Programme Management Advisor (Nutrition and Food Security)

UNOPS Myanmar is one of UNOPS’ leading offices in Asia, acting as the fund manager for some of the largest development programmes in the country, namely the Access to Health Fund, and the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT). UNOPS is the Principal Recipient for the Global Fund in Myanmar and for the Global Fund’s regional artemisinin-resistance initiative towards the elimination of Malaria, which works to accelerate progress toward malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong sub-region. UNOPS provides procurement, infrastructure, and project management services to a wide range of organizations in the country, including international development partners, other UN agencies, NGOs, and INGOs. UNOPS plays a critical role in ensuring that the quality of services provided to its partners meets stringent requirements of speed, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.

The Livelihoods and Food Security (LIFT) Fund is a multi-donor fund established in 2009 to address food insecurity and income poverty in Myanmar. LIFT 2019-2023 is funded by eight donors – the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, Norway, and New Zealand. Post 2023, LIFT plans to implement a new strategy for 2024-2028. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is the Fund Manager for LIFT, administrating the funds and providing monitoring and oversight services. 

The overall goal of the LIFT Fund is to achieve a sustained reduction in the number of people living in hunger and poverty in Myanmar. LIFT strengthens the resilience and livelihoods of poor and vulnerable populations through interventions to raise income, decrease vulnerability, improve nutrition, and support food security.

LIFT works with a broad range of implementing partners, including non-governmental organizations, United Nations agencies, the private sector, civil society, and academic and research institutions. The Fund is active in the four main agro-ecological zones of Myanmar. For more details visit www.lift-fund.org.

Job-Specific Information

Under the supervision of the Senior Programme Manager - Technical Coordinator, the Programme Management Advisor (Nutrition and Food Security) will directly work with the Food Security Cluster (FSC) co-coordinators in Myanmar to lead on the development of a join nutrition and food security analytical framework to better assess the nutrition and food security situation in Myanmar. This will require working closely, on a daily basis, with the Food Security and Nutrition clusters, including their coordinators, secretariats as well as with any possible extended members. The position will be seconded to the Food Security Cluster in Myanmar, currently co-coordinated by the UN World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Mercy-Corps.

The Food Security Cluster in Myanmar

The Food Security Cluster (FSC) is about enhancing cooperation and partnerships. The FSC works directly with its partners and stakeholders that include NGOs, CSO/CBO, UN organizations and Donors. The FSC-Myanmar was formally activated in August 2021. The FSC is committed to saving lives through the coordination of the food security response in major emergencies across Myanmar. The FSC provides the guidance to its partners to deliver appropriate and timely food security assistance to the targeted vulnerable groups. The FSC in Myanmar focuses on the following objectives:

Improve food security information for decision making

One of the key responsibilities of the FSC is to ensure that all partners are able to make informed decisions based on reliable and timely evidence (assessments, studies, etc.). In this regard, the FSC contributes to enhancing and facilitating partners’ capacity to collect and analyze data in a coordinated process. The FSC serves as a platform and mechanism to support joint analysis initiatives and data collection efforts, encouraging partners to be active players throughout the assessment cycle. The FSC actively ensures that a repository of relevant and reliable information is in place by collating and mapping out information from various sources (civil society organizations, research institutes, etc.), which is later disseminated to partners.

Proactively steer coordination of the food security response in Myanmar

This result aims at strengthening national and subnational level coordination systems, with the aim of increasing the performance of the FSC by adopting a more proactive approach. Coordination of the food security assistance is also necessary to strengthen synergies among FSC 

Scale up advocacy, communication and resource mobilization to support the FSC strategy

The FSC in Myanmar actively advocates for food security assistance and strives to mobilize funds for most affected communities in Myanmar. FSC-Myanmar regularly publishes and shares information regarding the evolution of food insecurity in Myanmar.

FSC Coordination structure

As per the global guidance, the FSC in Myanmar is co-chaired by FAO & WFP. The FSC in Myanmar is also co-chaired by Mercy Corps, which has been elected as co-chair in July 2023. These 3 agencies are providing both technical and strategic support to the FSC in Myanmar to ensure that:

• Food security needs are identified and covered.

• Food security assistance is directed to the most vulnerable groups.

• Food security assistance matching with humanitarian standards.

• Food security remains a priority for donors.

• The FSC is active at subnational level.

FSC-Myanmar, also benefits from the support of the global Food Security Cluster which provides guidance on the processes for the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) as well as for the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). The global FSC is also providing technical advice and shares experiences from other countries. 

