Programme Associate

WFP’s vision is that the Kyrgyz Republic has resilient, inclusive, and shock responsive food and social protection systems that enable all people, especially the most vulnerable, to access healthy diets, sustain livelihoods, withstand climate and crisis shocks, and realize their full human potential, leaving no one behind. Derived from the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework , WFP Country Strategic Plan (2023-27 EN|RU) focuses its human capital development, capacity building and productive asset creation activities to enhance the resilience and livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable, with a focus on food systems strengthening across three core pillars: (i) Social Protection; (ii) Climate Change Adaption, Disaster Risk Management and Emergency Preparedness; and (iii) Schools as platforms for healthy diets. In addition, a contingent emergency response outcome can be activated in case of need.

WFP has been supporting the Kyrgyz Republic’s National Development Programme (NDP) 2030 by leveraging its strengths in food security, nutrition, resilience, and logistics through scaling up nutrition sensitive school meals linked to local food procurement, and supporting adaptive, shock responsive social protection systems. WFP has been contributing to food security and rural development by building climate resilient food systems, supporting smallholder farmers and cooperatives, reducing post harvest losses, and integrating anticipatory action and disaster risk reduction in climate affected regions. In addition, WFP has been adding values by enhancing emergency preparedness and logistics capacity, improving food security data and early warning systems to support evidence based policymaking, and helping reduce regional inequalities through targeted interventions — all closely aligned with the NDP priorities on human capital, resilience, digitalization, and inclusive growth.

To provide programme support with a strong cross‑cutting focus on Gender Equality, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Accountability to Affected People (AAP), ensuring these priorities are systematically mainstreamed across programme and project activities, while providing technical guidance and coordination support on data processes and analytics to enable inclusive, evidence‑based planning, implementation, and decision‑making. The position reports to the Programme and Policy Officer (Cross Cutting Team Lead).

1.    Provide technical support and assist in the development and implementation of various activities and processes within the specific area of work supporting alignment with wider programme policies and guidelines. 
2.    Provide specialized project management support to specific and/or defined programmes to ensure that the various activities are performed within the established targets following WFP’s policies and procedures.  
3.    Within the specific area of responsibility, prepare a range of reports and data analysis (e.g. food assistance needs, resource utilization, programme status, performance) and highlight trends/issues ensuring deliverables adhere to corporate standards and quality control. 
4.    Ensure and/or perform accurate, timely recording of data within the specific technical area of work (e.g. assistance programmes, food security and vulnerability assessments) and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.  
5.    Liaise with internal counterparts to support effective collaboration, implementation and monitoring of ongoing project activities. 
6.    Coordinate and communicate with local partners, agencies, NGOs and government institutions to perform accurate food security analyses and to ensure efficient delivery of food assistance.  
7.    Support the capacity building of WFP staff, cooperating partners and national government within the specific technical area. 
8.    Act as a point of contact for resolution of a range of operational queries and problems within a specific technical area of responsibility.    
9.    Oversee and/or review the work of other support staff, providing practical advice and guidance, to contribute to delivering objectives to agreed standards and deadlines. 
10.    Follow standard emergency preparedness practices to ensure WFP is able to quickly respond and deploy needed resources to affected areas at the onset of the crisis. 
 

12.    Act as a cross cutting focal point for Gender Equality, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Accountability to Affected People (AAP), supporting the systematic mainstreaming of corporate policies, minimum standards, and good practices across programme and project activities. 
13.    Provide technical guidance and coordination support to programme teams and partners on gender, protection, disability inclusion, and AAP, including integration into programme design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting, and contribute to budgeting and cost related tasks.
14.    Support gender and protection analysis processes, including the collection, analysis, and reporting of sex , age , and disability disaggregated data (SADDD), in close collaboration with VAM/M&E and programme units to inform inclusive and equitable programme decisions. 
15.    Support community engagement and feedback mechanisms (CFMs), including analysis and use of feedback data to strengthen programme quality, accountability, and responsiveness to the needs and priorities of affected populations. 
16.    Contribute to capacity strengthening initiatives for WFP staff and cooperating partners on gender equality, DEI, AAP, and protection mainstreaming, including development of guidance materials and support to trainings or workshops.
17.    Coordinate and engage with other UN agencies, inter‑agency working groups, and relevant coordination platforms to promote coherence, information sharing, and alignment on gender equality, protection, inclusion, and AAP priorities at country level.
18.    Provide guidance and coordination support on data processing and data quality considerations, including IDM‑related processes, to help ensure programme data supports inclusive programming and accountability objectives, working closely with VAM/M&E and relevant technical units.
19.    Contribute to the overall office work, including respective focal points and tasks beyond the above-mentioned, to jointly deliver the CSP results as one WFP team.    
20.    Perform any other tasks as required.   

-    Demonstrated experience supporting or contributing to gender equality, protection, disability inclusion, and Accountability to Affected People (AAP) within development, humanitarian, or social protection programmes.
-    Experience assisting with the mainstreaming of cross‑cutting issues (gender, DEI, protection, inclusion, AAP) across programme and project design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
-    Experience working with programme teams, cooperating partners, government counterparts, and/or UN agencies to support coordination, inclusive approaches, and alignment on cross‑cutting priorities.
-    Experience supporting community engagement, consultations, and feedback mechanisms, including analysing feedback or qualitative information to inform programme adjustments and improve accountability.
-    Experience providing technical guidance or support on basic data collection, quality, and use (e.g. sex‑, age‑, and disability‑disaggregated data), in collaboration with M&E or RAM colleagues, without direct responsibility for day‑to‑day data management.
-    Experience contributing to programme documentation, brief analyses, or reports that integrate gender, inclusion, or AAP considerations into operational or management decision‑making.
-    Experience working in or with UN agencies, NGOs, or government institutions is an asset.

Education: Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in the related functional area.

Experience: At least 6 years of progressively responsible experience in programme-related functions, development, government aid programme, general administrative work or other related fields.

Language: Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and proficiency in the duty station’s language(s) (Russian or Kyrgyz, both considered an advantage).