Organizational Setting

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has had a long-standing engagement in Afghanistan, supporting constituents and national stakeholders to advance social justice and promote decent work for all Afghan workers. In line with the ILO’s global mandate, Afghanistan Decent Work Country Programme (A-DWCP), and UN Strategic Framework for Afghanistan (UNSFA), the ILO is implementing a diverse portfolio of technical cooperation projects targeting employment creation, enterprise development, skills enhancement, and the promotion of fundamental principles and rights at work (FPRW).
In the face of ongoing political, economic, and humanitarian challenges, the ILO’s work in Afghanistan has become increasingly critical to reimagining and rebuilding the labour market, and to supporting vulnerable populations, including youth, women, informal workers, returnees, and displaced populations. The ILO has expanded its programmatic footprint and deepened its engagement with a wide array of actors including the de facto authorities (DFA), employers’ and workers’ organizations, UN agencies, funds and programmes, and community-based institutions. As a result, the ILO Office is increasingly required to provide technical guidance, coordination, and monitoring support to ensure that project activities are effectively and timely implemented, that generate meaningful impact and contribute to long-term sustainable results that advance social justice. The ongoing projects demand greater coherence, integration, and technical quality, as well as agile responses to the dynamic operational environment.
To strengthen its capacity to deliver on these demands, the ILO Office in Afghanistan seeks to recruit a short-term Programme Officer. The incumbent will play a key role in supporting project coordination, operational delivery, results-based management, and strategic partnership-building. This position is critical to the success of ongoing and emerging initiatives, particularly those focused on employment-intensive investments, enterprise development, skills for livelihoods, and promotion of labour rights

Main Purpose

The Programme Officer will provide strategic and operational support to ILO’s Development Cooperation (DC) projects across Northern, Western, Eastern, and South-eastern Afghanistan, ensuring coherence with ILO Priorities. The incumbent will provide support to the ILO-Kabul Programme unit in ensuring that ILO-Kabul DC is implemented timely and according to the agreed implementation plans and work plans by the donors. The incumbent will equally provide support in liaising with UN and other implementing partners, a key component of ILO-Kabul DC as projects are implemented in complementarity with other UN agencies..

Working Relationships

Internal contacts are with staff and managers in field offices, project locations and headquarters to maintain effective working relationships, exchange information and obtain assistance on programming matters. The incumbent regularly liaises with and receives guidance from the Regional Programming Unit.

External contacts are primarily with counterparts in government, employers’ and workers’ organizations, United Nations (UN) agencies and other international organizations and donors to exchange information and obtain assistance on programming matters.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

In collaboration with ILO colleagues, implementing partners, de facto institutions, social partners, and other stakeholders, the Programme Officer will:
1.    Provide professional services for an identified set of programming services. Provide inputs for developing country operations plans for overall compliance with regional and global strategic priorities as well as with programming instructions. Conduct basic research and analysis and draft components of reports and presentations for situation analyses at the national level.
2.    Provide timely, accurate and pertinent information on programme and budget matters for operational decision-making purposes through the strategic use of the results-based management. Use baselines, milestones and indicators to measure, analyse and report on performance. Monitor and verify accuracy of programming data.
3.    Participate in the assessment of country development plans and priorities. Contribute to the design and setting of programme objectives within the framework of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) and stated priorities and outcomes. Stay abreast of the political and socio-economic situation and propose actions in response to new and emerging operational challenges.
4.    Participate in missions to monitor and report on programme implementation. Identify issues and propose corrective actions.
5.    Work in cooperation with external partners and technical specialists in the preparation of draft Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). Ensure MoUs are consistent with requirements and timelines for project implementation. Request and follow up on the timely submission of progress reports and raise areas of concern with concerned parties.
6.    Participate in interagency fora and meetings with a view to identifying areas of common interest.
7.    Keep abreast of changes to applicable standards and best practices. Share knowledge and provide guidance to staff. Oversee and guide the work of staff performing programme-related work. Supervise staff as applicable.
8.    Monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of work methods and processes and make recommendations for improvements. Liaise closely with staff and managers to ensure effective and smooth service design and delivery, recommending improvements on interrelated processes.
9.    Provide inputs to support the Office’s communication activities.
10.    Perform other relevant duties as assigned.

