Food For Peace Officer (Madagascar)

U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of Food for Peace (FFP) provides grants for food assistance to private voluntary organizations (PVOs) and the UN World Food Program (WFP) under Title II of Public Law 480. In fiscal year 2007, FFP provided 2.1 million metric tons of commodities, worth over $1.8 billion, to over 40 million people in 64 countries. FFP provides both emergency food aid (which aims to address food aid needs arising from natural disasters, such as floods or droughts, and complex emergencies often characterized by insecurity and population displacement) and non-emergency food aid (which aims to address the underlying causes of chronic food insecurity). Madagascar confronts chronic food insecurity, with acute crises brought on by recurrent climatic factors, including frequent cyclones and erratic rainfall. The recurrent shocks exacerbate the underlying vulnerability of many resource-poor Malagasy households, who have little capacity to cope. To address food security problems in Madagascar FFP has funded a $17 million per year food security program and provides periodic emergency food aid support through the WFP and/or other partners. Title II food aid grants are signed by the Director of FFP, and the FFP/Washington Country Backstop Officer is usually the Agreement Officer's Representative (AOR) while the field based Food for Peace Officer (FFPO) is the activity manager responsible for in-country oversight of the grants. The USAID Mission has overall responsibility for assistance programs in the country. To help determine the need for, and improve, monitor, and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of assistance provided under the Title II non-emergency food aid program in Madagascar, USAID/Madagascar requires the services of a FFP Officer hired through a Personal Services Contract. The position is based in Antananarivo, but the FFPO is expected to spend approximately forty (40) percent of his/her time traveling throughout the country to monitor program activities and assess food aid needs. The FFPO supervises the Mission Food Security (FS) team. The Food Security team is composed of the FFPO and two Foreign Service Nationals working on the Title II program. The FFPO will ensure effective management of FFP resources in Madagascar. His/her primary responsibility is to monitor Title II-funded non-emergency food aid programs, and report on their implementation to FFP/Washington and the Mission. The FFPO may also be called upon to manage FFP emergency resources that may be provided in response to environmental disasters. The FFPO is expected to provide leadership input to the FS team and promote coordination with other Mission funded programs.