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JOB TITLE: Programme Policy Officer (social protection)
TYPE OF CONTRACT: CST – Level II
UNIT/DIVISION: Chad Country Office - Programme Unit
DUTY STATION (City, Country): N’Djamena, Chad
DURATION: 06 months (Extendable)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency working to combat hunger and malnutrition. WFP delivers food assistance in emergencies and works with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists more than 100 million people in over 120 countries and territories. Guided by its mandate to support food security and nutrition objectives, WFP also increasingly contributes to strengthening national systems—particularly social protection systems—to reduce vulnerability and build pathways toward sustainable development.
Across the Sahel region, overlapping shocks—climate extremes, conflict and insecurity, forced displacement, high food prices, and political instability—have continued to undermine livelihoods and drive food insecurity. The region faces chronic structural vulnerabilities, with limited basic services, high demographic growth, and large portions of the population working in informal or subsistence economies. As a result, many Sahelian countries are prioritizing the development of national social protection systems that can help break the cycle of poverty and build resilience among the most vulnerable populations.
In this context, WFP Country Offices across the Sahel, with support from the Regional Bureau in Dakar, are increasingly engaging with governments and partners to strengthen social protection systems that are shockresponsive, risk-informed, and inclusive. In particular, WFP is supporting governments to improve coverage, build national social registries, institutionalize emergency response mechanisms, and align humanitarian assistance with national systems. These efforts are part of broader commitments, including the ECOWAS Social Protection Framework, the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, and the operationalization of adaptive social protection approaches across the region.
In Chad, the Government has expressed strong commitment to strengthening social protection as a tool for poverty reduction, food security, and crisis response. WFP Chad is actively supporting national efforts through technical assistance, capacity strengthening, and programme implementation, in close collaboration with partners such as UNICEF, the World Bank, and key government institutions. This includes support to the national social registry, safety net programmes, and school feeding as part of the national education and social protection strategies.
Since 2024, WFP and UNICEF have been implementing the Sahel Social Protection Joint Project, a large-scale initiative funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by KfW, the German Development Bank. The programme is active in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali,
Mauritania, and Niger, and aims to support national governments in building resilient and responsive social protection systems that can scale in times of crisis, particularly to address climate and conflict-related shocks. The initiative places strong emphasis on coordination, systems strengthening, risk-informed approaches, and the integration of humanitarian and development responses.
To reinforce these efforts and respond to growing demand from national counterparts, WFP Chad is seeking a Social Protection Programme Policy Officer to provide strategic and technical leadership in the design and implementation of social protection initiatives. The consultant will play a key role in ensuring that WFP’s interventions are aligned with national priorities, integrated into government systems, and responsive to the evolving needs of vulnerable populations—particularly in the context of increasing climate and conflictrelated risks.
JOB PURPOSE
To deliver against the above, the consultant will operate under the supervision of the Head of Human Capital, and in close collaboration with relevant functional units (Resilience, VAM, CBT, School Feeding, Monitoring & Evaluation, etc.). The consultant will support the strategic positioning and operational roll-out of WFP’s social protection portfolio in Chad. This includes contributions to national policy dialogue, the development and implementation of shock-responsive systems, and coordination with government stakeholders, UN agencies, and development partners.The incumbent will be responsible for carrying out the following tasks and responsibilities:
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
1.Strategic Positioning & Policy Engagement
Support WFP Chad’s strategic engagement in national social protection policy processes, including the implementation and operationalization of the National Social Protection Strategy and related legislative frameworks.
Support advocacy and policy dialogue efforts with government and partners to facilitate the finalization and validation of the National Social Protection Strategy, ensuring it reflects inclusive, risk-informed, and shock-responsive approaches.
Provide policy advice and technical inputs to ensure WFP’s programming aligns with national systems and priorities.
Support the expansion and operationalization of the national social registry as a core building block of the social protection system, including its use in both routine and crisis-response contexts.
Contribute to the integration of social protection interventions within the national response plan to the crisis in the East, in coordination with relevant humanitarian and development stakeholders.
