Country Offices and Governments.

WFP uses Forecast-based Financing (FbF) as a means to facilitate early actions to mitigate and reduce the impacts of extreme weather events, including food insecurity and vulnerability, for at-risk and exposed populations. By releasing funds early based on early warning information and impact projections linked to contingency plans and other anticipatory actions, FbF can reduce subsequent humanitarian assistance needs after a disaster has occurred.

WFP’s FbF approach, so far, in Asia-Pacific has focused on sudden-onset hazards such as floods and cyclones in Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines. WFP now seeks to expand its work on FbF to other countries, including Afghanistan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Pacific and Pakistan, to complement and build on other anticipatory action investments and opportunities. WFP will focus at both sudden and slow-onset hazards according to country-level priorities.

The RBB is seeking an expert in FbF systems to provide technical advice, support and coordinate its work in this area. We envision that the FbF expert will help establish and strengthen partnerships with other institutions and regional inter-governmental bodies (including ASEAN), identify and support opportunities for collaboration and advocate for FbF and the anticipatory action agenda in the region.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Under the supervision of the WFP Regional Programme Policy Officer for Resilience and Emergency Preparedness and Response and in close collaboration with Climate Advisors in RBB and Headquarters, the FbF Regional Coordinator will be responsible for the following:

1. Support the operationalization of the WFP Regional Roadmap for Anticipatory Action (2021-2023), also reflected in country-level priorities and workplans and in accordance with recommendations on evidence generation, partnerships and resource mobilization. Provide guidance and technical expertise to WFP COs as they design and implement and help national partners to institutionalized FbF through remote and in-country guidance and support and connecting countries offices with other experts and partners. Support may include the following:
   (i) undertake feasibility studies and capacity gaps assessment to develop and operationalize national FbF systems;
   (ii) assess and address capacity gaps in national Disaster Risk Management (DRM) frameworks and CO operations (where applicable);
   (iii) develop forecast triggers and thresholds for fast- and slow-onset hazards in consultation with partners;
   (iv) develop or contribute to repositories of anticipatory actions;
   (v) co-develop/implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for anticipatory actions together with government and humanitarian partners;
   (vi) implement monitoring and evaluation processes and invest in return-on-investment and impact analyses;
   (vii) make capacity investments to design, adapt and ensure the integration of FbF into national DRM systems and processes.
2. Support and provide guidance to institutional capacity assessments for national meteorological agencies, agrometeorological advisory departments, and intermediary organizations to support FbF systems. This may include a review of available climate information products (e.g., weather alerts, forecasts and seasonal outlooks) at local, national and regional scales, to determine possible entry-points and improvements to existing efforts.
3. Support FbF actions with partners, including:
   (i) co-development of vulnerability thresholds, forecast tools and triggers; establishment of information transfer and mechanisms;
   (ii) identification of appropriate anticipatory actions and resilience building interventions for different sectors/livelihoods; and
   (iii) development and testing of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with forecast thresholds and triggers for anticipatory actions.
4. Broker strategic partnerships with stakeholders for policy engagement and advocacy at regional level and help CO staff connect with partners, including research institutions and service providers, on implementation, evidence generation and institutional systems strengthening. Support and represent WFP, as required, at high-level dialogues such as the Asia-Pacific Regional Dialogue Platform on anticipatory humanitarian action.
5. Provide oversight for WFP FbF activities and support compliance with quality standards and guidance and reporting of results.
6. Work closely with other technical experts in the RBB to ensure alignment of the FbF portfolio within regional programmatic and policy priorities and capitalize on opportunities to link FbF with other anticipatory action investments such as WFP’s PRISM (Platform for Real-time Impact and Situation Monitoring) and shock-responsive social protection and partnerships with RIMES, UK Met Office and the Asia Disaster Preparedness Center.
7. Provide technical inputs and advice on FbF for climate finance proposals working closely with the WFP Regional Climate Advisor. This may include the facilitation of introductory and advanced sessions on FbF to CO staff and government stakeholders, technical guidance to climate finance consultants, technical inputs to M&E frameworks and support with terms of references and recruitment of FbF experts in COs.
8. Work with COs and RBB teams to ensure the robust set-up of and implementation of country M&E frameworks and tools to ensure evidence generation and the capture of lessons learnt. Support COs to access technical and financial resources through the WFP Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) and Anticipatory Action Account (AAA) and technical inputs for the preparation of proposals for climate financing.
9. Support other activities as required.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT

• Anticipatory Action SOPs at country level which include thresholds, triggers, actions, costs, timelines, and relevant stakeholders in each of the countries implementing FbF/anticipatory action;
• Validated annual workplans and budgets for GFFO and FbF activities in the region;
• Successful management and timely submission of reports and financial oversight of the GFFO projects;
• Produce or contribute to analytical products generated on FbF in visually engaging formats. This may include monitoring reports, country-case studies published following an FbF activation, return-on-investment and impact studies and a regional report on good practices and lessons learned from FbF and other anticipatory actions;
• Regional and national workshops and sessions delivered on FbF for advocacy, WFP positioning and capacity strengthening.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Education:

Minimum Bachelor degree (Master degree is preferable) in environmental sciences, climatology, meteorology, hydrology, geography, climate sciences or other related field.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressively responsible work experience with Bachelor degree or 5 years for candidate with Master degree in forecast-based financing (FbF) or forecast-based action (FbA),weather or seasonal forecasting, early warning systems and/or project management related to any of these topics.
• Experience in the application of climatology/meteorology skills to a wider development context, such as: integration of climate information (short-term to seasonal timescale) into food security early warning and monitoring systems.
• Experience working with and providing direct technical assistance and capacity strengthening support to National Hydro-Meteorological Agencies, Disaster Management Authorities, and sub-national government stakeholders.
• Previous work experience in the Asia-Pacific region is an asset for this position

Knowledge & Skills:

• Advanced knowledge of Forecast-based Financing/Anticipatory Action systems as well as other innovative disaster risk management and financing tools and approaches.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and set priorities.
• Excellent communication skills (orally and writing).
• Ability to work in and across teams and establish effective working relations with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Languages:

Fluent in English. Second official UN language is advantageous.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Tuesday 3 August 2021 23:59 hrs Bangkok time.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
To be considered, interested candidates are invited to apply via (https://www.wfp.org/careers/job-openings)

Female applicants, individuals with disabilities and those from developing countries, are encouraged to apply.

WFP is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the selection & recruitment process, and for work-related needs upon joining the Programme. WFP has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority or discrimination. All selected candidates will, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.