Programme Policy Officer (Agri-Business Mapping and Value Chain Analysis) at World Food Programme

, , Afghanistan -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

27 Dec, 25

Salary

0.0

Posted On

28 Sep, 25

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Agri-Business Mapping, Value Chain Analysis, Market Systems Development, Private Sector Engagement, Analytical Skills, Communication Skills, Stakeholder Engagement, Training, Capacity Building, Data Collection, Market Dynamics, Investment Potential, Partnership Opportunities, Fieldwork Planning, Qualitative Insights, Report Writing

Industry

Non-profit Organizations

Description

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS 30 September 2025-23:59-GMT+04:30 Afghanistan Time (Kabul) WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability. 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 climate change. 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. To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok. 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). To inform WFP Afghanistan’s value chain development approach and private sector engagement strategy, a rapid mapping of the agri-business landscape is required. This will provide a snapshot of existing businesses, market dynamics, and potential value chains for investment, with a strong focus on demand-side analysis and private sector linkages. This rapid assessment will not serve as an exhaustive market study but rather provide high-level, actionable insights to guide WFP’s short- to medium-term engagement with the private sector in Afghanistan’s agri-food system. Title: Consultant – Rapid Mapping of Agri-Business Landscape in Afghanistan Duration: 40 – 60 working days (October 2025– January 2025), Location: Remote with travel to Kabul and selected provinces Background: To inform WFP Afghanistan’s value chain development approach and private sector engagement strategy, a rapid mapping of the agri-business landscape is required. This will provide a snapshot of existing businesses, market dynamics, and potential value chains for investment, with a strong focus on demand-side analysis and private sector linkages. This rapid assessment will not serve as an exhaustive market study but rather provide high-level, actionable insights to guide WFP’s short- to medium-term engagement with the private sector in Afghanistan’s agri-food system. Objectives: Identify and profile existing agri-businesses and private sector actors across key regions Map demand-driven value chains emerging from the agri-business landscape mapping, with potential for scalable WFP engagement. Highlight opportunities and assess challenges for partnerships, co-investment, and market-based programming that are feasible under Afghanistan’s current context. Key Tasks: Conduct a desk review of existing agri-business, market, value chain assessments, and donor/private sector reports, and other relevant studies and secondary data sources. Develop a rapid mapping tool (survey/interview guide) for key informant interviews and stakeholder consultations. Engage with chambers of commerce, business associations, NGOs, UN agencies, and other relevant stakeholders to identify active agri-businesses and private sector actors working across key regions. Map value chains with strong market demand and private sector interest, analyzing market dynamics, demand-side linkages and investment potential. Identify constraints and enabling factors shaping private sector engagement in agri-food systems and target value chains. Train data collection teams on the use of the tools and methodology to ensure consistency and quality in fieldwork. Analyze collected data to generate insights and actionable recommendations for WFP’s engagement strategy. Organize and facilitate meetings, engagements, or workshops with key agri-business partners and key stakeholders to validate findings and explore collaboration opportunities. Deliverables: Inception note with methodology and data collection tools. Agri-business landscape and value chain mapping report (max 20-25 pages, plus annexes). Executive summary (5 pages) highlighting key findings, opportunities, constrains and recommendations. Database of identified businesses, private sector actors and value chains. Presentation of findings to WFP team. Summary note of training sessions and stakeholder engagements. Qualifications: Advanced degree in agribusiness, economics, agricultural economist, or related field. Proven experience in market systems development and/or private sector engagement. Demonstrated ability to conduct market and value chain assessments, preferably in fragile or conflict-affected settings. Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills. Experience in training and capacity building. Ability to deliver high-quality outputs under tight timelines and provide rapid, actionable insights. Methodology: The consultancy will apply WFP’s Value Chain Analysis and Development (VCA/VCD) Guide through a rapid, demand-driven approach with a strong focus on private sector engagement. The methodology emphasizes a clear scope, strong private sector linkages, and efficient sequencing to generate actionable, high-level insights. Given the rapid nature of this assignment, the work will provide concise characterization and practical recommendations to inform WFP’s value chain development and private sector engagement strategy, rather than undertaking exhaustive studies. Approach Private sector lens: The analysis will be approached from a business perspective, focusing on market demand, commercial linkages, and opportunities for engagement. This will involve identifying and profiling agri-businesses, SMEs and other private sector actors, with particular attention to their role in agri-food systems and potential to strengthen market linkages with smallholders. Engagement will prioritize chambers of commerce, associations, buyers, processors, and investors to identify opportunities for partnerships, co-investment, and scalable market-based programming. Entry points will also be explored where WFP can leverage its convening power to build stronger linkages between private actors and smallholders. Value chain selection and key regions: A limited number of priority value chains (2–3) will be selected based on the agri-food business mapping focusing on market demand, private sector interest, and WFP’s comparative advantage. This scope balances breadth and depth of analysis with the rapid nature of the assignment, ensuring focused yet actionable insights. The selection process will also determine the key regions for fieldwork. Direct and indirect value chain actors: Data will also be collected from other relevant value chain actors (e.g., producers, aggregators, processors, service providers, input suppliers, regulators) to provide a high-level characterization of the target chains, while maintaining emphasis on demand-side dynamics and private sector linkages. Mixed methods: The assessment will combine secondary data review, semi-structured