Maintain close communication and regular coordination with the West Africa Regional Bureau to ensure alignment of national activities with regional strategies, facilitate knowledge sharing, and support coherent programmatic approaches across countries in the Sahel.
2.Management of the Sahel Social Protection Joint Project (WFP–UNICEF)
Oversee the implementation of the Sahel Social Protection Joint Project in Chad, in close collaboration with the Government, UNICEF, and relevant national stakeholders, ensuring effective coordination and alignment with regional priorities.
Lead WFP’s contribution to joint planning, implementation monitoring, and reporting (both internal and donor-facing), in coordination with the M&E, Programme, and Finance teams.
Coordinate the engagement of implementing partners (including financial service providers, NGOs, and technical partners), ensuring the quality, efficiency, and strategic alignment of their contributions to programme objectives.
Facilitate joint programme reviews, learning events, and harmonization activities with UNICEF and government counterparts to support adaptive management and continuous improvement.
Ensure that all programme documentation, communications, and visibility materials accurately reflect the results, lessons, and contributions of WFP and its partners under the Joint Programme in Chad.
3.Programme Design, Implementation & Shock-Responsive Approaches
Lead or support the design and implementation of social protection interventions, with a focus on contributing to the development of one coherent national social protection programme, integrating components such as shock-responsive and productive safety nets, school feeding, and the national social registry.
Integrate risk-informed and anticipatory approaches into programme design, including mechanisms for vertical and horizontal expansion of assistance in response to shocks.
Contribute to the development and operationalization of early warning systems, trigger-based assistance, and anticipatory action frameworks, in collaboration with Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) and VAM teams.
Support national efforts to define the future vision and operational model for lean season assistance, with the objective of progressively embedding it within national systems and aligning it with broader social protection strategies.
4.Government & Partner Engagement
Strengthen coordination with relevant ministries (Social Affairs, Planning, Education, Agriculture, etc.) and institutions such as INSEED, Office National de Sécurité Alimentaire etc.
Support government capacity strengthening through technical assistance, training, and knowledge exchange activities – including roll out of TRANSFORM training.
5.Interagency & Donor Coordination
Represent WFP in interagency working groups on social protection and resilience (e.g., Social protection Task Force, Resilience working group etc.).
Contribute to donor engagement and resource mobilization efforts, including proposal development and donor reporting.
Support the organization and facilitation of donor visits and high-level missions, ensuring strong coordination with government and UN partners and effective communication.
6.Evidence Generation & Knowledge Management
Support the monitoring and evaluation of social protection interventions and the documentation of best practices and lessons learned.
Contribute to regional knowledge exchange efforts and WFP’s engagement in regional initiatives (e.g., Sahel Joint Programme, ECOWAS, Global Accelerator).
7.Cross-Cutting Issues
Ensure the integration of gender, protection, and disability inclusion into social protection programming.
Contribute to conflict-sensitive programme design and implementation, especially in fragile and crisis-affected areas.
8.Other Duties as Required
• Perform other tasks as needed to support the success of WFP’s social protection work in Chad.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education:
Advanced University degree (or equivalent experience) in Public Policy, International Development, Social Sciences, Economics, or related field.
Experience:
At least 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience in social protection, humanitarian programming, or resilience-building—preferably 7 years— with demonstrated expertise in programme design, policy engagement, and coordination with government and development partners.
Proven experience working with government institutions on social policy development or programme implementation, ideally in low-income or fragile contexts.
Demonstrated experience in the design, implementation, or evaluation of social protection or safety net programmes, including shock-responsive or adaptive approaches.
Previous experience in the Sahel region is highly desirable.
Experience working with WFP or another UN agency is considered an asset.
Knowledge
& Skills:
Solid understanding of social protection systems and their links to food security, nutrition, and climate resilience.
Strong analytical and writing skills; ability to translate complex concepts into practical recommendations.
Familiarity with cash-based transfers, vulnerability targeting, and social registries.
Excellent organizational and communication skills.
Knowledge of WFP’s tools and programming approaches is an asset.
Languages:
Fluency in French (Level C) is required.
Working knowledge of English (Level B) is desirable.
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