Specific Duties

Technical and Programmatic Support to Projects
•    Provide operational and technical support for the planning and implementation of DC projects across priority regions (Northern, Western, Eastern, and Southeastern Afghanistan).
•    Support the preparation, coordination, and quality assurance of project work plans, budgets, procurement plans, and implementation strategies in line with ILO standards and donor agreements.
•    Support the development of technical documentation including progress reports, project briefs, knowledge products, and training materials.
•    Monitor project activities and progress against defined indicators; support adaptive management to enhance impact and sustainability.
•    Contribute to the mainstreaming of gender equality, inclusion, and conflict-sensitive approaches in all programmatic interventions.
Coordination and Strategic Integration
•    Support the coordination of the overall ILO’s programme portfolio in Afghanistan to ensure strategic coherence across different projects and thematic areas, in line with the A-DWCP and UNSFA.
•    Contribute to the development and review of technical proposals, concept notes, and program documents for funding opportunities.
•    Support knowledge management, including collection and analysis of data, preparation of briefing notes, success stories, and donor updates.
•    Help maintain programme dashboards, reporting trackers, and risk logs.
•    Assist in organizing and documenting programme-related meetings, donor consultations, and stakeholder workshops.
Liaison, Communication, and Partnerships
•    Liaise with constituents, implementing partners, UN agencies, funds and programmes, de facto line ministries, and other stakeholders to promote collaboration and coherence in implementation.
•    Support the Office in maintaining donor and stakeholder relations through timely communication, information sharing, and technical updates.
•    Draft correspondence, talking points, presentations, briefing materials, and internal/external communication materials to support visibility and stakeholder engagement.
•    Assist in documenting project results, success stories, and lessons learned for dissemination to donors and stakeholders.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Administrative Oversight
•    Assist in the preparation and submission of results-based periodic progress reports, donor reports, and performance reviews.
•    Contribute to the preparation of internal documentation such as office performance reports, budget reviews, and audit responses.
•    Ensure adherence to ILO administrative, procurement and financial rules when supporting implementation tasks.
•    Participate in internal reviews, field verifications, and project evaluations, including data collection and stakeholder consultations

Education

• University degree in economics, development studies, labour studies, public administration, international relations, or related social sciences.

Experience

• At least two years of professional experience in programme or project coordination, preferably in the areas of employment, livelihoods, economic recovery, or rights-based development.
• Prior experience working with the UN system or international organizations is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with Afghanistan’s political economy, development challenges, and labour market dynamics is an asset.
• Experience working with national institutions, civil society, and donors in fragile or post-conflict contexts is preferred.

Languages

• Excellent command of English, Pashto and Dari.

Knowledge and Competencies (technical/behavioural)

Good knowledge of programming and results-based management (RBM) principles and concepts.
Knowledge of the programming cycle (planning, monitoring, reporting and evaluation).
Knowledge of resource mobilization.
Political awareness and understanding of socio-economic factors.
Knowledge of methods and techniques for designing and assessing quality and efficiency of process execution.
Good knowledge of PC software (including word processor, spreadsheet and presentation software) such as Microsoft Office.

In addition to the ILO core competencies [Integrity and transparency, Sensitivity to diversity, Orientation to learning and knowledge sharing, Client orientation, Communication, Orientation to change, Takes responsibility for performance, Quality orientation, Collaboration], this position requires:

Ability to interpret and work within applicable rules, regulations, policies and procedures.
Research and analytical skills.
Drafting skills.
Ability to maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders.
Ability to manage competing priorities.
Ability to adapt quickly to new software and systems.
Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes