1) Food security, nutrition and livelihood assessment and research

• Coordinate and provide leadership and oversight to food security, nutrition, markets (including period market functionality index) and resilience research and prepare timely reports and products in line with the evidence plan of the Country Strategic Plan (CSP) and WFP corporate policies, processes and guidance to enable effective decision-making.
• Guide a team of national (and at times international) staff to develop, update, and oversee analysis and operational plans to ensure evidence generation products meet requirements with a focus on localization of key technical capacities and institutions.
• Provide leadership to WFP’s research, review and monitoring endeavors including setting strategic and technical requirements in developing a food security monitoring system in support of data-driven decision-making and with a focus on country capacity strengthening. Contribute to the targeting analysis and development of criteria for various programmes and advise the programme team in developing a targeting standard operating procedure (SOP).
• Work jointly with existing and new in-country, regional and global partners to integrate multi-hazard early warning systems, climate analysis into vulnerability analysis and mapping leading to preparation of contingency plans focusing on risk-informed approaches to inform the national and local governments’ decision-making and WFP Country Office advocacy, policy and programmes.
• Provide technical advice and help to government, WFP and cooperating partner staff on matters pertaining to food security and nutrition strategies, policies, programmes, and facilitate the timely and efficient use of products in a manner that complies with WFP standards and processes and considers gender and social inclusion.
• Provide specialised and managerial leadership to VAM and MRE functions to develop and follow up on joint RAM workplan, coordinate planning and implementation of evidence generating activities (such as: Cost of the Diet / Fill the Nutrient gap analysis, post-distribution monitoring, process monitoring, essential needs analysis, minimum expenditure basket, choice of transfer modalities, etc).
• Lead and manage the development of research and evidence generation plan for the Country Office in cooperation with programme unit and cross-functional units in the country office.

2) Monitoring, reporting and evaluation (MRE)

• Assure that high standard evidence generation systems and tools compliant with corporate standards including the risk-based minimum monitoring requirements (MMR), standard operating procedures (SOPs) and establishment of baselines and targets in alignment with the updated corporate results framework are in place.
• Provide regular and up-to-date analysis and information on the food and nutrition security situation and connected developments to the Head of Programme (HoP) and senior management including identifying the potential impact on WFP activities to enable timely and appropriate programme adjustment.
• Provide inputs to the growth of Monitoring, Review and Evaluation plans that will provide the most relevant and strategic information towards achieving expected results (as set out in the current and forthcoming Country Strategic Plan (CSP) and other global and regional plans compliant with WFP evaluation and monitoring requirements.
• Work with the GEDSI and AAP team to reinforce the CFM system through implementation of corporate tools and systems (SugarCRM) and use of issue trackers, instituting follow- up actions and closure of beneficiary feedback and complaints.
• Coordinate and oversee operational/thematic / collaborative research initiatives and actively engage with relevant stakeholders such as the World Bank, IMF, ADB, USAID and others to promote and contribute to the analysis and production of thematic briefs on key areas of interest such as food security, safety nets / social protection.
• Provide inputs to the growth and implementation of national government and inter-agency monitoring, reporting and evaluation frameworks, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Assistance Framework (UNSDCF)
• Help WFP Management in addressing recommendations from monitoring, reviews, evaluations and audit to ensure that follow-up actions are taken, and issues addressed ad closed timely.
• Lead the process of internal and external evaluation exercise from inception to completion. This includes recognising a firm for an independent evaluation, facilitating secondary data review and primary data collection based on the scope of evaluation and methodologies required, disseminating the findings, and facilitating their use in future policy, programme design and implementation.

3) Representation and coordination

• Illustrate WFP in relevant fora such as the Food Security Development Partners Group (FSDPG) and provide WFP’s input to the UNSDCF workplans and reports (such as update of the Common Country Analysis / CCA), contribute to technical discussions, exchange knowledge and best practices, identify opportunities for potential collaboration and strategic partnerships for strengthening national RAM capacity.
• Partaking in appropriate coordination forums, inter-agency forums, working groups and technical meetings and discussions, exchange of knowledge and experience, promote the importance of timely evidence generation and build partnerships.

4) Capacity strengthening

• Regularly evaluate internal WFP, Government and cooperating partner staff capacity related to VAM and MRE and ensure adequate capacity strengthening support is provided mainly focusing on analysis of food security, nutrition, market, resilience, gender and related topics

5) Leadership and team administration

• Provide strategic leadership, supervision, coaching and direction to VAM and MRE staff and focal points across the programme unit
• Develop annual work plan and budget for VAM and MRE and coordinate its implementation
• Oversee staff performance and evaluations by providing regular feedback and through periodic performance appraisals.