Antecedentes

UNDP Afghanistan Mission statement:

 UNDP supports stabilization, state building, governance and development priorities in Afghanistan. UNDP support, in partnership with the Government, the United Nations system, the donor community and other development stakeholders, has contributed to institutional development efforts leading to positive impact on the lives of Afghan citizens. Over the years UNDP support has spanned such milestone efforts as the adoption of the Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections; institutional development through capacity-building to the legislative, the judicial and executive arms of the state, and key ministries, Government agencies and commissions at the national and subnational levels. UNDP has played a key role in the management of the Law and Order Trust Fund, which supports the Government in developing and maintaining the national police force and in efforts to stabilize the internal security environment. Major demobilization, disarmament and rehabilitation and area-based livelihoods and reconstruction programmes have taken place nationwide. UNDP Programmes in Afghanistan have benefited from the very active support of donors. UNDP Afghanistan is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan and the UN system as a whole to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground.

Organizational Context:

The Afghanistan Sub-national Governance Programme Phase II (ASGP II) is the UNDP’s flagship governance programme and plays a key role in developing the institutions and systems to ensure effective implementation of the sub-national governance strategies outlined in the Afghan National Development Strategy and the Afghanistan Compact.

The Afghanistan Sub–national Governance Programme (ASGP) works with and through the Government of Afghanistan to build the institutional structures required for effective service delivery at the central, provincial, district, and municipal levels. ASGP’s activities are designed to achieve long term sustainability through institutional, organizational and individual capacity development.

Note:

UNDP Afghanistan reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP Afghanistan at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and education requirements.

Deberes y responsabilidades

Under the supervision of the UNDP-ASGP Chief Technical Advisor and Project Manager, the Technical Specialist (Communication, Partnership and Reporting) is responsible for the following duties and responsibilities:

Communications

•  Manages ASGP communications and regional communication focal points, ensuring coherent UNDP outreach and messages;
• Works closely with the Communications and Partnernships Specialists, and relevant Country Office units and management, to ensure synergy in donor/partner outreach and communication needs;
• In coordination with relevant units of UNDP Afghanistan, identify, documents and disseminate success stories, achievements, lessons learned and document recommendations to be integrated into broader knowledge management efforts;
• Ensures that all ASGP communication products are well presented, results focused, informative, clear and concise, as well as compliant with corporate guidelines and formats;
• Maintains regular contact with international and national media and proactively ensures strategic and timely outreach to media;
• Play an instrumental role in reputation management whenever required, in close cooperation with senior management both at HQ and in the Country Office;
• Support the Independent Directorate of Local Governance and provincial and district partners on strategic communications, and develop the capacity of subnational partners and ASGP colleagues to implement strategies and activities that contribute to shared UNDP-GIRoA SNG outcomes.

Partnerships

• Provide effective and efficient support to the CTA and senior management in all aspects of resource mobilization, including analysis of donor trends, identification of common programme and development interests, political and economic developments, aid policies, practices and budget allocations among donor countries and offices;
• Work closely with relevant country office units to build, nurture and maintain productive partnerships with specific donors and stakeholders, including IDLG, provincial partners, and other programme implementers.

Planning, Monitoring and Reporting

• Provide advice in project planning and implementation of the Work Plan through regular collection and analysis of information and preparation of analytical reports;
• Provide substatial inputs in formuation and drafting of project proposals, log-frames, budgets and work-plans for submission to donors;
• Advice the project and the stakeholders on the progress of the workplan and contribute to analysis of deviation between the planned and actual achivements;
• Ensure compliance with and quality assurance of appropriate monitoring systems and develop internal system to monitor and follow up on project cycle phases;
• Implement standardized reporting mechanisms and ensure effective and timely reporting with due consideratio of quality assurance of the reports;
• Ensure that all periodic reports (quaterly, annual, final and donor specific) are compiled in a timely manner capturing project impacts against the results framework;
• Ensure continuous monitoring of projects and make regular field visits along with project colleagues to collect data and statistics;
• Participate in programme and project reviews, monitoring of projects, review of focus areas, methodologies, strategies, etc., including those requested by Country Office and the Government partners;
• Perform other tasks and responsibilities assigned by the supervisor.

