Programme Associate G6 (M&E and AAP) – Qamishli – OA069-2024

Company: World Food Program – Other locations

Location: Italy

Category: Non-profit Organization

Job Description: **Job Description**

**ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT:**

Since 2011, the Syrian Arab Republic has been experiencing a protracted crisis that has significantly impacted its economy and social structure. In 2024, internally displaced persons (IDPs) constitute approximately 33 percent of the population requiring humanitarian assistance; of the 7.2 million IDPs, 5.5 million are in need of humanitarian support. The 2024 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) indicates that approximately 15.5 million individuals, representing 66 percent of the total population, require assistance in the form of food, livelihood support, agricultural aid, or support from national safety nets. A minimum of 12.9 million individuals are in need of food assistance, including over 2.1 million residing in camps and an additional 2.6 million at risk of food insecurity. The primary causes of this situation are the prolonged crisis, economic instability, declining purchasing power, the impact of the Coronavirus disease pandemic, and seismic events. These pre-existing conditions are further exacerbated by recent crises, including population influxes from Lebanon, internal displacement resulting from ongoing shifts in territorial control, and diminishing humanitarian funding. These factors collectively intensify food insecurity and strain livelihood resources. In response, the World Food Programme (WFP) has formulated an interim Country Strategic Plan (iCSP) to address the escalating needs related to food, nutrition, and livelihoods, as well as the deterioration of food systems. The iCSP, initiated in January 2022, leverages WFP’s accumulated experience and lessons learned, in collaboration with humanitarian and development stakeholders.

**JOB PURPOSE:**

Under the supervision of the Qamishli Area Office Head of Programme, the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) Programme Associate will operate within the Programme unit of the North-East Syria (NES) Area Office (AO). The incumbent will support the AO in the on-site and remote monitoring of the effective implementation of WFP programmes, ensuring a high level of accountability to affected populations. Furthermore, the incumbent will provide the necessary support and tools required for this purpose. The role will also necessitate close collaboration with the M&E and AAP functions within the Country Office.

**KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (including but not limited to):**

1. **Monitoring**
* Supervise the Monitoring team, assess staffing requirements, and ensure the provision of regular training to WFP Field Monitors (FMA) and Third-Party Monitors (TPM).
* Ensure balanced monitoring coverage, prioritizing the expansion of WFP direct monitoring in accessible areas.
* Conduct regular field visits, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions to understand the operational context, ensure oversight of the work of FMAs, TPMs, and Cooperating Partners (CPs), identify underlying issues, and formulate actionable solutions.
* Verify the quality of data collected by Monitors, TPMs, and other sources, and support the implementation of Country Office data quality initiatives.
* Support the testing and refinement of monitoring tools, analyze gathered information, extract key findings, identify patterns, recurring issues, and areas for improvement, report on these findings, and ensure appropriate follow-up actions.
* Maintain an accurate and current inventory of implementation sites, ensuring its systematic organization and regular updates.
* Support the preparation of Field Level Agreements (FLAs) for M&E-related sections or sections relevant to monitoring planning (e.g., Food Distribution Point mapping).

2. **COMET**
* Ensure the fulfillment of COMET Roles and Responsibilities in accordance with the COMET Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
* Support the WFP Country Office by ensuring timely data entry and coordinating reconciliation efforts at the Area Office level.

3. **Targeting**
* Support beneficiary verification exercises, including retargeting initiatives, in close coordination with the Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (VAM) unit in the Area Office and the Country Office Retargeting, Accountability and Monitoring (RAM) team.
* Lead the verification process of retargeting exercises, adhering to guidance developed by the Country Office team.

4. **Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP)**
* Develop a comprehensive set of key messages and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that addresses the inquiries of affected people by providing pertinent information.
* Ensure that the existing Complaint and Feedback Mechanism (CFM) is adequate and contextually relevant, adapting tools and strategies to address challenges related to outreach, such as network issues, illiteracy, language barriers, and logistical access to persons with disabilities.
* Assist in the establishment of a centralized WFP database to effectively manage, track, and ensure appropriate responses to complaints and feedback received from beneficiaries via various secure CFM Channels.
* Maintain continuous oversight of the WFP Sugar Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, and refer complaints to the relevant cooperating partners and WFP personnel.
* Ensure follow-up on the corrective actions taken and responses provided by cooperating partners and WFP staff, systematically record inputs to the WFP CRM, and relay feedback to the WFP CFM Operation and the affected individuals.
* Support the WFP Syria efforts toward ensuring adherence to community engagement standards, maintaining close coordination, and providing feedback on challenges, progress, and lessons learned.
* Maintain close coordination with other stakeholders and international agencies, actively participating in regular meetings related to AAP and ensuring timely feedback to the AAP team at the Country Office regarding new initiatives, changes, and restrictions.

5. **Reporting**
* Provide inputs for and lead on all reporting requirements related to M&E and AAP, including monthly monitoring reports, M&E and AAP inputs for the weekly operational briefs, monthly situation reports, and any other reports related to the section.