Compliance Specialist – Consultant – CST II

Company: World Food Program – Other locations

Location: Gaza Strip · Palestine

Category: Non-profit Organization

Job Description: **Job Description**

**Position Title:** Compliance Specialist

**Contract Type:** Consultancy Contract – CST II

**Organizational Unit:** Palestine Country Office, Risk Management Unit

**Location:** East Jerusalem, Palestine

**Duration:** 6 months

**Reporting Line:** Head of Risk Management Unit (Risk Officer)

**Organizational Context:**

This consultancy position is located within the WFP Palestine Country Office in East Jerusalem. The incumbent will contribute to the Risk Management Unit, supporting the promotion and integration of risk management initiatives, including the proactive enhancement of internal controls, across WFP’s operations in Palestine, encompassing activities in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. The Compliance Specialist will report to the Head of the Country Office Risk Management Unit, with functional guidance, support, and supervision provided by the Regional Risk Advisor and the Risk Management Division at Headquarters.

**Purpose of the Assignment:**

The purpose of this assignment is to provide support in the establishment and enhancement of risk management activities, contribute to the application of controls and compliance with policies and procedures, and enhance the overall effectiveness of operations and optimization of WFP resources.

The Compliance Specialist will contribute to the Risk Unit’s role in ensuring the Country Office’s adherence to internal policies, rules, regulations, donor conditions, and applicable local and international legal frameworks. This role includes monitoring, reporting, and providing advisory support to mitigate compliance risks and enhance accountability across WFP’s Palestine operation.

The Risk Management Unit in Palestine aims to serve as a supportive partner and advisory resource for all Country Office teams, assisting them in enhancing their performance through systematic and effective risk management. The Unit promotes an integrated approach to risk management and assurance, enabling country office teams to design and implement resilient and successful programs. This is achieved through monitoring, reviewing, and challenging the risk management and internal control processes of the Country Office. The Compliance Specialist will play a critical role in this process by producing compliance assessments and developing recommendations for improved risk management. The overarching objective is to enable teams to maximize the impact of their resources for the beneficiaries WFP serves.

**Key Responsibilities:**

Under the guidance of the Head of Risk Management Unit, the Compliance Specialist will undertake the following responsibilities:

1. Develop an internal framework for risk-based compliance reviews across the Country Office’s activities.
2. Plan and execute compliance review assignments efficiently in accordance with the internal framework, contributing to the evaluation of risk management and internal control systems within Country Office units, and conduct further analysis as assigned by the supervisor.
3. Contribute to management accountability across functional units by preparing comprehensive reports summarizing the status of compliance with internal controls, identifying key oversight themes, and using risk information to highlight areas outside of risk appetite. Formulate recommended actions for business units to address identified shortcomings, strengthen internal controls, and improve business processes.
4. Collect information on training needs and contribute to the preparation of training programs or information sessions for colleagues and partners to enhance understanding of risk management and compliance with WFP and other relevant policies, rules, regulations, and procedures. Where feasible, regularly engage with and travel to WFP Palestine’s area and field offices to strengthen internal control capacity and promote knowledge sharing, including on-the-job training for other staff.
5. Provide advice to Country Office management on enhancing existing processes related to risk management and internal control systems, including performance and risk management systems, monitoring and oversight processes, and techniques and tools to support their implementation.
6. Using the Three Lines Model, participate in the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by First Line colleagues for managing the risk and accountability process, including criteria for conducting risk and accountability missions, training materials, and modules, to minimize risk to the organization.
7. Support managers in preparing and planning for Internal and External Audits, including collecting essential documents, organizing briefing meetings, and following up on recommendations. Proactively monitor the implementation of audit recommendations and conduct initial evaluations of responses and actions taken by heads of units.
8. Support the promotion and dissemination of the 2021 Revised Anti-Fraud and Anti-Corruption (AFAC) Policy and WFP’s adherence to Zero Tolerance for Inaction. Assist managers in their fraud risk assessments by collecting and analyzing data on fraud incidents, fraud risk metrics, and fraud risk appetite. Support training in AFAC standards and provide support to meet related incident management requirements, including documentation and reporting.
9. Assume a leadership role in the Country Office’s third-party risk management efforts, specifically providing oversight of WFP’s cooperating and implementing partners and other key contractors, with emphasis on supply chain, as well as WFP’s due diligence processes related to these third parties.
10. Perform other duties within the field of risk management and compliance as assigned.