Impact of Result:

The key will have an impact on contributing to overall success of the country programme and the Afghanistan Sub-national Governance Programme and reaching the UNDPAF goals. In Particular, the key results will have an impact on the more effective, inclusive, stronger and sustainable local governance, National stakeholders understand better the relevance and value of subnational governance reform and how to communicate better those values to the Afghan public; Lift the capacity of the national staff working in subnational governance structures through appropriate training opportunities; contribute on the design, operation and programming of activities; creation of strategic partnership as well as reaching resource mobilization targets.

Competencias

Functional competencies:

• Understanding of development issues and ability to work across the range of issues covered by ASGP. Ability to hold high-level meetings and speak on behalf of ASGP on issues relevant to development;
• Managerial skills: Should effectively manage the ASGP communication and training specialists in Kabul and in the region, and support the national and provincial partners, and contribute to the Communication Cluster;
• Very strong initiative-taker. Capacity to move complex processes forward to achieve articulated results, work at varying levels and on different projects simultaneously (personal organization, and ability for multi-tasking). Ability to work under pressure, and to live comfortably with change;
• Superior networking capability, paired with strong interpersonal skills; substantive ability and presence to represent ASGP, as well as to interact effectively with senior management and with other units around results;
• Ability to analyze complex information and to draw out the key points and issues and to present these in a way that can be easily understood;
• Ability to draft concise and informative documentation in English for a range of uses from detailed progress reports to media releases;
• Ability to work with minimum supervision to identify information and knowledge sharing opportunities and to engage a wide range of colleagues in realizing these opportunities;
• Planning and organizing ability to develop clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
• Uses Information Technology effectively as a tool and resource;
• Communication skills and ability to speak and write clearly and effectively; listens to others, tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
• Demonstrates integrity and discretion in all actions of the work. Uses good judgment in applying expertise to complex and/or sensitive issues;
• Conceptual and creative thinking to focus on impact and results and to develop practical approaches to overcome challenging situations;
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; builds and sustains relationships with key constituents.

Corporate 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
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Technical Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Promotes sharing of knowledge and experience and contributes to UNDP Practice Areas and actively works towards continued personal learning and development;
• Ability to provide top quality policy advice on sub national governance issues;
• In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
• Ability to go beyond established procedures and models, propose new approaches which expand the range of projects;
• Ability to work with minimal supervision;
• Ability to lead formulation and evaluation of development projects.

Management and Leadership

• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Encourages risk-taking in the pursuit of creativity and innovative solutions;
• Leads teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
• Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:

• Master’s degree in social sciences, political sciences, economics, communication, development or any other related field.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in report writing, donor relations, or in corporate communication.
• Solid understanding of development issues. Experience from a conflict, or post-conflict context would be an asset.
• Experience in drafting and implementing communications, external relations/partnerships, resource mobilization and capacity development strategy;
• Experienced in management, including communications management;
• Previous communications, partnerships/ external relations and planning and monitoring experience in under-developed and post-conflict countries highly desirable.
• Excellent English writing and editing skills and a demonstrated ability to clearly communicate development ideas and experiences.
• Experience in conceptualizing and managing the production of printed materials, including detailed reports, and developing video and web materials, including in-house and out-sourced.
• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing communication and/or media outreach plans in support of overall corporate goals.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required for the post. Knowledge of Dari and/or Pashto would be an advantage.

Application procedure:

Interested and qualified international 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 (30 October 2013) 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    

Successful candidates must be prepared to start work within 6 weeks of the offer of appointment.

Internal candidates who have served a minimum of 12 months in the current assignment are invited to apply.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.