Introduction
The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is an integrated set of activities funded by the United States Government (USG) and is intended to provide timely, accurate, evidence-based, and transparent food insecurity early warning information and analysis. Created in 1985 in response to famines in East and West Africa, FEWS NET provides global coverage of acute food insecurity. FEWS NET’s work is implemented across several mechanisms by a team of partners that includes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the University of California-Santa Barbara’s Climate Hazards Center (UCSB-CHC), University of Maryland’s Department of Geographical Sciences, American Institutes for Research (AIR), and Chemonics International (Chemonics). Chemonics implements FEWS NET’s Decision Support Team (DST), which is charged with providing integrated monitoring and analyses of current and forecast acute food insecurity in countries worldwide to support the United States Government’s (USG) policy and programmatic decisions. The DST operates through a Washington-based technical office, regional FEWS NET offices, and national staff presence in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and eastern Europe.
FEWS NET’s objective is to produce timely, evidence-based decision support to enable the efficient allocation of humanitarian assistance on the basis of need.
Based on an in-depth understanding of local livelihoods, FEWS NET monitors information and data on factors that affect food security, such as conflict, weather and agroclimatology, crops, pasture, markets and trade, and nutrition. The FEWS NET DST produces regular reports, including Food Security Outlooks and Outlook Updates, emergency alerts, market and price updates, and targeted analyses. FEWS NET makes reports available at www.fews.net and distributes them globally to governments, relief agencies, and other organizations engaged in humanitarian response and development programs.
The eighth phase of FEWS NET began in 2024. The work of the FEWS NET DST relies on close collaboration with international, regional, and national partners on food security-related data and information gathering and analysis. Major activities include joint monitoring and assessments, data sharing and exchanges, collaborative analysis and reporting, and support of local and regional food security networks.
Position Description
The FEWS NET DST maintains virtual and physical field offices in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and eastern Europe. Five regional offices coordinate and oversee the technical and administrative management of over 40 country offices. Each country office falls into one of three tiers, depending on the complexity of the context and operating environment, with Tier 1 countries requiring a larger staffing footprint, and Tier 3 countries requiring a smaller staffing footprint. There are four main technical positions at the country level: Country Technical Lead (CTL); Country Technical Manager (CTM); and Country Technical Senior Specialist for Food Security (CTSS-FS); and Country Technical Specialist for Conflict (CTSS-C). The CTL serves as the technical analysis leader within the country across all three tiers. Tier 1 and 2 countries have a CTL, CTM, and different numbers of CTSSs. As a default, Tier 3 countries have a CTL and one CTSS, although in select cases, they may have more than one. The CTSS-FS, who may be located outside the capital city, is responsible for supporting the delivery of technical outputs and representing FEWS NET in national and sub-national fora, under the CTL’s direction. In addition, the CTSS-FS, under the CTL’s direction and guidance, is responsible for supporting the following activities, in collaboration with other technical staff in the country:
Efficient, focused acute food insecurity monitoring, data collection, assessment, and early warning analysis. The support may include a more granular sub-national food security analysis in the areas of greatest concern.
Effective communication of early warning analysis to national and sub-national partners and decision-makers through high-quality reports and participation in briefings and formal and informal meetings
Close collaboration with key partners, such as host government ministries, UN agencies, and international and local NGOs, among others, nationally and sub-nationally
In support of the Regional Network and Communications Senior Specialist, helping to build strategic partner networks nationally and sub-nationally, by addressing identified gaps in effective early warning systems and through supporting network capacity building efforts spearheaded by FEWS NET
Regular participation in IPC/CH analyses
As appropriate, oversight of a network of enumerators and/or key informants charged with collecting data and field information throughout the country
Regular collection and collation of data and field information and upload to the FEWS NET Data Warehouse (FDW)
Coordination and effective collaboration with other FEWS NET mechanisms
Responsibilities
The main responsibilities of the Zambia CTSS-FS include, but are not limited to:
Supporting the fulfilment of designated monthly reporting requirements, including providing critical inputs to the Food Security Outlooks (FSOs), FSO Updates, Price Watch, and key messages; contributing to Food Assistance Outlook Brief reports; and providing briefings to national and sub-national partners.
Under the guidance of the CTL, supporting the integrated food security analyses (FSOs, FSOUs, FAOB input) to classify and communicate the severity of acute food insecurity at the national and sub-national levels in line with the globally recognized Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) scale. Where IPC compatibility is not possible, the CTSS-FS will support the CTL to ensure analyses remain globally comparable.
