The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.
BACKGROUND AND JOB PURPOSE
Food insecurity is highest in the most fragile and degraded environments, prone to disasters and exposed to recurrent shocks and crises, including extreme weather events caused by climate change. WFP helps countries and the most vulnerable and food insecure communities manage natural resources sustainably, so they can meet today’s livelihood needs and safeguard these resources for future generations.
Due to climate change, communities are facing more frequent and extreme weather events. WFP helps offset the impact these have on lives and livelihoods. Forecast-based Financing uses improved early warning based on weather forecasts to alert communities ahead of disasters, so they can take preparatory measures such as evacuating assets and livestock, reinforcing homesteads, and buying food and essential items. Index based insurance uses remote sensing and hydrometeorological data to determine when crop losses occur and inform the triggering of payouts.
The vision of the WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.
The agriculture sector (including livestock) is a major contributor to Kenya’s economy in terms of food and nutrition security, employment creation, supply of agro-based industry raw materials and foreign exchange earnings. About 98% of Kenya’s agricultural activities are rain-fed and highly susceptible to climate change and climate variability. The susceptibility of the agricultural sector to climate change is likely to compromise attainment of the sector’s contribution to food and nutrition security, national economy and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Climate-resilient Agriculture and Pastoral Livelihoods Advisor will lead in the scaling of climate smart agriculture and natural rangeland management work in WFP Kenya. S/he will align the work of WFP Kenya with key national agriculture and climate change strategies and act as a leader in developing appropriate climate risk analysis tools and keep abreast of latest information on the linkages between climate change, resilience and food systems.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
Climate Smart Agriculture Programming and Implementation (with a focus on pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihoods)
- Develop programming and lead on the implementation of Climate Smart Agriculture (including rangeland management) in WFP Kenya aligned with relevant national policies and strategies.
- Lead in the development of tools and methodologies for understanding how climate change is currently affecting the work of WFP Kenya (e.g. Development of a Climate Risk Management tool for assessing climate risk at subnational, livelihood zone and community level).
- Support the Government in delivering the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy 2017-2026 (KCSAS) and align with the Implementation Framework 2018-2027 (KCSAIF). This includes assessing the implementation status of the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Programme (KCSAP) in Kenya, understand how existing capacities have been built and where WFP Kenya could play a strategic lead or support role (as the project closes).
- Support in enhancing WFP projects on the need to increase agricultural productivity while identifying opportunities to sustainably build resilience of national agricultural systems (especially in ASAL) with the need to adapt to climate change.
- Develop appropriate activities towards building the resilience of the agricultural systems and value chain actors to cope with effects of the current and projected climate change patterns based on specific climate change vulnerabilities.
- Support in the delivery and scaling of climate smart agriculture and rangeland management practices in counties (especially in ASALs). This should include supporting the integration of climate smart agriculture practices into existing programmes in WFP Kenya (including FtMA and R4). Support market access for climate smart products through expansion and partnering with programs like WFPs’ Farm to Market Alliance (FTMA) and partnering with other stakeholders who strengthen crop and livestock marketing systems in Kenya.
- Provide in-depth technical guidance and mentoring in climate-smart agriculture (small ruminants, poultry, fruit production, vegetables, field crops), nature-based solutions, natural resources management, including rangeland management, especially in dryland areas.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (CONTINUATION)
Partnerships
- Keep abreast of key changes in the landscape of Kenya agriculture and climate change space (e.g. tracking climate finance, understanding latest thinking, political economy and latest tools/technologies etc.).
- In close collaboration with the External Relations team, support WFP Kenya in better understanding climate resilience and low carbon growth in the agricultural sector.
- Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with key government of Kenya staff working in the area of climate smart agriculture (including the Ministry of Agriculture climate change desk; Ministry of Environment and Forestry staff).
- Support the development of new climate change and agriculture partnerships, especially CCAFS, ILRI, World Agroforestry Centre, KALRO, VI-Agroforestry, UNEP EBAFOSA, SNV. Identify possible areas of collaboration, including resource mobilization opportunities.
- Build on existing relationships and working partnerships with key climate information service providers (e.g. ICPAC, Kenya Met., FEWSNET)
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Support in the development, understanding and roll-out of key indicators for the measurement of WFP Kenya’s climate smart agriculture work, that align with the M&E framework for the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Strategy 2017-2026 (KCSAS), while also meeting the WFP corporate monitoring and reportimg requirements of the new Corporate Results Framework .
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (CONTINUATION)
Institutional Strengthening, Innovation and Resource Mobilization
- Review all programme documents and relevant literature including county plans and priorities in relation to climate resilience and agriculture.
- Support in the roll out of climate smart agriculture practices in counties (especially ASALs) in close coordination with county government officials (especially those related to climate change, agriculture, livestock and water management).
- Identify opportunities to support in the rollout of training on the linkages between climate change and agriculture at the county level (including with WFP Kenya staff as necessary), in collaboration with dedicated capacity building staff in WFP Kenya.
- Develop and support evidence gap analyses and learning opportunities with country governments/officials.
- Develop internal capacity on Climate Information Services (CIS), including on best practices.
- In close collaboration with activity leads and the Innovation Unit, lead on the development of the design, implementation and lesson leaning of innovative and transformative initiatives and best practices that will strive to address challenges brought about by climate change in the agriculture space.
- Support the development of proposals on strengthening climate-resilient food systems and livelihood in Kenya (integrating value chain and market-based approaches), in close collaboration with teams across all relevant units of WFP Kenya.
- Support the tracking and updating of latest developments on climate change funding in relation to Climate Smart Agriculture in Kenya.
- Keep track of key developments with the Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund in relation to the funding of climate resilient agriculture.
Education: Advanced University degree in Agriculture, Economics, Environmental Science, Social Sciences or other relevant with a focus on climate change, climate-resilient agriculture and nature-based solutions. Or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.
Experience: At least seven years of postgraduate professional years’ experience in agricultural research for development in areas relevant to WFP Kenya (e.g., integrated resilience programming, climate smart agriculture, scaling agricultural innovations, climate finance and climate policy, monitoring and evaluation).
Languages: Fluency (level C) in English language.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
- Good analytical skills, resourcefulness, and initiative.
- Ability to work with a high degree of independence in a team environment, creating networks and strong work relationships across teams.
- Demonstrates the ability to incorporate technical information into programme design and implementation, and to appropriately communicate it internally and externally.
- Ability to work in multi-cultural team and establish effective working relations with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds.
- Extensive Kenya experience, with regional African experience seen as an advantage.
- Proven capacity to work across multiple stakeholders, including government entities, civil society organizations (CSOs), local communities, and the private sector.
- Extensive Kenya experience, with regional African experience seen as an advantage.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
- Excellent public speaking and presentation skills.
- Advanced computer skills in MS Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint (knowledge of statistical packages and GIS of advantage).
- A willingness to travel, as required, often to remote areas; ability to cope with situations, which may threaten health or safety; flexibility in accepting work assignments outside normal desk description
