Strategic Planning Officer

Job Title : Strategic Planning Consultant

Type of Contract : CST

Unit/Division : Management

Duty Station (City, Country): WFP Country Office, Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Duration of assignment: 11 months

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ABOUT WFP:

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

WFP supports the Government of Haiti, in collaboration with partners, United Nations agencies, civil society and private sector to achieve “Zero Hunger”, implement the 2030 Agenda and contribute to reach the Sustainable Development Goals #2 (Zero Hunger). WFP’s efforts focus on emergency preparedness and assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development assistance, nutrition-sensitive social protection, support for smallholder farmers, climate change adaptation, capacity strengthening in food systems and logistics common services.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

All WFP Country Offices have its Executive Board-approved Country Strategic Plan (CSP) in place with a duration of five years, which gives the direction for WFP’s work in the country in order to best support the Zero Hunger agenda and respond to the country needs.

The current CSP for Haiti will come to an end in December 2023 and the design of the new CSP (2024-2028) is starting now. At the same time United Nations system moves towards the new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) directing all the joint efforts of different UN agencies to support the government of Haiti to reach the Sustainable Development Goals. The UNSDCF is becoming the central governing and management document for all UN development activities, including those in the WFP’s CSP. The increased authority of the UNSDCF has implications on WFP’s country strategic planning approach, since all CSPs must be aligned with the UNSDCF both in terms of content and cycle. Country Offices need to proactively engage in the UNSDCF discussions to strategically position WFP and align with the UN’s broader development structure. The Haiti UNSDCF is already being formulated with the CCA completed. The finalisation and adoption of the new Cooperation framework is anticipated in August 2022.

This is a unique opportunity to foster WFP’s role at the country level and carve out the necessary space for food system programmes, meanwhile ensuring operational capacity to adequately prepare and respond to any emergency occurring in the country. For this reason, it is paramount for the Country Office have a focal point to engage in the construction of the new CSP (2024-28).

TASKS AND DUTIES:

This position is based in the Country Office of Haiti situated in Port-au-Prince, but part of the tasks can be performed remotely based on a mutual arrangement with the Country Office management team. The job holder operates with a high degree of independence, but in close coordination with different WFP teams in the office to ensure that different views and needs are comprehensively considered when drafting WFP’s CSP to fully achieve programme and policy objectives. Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Country Director, the Strategic Planning Consultant is expected to perform the following tasks:

1. Support CO in strategic thinking during the Country Strategic Plan for the period 2024-2028 in close coordination with the other CO teams and the Regional Bureau Panama.
2. Support CO in inter-agency engagement around the UNSDCF process, particularly in the different workstreams established by the Office of the Resident Coordinator to ensure alignment of the CSP with UNSDCF and substantially contribute into the strategic discussions.
3. Design a consultative approach to the CSP formulation that fosters strategic engagement with different stakeholders in the country during the CSP design. These include governmental counterparts, UN agencies, civil society, and private sector, among others.
4. Support the coordination of remote and in-country technical missions from the Regional Bureau and the Headquarters, help consolidating inputs and developing operational and programmatic aspects of the CSP strategic orientation.
5. Take the lead in drafting the CSP narrative and additional documents required for the CSP package, as needed, in close coordination with the CO management and support from the Regional Bureau, ensuring:
   1. that SDG2 and SDG17 are clearly reflected in the CSP design, but also other SDGs relevant for the country context, where WFP can substantially contribute into.
   2. that WFP’s analytics on food and nutrition security, migration, gender, climate change, peace building; different evaluation findings; partner and stakeholder mapping; lessons learned; as well as national frameworks and priorities; and possible other relevant areas are considered in context analysis, CSP design and positioning of WFP’s actions in it.
6. Support the CSP review and approval process in close coordination with the Regional Bureau and the Headquarters.
7. If needed, support the Country Office in aligning the current strategic planning cycle through budget revisions.
8. Where needed, provide project management support to programmes and projects, ensuring a coordinated approach with wider programmes that complies with WFP standards and procedures.
9. Contribute to the preparation of accurate and timely reporting on programmes and activities that enable informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
10. Liaise with internal counterparts to ensure effective collaboration, monitor ongoing projects.
11. Provide guidance to support staff, acting as a point of referral and assisting them with analysis and queries.
12. Other as required.

DELIVERABLES

1. A costed methodology for the formulation of the new CSP (2024-28) based on a consultative process with main stakeholders (Government, UN agencies, civil society and the private sector)
2. Summary documents of main findings from consultative workshops conducted
3. A draft CSP narrative package for submission to the Regional Office for review
4. A revised narrative package based on observations and comments from the Regional Office, headquarters and WFP’s Executive Board

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Advanced University Degree and/or equivalent experience with emphasis in one or more of the following disciplines: political sciences, economics, agriculture, international affairs, social sciences, development studies or a field relevant to international development or humanitarian assistance.

Experience:

3-5 years post graduate, progressively responsible international and national experience in the fields of goal oriented/strategic planning, organizational change management, inter-agency coordination, programme re-orientation, policy development, etc. Specific experience in strategy formulation, programme management and project planning in a large multicultural institution in the field or headquarters is an asset.

Knowledge & Skills:

Ability to translate understanding of programme principles into relevant, effective, and context specific approaches; Ability to explain WFP projects and operations to counterparts and to communicate with Government and partners clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing; Good understanding of project lifecycle, humanitarian principles and tools, programmes and transfer modalities; General knowledge of UN system policies, rules, regulations and procedures; Strong writing, analytical and research skills; good interpersonal skills, teamwork spirit and ability to work in multicultural settings; superior cognitive capacity.

Languages:

Proficiency/level C of French and English. Knowledge of Haitian Creole would be an advantage.