Programme Policy Officer (Cash-Based Transfer) SC8, Beirut

Job Purpose:

To provide effective coordination, specialized support and technical analyses to WFP policy and cash based programme activities for WFP, Lebanon One Unified Inter-Organizational System for Ecards (LOUISE) and Government of Lebanon (GoL) that effectively meet food and essential needs.

Accountabilities:

With delegated authority and under direct supervision of the Cash Based Transfers (CBT) Programme Policy Officer and overall supervision of Head of CBT, the CBT Card Manager’s main accountabilities and responsibilities involve the following:

1. Responsible of the overall card management activities with the Financial Service Provider (FSP) that includes the issuance, maintenance, tracking of Cards/PINs and the relevant reconciliation.
2. Ensure timely coordination with the various stakeholders under LOUISE for the management of the delivery instrument.
3. Ensure the Unit’s operational requirements are translated and supported by systems that assure business continuity by applying close coordination with the Information and Communications Technology (ICT)  units.
4. Evaluate, and recommend procedures that assure and improve process business flow within the CBT Unit in the implementation of its programs (for example, FIFO calculation, no-show and no-redemption cases).
5. Manage the quarterly validation processes by ensuring proper coordination with the relevant stakeholders.
6. Ensure having a proper and detailed documentation of the current CBT business processes.
7. Work with the development teams to ensure proper implementation of solutions that support the CBT business processes.
8. Create controls that help in tracking the card activities in order to avoid unnecessary charges.
9. Provide recommendations for programme/system improvement related to the CBT operation.
10. In coordination with ICT, write and execute test plans related to new e-card implementation plans or business processes based on CBT requirements.
11. Perform proof of concepts and testing of developed solutions to meet the operational requirements of the CBT.
12. Follow up on delivery dates and deadlines related to programme implementations to ensure timely delivery of the multi-sectoral assistance.
13. Develop SOP’s and timelines related to the CBT activities
14. Reconcile the card/PIN issuance fee, management fee and loading/withdrawal fees sent by the Financial Service Provider and provide FSP with the needed details to issue invoices for the common Platform users
15. Preparation of the offload balance requests related to the Government card and the common card; keeping track of such offloads either to be returned back to such users (based on First In First Out calculation) or to be loaded back to the replacement cards.
16. Preparation of the monthly household registry statement for card issuance and distribution/payment list for all the assistance projects.
17. Work closely with the Finance, M&E, Reporting, VAM, Field offices and various stakeholders on the management of accurate and consistent Card Management information for the distribution and uploading of funds on the common cards for the different assistance modalities and programmes.
18. In coordination with ICT and relevant units, assist in migrating the data from the current database to the corporate system.
19. Provide support to document business requirements, processes, detailed use cases and technical specifications
20. Perform other related duties as required.

Standard Minimum Qualifications  

Education:    Advanced University degree in Economics, Agriculture, International Affairs, Business Administration, Social Sciences, Development Studies or other related fields or First University degree with additional years of relevant work experience and/or trainings/courses.
Experience:     At least (2) years post graduate experience in the field if holding an advanced degree (Masters) or (4) years post graduate if holding Bachelor’s degree. 
Language:     Fluency in both oral and written communication in English and Arabic. Knowledge of French language is added advantage.

Desired Competencies & Experiences for entry into the role:

• Experienced in coordinating with third parties such UN organizations, NGOs, FSPs, etc. on card management related activities.
• Experienced in managing bank prepaid debit cards in terms of issuance and maintenance.
• Experienced in contributing to the end-to-end assurance activities specifically in terms of validation and reporting.
• Capability to provide trainings related to CBT for internal and external actors.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
• Excellent time management skills;
• Self-directed and able to work without supervision;
• Highly organized multi-tasker who works well in a fast-paced environment;
• Proficient computer skills, including Access, SQL, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Has contributed to the implementation of humanitarian/development programmes (i.e. cash based transfer; livelihoods; validation etc.).