Back Regional Emergencies Programme Officer for Asia Pacific (119238)

JOB TITLE: Regional Emergencies Programme Officer, Asia Pacific

TYPE OF CONTRACT: Consultant

UNIT/DIVISION: Regional Bureau for Asia-Pacific (RBB) / Programme Unit (Emergency Preparedness & Response [EPR] team)

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Bangkok, Thailand

DURATION: 11 months, extendable

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Asia-Pacific is the most disaster affected region in the world, particularly susceptible to sudden-onset disasters that can outstrip short-term national response capacities and create unique challenges for timely delivery of international humanitarian assistance. To meet these challenges, the WFP Regional Bureau for Asia-Pacific (RBB) has strengthened its Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) capacity with the objective of improving the timeliness, efficacy and efficiency of national and regional humanitarian response. The RBB Programme Unit (EPR team) applies WFP’s humanitarian expertise and global mandate to a programme of response planning, gap identification, project design, sustainability planning and technical assistance to the implementation of EPR initiatives at national and regional levels throughout Asia-Pacific.

JOB PURPOSE

The Regional Emergencies Programme Officer (REPO) will support implementation of Asia-Pacific EPR activities and provide support to RBB technical units and Country Offices (CO), contributing to programme formulation, technical advice and programme oversight. The incumbent will also support the continued development of communications, coordination, information management and reporting to facilitate informed and timely decision-making at all levels throughout the region.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Reporting to the Regional Programme Adviser (Emergencies) and the Head of Programme, the REPO will be responsible for the following activities:

1. Contribute and support development and implementation of EPR initiatives, coordination, communications and Information Management in the region

· Support EPR programme implementation at the country-level. This includes liaison, planning, project development, implementation and financial oversight; facilitating emergency Simulation Exercises (SIMEX); as well as support to WFP emergency preparedness actions. Provide support to COs on integration of emergency preparedness in country portfolios and strategies, including strategic development of EPR-related areas in Country Strategy Plans (CSPs);

· Support EPR efforts at the regional level. This includes coordination through the Regional EPR Working Group, and leading the implementation of internal WFP emergency preparedness actions at the RBB level;

· Provide technical support and coordination on country-level EPR activities to other relevant technical areas including; Resilience, Data Preparedness, Corporate Capacity Strengthening (CCS), Climate Change and emergency nutrition, among others;

· Coordinate with WFP HQ-led global emergency preparedness initiatives implemented in the region;

· Support COs in government and inter-agency liaison, and coordination of national emergency capacity strengthening initiatives, eg. Supporting NDMAs;

· Support implementation of hazard monitoring and alerting services to ensure situational awareness and ‘no regrets’ mobilisation following sudden-onset events;

· Provide secretariat support for internal and regional coordination fora including RBB’s EPR Working Group;

· Liaise and communicate with HQ counterparts, relevant regional organisations and bodies, to establish/maintain operational partnerships and to identify opportunities for collaborative approaches and initiatives that improve emergency preparedness;

· Represent WFP at inter-agency fora, simulations and exercises as necessary;

· Facilitate dissemination of EPR lessons learned and best practices within the region, ensuring the maintenance of an RBB EPR community of practice with regular information/knowledge sharing. Plan, coordinate and facilitate EPR regional workshops, events or trainings, as needed;

2. Prepare, develop, and review high quality documentation for regional and country-level EPR initiatives, including contributing to joint resource mobilisation efforts

· Develop, share and/or review timely and high-quality analytical reports, publications, information products, Standard Operating Procedures and protocols for internal and external use;

· Contribute to resource mobilisation efforts for WFP EPR projects, including the development and drafting of proposal documentation;

3. Emergency surge deployment and mission travel (as needed)

· Provide surge capacity to sudden and slow-onset humanitarian emergencies on short notice in support of WFP country offices or establishment of WFP presence in oversight countries, as required;

· Any other travel or activities as required by the Regional Programme Adviser (Emergencies) and Head of Programme.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Education:

Advanced University degree in a field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Experience:

· 6 years or more of professional experience in humanitarian preparedness and response, including relevant experience in field operations;

· Has experience working across multiple areas of the food assistance portfolio including VAM/Nutrition/Resilience/Climate Change, in humanitarian settings;

· Experience in drafting and developing humanitarian project proposals and donor/end of project reports;

· Experience in country-level humanitarian operations in large-scale emergencies is an advantage;

· Experience supporting emergency food assistance (in-kind and/or cash based transfers) programming and distributions is an advantage;

· Experience working in collaboration with a diverse array of humanitarian actors, including governments, NGOs, U.N. agencies, civil society, etc.;

· Experience of coordination and facilitation of meetings, conducting trainings and facilitating workshops;

· Demonstrated skills in collaborative problem-solving, lateral thinking and systems development are an advantage;

· Experience working in the Asia-Pacific Region is desirable, but not required.

Knowledge & Skills:

· Has led a Sub-Office or a small country/area office programme team or a component of a country office programme portfolio;

· Has engaged in policy discussions and provided input into policy decisions;

· Professional familiarity with the IASC and the Cluster Approach and the international humanitarian response architecture, including coordination mechanisms, humanitarian reform, and funding mechanisms;

· Familiarity with standard Microsoft Office and project management applications including advanced competencies with Microsoft Excel and Publisher and similar type of software are an advantage.

Languages:

Excellent English communications skills, especially written/drafting, with strong attention to detail.