Programme Associate (Cooperating Partners) - G6 - Islamabad

Overview

Supports the Cooperating Partners Management (CPM) function in line with corporate guidelines and Country Strategic Plan (CSP) requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical support and assist in the development and implementation of CPM activities and processes.
• Prepare a range of reports and data analysis.
• Ensure accurate, timely recording of data.
• Liaise with internal counterparts to support collaboration, implementation and monitoring.
• Coordinate and communicate with local partners, agencies, NGOs and government institutions.
• Support capacity building of WFP staff, cooperating partners and national government.
• Act as a point of contact for resolution of operational queries and problems.
• Oversee and/or review the work of other support staff.
• Follow standard emergency preparedness practices.
• Conduct risk-informed capacity assessment of prospective partners.
• Support in strengthening risk assessment processes.
• Support in conducting detailed risk-informed spot checks of CP portfolios.
• Conduct the CP selection process using UN Partner Portal (UNPP).
• Conduct Cooperating Partner Committee (CPC) meetings.
• Initiate the vendor registration process.
• Prepare partnership agreements.
• Develop and roll out a standardised compliance and documentation checklist.
• Support in identifying systemic compliance gaps.
• Support CP onboarding and use of WFP’s digital tools for partnership management.
• Strengthen CP and WFP team capacity to use digital systems.
• Improve data accuracy, completeness, and timeliness across all digital partnership records.
• Support in strengthening CP performance evaluation tools.
• Support CP unit in updating the CP tracker.
• Conduct trend analyses.
• Ensure cross-cutting obligations are integrated into partner selection, FLAs, implementation plans, and monitoring.
• Support in developing tools and checklists for assessing CP adherence to protection, gender, inclusion, safeguarding, and environmental standards.
• Provide guidance and follow-up on identified gaps.
• Review existing CP modalities and support transition toward longer-term or strategic partnerships.
• Support analysis of CP programme and budget benchmarking.
• Support CP unit in updating CP Management SOPs.
• Develop user-friendly guidance notes, templates, and slide decks.
• Deliver targeted training for staff and CPs.
• Establish and maintain a centralised, structured CP Management knowledge repository.
• Systematically document lessons learned and good practices.
• Facilitate knowledge-sharing across units and Field Offices.

Required Experience

• Minimum 6 years of progressively responsible experience in risk management, partnerships, compliance, internal control systems, or programme management.
• Experience with digitalisation of programme or partnership processes (e.g. Partner Connect, data platforms) is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in due diligence, oversight, documentation review or performance monitoring.
• Humanitarian or development sector experience in Pakistan is a requirement.

Qualifications

Completion of secondary school education. A post-secondary certificate in law, business administration, finance, accounting, international development, audit or other relevant field and/or professional qualification in audit, performance and risk management or other related fields is required. First level University degree in law, business administration, finance, accounting, international development, audit or other relevant field and/or professional qualification in audit, performance and risk management or other related fields is an advantage.

Other Details