JOB TITLE : Junior Consultant – Partnerships
CONTRACT TYPE: Consultant
UNIT/DIVISION: Partnerships, Communications & Reports Unit
DUTY STATION (City, Country): Lusaka, Zambia
DURATION: 11 Months

BACKGROUND:

WFP Zambia Country Office is implementing its five-year Country Strategic Plan (CSP) which was a result of rigorous consultations with government, donors and other stakeholders, and reflects their appetite to support and partner with WFP in the country. It is informed by, and strongly aligns with, national and United Nations priorities, and global commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It embraces the Government’s long-term Vision 2030; aligns with 8th National Development Plan (NDP8); and contributes to the joint Zambia-UN Sustainable Development Partnership Framework (UNSDPF). The CSP is informed by WFP’s long-standing and broad experience in the country, embracing lessons from evaluations and reviews which call for greater synergy, a consolidation of ‘pilot’ initiatives, and improved gender-sensitive approaches to programme design. Finally, it is guided by the Zero Hunger Strategic Review (ZHSR).
In a break with past approaches, both the ZHSR and the NDP8 recognize that hunger and nutrition issues are multi-faceted, and require well-integrated, collaborative, multi-sectoral national approaches, that draw on the skills and resources of key stakeholders.
These key strategies point to an increasing national consensus on food and nutrition security, which has created a strong opportunity for WFP to re-focus its investments and efforts to areas of genuine comparative advantage and give effect to maximum impact. WFP Zambia’s integrated and pragmatic CSP shifts away from unsustainable localized and micro-level interventions, to embrace more effective advocacy and engagement with national policies, systems and programmes to achieve national impact on SDG2. Given the Government’s commitment to budget support for nutrition, social protection, and agriculture, despite the country’s constrained fiscal position, WFP’s overarching strategy seeks to enable the government to meet its policy aspirations with better systems, expertise and resources for implementation. This means a decisive shift of WFP’s country positioning towards the provision of upstream technical assistance for nationally owned solutions. Advancing the WFP Corporate Strategic Plan (2019-2024), the CSP addresses both SDG2 and SDG17, and WFP’s Strategic Results 1, 2, 3 and 5. WFP will implement six activities to achieve four Strategic Outcomes (SO). These SOs will: respond to crises and shocks including support to refugees (SO1); address the root causes of malnutrition (SO2); build the resilience, enabling environment and market access for smallholders, especially women (SO3); and support government institutions to provide social protection systems (including home grown school meals) and disaster preparedness and response (SO4).

To achieve progress, programme results need to be properly documented and communicated for learning. In addition, there is a renewed focus by WFP Zambia to strengthen advocacy and awareness around the nutrition and the role of national social assistance programmes in achieving Zero Hunger. It Is against this background that WFP seeks to engage a Junior Consultant – Partnerships, to provide substantial value to CO ’s effective positioning with public, private and external partners to attract policy support, resources, technical assistance and innovative solutions to advance the work of WFP, while contributing to the establishment and presentation of standard operating picture of WFP programme portfolio and associated results that facilitate informed and timely decision-making at all levels throughout the organisation.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

The Junior Consultant – Partnerships will be supervised by the Head of Unit, Partnership, Communications & Reports and The consultant will work closely with partnerships, Communications & reporting Unit and other units in the CO.
The following are expected responsibilities :
1. Pro-actively keep abreast, research, analyse and collate findings on national, regional and global events, donors and programmes that could be beneficial to tap into to expand WFP partnerships and resources mobilization for the CO.
2. Proactively contribute to ideas and highlight fundraising opportunities to Head of Unit and Managers for new strategies to enable informed decision-making and action planning by senior management
3. Prepare regular information to educate new and potential donors on the strategy, design, relevance and impact of WFP programmes to promote WFP visibility and to advocate the work of WFP.
4. In liaison with CO Partnership team, maintain an up-to-date Partnership Stakeholders Mapping and dissemination lists/contacts.
5. Support Partnerships function by providing inputs to partnerships strategies, including the development of Partnership Action Plans; support drawing up quality partner proposals and reports by engaging with other WFP entities and external stakeholders.
6. Backstop inter-related Communications & Reporting tasks as necessary including input into the Annual Country Report.
7. Prepare and provide inputs for briefing documents for management and executive board meetings.
8. Perform other assignments as required.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:
Advanced University degree in Political Science, International Development, Project Management, Information Management or Journalism, Development Economics, Marketing Communications or other relevant field, or First University degree with additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.
Experience:
Has implemented resource mobilization and communications activities by delivering specific activities as defined.
Has participated and assisted in negotiations for contributions and partnership agreements with donors and host governments, in line with internal policies and external regulations.
Has assisted in drafting donors reports, resourcing analysis and collaborated with accurate and timely briefs.
Knowledge & Skills:
Relationship Management: Demonstrates ability to build and sustain effective collaborative relationships with appropriate stakeholders and contacts in area of expertise to raise the profile of WFP, build relationships and further organizational aims.
Communication Expertise: Facilitates and contributes to open verbal or written communication with stakeholders as required (i.e. through preparation of targeted written or visual communications materials, presentations, and official documentation) to convey tailored messages. Engages in mutually informative discussion with partners and influencers.

Information Analytics, Reporting & Management: Gathers, analyses and reports information in a manner that draws out fact-based insights to inform approach to partner

relationships and support substantive discussion with partners. Captures relevant information and progress, and ensures internal information sharing.
Languages: International Professional: Fluency (level C) in English.

Deadline for applications is : 13 JULY 2022

Female and qualified applicants are highly encouraged to apply.