International Consultant CSTII, Resilience Officer, N'Djamena, Chad

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization with a dual mandate to save lives and change lives. In Chad, WFP works with the Government of Chad through various interventions to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2-Zero hunger. Chad is a vast, landlocked country in north-central Africa, with an estimated population of 19.3 million in 2025. It remains one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking 187th out of 189 on the Human Development Index and 113th out of 116 on the Global Hunger Index.The country hosts one of Africa’s largest displaced populations, with more than 1.2 million refugees, adding significant pressure on already scarce natural resources. This challenge is compounded by Chad’s high vulnerability to climate change and its severe food insecurity situation. As of 2024, 3.8 million people were classified as severely food insecure, according to the latest results from the Cadre Harmonisé. One of WFP’s key areas of intervention in Chad is its integrated resilience-building programme, which combines nutrition-sensitive programming, school meals, Food Assistance for Assets (FFA), livelihood support, and smallholder agricultural market support at household, community, and institutional levels. Under its 2024–2028 Country Strategic Plan (CSP), WFP Chad is scaling up resilience and climate adaptation interventions targeting vulnerable communities, including host populations, refugees and internally displaced persons. WFP implements a growing and diversified portfolio of multi-year resilience programmes and projects aimed at addressing the root causes of food insecurity, strengthening livelihoods, enhancing climate resilience and supporting social cohesion. To support the effective management, coordination and implementation of this expanding resilience portfolio, WFP Chad is seeking to strengthen its Resilience team through the recruitment of a highly qualified consultant. The consultant will provide strategic and technical guidance, support programme implementation and quality assurance, and contribute to the overall coordination and performance of WFP’s resilience portfolio across the country.

JOB PURPOSE

This role will be based in the Chad Country Office in N’Djamena and the consultant will report to the Head of Resilience. Based in N’Djamena, the incumbent will make frequent field visits and provide technical and strategic guidance on planning, designing, and writing resilience, natural resources management, and food systems projects for resource mobilization. He/she will be supporting the direct implementation of projects. The position will support the overall implementation of the WFP Chad SO3 strategy by providing technical advice and oversight on the development and implementation of complex strategies related to resilience, food for assets and livelihoods as well as develop and provide programmatic and technical guidance on these three areas of work and integration aspects. He/she will forge strategic and operational partnerships with Government, UN and non-UN actors, and guide several scaling up operations and support to COs, including reporting on major achievements and advocacy. The consultant will be expected to operate with high independence in his/her specialties to manage the integrated resilience projects in the locations identified through the project.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• The incumbent shall report to the Head of Resilience Unit. His/her responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Formulate substantial parts of WFP-wide programme policies in line with both organisational strategy and the practical realities of operating in the field; or translate WFP wide programme policy into Country level practices, programme guidance and implementation modalities and operations
• Oversee and coordinate the design and implementation of the integrated resilience programme and foster synergies between activities supporting people, communities, systems, to become more resilient to shocks. Those multisectoral integrated programme combine, as relevant, activities aiming to create climate smart community assets, support livelihoods through individual skills development, strengthen local food systems, promote access to markets and value chain development, improve nutrition, promote adaptation to climate shocks, address structural causes of vulnerability, and mitigate and reduce the negative impacts of shocks and stressors
• Provide technical support, as relevant, to programme focusing on individual, household, and community livelihood assets creation through watershed/ landscape-based approaches by adopting and promoting nature-based solutions, soil and water conservation, water infrastructure; individual skills development related to on-farm and off-farm livelihoods both in rural and urban contexts; livelihoods in refugee and displacement contexts; climate adaptation, food systems interventions, and foster programme synergies in line with both organizational strategy and the practical realities of operating in the field
• Engage with government stakeholders and partners to provide support and technical expertise for the planning, formulation, and implementation of integrated resilience programme, and to strengthen government and community ownership and effectiveness of food security and nutrition programme at global, national, and sub-national levels
• Identify and develop robust operational partnerships with other multi-sectorial partners (governments, UN, NGO’s, academia, and research institutions) to foster collaborative approaches and initiatives that improve resilience and livelihoods related assistance packages and support advocacy work (e.g., via best practices and other technical/training guidance)
• Provide advice and support to COs delivering a complex portfolio of programme to clarify ambiguities and ensure that policy and programme operations are consistent with WFP policies, Executive Board decisions, and other relevant guidance
• Provide technical advice or mobilize technical expertise, on a wide range of programme and policy issues including assessment and analysis, the choice of objectives, activities, transfer modalities and appropriate food products, the deployment and testing of innovative approaches and the development of strategies to support government efforts to reduce hunger and malnutrition
• Assist senior stakeholders of governments and other partners in identifying where food assistance can be usefully employed and provide support and technical expertise for the planning, formulation and implementation of food assistance programme to strengthen government and community ownership and effectiveness of food security and nutrition programme at national and sub-national levels
• Develop operational partnerships and maintain established strategic partnerships to identify opportunities for collaborative approaches and initiatives that improve assistance packages and support advocacy work
• Enhance WFP’s leadership status in different forums on subjects related to food security, livelihoods, resilience, engagement in humanitarian, transition and development contexts and other related issues through direct participation, briefings, information products and other materials
• Advocate for resources for a broad portfolio of WFP resilience and climate projects, including clearly articulating the need for food assistance and related programme opportunities, and follow up on the resource situation of projects including commodity and cash availability
• Advise and support the development of functional training in areas of expertise to enhance the capacity of WFP staff and partner to design and deliver effective food assistance programme
• Lead, motivate and develop a substantive team to enable high performance
• Ensure the best use of assigned financial resources for achievement of set objectives within a significant budget
• Other as required

Formation et compétences

• Has working experience with government at national and sub-national level
• Has worked with government agencies and gained policy experience and capacity to engage with government counterpart
• Has working experience with UN agencies, international organizations or NGOs
• Has worked in a Country Office or equivalent level position within technical area
• Has managed discussions with experts in resilience, livelihood and climate
• Has led a programme team or a substantial component of a complex programme
• Has gained direct field experience of different resilience and livelihood programme approaches
• Experience in managing resilience programmes in the Sahel would be an asset

STANDARD MINIMUM ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced University degree in Agriculture, Forestry, Rural development, Environmental Science, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses. Experience: At least 3 years with master and 5 years with bachelor or more professional relevant experience to the role. Languages: Perfect command of the French language (written and oral) and able to work in English.