DRC Food Security Specialist – Enumerator/Monitor Coordinator

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Introduction

The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is an integrated set of activities funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is intended to provide timely, accurate, evidence-based, and transparent food security early warning information and analysis. Created in 1985 in response to famines in East and West Africa, FEWS NET provides global coverage through a mix of presence and remote monitoring. FEWS NET’s work is implemented across several pillars by a team of partners that includes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Geological Survey, the University of California-Santa Barbara’s Climate Hazards Center, American Institutes for Research, and Chemonics International (Chemonics). Chemonics houses FEWS NET’s Early Warning Team (EWT), a team charged with integrated emergency food insecurity analysis through a Washington-based technical office and more than 20 FEWS NET offices.

Based on an in-depth understanding of local livelihoods, the EWT monitors information and data on factors that affect food security, such as weather conditions and climate, crops, pasture, markets and trade, and nutrition. The FEWS NET EWT produces regular reports, including Food Security Outlooks and Outlook Updates, emergency alerts, market and price updates, and global weather hazards 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 seventh phase of FEWS NET began in 2019. The work of FEWS NET EWT relies on close collaboration with international, regional, and national partners on food security data and information gathering and analysis. Major activities include joint monitoring and assessments, data exchanges, collaborative analysis and reporting, and technical capacity strengthening. FEWS NET supports local and regional food security networks to contribute to achieving the global objective of food security for all.

Position Description

The FEWS NET EWT maintains field offices in Africa, Central America, Asia, and the Caribbean. The EWT’s food security analyses, early warning, and food assistance decision support rely on an in-depth understanding, monitoring, and analysis of data and information including staple food, cash crop, livestock, and labor market dynamics. The Food Security Specialist-Enumerator Monitor Coordinator (FSS-EMC) plays an integral role in these efforts including through but not limited to the supervision, coordination, and training of primary data collectors (enumerators and monitors) and the analysis of data relevant to food security early warning efforts. The FSS-EMC also provides food security analysis reports to other FEWS NET EWT technical staff under the management of the country representative (CR). Illustrative tasks performed by FSS-EMC follow:

Food security analysis (~33% of the time)

Efficient, focused food security monitoring, data collection, assessments, and early warning analysis;
Effective communication of early warning analysis to partners and decision-makers through contributions to high quality reports and briefings and formal and informal meetings;
Close collaboration with key network partners with more diffuse field presence, such as WFP, FAO, OCHA, and UNICEF, among others;
Network development through capacity strengthening with respect to FEWS NET’s tools and analysis;

Enumerator coordination and support (~66% of the time)

Effective recruitment and supervision of all enumerators and monitors, in coordination with CR;
Management and reporting of all enumerator-collected data and information.

Responsibilities

In DRC, the EWT collects primary cross-border trade data and prices of food and non-food products in select local markets. In 2020, as monitoring requirements intensified, the EWT launched a market and price monitoring system, identifying and onboarding 16 additional enumerators covering 16 market centers across the country. The FSS-EMC will be responsible for the technical and administrative management of all enumerators (price and cross-border trade) in DRC and will ensure market and price enumerators collect and transmit market data on a weekly basis following established protocols and procedures. The FSS-EMC will compile and analyze market data on a monthly basis and send those data and analyses to the CR to inform regular food security reporting and additional analysis activities, as needed.

Key responsibilities of the FSS-EMC include, but are not limited to:

Serving as the direct supervisor and contact point for all EWT DRC price and cross-border trade enumerators. This includes administrative tasks, such as confirming receipt of data to the country office manager/accountant (OM/A) to allow for timely enumerator salary processing;
Providing enumerators with appropriate technical guidance and training to assist them in generating and transmitting the required data reports;
Assisting in the recruitment of additional and/or replacement enumerators, as necessary;
Ensuring quality control and timely delivery of market and trade data and other contextual information (such as market conditions), including by reviewing monitoring data reports and following up with enumerators when reports are late, unclear, or incomplete;
Ensuring that price data is prepared for timely transmission to the FEWS NET Data Warehouse and delivered to relevant partner organizations;
Maintaining and updating the EWT’s food security monitoring databases. This includes but is not limited to a commodity price database and other technical databases covering rainfall, agricultural production, population, and historical assistance flows. This will also include organizing and analyzing food security data and information collected by FEWS NET partners, as requested;
Participating in technical activities, including early warning, livelihoods and vulnerability, and markets and trade assessments and analyses;
Collaborating with national, regional, and international partners in food security monitoring and analysis, including through the implementation of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) protocols;
Assisting the CR and deputy country representative (DCR) in developing and maintaining strong, collaborative, and professional relations, both formal and informal, with the USAID Mission, the U.S. Embassy, UN agency technical contacts, government ministries, and key national and international NGOs to facilitate technical exchanges, promote consensus-building, and resolve potential conflicts;
Providing information requested by the CR and DCR to support fulfillment of monthly reporting requirements, including Food Security Outlooks, Outlook Updates, and key messages;
Representing FEWS NET, as needed, at relevant sectoral working groups;
Contributing to the documentation and files of the project and updating essential data used in early warning and food security monitoring and assessment;
Assisting the CR and DCR in developing the seasonal and joint DRC bulletin, and conduct ad hoc analysis of prices and market behavior in areas that have experienced natural disasters, epidemics, etc.

Qualifications

Proficiency in written and spoken English and French is required; proficiency in one or more local languages is 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;
One year of relevant experience (with Master’s degree) or three 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 is desirable;
Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize tasks while maintaining a high standard of work is required;
Demonstrated technical and managerial ability and capacity to work effectively both independently and with others at all levels is required; previous experience supervising data collection efforts is highly desirable, as is previous experience providing training and developing guidance to facilitate achievement of identified tasks;
Excellent computer skills (including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) are required;
Excellent analytical and report-writing skills are required;
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are required, as is an ability to work and coordinate effectively with remote colleagues;
Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research and food security data collection methods is desirable;
GIS applications and mapping skills are desirable;
Ability to effectively liaise with government, NGOs, and other relevant stakeholders is highly desirable

Location and Reporting

The FSS-EMC is a full-time position based in DRC, Goma at the FEWS NET EWT country office. The FSS-EMC will work under the technical direction and supervision of CR. The FSS-EMC will be required to travel within the region, and other international travel may also be required, security and health conditions permitting.