Senior Technical Advisor_international Consultant

Organizational Context

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, dedicated to saving lives and building pathways to peace and prosperity. WFP operates in emergencies and uses food assistance to support recovery from conflict, disasters, and climate change impacts. The organization values diversity, inclusion, and invests in its employees' professional development.

Job Purpose

The Senior Technical Advisor will be seconded to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) in Lao PDR to strengthen national capacities in nutrition-sensitive and climate-smart agriculture, food systems transformation, and resilience building. This role is crucial for supporting Lao PDR's transition towards sustainable food systems and graduation from Least Developed Country status. The advisor will guide the integration of these priorities into MAE policies and programmes, enhance multisectoral coordination, and support engagement with development partners. The position aims to shift WFP's approach from direct implementation to strengthening national and local capacities, ensuring alignment with national development plans and WFP's strategic objectives in the country.

Responsibilities

The Senior Technical Advisor, seconded to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in Laos, will play a crucial role in addressing undernutrition and food insecurity. This position involves providing strategic and technical guidance to the Ministry, focusing on integrating nutrition-sensitive and climate-smart agriculture, livelihood approaches, resilience building, and food systems transformation into national policies and programs. The advisor will support the design, implementation, and monitoring of related initiatives, ensuring alignment with national strategies and development partner priorities. Key responsibilities include advising on policy changes, developing evidence-based approaches, and facilitating cross-sectoral coordination among agriculture, nutrition, health, education, and social protection sectors. The role also entails supporting the development of transition strategies towards sustainable food systems, engaging with development partners, and generating knowledge products to inform decision-making and program design. The advisor will contribute to strengthening institutional and technical capacities of government counterparts, ultimately aiming to improve children's and women's nutrition and foster sustained national economic growth by breaking the cycle of undernutrition and enhancing climate resilience.

Work Experience

Requires a minimum of 15 years of progressive experience in agriculture, rural development, or food systems programs. Must have proven experience in technical advisory roles with government institutions, particularly Ministries of Agriculture and Environment. Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing nutrition-sensitive and climate-resilient agriculture programs is also essential.

Skills

Nutrition-sensitive agriculture, Climate-smart agriculture, Food systems transformation, Resilience building, Multisectoral coordination, Policy analysis, Programme design and implementation, Stakeholder engagement, Capacity building, Knowledge management, Project monitoring and evaluation, Strategic planning, Data analysis, Value chain development, Market linkages

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