External Relations Officer

Mission and objectives

The World Food Programme (WFP) is the leading humanitarian organization saving lives and changing lives, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. As the international community has committed to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition by 2030, one in nine people worldwide still do not have enough to eat. Food and food-related assistance lie at the heart of the struggle to break the cycle of hunger and poverty. For its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict, WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020. In 2020, WFP assisted 115.5 million people – the largest number since 2012 – in 84 countries. On any given day, WFP has 5,600 trucks, 30 ships and nearly 100 planes on the move, delivering food and other assistance to those in most need. These numbers lie at the roots of WFP’s unparalleled reputation as an emergency responder, one that gets the job done quickly at scale in the most difficult environments. WFP’s efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid and special operations. Two-thirds of our work is in conflict-affected countries where people are three times more likely to be undernourished than those living in countries without conflict.

Context

The WFP Country Strategic Plan (2027–2030) envisages an expanded role for School Feeding, Nutrition, and Food Fortification in advancing its strategic objectives. In this context, strengthening donor relations with the Russian Federation will be critical to sustaining and expanding support for the School Feeding Programme. Equally important is enhancing donor visibility by effectively communicating results and sharing voices and success stories from the field, thereby highlighting the tangible impact of the partnership and reinforcing the strong collaboration between WFP and the Russian Federation along with the Government of Tajikistan. To achieve these objectives, dedicated External Relations Officer capacity is required to strengthen donor relations with the Russian Federation, enhance donor visibility, and effectively showcase the impact of the School Feeding Programme through strategic communications, field stories, and stakeholder engagement.

Task Description

Under the direct supervision of Head of External Relations, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Support strategic donor engagement and partnership development, with a focus on the Russian Federation and other current and prospective partners supporting the School Feeding Programme.
• Maintain effective communication and coordination with donors, government counterparts, embassies, and development partners to promote programme priorities, achievements, and collaboration.
• Organize donor meetings, briefings, field visits, and partnership events, and support the implementation of donor visibility and engagement plans.
• Contribute to resource mobilization efforts through donor mapping, funding opportunity analysis, and preparation of concept notes, proposals, presentations, and partnership materials.
• Prepare donor reports, briefs, factsheets, talking points, and other information products, ensuring compliance with donor agreements and reporting requirements.
• Support advocacy, communications, and visibility activities through the development of success stories, case studies, multimedia content, events, and promotional materials.
• Assist in the planning and implementation of communication campaigns to enhance stakeholder awareness and engagement.
• Draft correspondence, briefing materials, speeches, and responses to stakeholder inquiries as required.
• Collect and document programme results, beneficiary stories, and field evidence to support reporting, advocacy, and visibility efforts.
• Ensure all communication and visibility products comply with WFP branding and donor visibility requirements.
• Promote WFP’s achievements, lessons learned, and best practices to strengthen the organization’s external positioning and partnerships. During the first month of the assignment, the UN Volunteer will work closely with his/her direct supervisor to finalize an agreed-upon work plan. The work plan should outline key objectives and activities and include regular check ins with the supervisor to review progress and receive performance feedback.

Competencies and values

Adaptability and Flexibility Communication Knowledge Sharing Planning and Organizing Technological Awareness

Living conditions and remarks

Dushanbe offers a safe and secure living environment, with well-developed infrastructure, reliable public services, and a good quality of life for international personnel and their families. Conditions of Service The Conditions of Service, available here: https://explore.unv.org/cos, outline the policies and rules governing UN Volunteer assignments. Full information on entitlements at the duty station can be accessed here: https://app.unv.org/calculator.