The World Food Programme is the food assistance branch of the United Nations and the world’s largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger and promoting food security. WFP is part of the United Nations system and is voluntarily funded. Born in 1961, WFP pursues a vision of the world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. We work towards that vision with our sister UN agencies in Rome — the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) — as well as other government, UN and NGO partners. On average, WFP reaches more than 80 million people with food assistance in 82 countries each year. 11,367 people work for the organization, most of them in remote areas, directly serving the hungry poor. To learn more, watch the video outlining our mission, read our Mission Statement and our 2013 Annual Performance Report or download the Infographic.
- Job Type Contract
- Qualification BA/BSc/HND , MBA/MSc/MA
- Experience 8 years
- Location Borno
- City Maiduguri
- Job Field NGO/Non-Profit , Project Management
JOB PURPOSE
To deliver against the above, Nigeria Country Office is seeking an experienced national Partnership Officer (NOC) to act as a primary reference point between WFP and Borno State Government institutions.
Under direct supervision of the Head of Area Office, the incumbent will operate in close collaboration with all Head of Units/Subject matter experts (SMEs) as relevant. Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for carrying out the following tasks and responsibilities:
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
- Foster, strengthen and promote collaboration between Borno State Government and WFP through enhanced coordination, communication and capacity strengthening.
- Provide technical support and expert advice to the Government teams in the areas of food security, nutrition and other relevant programmatic areas for better advocacy in resource mobilization and utilization, and service delivery;
- Identify capacity gaps within government institutions and facilitate relevant training programs. Enhance the understanding of humanitarian principles and coordination mechanisms among government officials, fostering a more effective and coordinated response to ensure a cohesive approach;
- Advocate for increased government engagement and support for humanitarian efforts. Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with relevant government departments, ministries, and agencies to enhance collaboration;
- Proactively identify and highlight opportunities and propose the course of action to nurture a wide range of aspects of common interest;
- Facilitate dialogue between the Government and WFP on issues pertaining the partnerships through preparation of briefing materials and joint field visits;
- Using socio-political insights, prepare an engagement strategy and provide guidance on strategic alignment of WFP work with Government priorities and emerging issues to achieve impact;
- Support convening of key stakeholders including the Government, Donors, UN Agencies, and Private sector to build coalition and synergies on critical matters of common interest (i.e. capacity strengthening, climate change, food security and nutrition, etc.) using existing coordination mechanisms;
- Monitor the implementation of joint initiatives, ensuring compliance with agreed frameworks and guidelines. Prepare periodic reports on progress, challenges, and recommendations to inform decision-making processes;
- Participate in key meetings with relevant stakeholders including civil military coordination;
EDUCATION:
- Advanced University degree in Political Science, International Development, International Relations, Communications, Sociology, Social Research Methods or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
EXPERIENCE:
- 8 or more years of relevant professional experience related to national development programmes, policies, strategies or plans and institutional structures, preferably in relation to food security and/or nutrition and revolving around national capacity strengthening and/or programme and knowledge management;
- Deepened experience in technical coordination and operational support to state governments;
- Has a good understanding of government and corporate strategies and priorities and gained experience in developing multi-stakeholder partnerships;
- Has gained significance experience in exploring new opportunities and providing inputs to design and develop solutions with prospective partners;
- Has developed long-term partner relationships and expanded engagements across geographies and sector;
- Strong analytic, communication and interpersonal skills, including training and facilitation skills and demonstrated experience in conceptual analysis, planning and organizational skills.
LANGUAGES:
- Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of Kanuri and/or Hausa languages.
