Background

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.  

Afghanistan is one of the world’s most complex emergencies, and the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Afghan people are grappling with the impact of conflict, poverty, economic decline, and natural disasters. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities and require urgent support as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. It is essential that Afghan women and girls can continue to shape the development of their country, and that their gains are protected. UN Women remains fully committed to supporting Afghan women and girls and to putting them at the center of the global response to the crisis in Afghanistan.  

UN Women has been in Afghanistan for two decades. UN Women’s programming approach is informed by analysis of the political, economic and humanitarian situation, risks to and capacities of partner organizations, and needs of Afghan women and girls. UN Women Afghanistan currently has four key programme priorities: (1) Gender in Humanitarian Action, (2) Ending Violence Against Women, (3) Women’s Economic Empowerment, and (4) Women, Peace and Security. 

Reporting to EVAW Programme Manager, the Project Coordination specialist is responsible for coordinating the Protection of the EVAW Project, specifically on the Provision of Essential Services to Women and Girls which includes Project management, coordinating relationships with national partners and stakeholders, and the monitoring and reporting, and the finances and personnel of the portfolio.

Duties and Responsibilities

  1. Coordinate the Provision of Essential Services Project
  • Coordinate the overall Project work plan development and implementation according to Strategic Note/ programme document;
  • Liaise with the  national counterparts, donors, UN Women and partners to ensure the Project results are achieved and resources are managed;
  • Prepare and present work-plans, periodic narrative progress reports and expenditures status reports to the donor and UN Women;
  • Establish systems for project planning, implementation and monitoring, in collaboration with partners;
  • Record and maintain documents on relevant Project activities, issues, and risks.

       2. Guide coordination with national partners and other stakeholders

  • Coordinate relationships with national partners to support implementation and expansion of the Protection of Women’s Rights Project, raise potential problems and provide solutions;
  • Provide guidance to partners on establishment of performance indicators, and monitoring achievement of results;
  • Identify capacity building needs and support partners through technical assistance, mentoring, training, cross-partner learning, and capacity development initiatives.

       3. Coordinate the monitoring and reporting on EVAW projects

  • Gather and compile all information necessary for monitoring and reporting on programmes and projects from the planning to the evaluation stages;
  • Monitor the implementation of activities and the expenditure of funds by partners; conduct regular monitoring visits;
  • Write annual and quarterly reports; review and coordinate the submission of implementing partner financial and narrative reports;
  • Provide inputs from project activities and results to Country Office reporting.

       4. Manage financial resources and supervise staff

  • Supervise and manage a team of professional and administrative staff, review performance and mentor/ coach staff;
  • Coordinate development and preparation of financial resources of the project including budgeting and budget revisions, and expenditure tracking and reporting;
  • Oversee and monitor the allocation and disbursement of funds to participating partners.

        5. Build partnerships and support in developing resource mobilization strategies

  • Provide technical support to the development of partnerships and resource mobilization strategies;
  • Identify potential programmatic areas of cooperation, based on strategic goals of UN Women, country needs and donors’ priorities and develop the relevant partnerships.

      6. Advocate and facilitate knowledge building and management and communication

  • Ensure documentation of the programme implementation process and products produced are in accordance with UN Women guidelines;
  • Contribute to the exchange of information and knowledge products internally and externally of the programme;
  • Organize major advocacy campaigns, events, trainings, workshops and knowledge products.

Key Performance Indicators

  • Timely and quality implementation of Programme/Portfolio activities against set workplans, timelines and budgets, in line with the Strategic Note
  • Quality and timely reporting
  • Strong relations with partners and stakeholders
  • Regular and timely monitoring of activities 
  • Timely and quality implementation of advocacy events in line with work plan
  • Enhanced best practices and lessons learned documented and circulated

 

Competencies

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

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Functional Competencies

  • Strong programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills
  • Strong budget and finance skills
  • Strong knowledge of Results Based Management
  • Ability to synthesize program performance data and produce analytical reports in order to inform management and strategic decision-making
  • Strong analytical skills
  • Good knowledge of UN programme management systems

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

  • Master’s degree or equivalent in public administration, law, human rights, gender equality, management, social sciences or other related areas is required.
  • A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
  •  A project/programme management certification (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) would be an added advantage.

Experiance: 

  • At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience at the national or international level in managing complex and multi-component programme interventions
  • Experience on Gender equality and Ending Violence against Women ;
  • Experience in coordinating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating development programmes and projects;
  • Previous experience working in the UN system is a strong asset.

Language Requirements:

  • Fluency in English and Dari is required;
  • Knowledge of the other UN official working language is an asset;

Application:

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality, and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Inclusion Statement:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits employ, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity, and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)