Regional Advisor Emergency Food Security & Vulnerable Livelihoods, WAF 

Jul 8, 2017 | Oxfam
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Oxfam is an international confederation of 20 ngos working with partners in over 90 countries to end the injustices that cause poverty.

Job Purpose

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

This post will fulfill the following responsibilities for work on food security and vulnerable livelihoods & adaptation in emergency and recovery contexts:

Internal Coordination

• Consistently monitor, interpret and analyse external trends at national and regional levels with respect to food security, climate change...

• Compile regional analysis and updates on evolving EFSVL and markets situation based on appropriate methodologies to ensure appropriate, timely and informed EFSVL response decisions

• Act as a focal point in the WAF region for information sharing on EFSVL and give coherence to EFSVL interventions and approaches.

• Ensure that institutional learning on Cash programming, urban programming and social protection is shared and used at regional and country level.

• Lead on the development and implementation of innovative approaches as well as programme based research; in particular for urban learning and programme development, capacity building, DRR and resilience work, preparedness and EWEA, and integration of WASH / EFSVL

• Work with technical leads and focal points in other regions and headquarters to develop and improve learning and guidelines on EFSVL related issues.

• Provide region-wide advice on appropriate short-term and medium-term policy responses to food security and livelihoods crises

• Contribute to Oxfam’s global policy and campaigns work supporting evidence-based policymaking and influencing in emergencies and recovery contexts.

• Contribute to the EFSVL and the Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction teams through participation in inductions, regional meetings, external representation, responses to enquiries, and taking part in strategic planning discussions

• Maintain working relationships with the Global Humanitarian Team and contribute to the development and implementation of Oxfam’s global emergency food security and vulnerable livelihood policies and strategies.

• Provide appropriate and relevant professional technical advice and develop the EFSVL capability of senior managers in the region and country programmes

General Country Programme support

1. Provide strategic technical support on the design, implementation and follow up of EFSVL interventions, including Lake Chad Basin response.
2. Provide active monitoring and evaluation support for EFSVL programming
3. Advise programme staff and managers on issues of programme quality and to support global programme cycle management (planning, monitoring, implementation and impact assessment).
4. Support on development and review of country-level Contingency Plans and preparedness activities, including Early Warning Early Action
5. Work with the country teams to ensure coordination at country level with relevant bodies (HCT, INGOs, Government departments, etc) In particular
6. Ensure country-level participation in CH and/or HEA analyses (or similar), as relevant
7. Work with the country teams to ensure relevant donor and internal budget management and high quality reporting, and to support contingency planning initiatives at country level.
8. Ensure that gender, resilience, protection and other concerns such as HIV/AIDS are considered + mainstreamed in food security related emergency preparedness, mitigation and response programmes.

Emergency response

1. Provide strategic leadership and guidance to ensure the scale up of emergency food security and vulnerable livelihoods programmes to full humanitarian response as required, and on transition back to longer term preparedness and resilience based work when appropriate
2. Be prepared to respond immediately to emergencies within the region, including in a gap-filling capacity
3. Support activation of contingency plans
4. Function as the regional technical lead in EFSVL programming & in responding to regional and country level Category 2 emergencies, taking an active and hands on role in assessing impact, advising on appropriate interventions, and operationalising when necessary

External Coordination and Influencing

1. Build up strong and open relations both regionally and nationally with relevant donors, encouraging the sharing of ideas and strategies, and to actively seek funding for the continuation of regional and country based initiatives. Where appropriate, to link humanitarian funding to longer term programming/preparedness
2. Collaborate with policy to influence donors and decision-makers to promote improved responses to address emergencies/shocks and link to chronic causes of food insecurity
3. Develop effective networks with other agencies and participate in country and regional food coordination structures in support of response coordination, fundraising and leveraging of regional networks in support of implementation (i.e. consortium approaches)
4. Liaise with regional bodies and institutions to position Oxfam as a relevant EFSVL stakeholder and contribute to regional policies and approaches which are in line with Oxfam mandate
5. Ensure regional coordination and information sharing (FSWG, IPC WG, CH WG, EWEA, etc) and influence key regional actors on quality analysis of vulnerability factors in order to influence recommendations to policies and programmes.
6. Capture and utilise internal and external learning on humanitarian response and resilience frameworks across the region and participate in regional and global initiatives to guide and link policy formation with field-based impact.

Regional humanitarian capacity development and partnerships

1. Promote, organize and ensure capacity building of the Oxfam regional emergency response group and of partner staff in EFSVL concepts and innovations (including Cash Transfer Programmes, Emergency Market Mapping and Analysis, assessment methodologies, social protection and resilience, EFSVL programme design etc.).
2. Provide/support capacity development of EFSVL staff in the region, through training, accompaniment and coaching with the aim of ensuring competence on common and new EFSVL approaches
3. Participate in senior EFSVL recruitments at country level and ensure effective provision of technical support and matrix management.
4. Identify team (including partners) EFSVL capacity building needs, and organise necessary capacity building initiatives (coaching, training) to ensure that the team has the tools and skills to implement timely, informed EFSVL programs that reflect Oxfam global learning and standards.
5. Contribute to identification, assessment and evaluation of EFSVL partners where appropriate

Technical Skills, Experience & Knowledge

Essential

• Postgraduate qualification in food security, development economics, climate change or a related field of study (masters preferred)

• Seven years or more relevant experience; including a strong technical background, experience of community resilience work, emergency food security programming, and people management experience.

• Demonstrated technical knowledge in at least three of Oxfam’s core EFSVL thematic areas; cash transfer programmes, agricultural crops and livestock, and food and nutrition security (both food aid and alternatives such as cash, safety nets, and resilience approaches).

• Well developed interpersonal and team skills and proven ability to be flexible in demanding solutions. Management and negotiation skills in order to build and maintain relationships with senior government / non government stakeholders.

• Extensive experience in assessment, monitoring, surveillance and evaluation of humanitarian food security and livelihoods programmes; including demonstrated capacity to lead market assessments using recognised methodologies such as the EMMA, and knowledge of market support interventions.

• Ability to train others in key tools and approaches related to core EFSVL thematic areas

• Demonstrated capacity to support the development of high quality proposals, proactively fundraise, and to deal externally with the donor community.

• Demonstrated experience of integrating gender and diversity, HIV/AIDs, DRR, and Resilience into emergency food security and livelihoods programmes and evidence of an active commitment to promoting gender equality.

• A commitment to the aims and objectives of Oxfam. Knowledge of SPHERE and other recognised humanitarian standards and principles that relate to EFSVL programs

• Sensitivity, diplomacy, tact, good communication skills, together with the capacity to remain calm under pressure and not lose sight of strategic priorities.

• Experience working in humanitarian emergencies, especially slow onset, due to natural hazards and within chronically food insecure environments is an asset.

• Willingness to travel frequently at short notice over the course of the role.

• Strong oral and written communication skills in English and French

• Computer literacy

Desirable

• Knowledge of current trends in the climate change debate as it relates to poverty and shocks

• Previous experience preferably within Sahelian West Africa and EWEA

• Statistical Analysis skills

• Knowledge of an additional regional language/ spoken in West Africa would be desirable