FSC partners

As of March 2023, the membership of the FSC in Myanmar is made of 45 National Non Government Organizations, 25 International Non Government Organizations, 4 UN agencies, 2 members of the Red Cross movement as well as 3 private partners.

Summary of Key Functions  

The Programme Management Advisor (Nutrition and Food Security) will be an interphase between Food Security and Nutrition aiming at strengthening linkage between both sectors. The objective of the Nutrition & Food Security Specialist will be to:

• support cross-cutting analysis on food security and nutrition and contribute to a better assessment of vulnerabilities in Myanmar.

• support cross cluster analysis to improve understanding of linkages between food security and nutrition in Myanmar.

• support FSC partners in developing Nutrition Sensitive Food Security programming. 

• ensure that Nutrition data is collected as per international standards by Food Security Cluster members in Myanmar

1. Contribute to cross-cutting analysis on food security and nutrition and  better assessments of vulnerabilities in Myanmar.

• In partnership with the nutrition cluster, advice Nutrition and Food Security partners to develop, standardize and harmonize data collection practices to be compliant with international and clusters standards.

• Help assess, maintain, and update vulnerability analysis systems of the Food and Nutrition clusters at the national level and support sub-national levels to use the systems. 

• Coordinate to the establishment of a robust Nutrition and Food Security Information System. 

• Contribute to identifying gaps in data management and strengthen them in line with agreed international practices and/or standards.

• Coordinate the deployment and/or management of new information management tools as needed to meet the need for real-time/ near real-time assessments for analysis and development of relevant infographics and or dashboards or any other methods to effectively share vulnerability information.

• Support/lead the preparation of learning/knowledge products, covering innovative approaches (including real time/ near real time reporting approaches) and good practices, to support overall inter-cluster development and information management needs.

2. Support FSC partners in developing Nutrition Sensitive Food Security programming.

• Define appropriate targeting approaches with Food Security partners to maximize programming impacts, in particular on nutrition sensitive indicators.

• Define appropriate interventions that can be rapidly scaled-up by FS partners to maximize nutrition impacts of Food Security programming in Myanmar.

• Mainstream nutrition sensitive indicators into food security programming and data collection work.

• Train/build capacities of Food Security partners on nutrition sensitive programming, in particular in relation to targeting and nutrition sensitive data collection.

• Oversee the identification and implementation of the connection between Nutrition & Food Security.

3. Coordination and training

• Work on a daily basis with the food security clusters co-coordinators.

• Attend regular food security and nutrition cluster meetings.

• Actively engage with and develop a close working relationship with members of the food security and nutrition cluster members.

• Coordinate with the Nutrition cluster coordination and key nutrition partners.

• Deliver training to Food Security & Nutrition clusters partners on standardized tools and approaches for harmonized and timely data collection.

• Provide ad-hoc support at ICCG (Inter Cluster Coordination Group) level and liaise with OCHA and other Information Management Focal Points in relevant clusters.  

• Attend relevant information management Working Group meetings or other relevant working group meetings – share information as appropriate and collaborate on mutually beneficial information management areas.

• As needed, and under the direction of the Food Security and nutrition clusters coordinators, engage with the global Food Security Cluster and global Nutrition Clusters on standards tools and processes

Education

• Advanced university degree (e.g. Masters) in agricultural economics, economics, human nutrition or related social sciences is required.

• A first-level university degree (e.g. Bachelor) in the abovementioned fields in combination with two additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.

Work Experience 

• A minimum of seven years of experience in food and nutrition security-related analysis and programming in complex environments, with a particular emphasis on joint/integrated vulnerability analysis and programming is required.

• Demonstrated expertise in food security and/or nutrition statistics, geospatial analysis, GIS and mapping and/or data visualization is highly desirable.

• Demonstrated knowledge of standard analytical frameworks for food and nutrition security is required. 

• A good understanding of the food and nutrition security context in Myanmar, with some years of working experience in Myanmar on nutrition and food security is a strong advantage.

• Familiarity with the humanitarian coordination architecture and in particular with the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) processes is required.

• Demonstrated ability to deliver training and to provide capacity strengthening to partner organizations, in particular local organizations of varying size and capacities, is required. 

• Computer literacy is required. Experience using data analysis software is preferred.

Languages

• Fluency in English is required.

• Working command of the oral Myanmar language is a strong asset.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement
Contract level: IICA - 3
Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.