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.
UN Women has been working in Afghanistan since 2002 (as UNIFEM until 2010). Afghanistan has emerged as one of the worldโs most complex emergencies. The crisis dynamics in the country are multi-layered, and Afghanistanโs people are facing the devastating effects of successive decades of conflict, increasing poverty, economic decline and natural disasters, all of which are amplified by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As per the Humanitarian Response Plan 2022, 24.4 million Afghans โ more than half of the countryโs estimated population of 42 million โ are projected to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2022, with a staggering 55 per cent of the population expected to face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. Womenโs fundamental rights have been continually threatened since the Taliban takeover and the limited gains made over the past twenty years are now at risk of being erased โ and at worst regressed. The contest around gender norms remains at the center of the political, peace and security landscape in Afghanistan, putting women and girls at the frontlines of this crisis. Responding to this crisis, the UN Women Afghanistan Country Office is consolidating its programming under the humanitarian-peace-development nexus, anchored in the Country Office Strategic Note (2018-2022), and continues to deliver on its triple mandate across four thematic areas: 1) Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action; 2) Ending Violence Against Women; 3) Women Economic Empowerment; and 4) Womenโs Leadership and Participation. UN Women Afghanistan thereby capitalizes on its five Sub-Offices located in the provinces Balkh, Bamyan, Herat, Kandahar and Nangarhar respectively, and is part of inter-agency Joint UN initiatives, such as the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA).
The Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is a global partnership that mobilizes resources to support local womenโs organizations in fostering peace and responding to humanitarian crises. WPHF works to amplify the voices of women in conflict-affected regions, ensuring their active participation in peacebuilding and humanitarian efforts. In Afghanistan, WPHF plays a crucial role in empowering women-led organizations and strengthening gender-responsive humanitarian action.
To enhance operational efficiency and ensure smooth implementation of WPHF activities, UN Women seeks a full-time consultant to provide administrative, monitoring and evaluation support. Reporting to the GIHA Programme Manager and in close coordination with the WPHF Secretariat, grantees, and key partners, the consultant will be home-based but will undertake an initial four-week mission to Kabul to facilitate in-person coordination with stakeholders, onboarding, and administrative setup.
Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work
Administrative Support
Provide logistical and administrative support for WPHF activities. Assist in partnership processing, including contracts, risk management, reporting and payments in compliance with UN Womenโs policies. Maintain and update administrative records, ensuring efficient file management and documentation.Financial and Grant Management Support
Assist in financial tracking of WPHF grants, ensuring timely disbursements and reporting. Support in the preparation of financial reports, ensuring compliance with UN Women financial regulations. Liaise with grantees to facilitate administrative requirements, such as audits and compliance checks.Coordination and Liaison
Act as a liaison between implementing partners and UN Women, ensuring timely communication and follow-ups. Organize and coordinate virtual and in-person meetings, drafting minutes and action points. Oversee coordination with coordinators and programme associates at the sub-national level to ensure quality partner implementation, reporting, and monitoring. Provide support in donor reporting by collecting relevant administrative and programmatic data. Lead Afghanistan WPHF inputs into the global annual report.Provide technical assistance and capacity development to project/programme partners
Coordinate and provide technical support in the implementation of programme activities. Maintain relationships with external stakeholders to support implementation and expansion of the WPHF programme. Identify opportunities for capacity building of partners and other stakeholders and facilitate technical/ programming support and trainings to partners on monitoring and reporting, and other topics as needed.Monitoring and Reporting
Assist in the collection and organization of data for WPHF monitoring and evaluation, both financial and technical programmatic results and delivery. Prepare monthly progress reports on administrative tasks and any challenges faced. Support in tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) related to administrative functions.Support other tasks as required for quality implementation of WPHF and UN Womenโs humanitarian programming.
Consultantโs Workplace and Official Travel
This is a full-time home-based consultancy. As part of this assignment, there will be an initial four-week mission to Afghanistan, with potential future missions to be determined based on need. The consultant is expected to work during working hours in Afghanistan (Sunday โ Thursday, 9:00 โ 17:00 Kabul time).
Competencies :
Core Values:
Core Competencies:
Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues; Accountability; Creative Problem Solving; Effective Communication; Inclusive Collaboration; Stakeholder Engagement; Leading by Example.Please visitย this linkย for more information on UN Womenโs Values and Competencies Framework:ย
Functional Competencies:
Good programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills Good knowledge of Results Based Management Strong understanding of administrative and financial procedures within the UN system. Ability to gather and interpret data, reach logical conclusions and present findings and recommendations Good knowledge of gender equality in humanitarian action and/or disaster risk reduction.Required Qualifications:
Education and Certification:
Masterโs degree or equivalent in social sciences, human rights, gender/women's studies, international development, or a related field 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 would be an added advantageExperience:
At least 2 years of progressively responsible work experience in development programme/project implementation,ย coordination, monitoring and evaluation, donor reporting and capacity building is required. Experience in gender equality in humanitarian action and/or disaster risk reduction is an asset. Experience coordinating and liaising with government agencies and/or donors is an asset.Languages:
Fluency in English is required; Knowledge of Pari or Pashtu language is an asset.Statements :
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.
Diversity and inclusion:
At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates,ย and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age,ย ability, national origin,ย 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 toย UN Womenโsย policiesย and proceduresย andย theย standardsย of conduct expected of UN Women personnelย 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.)
Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.
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