General
Description of assignment title
Programme Analyst, GiHA
Assignment country
Afghanistan
Expected start date
20/02/2024
Sustainable Development Goal
5. Gender equality
Volunteer category
International UN Volunteer Specialist
Host entity
UNWomen
Type
Onsite
Duration
12 months (with possibility of extension)
Number of assignments
1
Duty stations
Kabul
Details
Mission and objectives
In Afghanistan, UN Women works in four thematic areas i.e., Governance and Participation, Ending Violence Against Women, Women Economic Empowerment, and Women Peace and Security (WPS). On Women Peace and Security, UN Women is catalysing the UN system and supporting Afghanistan to deliver on the women, peace and security agenda and enhanced capacities and opportunities for gender equality advocates to participate in peace processes at all levels. UN Women Afghanistan Country Office (ACO) assists the Government of Afghanistan to implement their commitments on women, peace and security and more women and civil society organizations and those actors with gender equality agendas, influence peace, and security processes. UN Women’s priority outcomes for WPS in Afghanistan are the following: (i) supporting an enabling environment for the implementation of WPS commitments; (ii) ensuring that women are represented and meaningfully participate in all peace and security, peacebuilding and recovery processes, including formal and informal peace negotiations processes; and (iii) supporting gender-responsive security sector and justice reforms. Under the overall guidance from the Country Representative and Deputy Representative, the WPS Analyst will report directly to the Head of WPS Thematic Area and will support engagement with civil society, as well as with government counterparts and support coordinating, and monitoring of UN Women interventions implemented through civil society organizations and selected government institutions.
Context
UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Since the takeover by Taliban in August 2021, Afghanistan has witnessed a progressive erasure of women’s rights and freedoms, through both formal and informal edicts, messages, and practices. The 24th of December edict banning Afghan women from NGOs and INGOs, and the 4th of April ban on Afghan women working with the UN has further restricted space for Afghan women and women focused CSOs. Over the past few months UN Women is reconfiguring its programming to ensure the full spectrum of rights of women and girls are met, anchored in a principled approach. This role will be overseeing projects funded through the Women Peace and Humanitarian Fund in Afghanistan, composed of representatives from donors, United Nations entities, and civil society organizations. The Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is a global pooled funding mechanism, which aims to re-energize action and stimulate a significant increase in financing for women’s participation, leadership, and empowerment in peace and security processes and humanitarian response. The WPHF is a flexible and rapid financing mechanism. It supports quality interventions designed to enhance the capacity of local women to prevent conflict, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding opportunities. The overall goal of the WPHF is to achieve peaceful and gender equal societies. Achievement of this goal will require that women are empowered to participate in, contribute to, and benefit from conflict prevention, crisis response, peacebuilding, and recovery. Reporting to Humanitarian Programme Manager, the Programme Analyst contributes to the effective management of UN Women programmes in the Afghanistan Country office by providing substantive inputs to programme design, formulation, implementation, and evaluation. The Programme Analyst guides and facilitates the delivery of UN Women programmes by monitoring results achieved during implementation and ensuring appropriate application of systems and procedures and develops enhancements if necessary. The Programme Analyst works in close collaboration with the programme and operations team, UN Women HQ personnel, Government officials, multi and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UN Women programme implementation under portfolio.
