View job listing
Apply to WFP-Cash Working Group Coordinator-P3-Damascus, Syria
Position Title: Cash Working Group Coordinator
Receiving Agency: WFP
P Level: P3
Location: Damascus, Syria
Duration: 6 months
Language: Fluency in English required
BACKGROUND:
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the largest humanitarian organization delivering Cash Based Transfers (CBT) globally. In Syria, WFP serves as programmatic co chair of the inter agency Cash Working Group (CWG), providing technical leadership, market expertise, and operational scale. The CWG is the primary coordination platform for Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), ensuring harmonized, efficient, and principled cash programming across the response. The incumbent will support WFP’s leadership role in the CWG and ensure alignment with global standards, IASC guidance, and inter agency coordination arrangements.
PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
To provide strategic, technical, and operational leadership to the inter-agency Cash Working Group, ensuring that CVA is harmonized, evidence-based, and aligned with humanitarian principles, WFP’s mandate, and national systems where feasible.
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Coordinator is accountable for ensuring that the Cash Working Group operates as a coherent, principled, and evidence‑driven platform that provides strategic direction for cash assistance across the response. This includes leading the group’s collective vision, maintaining its neutrality and inclusivity, and ensuring that analytical, technical, and coordination processes result in harmonized and equitable cash programming. The role carries responsibility for guiding partners toward common standards, facilitating consensus, and ensuring that decisions on modality mix, transfer values, targeting, and delivery systems are grounded in joint analysis and aligned with broader humanitarian strategies and national frameworks.
The Coordinator is further responsible for ensuring that the CWG’s information systems, assessments, and analytical products provide reliable visibility and actionable evidence for decision‑making. This involves overseeing data quality, market monitoring, and joint assessments, and ensuring that findings inform planning at inter‑sectoral and strategic levels. The role also entails representing the CWG in coordination forums, donor engagements, and government platforms, articulating collective positions, and fostering collaboration with financial service providers, development actors, and national counterparts to strengthen delivery systems and reinforce the overall coherence and impact of cash assistance.
SCOPE OF WORK
1. Provide sustained strategic and operational leadership to ensure that cash assistance across the response is coherent, principled, and evidence‑driven.
2. Convene and chair regular CWG meetings, set agendas, guide consensus‑based discussions, and ensure timely follow‑up on agreed actions.
3. Establish, guide, and quality‑assure technical sub‑groups (e.g., MEB, transfer values,
delivery mechanisms, market monitoring) to ensure coordinated and technically sound outputs.
4. Uphold neutrality, inclusivity, and the Principles of Partnership to maintain CWG as a trusted inter‑agency platform.
5. Lead joint response analysis to determine the appropriateness, feasibility, and modality mix of cash assistance, including multipurpose cash.
6. Drive harmonization of transfer values, targeting criteria, and delivery mechanisms to reduce fragmentation and ensure equitable assistance.
7. Ensure cash programming is fully reflected in the HNO, HRP, sector strategies, and inter‑sectoral planning processes.
8. Promote linkages with national social protection systems where feasible, appropriate, and conflict‑sensitive.
9. Oversee development, maintenance, and dissemination of 4Ws, dashboards, and mapping tools that provide transparent, up‑to‑date visibility of cash interventions.
10. Ensure timely, reliable data collection, consolidation, and reporting across partners.
11. Coordinate joint assessments and market monitoring exercises to generate evidence for decision‑making and transfer value adjustments.
12. Ensure analytical products are accessible, actionable, and used to inform inter‑agency
planning.
13. Represent the CWG in inter‑sectoral coordination bodies, ensuring cash considerations are integrated into broader response strategies.
14. Articulate collective CWG positions, advocate for harmonized and principled cash
assistance, and respond to donor information needs.
15. Maintain sustained engagement with government counterparts to ensure alignment with national frameworks and promote responsible, conflict‑sensitive cash programming.
16. Coordinate with financial service providers, development actors, and humanitarian
partners to strengthen delivery systems and overall coherence of cash assistance.
17. Ensure CWG outputs adhere to global cash coordination standards, inter‑agency guidelines, and humanitarian principles.
18. Track implementation of CWG decisions and commitments, ensuring transparency and
accountability.
19. Identify and elevate risks related to cash programming, including market risks, protection concerns, and delivery system vulnerabilities.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education: Advanced university degree in one of the following disciplines: Economics, Social Sciences, International Development, Humanitarian Affairs, Public Policy, Development Economics, or another related field relevant to WFP’s cash‑basedtransfer operations and inter‑agency coordination work. Or First University degree with two additional years of experience.
Experience: − The incumbent should have a minimum of five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), market analysis, or humanitarian programming, with demonstrated technical depth in cash‑based responses. Experience in inter‑agency coordination and partnership management is essential, including the ability to facilitate consensus among diverse stakeholders. The role requires strong analytical, facilitation, and negotiation skills, particularly in relation to market assessments, transfer value harmonization, and response analysis. Experience working on linkages between humanitarian CVA and social protection systems, including familiarity with digital payment solutions and financial service provider engagement, is required to ensure effective and scalable cash assistance
− Previous experience with UN or WFP, and knowledge of the UN or WFP
operations is preferred.
Languages: Fluency (Level C) in verbal and written English. Knowledge of Arabic desirable
CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment.
