ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

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The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger and promoting food security. WFP in a UN agency working to provide food to people who are unable to produce or obtain enough food for themselves and their families. In Afghanistan, WFP provides food to people affected by natural disasters and conflict, as well as to people who are chronically food insecure.
WFP started the price data collection since 1998 and gradually increased its scope of work related to market by conducting market assessment, CBT feasibility assessment and inclusion of trader assessment in main food security assessments. WFP also was in close collaboration with Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) statistic department since 2010 in term of data exchange. Since 2012 started to provide some technical support to MAIL statistics department with view to establish unique price data collection institutionalized in MAIL. Since 2014 also started in-kind support to MAIL price data collection. This support was continued up to year 2017 and after a break of few years restarted in 2021, which is on hold due to prevailed situation.
WFP being professional organization in food security and price data collection its data was widely used by many stakeholders across the country including government, humanitarian agencies, traders and the donor communities continued price data collection in parallel to the support provided to government (MAIL) for establishing unique market price data collection which yet to be ensured.
In Afghanistan, WFP has been transitioning from providing in-kind food assistance to providing more and more cash-based transfers (cash or vouchers), which people can use to buy food themselves on local markets. However, before deciding to provide cash or vouchers, WFP must carry out an analysis of local markets, to ensure that they are functioning well-enough for cash-based transfer modality.
As WFP operation is scaling up in support of the drastically increased vulnerability in the country, which need data and evidences for appropriate decision on the type of interventions and meanwhile to provide support to the existing CBT working group and many other forums like provision of up to date data to FSAC, OCHA on market and changes of food commodity prices, conducting price data collection for Food and Nutrition Gap (FNG) analysis, routine price data collection and publication of weekly, monthly and special price bulletins need a progamme associate to manage these activities.
More specifically, WFP’s market analysis seeks to answer the following questions:
 

• Can local markets support a WFP cash or voucher operation (e.g. will traders be able to respond to increased demand created by the injection of cash or vouchers in the local economy?)
• Will WFP cash or voucher operation have a negative impact on local markets and the local population – including, but not limited to, WFP’s beneficiaries (e.g. will they cause inflation/ price increases, security issues, distort normal supply routes?)
• To what extent do various vulnerable population groups (IDPs, refugees/ returnees, people affected by climate shocks) have access to food markets, and how does this vary seasonally?

With the deterioration of the security situation in the country, in addition to recurrent natural disasters such as floods and droughts, WFP Afghanistan is increasingly faced with emergency situations in which the organization needs to very quickly assess how many people need food assistance, where they are located, and what type of assistance they need.

Emergency food security assessments are therefore becoming increasingly important to design well-targeted and timely WFP operations. While market analysis is required in both emergency and non-emergency (protracted relief/ recovery) contexts, there is therefore also a particular need to strengthen WFP’s capacity in emergency market assessments.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Emergency food security assessments

Design and carry out emergency food security assessments, to inform the design and targeting of WFP’s emergency operations – working in close collaboration with the focal point for WFP’s phone-based data collection system (mVAM). Specific tasks will include:

• Designing data collection questionnaires
• Designing sampling frame
• Managing data collection in (through close collaboration with WFP’s field offices)
• Carrying out data analysis
• Producing reports/bulletins to report the findings of the analysis. Particular focus should be placed on ensuring that reports are concise, visual (good use of maps, graphs, charts, and tables), and present clear operational recommendations to inform WFP programmes.
• Coordinate closely with other UN agencies, NGO and government partners on the design and implementation of these assessments – and take the lead as appropriate.

Market analysis

Design data collection tools and methods for market assessments and market monitoring (for both emergency and protracted relief/ recovery contexts), to inform WFP’s cash-based transfers operations (i.e. distribution of cash or vouchers) - working in close collaboration with the mVAM Programme Officer and the Cash Based Transfers team. Specific tasks will include:

• Designing data collection questionnaires – including questions related to protection and women’s access to markets.
• Designing sampling frame.
• Managing data collection in (through close collaboration with WFP’s field offices)
• Carrying out data analysis
• Producing reports/bulletins to report the findings of the analysis. Particular focus should be placed on ensuring that reports are concise, visual (good use of maps, graphs, charts, and tables), and present clear operational recommendations to inform WFP programmes.
• Coordinate closely with other UN agencies, NGOs and FSAC partners on the design and implementation of these assessments – and take the lead as appropriate.

National price monitoring system

• Produce weekly, monthly, and special market and price reports/bulletins by compiling the price information collected by WFP field offices.
• Continue supporting WFP other units like School Feeding, RFS, logistic and others on price and market information’s they might need.
• Present market and price analysed information to WFP programme colleagues, FSAC EW, monthly meeting and other forums as required and take the lead on it.

Analysis to inform WFP’s local purchasing programme, Purchase for Progress (P4P)

• Support value chain analysis in specific markets of P4P intervention;
• Monitor external markets and their impact on P4P commodities;
• Identify interventions to increase the impact of P4P
• Identify markets for local products that could be used to nutritionally fortify cereals purchased under P4P.

Build capacity amongst partners (UN, NGOs, FSAC partners) and WFP staff (especially in the field offices VAME focal points, TPM and mVAM call operators) in market analysis

Participate actively in WFP Afghanistan’s Cash Based Transfers Working Group and in the Interagency Cash and Vouchers Working Group.

DELIVERABLES

• Timely emergency food security and market assessments, which include clear recommendations for the timing, targeting and design of WFP emergency programmes – especially cash or voucher programmes.
• Short, regular market monitoring reports in areas where WFP has ongoing cash or voucher operations, particularly in fast-evolving emergency contexts, with clear programme recommendations for the Cash Based Transfers team.
• Market assessments in recovery/ protracted relief contexts, to inform the feasibility and design of cash or voucher programmes.
• Supply chain analyses, as required by the P4P team.
• Country-wide price data collection system maintained, and prices uploaded to the WFP global online price data store.
• Analyse, present price and market related information to WFP management, FSAC and any other forum at the required time.
• Organized files/ records of all data and analytical products.
• Monthly update of activity to supervisor.

Education: Completion of secondary school education. B.Sc. or B.A in economics, agriculture or other relevant fields are desirable.

Experience: Six or more years of progressively responsible work experience in the relative business stream and out of those at least two years of working experience in data analysis – preferably in the development/ humanitarian sector.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Has worked with technical teams (i.e. nutrition, VAM, etc.).
• Has contributed to implementation of programs.
• Has observed or assisted with policy discussions.
• Good knowledge of statistics and data analysis - including familiarity with at least one analytical software. 
• Some experience with data visualization (making graphs, charts, infographics)
• Good English writing skills and ability to write reports to present findings of data analysis.
• Good computer literacy (including Microsoft Office suite – Word, Excel, Power Point, Access).
• Courtesy, tact and ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds. Ability to maintain accurate and precise records.
• Ability to handle a large volume of work quickly and accurately under time constraints.

Language: Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and local languages (Pashto and Dari).

This vacancy announcement is for Afghan nationals only and WFP encourages especially Afghan females and Afghans with disabilities to apply.

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