International Consultant - Programme Policy Officer (early Warning and Famine Prevention)

Organizational Context

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, dedicated to saving lives in emergencies and building pathways to peace, stability, and prosperity. WFP utilizes food assistance to support people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impacts of climate change. The organization values diversity, inclusion, and invests in employee development, offering a dynamic and multicultural work environment.

Job Purpose

The Programme Policy Officer (Early Warning and Famine Prevention) will be instrumental in strengthening WFP's early warning systems in Afghanistan, a country facing a severe food security and nutrition crisis. This role involves developing and implementing a comprehensive early warning strategy that integrates famine, disaster, and nutrition risks to inform timely, evidence-based programming and operational responses. The officer will lead the analysis of complex data, provide expert guidance on targeting for emergency and development programs, and optimize resource allocation for maximum efficiency and equity. Key responsibilities include managing an early warning and GIS workstream, building capacity for WFP and partners, and driving innovations to ensure WFP Afghanistan's systems are cutting-edge. This position requires significant independence in leading initiatives, coordinating with various units, and representing WFP in stakeholder meetings, ultimately contributing to enhanced crisis mitigation and community resilience.

Responsibilities

The Programme Policy Officer (Early Warning Analyst) in Afghanistan is responsible for strengthening early warning systems to address severe food security and nutrition crises. This role involves developing and implementing a comprehensive early warning strategy that integrates famine, disaster, and nutrition risks, tailored to the complex Afghan context and WFP operations. The officer will provide expert analysis and guidance for internal and external operations, including geographical targeting based on near real-time monitoring of food security and nutrition drivers. Key duties include managing an early warning and GIS workstream, fostering partnerships, leading project management and innovation, and building early warning capacities for WFP and its partners. The position requires producing integrated context and food security analysis, ensuring it informs and drives concrete changes in programming and operations across various units and teams. This includes both reactive responses to emerging issues and proactive utilization of analysis to prevent programmatic challenges and anticipate analytical needs. The role also involves supporting Area Offices, collaborating with other units like Gender & Protection and Security, and acting as a liaison with external stakeholders such as research organizations and academic institutions. Furthermore, the officer will contribute to anticipatory action by developing systems to activate responses, engaging communities in co-designing plans, and enhancing inter-agency collaboration. Fundraising support includes identifying opportunities, preparing proposals, and contributing to donor engagement and reporting. The role also entails representing WFP in partner meetings, ensuring gender perspectives and conflict sensitivity in all work, and performing emergency response duties as required.

Work Experience

Requires at least 6 years of professional experience, specifically in famine early warning and general context analysis. Must be able to identify national or subnational hunger issues, design context-specific programs integrating complex analysis and food assistance tools, and translate emergency/conflict situation understanding into effective approaches. Familiarity with WFP programming, food security, and major contextual issues in Afghanistan (or willingness to rapidly acquire this knowledge) is essential. Advanced knowledge of food insecurity measurement, humanitarian data collection/management/analysis, and the IPC framework is also required. Strong initiative, communication, interpersonal skills, and the ability to work independently and in teams are necessary.

Skills

Early Warning Systems, Food Security Analysis, Nutrition Analysis, Geographical Targeting, Project Management, Data Analysis, GIS, Partnership Building, Capacity Building, Proposal Writing, Donor Engagement, Conflict Sensitivity, Gender Mainstreaming, Emergency Response, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation

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