Programme Policy Officer (Livelihood and Technical Training Specialist)_SC8 based in the Department of Rural Development and Poverty Reduction (DRD-PR) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

25 November 2026-23:59-GMT+07:00 Indochina Time (Vientiane)

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ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of extreme weather shocks.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

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WHY JOIN WFP? 

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

Background

The Building Resilience and Reducing Rural Poverty Project (BRRRP) is an initiative by the Government of Lao PDR, particularly the Department of Rural Development and Poverty Reduction (DRD-PR) Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), aimed at addressing food insecurity, rural poverty, and reduce vulnerabilities exacerbated by climate change. It aims to improve the health, resilience, and socioeconomic profile of poor households, particularly women, through a combination of adaptive and shock-responsive social protection measures.

The project targets districts in four provinces: Khammouan, Louangphabang, Savannahkhet, and Xaiyabuly, which are characterized by high poverty rates, malnutrition, and climate risks. It combines nutrition-sensitive conditional cash transfers (CCT) with an innovative poverty graduation program, aimed to support the most vulnerable populations, particularly poor pregnant women and mothers of young children.

Key components of the project include:

• Output 1: Coverage of shock-responsive and nutrition-sensitive conditional cash transfer program expanded.
• Output 2: Gender-responsive and climate-resilient poverty graduation program piloted.
• Output 3: Social protection delivery systems and CCT implementation enhanced.
• Output 4: Institutional capacity for gender-smart and climate-responsive monitoring and evaluation strengthened.

Under Output 2 WFP will provide technical support to MAE in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the climate-resilient and gender-responsive poverty graduation program specifically for rural women. The pilot will benefit at least 4,500 rural women as beneficiaries of conditional cash transfer, across four districts in four provinces.  Recognizing the multidimensional nature of poverty and climate vulnerability, the program will offer a holistic set of sequenced, climate-smart, and time-bound interventions tailored for poor women, combining targeted cash transfers with: (i) livelihood grants to pursue climate-resilient and sustainable livelihoods, (ii) technical skills training, (iii) support for financial inclusion, and (iv) social empowerment through psychosocial support, including dedicated coaching and life skills training to promote social inclusion and positive behavior change.

The pilot graduation program under Output 2 consists of activities across five poverty graduation pillars (social protection, livelihoods promotion, financial inclusion, social empowerment, coaching & mentorship), in a strategic sequence within 24 months to empower poor women with skills, knowledge, tools, access to resources, livelihoods, and self-confidence to build long-term resilience, particularly to climate shocks. The pilot combines support for immediate needs (with conditional cash transfer) with longer-term investments in training and income generation to build long-term resilience.

The position of Livelihood and Technical Training Specialist (national position) is based at the Department of Rural Development and Poverty Reduction (DRD-PR) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) and will be required to periodically report and collaborate with WFP on the progress of implementation.

1. Responsibilities

• Support the strengthening of institutional and technical capacity of government counterparts by providing specific strategic and technical advisory support to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment including in the area of nutrition-sensitive and climate-smart agriculture, livelihood approaches, resilience building, and food systems transformation.
• Thoroughly review the climate resilience and vulnerability assessment and market assessment findings and recommendations, particularly the menu of climate-resilient and sustainable livelihood options recommended for each district and strategies to adapt them to climate change and disaster risks specific to the locations;
• Support the development of tools related to livelihoods development with specific considerations for poor women with small children and provide training to district level coordinators, coaches, PMU and DRD-PR staff on:

1. Livelihood matching tools to help participants select suitable livelihoods considering the minimum requirements to engage in the livelihood activity, including skills, resources, level of literacy, etc. and considerations to their situation (care responsibilities, customs, etc.)

2. Livelihood plan template that clearly indicates i) selected income-generating activity; ii) rationale for its selection; iii) a detailed list of assets, raw materials, equipment, tools or inputs needed to start or enhance an existing livelihood, and iv) potential diversification strategies.

3. Livelihood grant utilization monitoring as indicated and approved in the livelihood plan within three months of receiving the grant.

• Support the development or upgrade of training modules and materials related to livelihoods development and ensure that climate resilience and adaptation strategies, and gender considerations (based on the Gender Assessment and Gender Action Plan (GAAP)) are incorporated.
• Provide inputs and recommendations on relevant indicators, procedures, and tools to ensure regular monitoring of the livelihoods supported and provide support in the analysis of monthly livelihoods monitoring data, including its impacts on climate resilience.
• Organize Training of Trainers (ToT) for district coordinators and coaches to equip them to deliver training to pilot participants.
• Identify and recommend partnerships to deliver necessary technical training to pilot participants and leverage existing services.
• Develop highly contextualized strategies and provide guidance to the district level coordinators, coaches, and DRD-PR staff through in-person training and/or developing Guidance Note(s) to communicate clear and consistent guidance on the following:

1. support pilot participants in purchasing good quality assets, raw materials, equipment, tools or inputs;

2. use of mobile money to access digital financial services wherever possible

3. utilization of second tranche of livelihood grant;

4. strategies to grow and diversify income sources.

• Support the development of the intensive support initiative in collaboration with the Gender and Social Development Specialist.
• Support development of tools, training materials, and on-the-job mentoring & training.
• Oversee documentation and dissemination of best practices, lessons learned, and knowledge products to inform scaling and policy development.
• Any other duties, as required

2. Qualifications and Experience required

• Advanced degree in livelihoods, value chains, sustainable development, economics, public policy, or related fields.
• Strong understanding of Laos-specific context, in terms of the government structure after the restructuring, national and agriculture sector plans and priorities.
• Excellent analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, particularly with government institutions and development partners.     
• At least 3 years of professional experience in livelihood programs, including small and medium-sized enterprises in the context of poverty reduction, social protection, economic inclusion, rural development, and women’s empowerment.     
• Experience in developing, managing and organizing training modules      
• Experience in climate-resilient livelihoods development is required.      
• Must have prior experience working on international donor-supported projects or programs (e.g., UN agencies, IFIs such as IFAD, ADB, World Bank).      
• Fluency in Lao and excellent writing, speaking and understanding of English required.

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REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

 

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact:  global.inclusion@wfp.org

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

 

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REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.

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• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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.