Vacancy Details

Job Description:

Deputy Country Representative FEWS. NET

Duty station: Kinshasa

Introduction

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is an integrated set of activities funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is intended to provide timely, accurate, evidence-based, and transparent food security early warning information and analysis. Created in 1985 in response to famines in East and West Africa, FEWS NET provides global coverage through a mix of presence and remote monitoring. FEWS NET’s work is implemented across several pillars by a team of partners that includes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Geological Survey, the University of California-Santa Barbara’s Climate Hazards Center, American Institutes for Research, and Chemonics International (Chemonics). Chemonics houses FEWS NET’s Early Warning Team (EWT), a team charged with integrated emergency food insecurity analysis through a Washington-based technical office and more than 20 FEWS NET offices.

Based on an in-depth understanding of local livelihoods, the EWT monitors information and data on factors that affect food security, such as weather conditions and climate, crops, pasture, markets and trade, and nutrition. The FEWS NET EWT produces regular reports, including Food Security Outlooks and Outlook Updates, emergency alerts, market and price updates, and global weather hazards analyses. FEWS NET makes reports available at www.fews.net and distributes them globally to governments, relief agencies, and other organizations engaged in humanitarian response and development programs.

The seventh phase of FEWS NET began in 2019. The work of FEWS NET EWT relies on close collaboration with international, regional, and national partners on food security data and information gathering and analysis. Major activities include joint monitoring and assessments, data exchanges, collaborative analysis and reporting, and technical capacity strengthening. FEWS NET supports local and regional food security networks to contribute to achieving the global objective of food security for all.

Position Description

The FEWS NET EWT maintains offices in a number of countries in Africa, Central America, Central Asia, and the Caribbean. The deputy country representative (DCR) will work closely with the country representative (CR) to undertake activities in the project office in the following areas:

• Efficient, focused food security monitoring, data collection, assessment, and early warning analysis
• Effective communication of early warning analysis to partners and decision-makers through high-quality reports and participation in briefings and formal and informal meetings
• Close collaboration with key partners, such as host government ministries, UN agencies, and international and local NGOs, among others
• Supporting partnership and network development by addressing identified gaps in effective early warning systems
• Project administration and management at the field office level, as designated by the CR, including acting as CR when required.

The DCR will assist the CR to provide quality control for the deliverables of the project and will help ensure that activities and products are delivered in a timely manner.

Location and Reporting

The DCR is a full-time position based in Kinshasa, DRC at the FEWS NET EWT sub office. The DCR will work under the technical direction and supervision of CR. For technical activities, the DCR will collaborate and coordinate with national, regional, and home office (Washington, D.C.) technical advisors, analysts, and specialists. For office administration and financial management, the DCR will collaborate with the CR, the regional representative (RR), and the Washington-based Project Management Unit (PMU), FEWS NET Operations Team, and the Senior Management Team (SMT). The DCR will be required to travel within the region, and other international travel may also be required, security and health conditions permitting.

Responsibilities:

The main responsibilities of the DR Congo DCR include, but are not limited to:

Technical Activities

• Supporting the effective execution of technical activities in the national office including: early warning analysis, livelihoods and vulnerability assessments, markets and trade analysis, monitoring tools and methods development, capacity strengthening, and network development/enhancement
• Maintaining and updating a knowledge base composed of, at a minimum: livelihood zone profiles, commodity trade flow maps, sub-national seasonal monitoring calendars, commodity price data, nutrition data, and other technical data covering levels of rainfall, climate change, agricultural production, population, historical assistance flows, migration, remittances, labor etc.
• Developing and updating seasonal monitoring plans
• Providing high quality and effective early warning of threats to food security and supporting efforts to mitigate food insecurity and prevent food crises through the production of actionable, evidence-based food security analysis
• Conducting regular field assessments of food security conditions, security permitting, both independently and with partners, in areas of most concern to FEWS NET
• Fulfilling monthly reporting requirements, including writing Food Security Outlooks (FSO), FSO Updates, the Price Watch, Market and Trade outlooks, seasonal monitors, and Key Messages, contributing to Food Assistance Outlook Brief reports, and providing regular briefings to the US Government and other partners in country;
• Organizing project documentation and files and updating all essential data used in food security early warning monitoring and assessment, including through inputs into the FEWS NET Data Warehouse, in line with guidance provided by the Washington-based technical team
• Participating actively and collaboratively in country-level Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analyses, as applicable, in line with IPC protocols
• Contributing to other FEWS NET information products required locally, regionally, and by the Washington-based technical team.

Partnership, Representation, and Network Development

• Collaborating with national, regional, and international partners in food security monitoring and analysis through participation in implementation of the IPC
• Developing and maintaining strong collaborative relations, both formal and informal, with USAID Mission representatives, US Embassy technical contacts, UN agency representatives, government ministry staff, and key international and local NGO colleagues to facilitate technical exchanges, promote consensus-building, work to resolve technical disagreements, and facilitate joint, coordinated actions to mitigate food insecurity.
• Playing a leading role in collecting, archiving, analyzing, and sharing food security data and information
• Reinforcing partnerships through network development/enhancement at the national and sub-national levels by focusing support to address identified gaps and strengthen shared opportunities, including providing training and skills transfers for effective early warning in country.
• Representing FEWS NET at regular and ad hoc formal and informal meetings within FEWS NET’s national food security network, as designated by the CR.

Management

• Supervising, mentoring, and supporting the professional development of technical and administrative staff in the field office, as delegated by the CR.
• Supporting national recruitment efforts for technical and administrative staff in country, as needed

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficiency in written and spoken English and French is required; local language skills relevant to the region are desirable.
• Bachelor’s degree in a discipline relevant to the work of FEWS NET, such as economics, agricultural economics, agronomy, nutrition, climatology, anthropology, or social geography is required; advanced university degree (Master’s degree or higher) is desirable.
• At least two years of relevant experience (with PhD), four years of relevant experience (with Master’s degree), or six years of relevant experience (with Bachelor’s degree) is required. Relevant experience includes working on food security information systems, food security analysis, early warning, or other related fields; experience working with UN agencies and/or NGOs is desirable.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are required, including demonstrated ability to coordinate productively with diverse partner stakeholders (e.g., UN, non-governmental organizations, host government entities) and multidisciplinary, multicultural teams, and to work effectively with remote-based colleagues.
• Excellent computer skills (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint) are required; ability to effectively use statistical software packages and/or GIS applications is desirable.

TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION CLICK BELOW