ARC Risk Analyst

ARC Risk Analyst
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian
agency, fighting hunger worldwide. We are seeking to fill a consultancy position of Risk
Analyst for the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Secretariat Technical Team, which will be
based in our Regional Bureau in Johannesburg, South Africa. The contract will be for an
initial period of 6 months, with possibility of extension. The Risk Analyst will perform
frequent field missions to provide technical support to the ARC participating countries.
As a continental sovereign risk pool, the African Risk Capacity (ARC) provides costeffective contingency funding to African governments to execute pre-approved
contingency plans in the event of severe disasters. ARC was established as a Specialized
Agency of the African Union in November 2012 to help member states improve their
capacities to better plan, prepare and respond to extreme weather events and disasters
and to assist food insecure populations. In late 2013 the Agency established a financial
affiliate called ARC Insurance Company Limited (ARC Ltd). ARC Ltd is a specialist hybrid
mutual insurance company that issues policies to governments, and which aggregates and
transfers risk to the international market. Eight additional countries are in the queue to
join the next pool in 2015, with a target of up to 20 countries receiving coverage for
drought and floods in the next five years.
In May 2014, with initial capital provided by the governments of Germany and the United
Kingdom, ARC Ltd issued drought insurance policies to a first group of African
governments – Kenya, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger and Senegal – marking the launch
of the inaugural ARC pool. Should a severe drought hit any of these countries in the next
12 months, each stands to receive a payout to implement pre-approved contingency plans
designed to reach those in need early, before livelihoods are lost. ARC Ltd will use the
satellite weather surveillance software Africa RiskView, developed together with WFP, to
estimate needs and trigger insurance payouts to these countries at or before harvest time
if the rains have been poor.
At the country-level, the ARC Secretariat of the ARC Agency supports ARC in-country
technical working groups on several technical and political work-streams as they progress
towards making an informed decision on participating in the ARC Ltd insurance pool. The
ARC Secretariat Technical Team supports the technical aspects of this interaction,
including working with countries to customize and validate Africa RiskView and select risk
transfer parameters for their insurance products.
The Risk Analyst will be a member of the ARC Secretariat Technical Team supporting all
aspects of the team’s work, with particular focus on the in-country interactions with ARC
Member States. Reporting to the In-Country Technical Team Manager, the Risk Analyst
will be responsible for the following key duties:
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Understand ARC and the Africa RiskView software and its underlying methodology;
Assist the Technical Team on all matters relating to the customization of Africa
RiskView and preparation for participation in the insurance pool, including providing
support to:
o Background research to understand the risk factors and risk profile of each
country;
o Historical data gathering and preparation;
o Data analysis and customisation work;
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Closely monitor Africa RiskView to provide inputs for monthly and ad hoc
bulletins;
o In-country technical working groups;
o Review on final customization reports;
o Ground-truthing and verification of Africa RiskView results and model
review;
o Documenting Technical Team in-country activities.
Support the Technical Team in the development, upgrade and update of the Africa
RiskView and its related manuals, documentation and country briefs;
Support the Technical Team in designing and conducting Africa RiskView country
and regional trainings, preparing training materials and support documentation;
Contribute to the design and development of new methodologies for the expansion
of Africa RiskView to new risks including flood and cyclone and support the incountry work required to ground-truth and calibrate new models;
Support senior Technical Team and ARC staff in other tasks, including reporting to
donors and in collaborations with ARC partners, as necessary;
Represent the ARC Secretariat at conferences and meetings, as required;
Liaise and bridge the ARC Technical Team with the Service Client Support Team in
Johannesburg.
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Qualifications & Experience Required
Education:
• Advanced university degree in Economics, Food Security, Agriculture, Development
Studies or other relevant discipline.
Experience:
• At least three years of postgraduate progressively responsible professional
experience in food security analysis or a closely related area, such as agricultural
risk management or early warning;
• Some experience in remote sensing and drought index interpretation and analysis
would be an asset.
Technical Skills & Knowledge:
• Knowledge of food security analysis and the data collection, treatment, and
manipulation techniques typically associated with it;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel;
• Working knowledge of basic statistics, including quantitative and qualitative survey
techniques and statistical analysis software (i.e. STATA, SPSS).
Competencies:
• Ability to work under minimum supervision and under tight deadlines;
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills;
• Good interpersonal skills with ability to work in multicultural settings that involve a
large number of stakeholders;
• Resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgment and tact;
• Ability to communicate clearly both orally and in writing.
Language:
• Fluency in oral and written English and French;
• Working knowledge of Portuguese is an asset.
Terms and Conditions
WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract
type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.
Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP.
http://www.africanriskcapacity.org Learn more about the African Risk Capacity.
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http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s
operations.
http://www.unstaffmobility.org Learn more about countries where the UN operates.
Application Procedures:
Go to: http://i-recruitment.wfp.org/vacancies/14-0017327
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: 22 December 2014
WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.
Qualified female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are encouraged to
apply.
No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory
Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service
Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint
Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight
responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.
REF: 14-0017327
Fighting Hunger Worldwide
www.wfp.org
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