Programme Policy Officer
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 and prosperity. Operating in Syria since 1964, WFP supports communities recovering from conflict and disaster, focusing on food security, resilience, and social protection. The organization works collaboratively with the Syrian government and various stakeholders to address overwhelming humanitarian needs.
Job Purpose
The Programme Policy Officer (NOA) in Homs will report to the Head of the Homs Field Office and serve as the Deputy Head of the Field Office. This role is crucial for overseeing the design, planning, and implementation of diverse programme activities, with a strong emphasis on emergency response, livelihoods, and resilience-building. The incumbent will lead social protection initiatives, manage partnerships with local government, UN agencies, and cooperating partners, and ensure compliance with WFP standards. Key responsibilities include assessing food needs, developing response plans, contributing to emergency preparedness, and enhancing WFP's leadership in relevant forums. The role requires translating WFP policies into practical field-level strategies, overseeing beneficiary registration and targeting, and exploring opportunities to strengthen local food systems. A significant aspect involves risk management, incorporating gender and protection perspectives, and ensuring effective collaboration across WFP units and with external stakeholders to achieve quality programming and sustainable outcomes.
Responsibilities
The Programme Policy Officer, under the Head of Field Office, translates WFP policies into practical field strategies. Responsibilities include developing and overseeing projects like emergency response, food assistance, school feeding, and livelihood support, using both in-kind and cash-based methods. The role involves assessing food needs during emergencies, creating response plans, and monitoring their implementation. It also includes contributing to emergency preparedness, risk analysis, and contingency planning. A key aspect is developing and maintaining operational partnerships with local governments, UN agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders to ensure effective program implementation, coordination, and sustainable outcomes. This includes negotiating Field Level Agreements (FLAs), providing guidance to partners for compliance, and strengthening their delivery capacity. The officer oversees beneficiary registration and targeting, ensuring alignment with WFP objectives and procedures. They also explore opportunities to strengthen local food systems, lead oversight of implemented activities, identify and mitigate risks, and collaborate with M&E teams to use feedback for improving service delivery. The role requires enhancing WFP's leadership in food security forums, incorporating gender and protection perspectives, and liaising with various WFP units and external stakeholders. Capacity building for partners and governments, and fostering learning within program teams are also essential duties. The officer must continuously assess risks impacting program effectiveness and organizational integrity.
Work Experience
Requires at least one year of relevant professional experience in a humanitarian organization, with exposure to program activities, emergency response, monitoring and evaluation, risk management, and identity management (IDM), if holding a Master's Degree. Alternatively, three years of relevant professional experience is required with a Bachelor's Degree. Desired experiences include knowledge of UN system policies for emergency response, understanding of WFP programs and field operations, and experience in humanitarian activities and policy issues.
Skills
Emergency Response, Livelihood Programming, Resilience Building, Social Protection Initiatives, Partnership Management, Programme Design and Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation, Risk Management, Identity Management, Cross-cultural Communication, Team Leadership, Needs Assessment, Humanitarian Policy, Advocacy, Capacity Building, Food Security Analysis, Nutrition Support, Cash-Based Assistance, School Feeding Programs, Gender and Protection Mainstreaming