Italy: Chief, Performance Management Branch P5

Organization: World Food Programme
Country: Italy
Closing date: 04 Nov 2014

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. We are seeking to fill the position of Chief, Performance Management Branch (RMPP) at the P5 level, based at our Headquarters office in Rome, Italy.

Background:

The Performance Management and Monitoring Division (RMP) in WFP was created to strengthen WFP’s capacity to implement the Strategic Plan, to measure our impact on alleviating hunger through food assistance, and to advance results-based performance and accountability across the organization. RMP coordinates and supports the implementation and roll-out of the Strategic Plan throughout the organization. RMP is also tasked with identifying measures of success, and to report on progress, results and lessons learned: to demonstrate the impact of WFP’s food assistance on the lives of the beneficiaries.

Key functional responsibilities of RMP are:

• Embedding performance and risk management: RMP has corporate responsibility to embed integrated performance and risk management in WFP to inform decision making in a decentralized environment and to foster learning. In so doing RMP builds on the lessons learned and best practices of previous results-based management and risk management experiences.
• Providing normative guidance for operational monitoring and field reviews: RMP is responsible for establishing and maintaining standards, guidelines and a system for operational monitoring; development of tools and guidance for Reviews in accordance with WFPs corporate performance management system as well as in line with the corporate monitoring strategy.
• Leading and supporting performance reporting: Coordination of all efforts towards demonstrating WFP’s organizational performance through its Annual Performance Reports; further, the coordination of management responses to the recommendations of evaluations provides RMP the opportunity to track the application of lessons learned in strategic planning process as well as programme design and implementation status. RMP also provides an overview of trends in global food aid deliveries by governments, non-governmental organizations and WFP through its annual report to all partners of the international food aid information system.

Qualifications & Experience Required

Education:

• Advanced university degree in Social Sciences, Business Administration, Management Sciences, Operations Research, Statistics, or equivalent discipline.

Experience:

• At least 11 years (4 of which will be on an international scope) of progressively responsible professional experience in results-based management or enterprise performance management, programme development or strategic planning, or organizational budgeting in public and/or private sector environment.

Technical Skills & Knowledge:

• Knowledge of strategic planning and risk management approaches, performance planning principles and practices, monitoring and evaluation standards, performance based budgeting, developing and managing information systems including information/data management;
• Knowledge of industry best practices on organizational performance metrics, performance reporting, quantitative and qualitative survey methods, target setting methods, data quality assurance and analysis and validation methodologies.
• Knowledge of developing normative guidance, training manuals and materials and strong knowledge of training and facilitation methods.
• Must have a demonstrated ability to exercise sound, independent, professional judgment;
• Ability to work constructively with internal and external clients;
• Proven capacity to leverage knowledge of internal and external best practices and partnerships;
• Proven ability to lead teams, support and mentor staff;
• Excellent analytical and communication skills (written, oral and presentation);
• Recognised inter-personal skills; demonstrated ability to oversee complex corporate reporting processes at regional or corporate level;
• Evidence of applied participatory and consultative approaches.

Competencies:

• High level of conceptual and analytical capacity and faculty in the preparation of programmes, policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability of building and managing a team and creating enabling work environment.
• Ability to provide technical guidance and support to decentralised technical staff in regional and country offices as well as at Headquarters.
• Excellent drafting ability and communication skills, both oral and written; ability to conduct presentations clearly and concisely.
• Ability to advice senior management on highly complex and sensitive issues; demonstrated capacity for intellectual leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives and translate into a result oriented work programme/project.
• Strong negotiating skills and ability to influence others and reach agreement on difficult issues. Ability to successfully anticipate, resolve arising issues by providing solid recommendations.
• Resourcefulness, initiative, tact and ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Language:

• Fluency in oral and written English with an intermediate knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) or Portuguese (one of WFP’s working languages).

How to apply:

Go to: http://i-recruitment.wfp.org/vacancies/14-0015654

Step 1: Register and create your online CV.

Step 2: Click on “Description” to read the position requirements and “Apply” to submit your application.

NOTE: You must complete Step 1 and 2 in order for your application to be considered for this vacancy.

Deadline for applications: 4 November 2014