key informant interviews (KIIs), and stakeholder consultations, relying primarily on qualitative insights and validation meetings/workshops rather than large-scale surveys. Phases Pre-Mission (10–15 working days). Desk review of existing reports and secondary data sources to consolidate available evidence and identify information gaps to be addressed through primary data collection. Sampling and identification of key agri-businesses, private sector actors, and other direct and indirect value chain stakeholders across key regions. Selection of priority value chains and key region, based on criteria such as market demand, private sector interest, and WFP’s comparative advantage. Prepare a preliminary fieldwork schedule. Design and drafting of rapid mapping tools, including interview guides and data collection templates. Mission / Fieldwork (15–25 working days). Targeted training and fieldwork planning with CO to ensure consistency in data collection and efficient use of time in the field. Semi-structured KIIs with agri-businesses, private sector actors, government entities, NGOs, UN agencies, and other key value chain actors (direct and indirect). Active participation in fieldwork to ensure data quality and capture qualitative insights. Initial synthesis of field observations to refine areas of analysis. Post-Mission (15–20 working days) Data organization, cleaning, and thematic coding. Analysis of value chains: structure, market dynamics, demand trends, constraints, enablers, opportunities for partnership and investment potential. Development of value chain maps, highlighting demand linkages and systemic issues. Drafting and finalization of deliverables: report (20–25 pages, plus annexes), executive summary, database, and presentation. Validation meetings and, if feasible, workshops with stakeholders to confirm findings and explore collaboration pathways. Preparation of summary note covering training sessions and stakeholder engagements. Timeframe The consultancy will be carried out over 40–60 working days (September–December 2025). The exact duration will depend on: The number of priority value chains (2–3) and regions selected for fieldwork, and The level of support provided by WFP and local teams/partners in mobilizing data collection teams and facilitating stakeholder engagement. Pre-Mission Desk review of existing reports, assessments and data sources to consolidate evidence and identify gaps for primary data collection. Sampling and identification of agri-businesses, private sector actors and other key stakeholders across key regions. Selection of 2–3 priority value chains and key regions, based on market demand, private sector interest, and WFP’s comparative advantage. Coordination with WFP to prepare a preliminary fieldwork schedule. Design and drafting of rapid mapping tools (interview guides, templates). Deliverables Inception note (methodology, workplan, and data collection tools). Preliminary stakeholder list & mapping framework Mission / Fieldwork Targeted training and fieldwork planning with CO to ensure quality and efficiency. Semi-structured KIIs with agri-businesses, private sector actors, government entities, NGOs, UN agencies, and other direct/indirect value chain actors. Active leadership and participation in fieldwork to ensure data quality and capture qualitative insights. Initial synthesis of field observations to refine areas of analysis. Deliverables Fieldwork summary note. Updated stakeholder database (draft for validation). Preliminary value chain maps/insights Post-Mission Data organization, cleaning, and thematic coding. Agri-business landscape profiling and value chain analysis (structure, market dynamics, demand trends, constraints, enablers, and opportunities for investment/partnerships). Development of value chain maps highlighting demand-side linkages and systemic issues. Drafting and finalization of deliverables. Validation meetings and, if feasible, workshops with stakeholders to confirm findings and explore collaboration pathways Deliverables Agri-business landscape and value chain mapping report (20–25 pages + annexes). Executive summary (5 pages, highlighting key findings, opportunities, constraints, and recommendations). Database of identified businesses, private sectors actors & value chains (final version). Presentation of findings to WFP team. Summary note of training sessions and stakeholder engagements WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission. Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework 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 The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web. REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application. Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time Please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application Only shortlisted candidates will be notified 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. If you used to have an account on our previous platform, please note that you will need to create a new account for future applications. However, this change will not affect any ongoing recruitment processes. To ensure that WFP is able to deliver on its mandate, a range of contract types exist depending on the duration and nature of work. Find out more here. Our greatest strength is the people working around the world providing access to nutritious food and promoting lasting solutions to those we serve. WFP provides its staff with meaningful and impactful careers, continuous learning and training, and a multicultural and stimulating work environment. WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status, physical or mental disability. The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are 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 climate change. Read more about WFP’s history here, and WFP’s mission here Want to hear what it’s like working for WFP? Check out our newsletter highlighting the career stories of our passionate staff here: Pathway to WFP | LinkedIn Integrity, collaboration, commitment, humanity, inclusion. These values inspire everything we do every day, allowing us to work towards a world with zero hunger. You can read more about the values here. Our behaviour guides us in how we accomplish our mission. All WFP employees are expected to demonstrate the standards of behaviour described in the WFP Leadership Framework. Learn more about the WFP Leadership Framework here. WFP is aware of fictitious employment offers being circulated via email or originating from online job boards. Many of these schemes consist of an alleged offer of employment or contract with WFP in return for the payment of fees or providing personal or banking information. Read more.

Responsibilities

The Programme Policy Officer will conduct a rapid mapping of the agri-business landscape in Afghanistan to inform WFP's value chain development approach and private sector engagement strategy. This includes identifying existing businesses, mapping demand-driven value chains, and analyzing market dynamics.