World Food Programme
Closing Date: 24 April 2016
I General information
Title:Programme Officer - Purchase for Progress (P4P) Innovations
Sector of Assignment:
Purchase for Progress (Market-Focused Agricultural Development)
Country:
GHANA
Location (City):
Tamale
Agency:
World Food Programme
Duration of Assignment:
Initially one year with the possibility to extend up to 3 years
Grade:
P1 step 1 or P2 step 1 in the first year, depending on the level of education and relevant working experience
Note: this post is opened in the context of the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme sponsored by the Government of the Netherlands and is addressed exclusively to people with the Dutch nationality. For criteria see the website of Nedworc Foundation:
http://www.nedworcfoundation.nl/Index.htm?hoofdpath=/NL/JPO/General%20In...
Please read the criteria and FAQ section carefully before considering applying
II Duties, responsibilities and Output Expectations
General
To build and strength partnerships between WFP Purchase for Progress (P4P) initiative and local and international, public and private organizations and institutions working in the area of market-focused agricultural development, post-harvest handling, good agricultural practices for the overall goal to improve access to markets for P4P Farmers’ Organizations (FOs) and other smallholder/ low-income farmers as part of P4P’s hand-over and mainstreaming strategy.
Responsibility 1
Summary of duties and expected output
Foster and strengthen linkages with other relevant WFP programs such as school feeding, nutrition interventions and assets creation/ resilience building in Northern, Upper West, Upper East, and Brong Ahafo regions in Ghana, in accordance with the Guidance for Integrated Approach developed by WFP Ghana to take effect in December 2015.
Liaise closely with heads of UNITs to exchange ideas about how best to integrate P4P activities with other programs’ interventions for maximum impact and optimization of resources.
Responsibility 2
Summary of duties and expected output
Contribute to the development of business linkages amongst P4P’s target smallholder/ low-income farmers and other potential markets beyond WFP, particularly caterers under the National School Feeding Programme in collaboration with the Ghana School Feeding Secretariat and other partners such as the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) and the Partnership for Child Development (PCD) and with USAID promoted Out-growers (OG) Business models.
Build the capacity of P4P and partner(s) supported smallholder/ low-income farmers/ FOs in the Northern Ghana through targeted trainings and workshops to ensure they gain valuable skills in marketing and business development.
Responsibility 3
Summary of duties and expected output
Collaborate with the Procurement Unit of WFP Ghana and direct a portion of WFP local procurement (if any) towards these Out-grower (OG) Business operators such as Nuclear Farmers and similar aggregators’ business models and track down impact at smallholder farmer level.
Identify and design assets creation/ resilience building activities which respond to the needs of P4P and partner(s) supported smallholder/ low-income farmers and other farming communities in WFP’s and partners’ intervention areas, and link these to various sources of demand.
Coordinate with relevant partners training and capacity building activities targeting P4P and partner(s) supported FOs and farming communities as required
Report writing (Regular updates and reports on progress of P4P and pro-smallholder activities) for internal and external uses
The JPO will perform other related duties and assignments as and when required
III Training component: Learning elements and expectations
Upon completion of the assignment the JPO will have/ will be able to:
Have a general understanding of WFP overall operations and activities in the country of assignment
Have a specific knowledge of the P4P Programme and related implementation challenges and opportunities
Have a sound knowledge of farmers’ organizations production, post-harvest and trading issues;
Be able to effectively communicate about P4P assistance, beneficiaries needs and stakeholders’ roles
Contribute actively to decisions processes, particularly regarding mainstreaming of P4P type activities and integration into wider country program activities.
The JPO training program includes the following learning elements:
The JPO will be expected to rapidly become a productive member of the Ghana Country Office. On arrival at the duty station, the JPO will be comprehensively briefed by the Head of Sub-Office in Tamale and by the P4P Coordinator in Accra about WFP rules, regulations and procedures as they apply to a Country Office. He/She will immerse him/herself in the office’s files, read the relevant information available on the P4P program and larger WFP Ghana Country Programme.
The JPO will travel extensively throughout the geographic area targeted by P4P and its partners, as well as the Country Program’s Assets Creation activities, first under supervision, and thereafter on his/her own in order to become familiar with Government and technical partners, the smallholders’ farmers communities benefiting from WFP assistance, donors and other national organizations. A short and relevant mission report will be completed by the JPO after each mission. He/she will also travel to the Accra Country Office to get more exposure on policy related issues regarding pro-smallholder market development.
Being part of a small sub-office team, the JPO will often be required to represent the WFP Tamale Sub-Office at meetings and workshops, thereby increasing his on-the job training opportunities. Depending on opportunities and availability of funds, he/she may participate in WFP regional workshops or seminars, as appropriate.
The JPO position includes a Duty travel and training allowance (DTTA) of $4000 per year, which may be used for learning activities related to the assignment and career development.
IV Supervision
Title of supervisor: Head of Tamale Sub-Office
Content and methodology of supervision
The JPO will be assessed in the same way as regular WFP staff, by setting up clear goals and expected outputs at the beginning of the year, and revising achievements through periodic reviews. Supervisors will give regular feedback and coaching.
V Required Qualifications and Experience
Education:
Master degree or equivalent in degree in Agriculture with special focus in one of or more of the following areas: Agricultural Economics, Agri-business, Agricultural Marketing or any other related discipline from a recognized institution.
Working experience:
Two to maximal 4 years relevant working experience, including internships and voluntary work.
Languages: Working knowledge of English (proficiency/level C) and intermediate knowledge (intermediate/level B) of another UN official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish).
Key competencies
Cognitive Capacity, Teamwork, Action Management, Innovation, Partnering, and Client-Orientation. Demonstrated ability to conceptualize, organize and focus complex issues; strong analytical skills and reporting skills; strong interpersonal skills and ability to establish effective working relationship with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds.
Proficiency in Windows, MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
VI Background information on Agency/Department/Section
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. We are currently seeking for a Junior Professional Officer to fill the position of Programme Officer – Purchase for Progress (P4P) Innovations with our WFP Office in Tamale, Ghana.
The Purchase for Progress (P4P) pilot phase program in Ghana with the initial duration of five years (2010 to 2015) is being funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFTAD). WFP is in the process of securing additional funding from DFATD to scale up P4P activities until 2020. The main objective of the project is to build the capacity of the beneficiaries to enable them to improve access markets that offer fair prices.
Geographical coverage and targeted Farmers Organizations (FOs): 10 rice, maize and cowpeas FOs in Northern Region (Tamale Metropolis, Sanarigu, Tolon & Kumbungu districts) and 16 maize and cow-peas FOs in Ashanti Region (Ejura-Sekyeredumasi district), for a total of 1,524 smallholder/low-income farmers who are supported directly through the P4P pilot project.
VII Information on living conditions at Duty Station
The City of Tamale is the capital of the Northern Region of Ghana. According to the Ghana Statistical Services the population of Tamale is estimated at 350,000. Life in Tamale is easy-going with friendly local people as well as with friendly expats both short-term and long-term. Tamale is a (relatively) peaceful and growing city, which attracts expats since a number of projects/program by development partners and private sector focus on the Northern Ghana where there are needs and opportunities. Being in Tamale is an advantage to get closer to the reality or lives of local people including smallholder farmers. You will enjoy tangible experiences both from professional and from private lives there.
VIII How to apply
Applications only on-line through the WFP homepage: http://www.wfp.org/careers/jpo > Netherlands
The deadline for application is: 24th April 2016 midnight.
Applicants will receive acknowledgement of receipt of their submission.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
