Programme Policy Officer: Food Systems - World Food Programme

JOB PURPOSE:

To support with design, management and coordination of programmes and interventions in the areas of sustainable food systems, food & nutrition security and smallholder farmers' agricultural market support and the development of resilient agri-food supply chain management systems that are aligned with and contribute to the Government’s development efforts and priorities in achieving the Zero Hunger Agenda.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Country Director and overall supervision of the Country Director, the Programme Policy Officer (Food Systems) will be responsible for the following duties.

• Lead resource mobilization efforts through the design of sound technical proposals and concepts, including identifying possible funding opportunities in Sustainable Food Systems, Agriculture Market Access for smallholder farmers, nutrition-focused agricultural value chains, and writing project proposals. and developing efficient food supply chain management systems in line with WFP’s goals and objectives.
• Provide technical guidance and or mobilize technical expertise on programme and policy issues related to Sustainable Food Systems and Smallholder Farmers Agriculture Market support, including assessments and analysis, the design and implementation of programme activities, the testing of innovative approaches and the development of interventions in the core competencies areas of WFP to support Government efforts to reduce hunger and malnutrition.

• Lead efforts to enhance strategic and operational Partnerships with Government Agencies, Private Sector entities, UN, Civil Society and Academia relevant to the implementation of the Country Strategic Plan (CSP) activities under the Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Outcome and ensure that WFP’s comparative advantage and complementarity are clearly communicated, understood, and valued in the support to the GoG.
• Enhance WFP’s leadership status in forums relating Sustainable Food Systems, Food Security and Nutrition, Smallholder farmers agriculture market support, resilience, and sustainable livelihoods.
• Coordinate the drafting of communication materials and quality reporting for internal as well as external audiences, including Donor reports, for all activities under the Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Outcome in the CSP.
• Represent WFP in relevant UN forums as appropriate and strengthen partnerships with relevant stakeholders.
• Lead the development of detailed Annual Activity Plans in alignment with available Budget and oversee their implementation; manage, monitor, and report on activity budgets and expenditures.
• Contribute to the design and oversight of the implementation of WFP Ghana’s Post-Harvest Management Interventions (PHMI) to best support vulnerable households, smallholder farmers, aggregators, and Government warehousing schemes. Under this component, manage the implementation of WFP-sponsored projects that promote Best Post-Harvest Management practices, including promotion of sound warehousing, storage, and other appropriate technologies to curb post-harvest losses; coordinate efforts to assess Ghana’s Post-harvest infrastructure and services and build a case for the competitiveness of Ghana’s grain (including whole grain) industry, among other agricultural value chains.
• Lead the design and oversight of the implementation of WFP Ghana’s Agricultural Market Development Initiatives (AMDI) to best support smallholder and medium-scale farmers to access markets through direct group selling or participation in structured training platforms such Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX) and its associated Warehouse Receipt System (WRS).
• Lead the design and oversight of the implementation of WFP Ghana’s Agri-Food Supply Chains Initiatives (FSCI) to best support and strengthen the capacity of the Government warehousing and Storage schemes, including the food logistics management by National Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO).
• Lead the design and oversight of the implementation of WFP Ghana’s Nutrition & Safety-Sensitive Agro-Food Value Chains (NSAFVC) to best support local industrial, medium-scale, and community-level food processors as well as strengthening the capacity of public standards and regulatory agencies such as Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
• Research and connect WFP-supported public and private partners, including smallholder farmers, aggregators, warehouse operators, processors, and relevant Government agencies, with South-South cooperation engagement opportunities
• Perform other related duties as required.
• Qualification Required & Experience
• Advanced University degree in applied Agriculture & Social Economics, Economics, Policy, or Economic Policy; preferably with specialization in Agribusiness, Food Logistic Systems, and Value Chains, or other relevant fields.

Desired Experiences for Entry into the Role:

• Must have a minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience providing leadership on all matters related to administrative, organizational, and managerial aspects of food systems programmes.
• Fluency in food systems knowledge-based tools to assess and monitor food sustainability as well as the capacity to support actions to address challenges in (the production, processing, distribution, marketing, and sale of food).
• Comprehensive understanding of public-private partnership engagement, including relationship-building across sectors and industries.
• Analytical, problem solver, and have leadership and project management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.
• Team player and demonstrated ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds.

Language: Fluency in the English language is essential.

Location: Accra