Job: Community Liaison Associate

Location: Mazar, Afghanistan
Deadline: Sunday, 10 November 2013

UNOPS mission is to expand the capacity of the UN system and its partners to implement peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need. Working in some of the world's most challenging environments, our vision is to always satisfy partners with management services that meet world-class standards of quality, speed and cost effectiveness.

UNOPS provides services in sustainable infrastructure, sustainable procurement and sustainable project management, with projects ranging from building schools, roads, bridges and hospitals to procuring goods and services and training local personnel.

By assisting UN organizations, international financial institutions, governments and other development partners, UNOPS makes significant, tangible contributions to results on the ground.

We employ more than 6,000 personnel annually and on behalf of our partners create thousands more work opportunities in local communities. Through our headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark and a network of regional and country offices, we oversee activities in more than 80 countries.

UNOPS is committed to achieving a truly diverse workforce.

Background Information - Afghanistan

Afghanistan

With more than 10 years of experience in the country, the UNOPS Afghanistan office supports national reconstruction and development efforts by providing projects with goods and services - from stand-alone, one-off solutions to long-term management and capacity development support. Based in Kabul, UNOPS in Afghanistan has sub-offices in every region of the country. The team implements projects in support of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy, in a wide range of sectors including infrastructure, education, environment and agriculture, and governance and rule of law.

Functional Responsibilities

A major objective of the project's effort is to improve access to services and markets for rural people to help improve their social and economic situation thus reducing poverty. It is also perceived that as accessibility improves other services can also flow in easily.

The project also perceives that women should equally benefit as men by their involvement at all levels of decision making to hard core construction work. The women involvement can be at the selection of labor-force for the community works, contract management, road maintenance, stone chip production, and etc. The activity participation of CLA in involving community in the project and solving community conflicts through skillful communication will allow project to achieve its target on time.

In summary the CLA will be responsible for the following:

• To guide and mentor three existing community mobilizers of RAIP to enable deliver their responsibilities.
• Implement gender responsiveness projects in one of the four provinces and take full ownership of it.
• Mobilize female workforce in the project activities such as road maintenance.
• Conduct environmental and social assessment of project roads.
• Undertake Shura selection to represent communities in implementing community projects.
• Ensure communities receive payments in fair and square manner.
• Manage payments to community contracts and gender projects.
• Write completion reports and progress reports.
• Advocate project to the communities and solve community conflicts that may hinder the project.
• Carryout benefit monitoring periodically.

Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards.
• Good understanding of UNOPS business, operational environment and its clients as well as the UN mandate
• Good communication and negotiation skills
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize work schedules
• Ability to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS
• Good working knowledge of MS Office applications (Word, Excel), email/internet
• Ability to operate other financial management software/programmes
• Capacity for problem-solving and identifying acceptable/applicable solution; resourceful, proactive, maturity of judgment and behavior and self-motivation
• Able to work in a multi-cultural environment
• Excellent knowledge of both written and oral English is required

Education/Experience/Language requirements

• Secondary Diploma in any relevant field is required
• Minimum 5 years of experience in community works or any related fields
• Working knowledge of MS Office applications required
• Fluency in both written and oral English is required

Contract type, level and duration

This is a local position and only Afghan nationals may apply Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA) Contract level: Local ICA, Level 4 Contract duration: 12 months, with possibility of extension For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: http://www.unops.org/ENGLISH/WHOWENEED/CONTRACT-TYPES/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements-ICAs.aspx

Additional Considerations

• This is a local position and only Afghan nationals may apply
• Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply and may be given preference
• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

More Info and Application