Task description
1. Coordinate the overall Programme/Portfolio work plan development and ensure timely implementation of grants under the WPHF, with a focus on coalition building and responding to Women’s Peace and Security and Humanitarian Actions in Afghanistan 1. Gather inputs and coordinate the preparation of work-plans, periodic narrative progress reports and expenditures status reports, to the National Steering Committee and WPHF Secretariat: • Establish systems for project planning, implementation, and monitoring, in collaboration with partners. • Record and maintain documents on relevant Programme activities, issues and risks. 2. Provide technical assistance and capacity development to project/programme partners: • Coordinate relationships with national partners to support implementation of the programme/portfolio, raise potential problems and suggest solutions. • Identify capacity building needs and support partners through technical assistance, mentoring, training, and capacity development initiatives, as needed. 3. Monitoring and reporting on WPHF programmes: • Monitor progress of implementation of activities and finances using results-based management tools. • Draft reports on monitoring missions, programme results, outputs, and outcomes. • Provide substantive inputs to the preparation of donor and UN Women reports. 4. Provide substantive technical inputs to the management of people and finances of the Gender in Humanitarian Action programme: • Monitor budget implementation and make budget re-alignments/ revisions, as necessary. • Provide substantive inputs to financial reports. • Supervise Programme Associates and Assistant. 5. Build partnerships and support in developing resource mobilization strategies: • Provide inputs to the development of partnerships and resource mobilization strategies. 6. Advocate and facilitate knowledge building, as well as management and communication: • Document the programme implementation process and products. • Contribute to the exchange of information and provide inputs to the development of knowledge products internally and externally of the programme. • Coordinate the organization of major advocacy campaigns, events, trainings, workshops, and knowledge products.
Eligibility criteria
Age
27 – 80
Nationality
Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.
Requirements
Required experience
3 years of experience in • At least 3 years of progressively responsible work experience in development programme/project implementation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting and capacity building. • Experience in Gender in Humanitarian Action is an asset. • Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an asset.
Area(s) of expertise
Administration, Business management, Development programmes
Driving license
–
Languages
English, Level: Fluent, Required Dari, Level: Fluent, Desirable Pashto, Level: Fluent, Desirable
Required education level
Master degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender/women’s studies, international development
Competencies and values
Core Values: • Respect for Diversity • Integrity • Professionalism Core Competencies: • Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues • Accountability • Creative Problem Solving • Effective Communication • Inclusive Collaboration • Stakeholder Engagement • Leading by Example
Other information
Living conditions and remarks
Afghanistan is a hardship duty station with a volatile security. Living and working conditions for UN volunteers in UNAMA and UNDP are like the living conditions of all other internationally recruited staff members. UN volunteers are provided with safe accommodation in an extensive compound in Kabul with good infrastructure and amenities. UN Women’s office is located at the UNOCA (UN Operational Complex in Afghanistan) compound on Jalalabad Road, at some distance from central Kabul. Afghanistan is a non-family duty station and accommodation is limited to selected UN approved, MORSS+ compliant premises (MORSS = UN Minimum Operating Residential Security Standards). The UNDP Security section provides these guide- lines during the initial security briefing upon arrival in the mission area. Upon arrival, volunteers are accommodated at the UNV/UNDP designated accommodations within the UNOCA which may be in containers. These accommodations are furnished with necessities, and accommodation costs in these high-security residential facilities can be high. Volunteers may or may not have access to cooking facilities in their residence and may have to rely on canteens / food service facilities located within their residences. In the provinces, the situation is different where UN personnel are confined to guest houses; in most of the regions, both electricity and water are readily available, although water can sometimes run low because of severe droughts in the last couple of years. Most guesthouses have secured water (e.g. through a well in the compound) and generators in the event of power failure. Some degree of medical service is provided in all UN duty stations in Afghanistan. There is a UN clinic in UNAMA/UNOCA complex, and access is granted in Kabul to other private inter- national clinics. Most products/staples are common in the markets e.g. rice, meat, vegetables, cooking oil, salt etc. UNOCA has a minimarket where basic goods can be bought also. As mentioned, many places are off-limits, and the choice of recreational facilities is limited. Summer in Afghanistan is hot and dry, but winter is the opposite – cold and wet. Therefore, both summer and winter clothing and comfortable boots with insulation are necessary. Most common consumer articles are available in Kabul (and in the regions). Afghanistan is a unique country and UNAMA is a unique UN mission. It requires more stamina, commitment, and flexibility than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in hazardous and harsh conditions involving physical hardship and little comfort are essential.
Inclusivity statement
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements
Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy