Senior Consultant – Strengthening Regional Collaboration on Food Security and Nutrition in Central America through SICA

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

16 July 2026-23:59-GMT-06:00 Central Standard Time (El Salvador)

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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.
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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).

1. Background and Purpose of the Assignment

The Central American Integration System (SICA) is the principal regional platform for political dialogue, economic integration, and coordinated action across its Member States: Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Through its specialized institutions and sectoral councils, SICA plays a key role in advancing regional policies and programmes addressing food security, nutrition, agriculture, climate resilience, and disaster risk management.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has been collaborating with SICA and its specialized entities—including the General Secretariat (SG-SICA), the Center for the Prevention of Natural Disasters (CEPREDENAC), the Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), the Secretariat of the Central American Agricultural Council (SE-CAC), the Central American Agricultural Council (CAC), and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE)—to support regional and national efforts to improve food security and nutrition.

Recent joint efforts have contributed to strengthening regional policy frameworks, regional strategies to further food security, disaster risk management policies, and nutrition initiatives such as food fortification.

Building on this collaboration, there is an opportunity to further support SICA Member States in translating regional commitments into effective implementation at national and subregional levels, enhancing resilience to climate shocks, improving food systems, and expanding access to financing for food security and nutrition.

The purpose of this assignment is to provide strategic and technical support to strengthen WFP’s collaboration with SICA and its specialized entities in order to advance food security and nutrition outcomes across the region, with a strong focus on supporting Member States.

2. Objectives

The Senior Consultant will support WFP to:

• Strengthen regional and national collaboration to improve food security and nutrition outcomes in SICA Member States through SICA and its specialized entities
• Enhance implementation of regional food security, agriculture, and nutrition policies and strategies
• Identify and develop opportunities for joint programming and resource mobilization
• Support improved coordination between regional institutions, national governments, and development partners

3. Scope of Work

The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

3.1 Situation Analysis and Mapping

• Review existing regional frameworks related to food security, agriculture and nutrition (e.g., PAR‑POLSAN, strategic grain reserves, DRR and climate-related policies)
• Map key SICA institutions and sectoral coordination bodies, including CAC and its secretariat (SE-CAC), relevant to food security, agriculture, nutrition, and resilience
• Identify key challenges and gaps in implementation at regional and national levels

3.2 Stakeholder Engagement

• Conduct consultations with:
  • SICA institutions (SG-SICA, CEPREDENAC, SE-CAC, CAC, INCAP, BCIE)
  • National authorities in selected Member States, including agriculture and food security counterparts linked to CAC
  • WFP Regional Bureau and Country Offices
  • Key development partners (e.g. FAO, IFIs, donors)
• Identify opportunities to strengthen coordination and joint action

3.3 Programme and Partnership Development

• Identify priority areas for joint WFP–SICA engagement to support Member States, including:
  • Climate resilience and drought preparedness (including El Niño-related risks)
  • Food systems transformation and support to smallholder farmers
  • Nutrition interventions (including fortification and addressing malnutrition)
  • Disaster risk management and anticipatory action
  • Strengthening strategic food reserves and regional agricultural coordination
• Explore opportunities for subregional initiatives (e.g. cross-border or trinational approaches such as Plan Trifinio)

3.4 Resource Mobilization and Financing

• Assess opportunities to leverage regional financing mechanisms and partnerships, including collaboration with financial institutions
• Identify potential funding windows and develop concepts for regional or multi-country programmes aligned with SICA priorities

3.5 Strategic Recommendations and Roadmap

• Develop practical recommendations to strengthen regional collaboration and support Member States
• Propose an implementation roadmap with clear priority actions, roles, and timeline

4. Deliverables

The consultant will be expected to deliver:

Inception report outlining workplan Mapping of opportunities for food security and nutrition collaboration through SICA entities Concept notes for priority regional or multi-country initiatives Strategic recommendations and implementation roadmap Secure engagement opportunities for WFP representative in relevant forums Represent WFP with SICA and other relevant entities

5. Duration and Duty Station

• Duration: 11 months
• Duty Station: San Salvador

6. Reporting Lines

The consultant will report to WFP Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean and work in close coordination with relevant WFP Country Offices and SICA/CAC counterparts.

7. Qualifications and Experience Required

• Advanced university degree in development studies, public policy, international relations, agriculture, or related field
• At least 10 years of relevant professional experience
• Strong understanding of food security, nutrition, or resilience programming
• Experience working with regional organizations, governments, or multilateral institutions
• Proven track record in programme development, partnerships, and resource mobilization
• Knowledge of Central America context
• Familiarity with regional agricultural coordination mechanisms (including CAC) is an asset
• Fluency in Spanish and English required

8. Other Considerations

• The consultant will be expected to work collaboratively with regional and national stakeholders
• Strong communication and facilitation skills are essential
• Sensitivity to the regional policy and institutional context is required

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

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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

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REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.
• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.
• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

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.