Supporting the CTL in meeting USG’s expectations on timely delivery of national and sub-national decision support products, which include, but are not limited to: delivery of monthly reporting for all presence countries no later than 7 days after the last day of the reporting month; responding to urgent questions on acute food insecurity within one day; providing briefings within one week of request; and assessing acute food insecurity in Expanded Global Early Warning (EGEW) countries within one week of request.
Supporting the CTL, and CTM where relevant, in maintaining a national and sub-national knowledge base comprised of, at a minimum, livelihood zone profiles, commodity trade flow maps, seasonal monitoring calendars, commodity price data, nutrition data, security monitoring, conflict data, migration, remittances, labor, humanitarian food assistance, and other technical data covering rainfall, agricultural production, population, etc., in collaboration with other FEWS NET 8 implementing partners, as applicable
With support from the CTL, overseeing the collection of data by in-country enumerators or field monitors and liaising with the Regional Data Coordinator to ensure effective management (cleaning, storage, uploading, etc.) of all field data/information
Supporting the CTL, and CTM where relevant, transfer relevant national and sub-national technical databases built from primary and secondary data sources, from national and sub-national partners, and through inputs entered into the FEWS NET Data Warehouse
Providing input into developing and updating national and sub-national seasonal monitoring plans and participating in national and sub-national acute food insecurity monitoring, as applicable
Supporting proactive, high quality and effective early warning of acute threats to food security at the national and sub-national levels and supporting efforts to mitigate acute food insecurity and prevent food crises through effective communication of actionable food security analysis
Supporting the CTL and CTM in developing annual workplans that ensure that the in-country team is capacitated to carry out high-quality early warning analysis that produces IPC-compatible analyses
As part of ensuring high quality decision support, and under the direction of the CTL, the CTSS will support collaboration with Regional Technical Senior Specialists (RTSSs) to improve the integration of thematic technical areas (e.g., conflict, markets and trade, livelihoods, nutrition and agroclimatology) into regular and ad hoc decision support (including briefings) and facilitate interaction among regional, national and sub-national technical staff to further integrate sub-national and national technical and thematic analyses into decision support
Collaborating with national and sub-national partners in food security monitoring and analysis in the country, including through implementation of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) or Cadre Harmonisé (CH) protocols
Developing and maintaining strong collaborative national and sub-national relations, both formal and informal, with USG Mission representatives, US Embassy technical contacts, UN agency representatives, government ministry staff, and key international, regional, and national NGO counterparts to facilitate technical exchanges, promote consensus-building, work to resolve technical disagreements, and facilitate joint, coordinated actions to mitigate food insecurity
Participating in Early Warning Assessment Team missions, as requested, to support rapid monitoring of emerging crises as guided by the Washington D.C.- based technical team, under the direction of the CTL
Participating in all required meetings
Supporting the organization of project documentation and files for the country
Conducting regular independent and joint field assessments of food security conditions in areas of most concern in the country, under the guidance of the CTL
Contributing to the development of other FEWS NET DS Team information products required by the regional office or the Washington D.C.-based technical team including more granular information from sub-national areas of concern
Participating in network development and capacity strengthening at the national and sub-national levels
Representing the FEWS NET DS Team at regular and ad hoc formal and informal meetings within the food security network at the national and sub-national levels, as delegated by the CTL
Qualifications
Proficiency in written and spoken English is required; other local language skills relevant to the country are desirable.
Bachelor’s degree in a discipline relevant to the work of FEWS NET, such as economics, agricultural economics, agronomy, nutrition, climatology, anthropology, or social geography is required; advanced university degree (Master’s degree or higher) is desirable.
At least five years of relevant experience (with Master’s degree), or seven years of relevant experience (with Bachelor’s degree) is required. Relevant experience includes working on food security information systems, food security analysis, early warning, or other related fields; experience working with UN agencies and/or NGOs at the national and sub-national levels is desirable.
Excellent planning, organizational, analytical, and report writing skills.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with others at all levels, including an ability to effectively liaise with supervisors, national and sub-national government authorities, UN, NGO, and other relevant stakeholders and to coordinate effectively with remote colleagues.
Excellent computer skills, GIS applications and mapping skills are desirable.
Unrestricted work authorization in Zambia.
Location and Reporting
The CTSS-FS will be based in Lusaka, Zambia and is directly supervised by the Country Technical Lead (CTL). For technical activities, the CTSS-FS collaborates and coordinates with the in-country and regional technical senior specialists in the region, and relevant home office-based food security analysts, under the guidance of the CTL. For office administration and financial management, the CTSS-FS collaborates with the country-level or regional office administration and finance staff and the relevant Washington D.C.-based Project Management Units, under the direction of the CTL. The CTSS will be required to travel regularly nationally and sub-nationally, and some regional and international travel may also be required, security permitting.
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