UN World Food Programme Policy Officer (Agriculture Market Support) Jobs in Uganda

UN World Food Programme Policy Officer (Agriculture Market Support) Jobs in Uganda

About WFP

United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes.

Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need. In emergencies, WFP gets food to where it is needed, saving the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After an emergency, WFP uses food to help communities rebuild their lives.

On average, WFP reaches more than 80 million people with food assistance in 80 countries each year. The organization has the global footprint, deep field presence and local knowledge and relationships necessary to provide access to food and contribute to lasting solutions, especially in many of the world’s most remote and fragile areas.

Brief Description of WFP in Uganda

WFP delivers food assistance in emergencies and work with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. WFP provides life-saving food assistance and livelihood opportunities to refugees in Uganda. In addition, WFP assists the most vulnerable people in Karamoja with food and nutrition assistance. Finally, WFP works with smallholder farmers and links them to markets.

As Uganda strives to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030 and become a middle-income country by 2040, WFP is also assessing its relevance and repositioning its role in Uganda.

Organizational Context

The UN World Food Programme (WFP), 2020 Noble Peace Prize winner, is the United Nations frontline agency in the fight against hunger. It is the largest and longest serving humanitarian agency in Uganda.

Karamoja sub-region where WFP has presence since 1964 is the poorest region in Uganda with over 80% population living under the poverty line. The region is prone to increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters, especially droughts, pests, and diseases (humans, crops, and livestock) in part because of climate change.

WFP interventions in Karamoja involve working closely with the nine District Local Governments (DLGs) in joint design and programming, evidence gathering, knowledge sharing, strengthening sub-national capacities and establishing partnerships with other development partners.

WFP in Karamoja focuses on the following areas: Nutrition specific and nutrition-sensitive programmes to treat and prevent malnutrition and reduce stunting; Building resilience to shocks and climate change in anticipation of increased food insecurity and limited livelihood opportunities; Ensuring school children receive nutritious meals to meet their basic food, nutrition and health needs and including increasing enrolment and attendance.

WFP programmes in Karamoja use food and cash to build assets, spread knowledge and nurture stronger, more dynamic communities that are food secure.

On average, WFP aims to bring food assistance to more than 1 million people in Karamoja sub region.

Job Purpose

The Programme Policy Officer (Agriculture Market Support) will be responsible for supporting the implementation of a range of smallholder livelihood and resilience-building activities, and is expected to strengthen agriculture markets in Karamoja sub-region to increase the earnings of smallholder farmers by reducing constraints to production, strengthen private sector engagement, improve market access for farmers, and increase economic opportunities for women and youth in agricultural value chains.

Additionally the incumbet will be expected to ensure that smallholder farmers (SHF) are achieving food security at the household level, and that through improved productivity and market access, they will be guaranteed sustainable income increase, as well as availability of nutritious food in local markets.

Key Accountabilities (not all-inclusive)

Provide technical support in designing, planning, and implementing initiatives that optimize value creation and commercialisation opportunities with a specific focus on climate-smart agriculture

and post-harvest loss management along priority value chains in Karamoja sub-region.

Coordinate farmer organisation development in collaboration with District Local Governments (DLGs) and other relevant stakeholders through undertaking profiling exercises, identifying, and recommending capacity strengthening needs and supporting District Production & Marketing Departments (DPMD) and District Commercial Offices (DCOs) to design and implement tailored capacity strengthening initiatives.

Collaborate with the partners to ensure regular community dialogues and sensitisation meetings on agricultural issues including agri-nutrition, climate-smart agriculture, post-harvest management, and storage, strengthening farmer extension systems and establishing community seed banks.

Provide specialised support to cooperating partners to ensure that the various activities are performed within the established targets following WFP’s policies and procedures.

Facilitate needs assessments of target smallholder farmers, farmer groups and aggregators/lead farmers, using standardized tools and approaches.

Facilitate WFP supported farmer organisations and farmer-friendly aggregation entities to access agricultural services by coordinating with key value chain stakeholders e.g. aggregators, micro-finance instiutions.

Key Accountabilities 2

Facilitate linkages of farmer groups to private sector entities for access to on and off farm equipment like the post-harvest handling equipment.

Monitor and assist cooperatives, farmer organisations and groups, and other aggregation entities to adhere to terms of produce delivery contracts facilitated by WFP.

Propose ways to strengthen the integration of gender, youth, nutrition, and climate action in all activities being implemented under Agriculture Market Support (AMS) programme.

Promote agriculture financing through establishment of Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLAs) and facilitate smallholder farmers’ financial inclusion through training and promotion of innovative digital financial services

Work and exchange information with internal counterparts to support effective collaboration, implementation, and monitoring of ongoing AMS activities.

Prepare a range of reports and data analysis (e.g., programme status, performance) and highlight trends/issues ensuring deliverables adhere to corporate standards and quality control.

Prepare a range of reports and data analysis, ensuring comprehensive reporting and documentation, based on data collected.

Standard Minimum Qualifications

Education:

University degree qualification from a recognised university (certified by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO) in Uganda in one of the following fields: Agriculture Economics, Agricultural Extension, Agronomy, Plant Sciences, Rural Development, Agribusiness Development, Post-Harvest Management, Agriculture & Food Systems, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Management, Livestock, Rural Development, Environment and Natural Resource Management, Watershed Management, Food Transformation or another relevant technical field.

Experience:

Responsible and relevant work experience in a humanitarian and development organisation and dealing with livelihoods, resilience building, market system development approach, nutrition, food security analysis, market linkages and etc.

Experience in working with smallholder farmers on climate- smart agriculture and post-harvest management support at scale. Working with small and medium enterprises (SME) in development.

Particular focus on selected value chains is required, with extensive experience working with value chain actors (including financial institutions, aggregators, government institutions, processors, and many others).

Experience working in such technical areas as livelihoods, resilience building, market system development approach, nutrition, food security analysis, market linkages, etc.

Demonstrated responsibility and initiative to respond independently to various queries with only general guidance and ability to use judgment in dealing with unforeseen operational problems.

How to Apply

For more information and job application details, see; UN World Food Programme Policy Officer (Agriculture Market Support) Jobs in Uganda

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