Receiving Agency: WFP
P Level: P3
Location: Damascus, Syria
Duration: 6 months
Language: Fluency in English required
BACKGROUND:
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the largest humanitarian organization delivering Cash Based Transfers (CBT) globally. In Syria, WFP serves as programmatic co chair of the inter agency Cash Working Group (CWG), providing technical leadership, market expertise, and operational scale. The CWG is the primary coordination platform for Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), ensuring harmonized, efficient, and principled cash programming across the response. The incumbent will support WFP’s leadership role in the CWG and ensure alignment with global standards, IASC guidance, and inter agency coordination arrangements.
PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
To provide strategic, technical, and operational leadership to the inter-agency Cash Working Group, ensuring that CVA is harmonized, evidence-based, and aligned with humanitarian principles, WFP’s mandate, and national systems where feasible.
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Coordinator is accountable for ensuring that the Cash Working Group operates as a coherent, principled, and evidence‑driven platform that provides strategic direction for cash assistance across the response. This includes leading the group’s collective vision, maintaining its neutrality and inclusivity, and ensuring that analytical, technical, and coordination processes result in harmonized and equitable cash programming. The role carries responsibility for guiding partners toward common standards, facilitating consensus, and ensuring that decisions on modality mix, transfer values, targeting, and delivery systems are grounded in joint analysis and aligned with broader humanitarian strategies and national frameworks.
The Coordinator is further responsible for ensuring that the CWG’s information systems, assessments, and analytical products provide reliable visibility and actionable evidence for decision‑making. This involves overseeing data quality, market monitoring, and joint assessments, and ensuring that findings inform planning at inter‑sectoral and strategic levels. The role also entails representing the CWG in coordination forums, donor engagements, and government platforms, articulating collective positions, and fostering collaboration with financial service providers, development actors, and national counterparts to strengthen delivery systems and reinforce the overall coherence and impact of cash assistance.
SCOPE OF WORK
1. Provide sustained strategic and operational leadership to ensure that cash assistance across the response is coherent, principled, and evidence‑driven.
2. Convene and chair regular CWG meetings, set agendas, guide consensus‑based discussions, and ensure timely follow‑up on agreed actions.
3. Establish, guide, and quality‑assure technical sub‑groups (e.g., MEB, transfer values,
delivery mechanisms, market monitoring) to ensure coordinated and technically sound outputs.
4. Uphold neutrality, inclusivity, and the Principles of Partnership to maintain CWG as a trusted inter‑agency platform.
5. Lead joint response analysis to determine the appropriateness, feasibility, and modality mix of cash assistance, including multipurpose cash.
6. Drive harmonization of transfer values, targeting criteria, and delivery mechanisms to reduce fragmentation and ensure equitable assistance.
7. Ensure cash programming is fully reflected in the HNO, HRP, sector strategies, and inter‑sectoral planning processes.
8. Promote linkages with national social protection systems where feasible, appropriate, and conflict‑sensitive.
9. Oversee development, maintenance, and dissemination of 4Ws, dashboards, and mapping tools that provide transparent, up‑to‑date visibility of cash interventions.
10. Ensure timely, reliable data collection, consolidation, and reporting across partners.
11. Coordinate joint assessments and market monitoring exercises to generate evidence for decision‑making and transfer value adjustments.
12. Ensure analytical products are accessible, actionable, and used to inform inter‑agency
planning.
13. Represent the CWG in inter‑sectoral coordination bodies, ensuring cash considerations are integrated into broader response strategies.
14. Articulate collective CWG positions, advocate for harmonized and principled cash
assistance, and respond to donor information needs.
15. Maintain sustained engagement with government counterparts to ensure alignment with national frameworks and promote responsible, conflict‑sensitive cash programming.
16. Coordinate with financial service providers, development actors, and humanitarian
partners to strengthen delivery systems and overall coherence of cash assistance.
17. Ensure CWG outputs adhere to global cash coordination standards, inter‑agency guidelines, and humanitarian principles.
18. Track implementation of CWG decisions and commitments, ensuring transparency and
accountability.
19. Identify and elevate risks related to cash programming, including market risks, protection concerns, and delivery system vulnerabilities.
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
Education: Advanced university degree in one of the following disciplines: Economics, Social Sciences, International Development, Humanitarian Affairs, Public Policy, Development Economics, or another related field relevant to WFP’s cash‑basedtransfer operations and inter‑agency coordination work. Or First University degree with two additional years of experience.
Experience: − The incumbent should have a minimum of five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), market analysis, or humanitarian programming, with demonstrated technical depth in cash‑based responses. Experience in inter‑agency coordination and partnership management is essential, including the ability to facilitate consensus among diverse stakeholders. The role requires strong analytical, facilitation, and negotiation skills, particularly in relation to market assessments, transfer value harmonization, and response analysis. Experience working on linkages between humanitarian CVA and social protection systems, including familiarity with digital payment solutions and financial service provider engagement, is required to ensure effective and scalable cash assistance
− Previous experience with UN or WFP, and knowledge of the UN or WFP
operations is preferred.
| Knowledge & Skills: |
− | Strong analytical and writing skills, including the ability to write in an engaging and informative manner, and conceptualize and clearly |
| synthesize information. | ||
| − − |
Ability to facilitate consultations and technical discussions. Initiative, enthusiasm, and flexibility with excellent interpersonal skills |
|
− |
and team spirit. Proficiency in Windows, MS Office (Word, Excel, Power point, Outlook). |
|
| − | Ability to work in a multicultural environment and balance competing | |
| priorities and deadlines. | ||
| − | Proficiency in English is required. Arabic is an asset. |
Languages: Fluency (Level C) in verbal and written English. Knowledge of Arabic desirable
CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment.
