Regional Food Security & Livelihoods Specialist

WORK CONTEXT / BACKGROUND:

West and Central Africa region is prone to cyclical food insecurity, malnutrition and economic depletion under the combined effects of climate shocks, poverty, market inflations, and multifaceted security threats. Most recent available data (OCHA, June 2024) report that nearly 55 million people in WACA are having difficulty feeding themselves during the lean season 2024. The situation is particularly acute in conflict-affected settings like in northern Mali, where 2,600 people are on “catastrophic hunger” phase. Over half of this vulnerable population are children and the numbers are expected to rise as suggested by the exponential increase of humanitarian needs we are witnessing in Central Sahel and Lake Chad basin countries.

Plan International is responding to hunger crisis in targeted high and very high-risk countries in West and Central Africa, providing food and nutrition assistance for crisis affected children and their families through cash/in-kind, economic recovery, supporting livelihoods protection and promotion and building resilience for the most vulnerable. In addition, because Plan International global vision calls for vulnerable and excluded young people, particularly young women, to be​ resilient and actively engaged in decent work of their choosing, be it waged or self-employed, Plan also engages Youth Economic Empowerment as key aspect of our livelihoods work. Finally, WACA also fosters advocacy, external engagement, and resource mobilization for the sector while monitoring and supporting anticipatory actions in less affected countries.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The Regional Food Security & Livelihood Specialist will provide oversight to Plan International food security, livelihoods and youth economic empowerment work in the region, in close consultation with Country technical managers. The RFSL specialist serves on the Regional Disaster Risk Management Team in WACA. S/he will support the design and monitoring of the food security-related activities of the hunger responses and lead Plan International participation in relevant regional technical forums. The position will facilitate the mobilization of technical expertise, support staff capacity building, innovation in design, quality results and organizational learning within Plan International in West and Central Africa. The candidate is expected to possess up-to-date sectoral knowledge to ensure that current thinking is reflected in Plan International’s Food Security, Livelihood and Youth Economic Empowerment programs

Coordination: with Regional Specialists - Child Protection, Education in emergencies, Gender, Youth Engagement at regional and CO levels, under the technical oversight of the Head of Global Hunger Response and Resilience Unit

The post-holder deploys (sometimes at short notice) to support Plan International’s country offices respond to specific humanitarian crises. The post-holder may be responsible for the management of humanitarian funding for specific crises during deployments.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Refine and lead the realization of food security, livelihood and youth employment and entrepreneurship sector objectives from the country Strategies, ensuring synergy, and integration with other sectors including Child Protection and Education.
• Based on the evidence of impact, monitor and analyze progress and provide recommendations towards achieving the above-mentioned sector strategic objectives at response levels.
• Provide leadership and direction to the overall food security and livelihoods sector, including on cash-based programming, youth economic empowerment in collaboration with response teams
• Create a learning environment in which Food Security and Livelihoods staff regularly reflect, learn from mistakes and use lessons for personal growth and to revise work plans to improve ministry impact.

• Provide Food Security, Livelihoods, cash/market, economic empowerment expertise, technical support and updated knowledge during project/program design, monitoring, implementation and evaluation, as well as to related staff across the hunger crisis response.
• Ensure understanding and quality embedding of technical standards at project, program and strategic levels.
• Ensure capacity building for Food Security, Livelihoods, Youth economic empowerment staff where required.
• Lead development of new strategic approaches in line with the programming context and imminent funding environment of emergency, recovery and development initiatives where relevant.
• Work with other technical leads and M&E to support the coordination and exchange of lessons learned and good practice.
• Be the knowledge center of all field Office Food Security and Livelihoods projects in this response
• Analyze the impact of the project and promote learning by documentation of best practices.
• Travel as needed to countries to ensure proper oversight to Food Security and Livelihoods and Youth economic Empowerment interventions, ensuring that evidence-based best practices and quality standards are being utilized in implementation and reported.

• In coordination with the and Advocacy and External Engagement Advisor, represent Plan International in relevant working groups (food security and nutrition, CaLP, resilience…) in donor meetings, private sector engagements, and at conferences.
• Use credible and validated evidence from programming to advise/support policy dialogue and policy recommendations at country and regional levels
• Represent Plan in relevant regional coordination forums and liaise with sector wise government officials, UN-bodies and other partners as appropriate and required.

• In coordination with the WACA DRM and country teams, actively engage in designing the technical components of new project proposals and take the lead in designing FSL components and project applications for donors.
• Ensure final technical review on major donor project report
• Support COs coordination with National Offices on match acquisition for grants

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Minimum education, training and experience requirements to qualify for the position:

• University degree in Agriculture, Agroeconomics or related field.
• Master’s degree in relevant field preferred.
• At least five years of working experience at a Management level in Food Security, Livelihoods and Resilience sector in a humanitarian context.
• Good understanding of and experience in cash/market-based interventions, Sustainable Development, Youth Economic Empowerment, Livelihoods and Resilience, including agriculture.
• Experience designing and facilitating Livelihoods capacity-building activities and training.
• Good understanding of both Development and humanitarian architecture.
• Substantial experience in networking and positioning with external stakeholders.
• Good experience in developing successful project proposals.
• Experience of working in West or/and Central Africa would be an advantage.

Additional work experience and abilities required as a minimum qualification for this position.

• Advanced written and spoken French and English skills (ability to express ideas clearly and effectively, both in spoken and written English)
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of project cycle elements, M&E systems design and management.
• Understanding of integrated rural community development programming and processes.
• Cross-cultural sensitivity, flexible worldview, emotional maturity and physical stamina.
• Self-starter who can work independently under pressure and who has ability to manage work tasks without direct supervision.
• Effective in establishing priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor activities, juggle competing demands and work to tight deadlines.
• Commitment to Plan International Core Values, Vision and Mission Statement.
• Knowledge of and adherence to the Red Cross and NGO Code of Conduct and capability of incorporating standards in implementation and evaluation of relevant projects.

Work Environment and travel:

The position will be based in any Plan country of operations in the region and requires ability and willingness to be deployed and travel frequently in the region

LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN: Mid contact: Occasional interaction with children

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.