Background information
Current situation in country Extended drought and consecutive poor harvests have impacted rural livelihoods and food security in Somalia, pushing the country to the brink of famine. Some 6.7 million people currently face acute food insecurity (IPC Phases 2, 3 & 4), with the majority – 68 percent – of severely food insecure people (IPC phases 3 & 4) in rural areas (2.2 million). Rural areas are home to nine in ten people at greatest risk. The worst has so far been averted via a combination of interventions, including cash transfers and livelihood support delivered by FAO at massive scale in rural areas. The April-June rains are critical to Somalia’s main Gu growing season and help rejuvenate rangelands; this year they started late and have been below average in most areas. Precipitation did allow crops to germinate, though yields in rainfed areas will depend on the level and distribution of rain during the remainder of the season. Forecasting suggests precipitation is tapering off and will end up below-average. Still, rains have improved rangeland conditions and partially filled water catchments, providing some relief for pastoralists and their livestock. Animal body conditions are expected to improve. Disease continues to compound needs and impact food security, and displacement has somewhat slowed recently due to a variety of factors. In 2016, farmers suffered back-to-back reduced cereal harvests – 50 percent losses in the main Gu season followed by 70 losses in Deyr season at year-end. Low production left farmers without seeds to plant, cut wage labour income and increased food and water prices. In pastoral areas where families rely entirely on livestock to survive, multiple failed rains have taken a heavy toll on rangelands and water supplies. Pastoralists are struggling to keep their animals healthy and alive.
Low-weight or sick livestock do not produce as much milk and their value as trade items used to buy food and other essentials is greatly reduced. Poor households in northern and central areas have reported herd losses of 40-60 percent in the first half of 2017; in the south, 20-40 percent. Two critical needs for farming families ahead of this year’s Gu season have been cash for purchasing food for immediate survival, plus accessing seeds in order to stay at home and plant rather than relocate. FAO has delivered 1 000 tonnes of cereal and vegetable seed, and over USD 10 million in cash to at-risk farming households so far. Cash support will continue through Gu. But with July/August harvests likely to be below average, similar assistance targeted to vulnerable families will be necessary in the lead-up to the next rainy season, Deyr (expected to begin in October). For pastoralists, veterinary care has been key to keeping their animals alive. They will need continued aid to keep surviving animals alive, as well as support aimed at restoring their livestock to full productivity. FAO-Somalia has engaged in a rapidly scaled up Cash programing in Somalia since 2011. FAO’s Prevention and Drought Response Plan continues to address the most time-sensitive needs of rural families across Somalia, through putting cash in people’s pockets, through a combination of unconditional cash transfers, Cash for work and cash+ interventions.
Objectives and expected output FAO-Somalia intends to recruit a Cash Transfer Programming Expert that will support the coordination of the implementation of FAO’s cash transfer response to the current drought condition situation, in close partnership with other cash actors (including WFP, IOM, NRC, SCI, DRC, ACF, CESVI, CWW, ADESO, etc.) in Somalia.
• The cash component of FAO-Somalia emergency and resilience programming is delivered timely and effectively • Smooth internal and external coordination supported
• Monitoring and Evaluation system reviewed and strengthened • Lessons learnt and good practices are identified and documented Main duties and responsibilities Under the overall supervision of the Cash Unit Coordinator, in close collaboration with colleagues from other units, the Cash transfer programming expert will:
• Support the implementation of the cash component of FAO-Somalia emergency and resilience programming in a timely and effective way, ensuring high operational standards and compliance with FAO rules and regulations
• Support the work of the cash unit on programming, operational and strategic issues • Ensure liaison and good coordination with other FAO-Somalia units, particularly the finance, risk management and compliance, and information management units, as well as with partners, service providers and the wider humanitarian community
• Represent the Cash Transfer Unit in meetings on cash transfer programming with internal stakeholders (e.g., divisions of Finance, ICT and Procurement) and external ones (e.g., UN agencies, NGOs, Cash Learning Partnership, donors, private sector), including at regional, sub-regional and country level; • Support the development, review and clearance of concept notes and proposals;
• Review the Monitoring and Evaluation system and suggest ways to strengthen it, particularly with a view of implementing a robust impact evaluation by 2018 • Identify and document lessons learnt and good practices
• Review ways of working of the cash unit including Standard Operating Procedures and propose the development of new tools and guidance to improve the quality and efficiency, including on nutrition, gender, accountability to beneficiaries and climate change adaptation;
• Frequently travel to support and review operations;
• Perform other relevant duties as required.
Apply via :
pantiwa.naksomboon@CANADEM.ca
