Background

UNDP Global Mission Statement:

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with national counterparts on their own solutions to global and national development challenges.

UNDP Afghanistan Mission Statement:

UNDP Afghanistan is supporting the Government to find innovative solutions to its development challenges based on the on-going Country Programme Document approved by the Executive Board for the period 2006 – 2009.  A new Country Programme Document was approved by the Executive Board during September 2009 for the period 2010-2013. Key priority areas for UNDP assistance are in strengthening democratic governance, crisis prevention and recovery, and reducing poverty. UNDP is strengthening the institutional capacities of key national government and sub-national authorities which aim to enhance human security, human development, peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Organizational Context:

Corruption, both petty and grand, constitutes a serious problem in Afghanistan. The pressure to speed up the fight against corruption is now mounting steeply both within the government and the international community. With the clear political commitment made to the fight against corruption during the Paris, London and Kabul Conferences, the finalization of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) – also known as the ‘Azimi report’ – and the establishment of the High Office of Oversight (HOO) it is essential that the international community quickly increases its support in the area of anti-corruption.

In the context of Afghanistan, supporting the government’s holistic anti-corruption strategy requires a novel mechanism for international assistance. It is an empirical fact that every government that has experienced and benefitted from improvements in the prevention and combat of public and private sector corruption has established an independent framework to monitor and evaluate the executive branch’s efforts to combat and prevent corruption. In all governments that enjoy high levels of public sector governance this takes the form of parliamentary or national assembly (legislative) committees mandated with the task to monitor the executive branches’ agencies in charge of law enforcement and crime prevention. In other governments with low institutional development, “blue ribbon” commissions are sometimes established; all composed of highly prestigious national and international members with the mandate to technically evaluate the nature, effectiveness, and impact of preventive and punitive policies against public and private sector corruption.  

In addition, within this type of institutional environments, these committees are mandated to foster an institutional environment within which prosecutors and police can possess the technical feasibility (without undue political interference) to judicially process high-level corruption (criminal) charges brought against well-positioned high-level political actors at the national, provincial, and local domains. 

In this context, the Government of Afghanistan invited the international community to form an International Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (MEC) to offer it policy advice and monitor and evaluate progress against specific benchmarks. The invitation from the Government of Afghanistan was welcomed by the international community gathered in the London Conference. In this context, six members of the Committee (three Afghans and three international) will be selected by a nominating body to be assembled by the GIRoA. 

International experience demonstrates that, for these ad-hoc committees to achieve their intended objectives, nominees require to be highly recognized national and international personalities that have previously occupied high-level positions in governments, international bodies, and civil society organizations with the capacity and willingness to interact on an equal basis with representatives of the highest levels of the Afghan Government (i.e. with the President, with Parliament members, and with cabinet ministers). The MEC members will also act in their capacity as experts on the ways and means to tackle corruption and the MEC would be entirely independent. The Committee will determine its own operating procedures. The MEC will have the sole authority to determine the content of its reports, which must be published every six months, within one month of completion of every second visit   Publication means that all such reports will be available to the President, Parliament, and people of Afghanistan through the media. They will also be made available to the international community. Reports will provide an assessment against agreed benchmarks but may also choose to examine specific themes or sectors. 

UNDP is called upon to assist in setting up this new mechanism and support its technical secretariat through a distinct component of its Accountability and Transparency Project. Donor funding in support of this component will be separate from funding for the rest of the project.

UNDP ACT project will generally support the implementation of the NACS and the capacity development of the HOO, support to the strengthening of internal integrity in key government institutions (Control and Audit Office, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Interior), and support the active engagement of civil society in the fight against corruption. The ACT project is committed to working in close partnership with relevant national and international stakeholders in delivering project activities. The ACT project commenced in January 2007 and will run until February 2012.

Duties and Responsibilities

• General administrative support
• Logistics management and support
• Transport management
• Travel and event management and organization
• Capacity building and mentoring
  

• Develop workplan for Admin/Logistics team to ensure effective achievement of results;
• Supervise staff in Admin/Logistics team and ensure that clear workplans are developed for all team members;
• Set up annual performance targets for all staff in the Admin/Logistics team and ensure that the targets are reviewed on a periodic basis. 

• Plan, prioritize and implement activities related to administrative needs;
• Ensure efficient, effective, responsive, transparent and accountable provision of administrative services to support the MEC team in the implementation of the activities;
• Arrange office space and necessary equipment for all staff and ensure that all furniture and equipment are in proper order including IT equipment and internet infrastructure;
• Coordinate and work together with procurement staff to get goods and services required for staff and maintenance of office;
• Ensure a clean and healthy environment by ensuring proper maintenance of office premises;
• Ensure that the support staffs perform their duties satisfactorily and provide them with adequate access to facilities and equipment they need to do their job properly;
• Perform as security focal point and ensure that all staff is updated on security measures and rules and regulations of UNDP;
• Maintain liaison and close working relationship with the UNDP CO and relevant ACT project staff on all administrative issues;
• Ensure production and maintenance of up-to-date and accurate administrative records and reports including an organized filing system.  

• Design and conduct logistics and supply needs assessment and prepare plans based on that;
• Ensure timely supply of fuel, stationary, minor IT equipment and printing;
• Transport management, focusing on achievement of the following results;
• Review and update transportation needs of the MEC and arrange vehicles including rental vehicles accordingly;
• Oversee management of the daily pool of drivers and vehicles, ensuring timely services, issuing fuel, recording log-books and maintenance of vehicles;
• Review, on a monthly basis the driver’s log book and track fuel consumption, maintenance, oil consumption and movement of vehicles;
• Ensure proper conduct of drivers by arranging briefing session for the drivers on safe driving, proper maintenance of vehicles and security precautions. 
  

• Facilitate organizing events such as conferences, workshops, seminars and meetings.
• Assist in obtaining security clearance and organizing missions within and outside of Afghanistan;
• Provide travel arrangements for national partners and project staff within and outside Afghanistan.  

• Closely work with relevant staff in building their capacity in all areas related to administration and logistics management and support;
• Conduct training sessions for staff on corporate rules, regulations and tools. 

Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

• Strong organizational and reporting skills;
• Willingness to share knowledge and experience;
• Actively work towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more practice areas, act on learning plan and apply newly acquired skills.

• Proven ability to lead and motivate staff in challenging environments;
• Ability to develop and manage professional relationships;
• Ability to develop capacity and competencies of staff and to transfer skills.

• Results oriented, with outstanding interpersonal and coordination skills;
• Able to deliver within tight deadlines;
• Excellent networking skills;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, Dari/Pashto;
• Display cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
  

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in fields related to public administration, business administration or any other related field;
• Relevant practical experience in office management, business administration or any other related field;
• With master’s degree 2 years of experience and with bachelor’s 4 years of experience is required;
• Specialized training in administration and logistics is an asset;
• Administrative and logistics management experience with the UN system a strong asset;
• Experience in capacity development and knowledge transfer;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.).

• Fluency in English, Pashto and Dari are required.

Interested and qualified national Afghan candidates should apply on-line through the UNDP Jobs site at http://www.undp.org.af/Jobs/index.htm and please ensure that to fill up and upload Personal History Form-P.11 which is available at http://www.undp.org.af/Jobs/index.htm in the relevant field of the on-line application.

Incomplete applications or applications received after the closing date (13 February 2011) will not be given consideration. Please note that only applications who are short-listed will be contacted.

For more detailed information about UNDP Afghanistan please visit our website at www.undp.org.af   

The vacancy announcement is open only for Afghan national(s) applicants

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply