Programme Management Senior Officer

Job categories Programme Management

Vacancy code VA/2022/B5014/23606

Department/office GPO, NYPO, PSC, Afghanistan Project Unit

Duty station Kabul, Afghanistan

Contract type Local ICA Specialist

Contract level LICA Specialist-9

Duration open-ended

Application period 29-Mar-2022 to 16-Apr-2022

Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.

Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.

This vacancy is closed.

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Background Information - PSC

Peace and Security Cluster

The UNOPS Peace and Security Cluster (PSC) is a principal service provider in the field of mine action with the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), UNDP, UNICEF, Governments of mine-affected countries and other mine action partners. It is led by the Director, who has overall authority and accountability for the performance PSC on behalf of its clients. The Director is responsible for administering and providing oversight of the day-to-day management of the Project Field offices, both according to the client requirements and in line with UNOPS rules and regulations.

Background Information - Job-specific

The United Nations Mine Action Service programme in Afghanistan (UNMAS Afghanist...

The United Nations Mine Action Service programme in Afghanistan (UNMAS Afghanistan) supports the Mine Action Programme of Afghanistan (MAPA) the United Nations Emergency Mine Action Coordination Center for Afghanistan (UN-EMACC) /the Directorate of Mine Action Coordination (DMAC) to protect the civilian population from the threat of explosive ordnance and contributes to peacemaking and the protection of civilians in hard-to-reach areas through political and humanitarian dialogue, and to coordinate the Mine Action Programme of Afghanistan (MAPA). UNMAS Afghanistan is a programme under the overall direction and oversight of UNMAS New York and implemented by UNOPS under the Financial Regulations and Rules of UNOPS.

The DMAC has assumed coordination responsibility for the mine action sector since June 2018, when the ownership for mine action completed its transition from UNMAS to Afghanistan’s national mine action authority. In the event that the DMAC will not be able to continue carrying out its functions in light of the recent governmental changes in September 2021, UNMAS will coordinate to establish a UN-EMACCA — an emergency stand-in for the DMAC during the months of transition while the international community observes how the new Government will be structured and managed, and gives approval to continue the financial support to a mine action coordination mechanism under the management of the new Government.

As of July 2021, there are 1,528 communities located in 263 districts that are affected by the threat of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). The ongoing conflict further contaminates communities in Afghanistan with ERW and anti-personnel mines of an improvised nature (APM/IN). Currently, the civilian casualty rate from mines, ERW and especially APM/IN (also referred as victim-operated improvised explosive devices) is critically high. The recent political and security situation has opened up access to areas which are contaminated and urgently require release so that humanitarian actors, local communities and IDPs can move safely. UNMAS Afghanistan supports the efforts of the UN-EMACCA/DMAC to mitigate the threat that these devices pose to the lives and livelihoods of Afghan civilians. UNMAS seeks to bring civilians together across political and conflict ideologies to make progress on humanitarian and positive communal pursuits, the potential for peace and other collaborative measures is realized.

Functional Responsibilities

FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY! Functional responsibilities...

FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY!

Functional responsibilities

Under the direct guidance and supervision of the Partnerships Development Specialist, the Programme Management Senior Officer will be responsible for the following:

Donor Liaison

Monitor humanitarian and development trends and needs to identify potential areas of intervention within UN mandates and existing capacity.
Prepare information needed for meetings and engagements with donors for relationship and reporting purposes
Be responsible for the provision of information to donors or any other stakeholders’ queries.

Programme and Project Management

Contribute to the development and articulation of the UNMAS Afghanistan Programme Strategy (PS) in line with relevant UN and government and/or national or regional strategies, and review/update at necessary intervals.
Act as a focal point for and ensure the delivery of Financial Agreements (FA) assigned by the Senior Programme Officer
Draft Financial Agreements based on agreed to project proposals, and subsequent amendments to the FAs, as required
Prepare project management documents for the assigned FAs, such as project implementation plans, work packages, budget break-down structure, activity monitoring plan, quality management strategy, risk management strategy, communication plan, and project review and closure plans for review by the Senior Programme Officer;
Prepare high-quality donor reports, as well as relevant quarterly and final FA reports

Mine Action Sub-Cluster Coordination (MASC) and UN Coordination

Coordinate the activities of the Mine Action Sub-Cluster and represent mine action at national Protection Cluster meetings.
Attend coordination meetings of other clusters and sub-clusters (e.g. Child Protection (CP) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV)) to collaborate on the development and implementation of joint initiatives (e.g. integration of Explosive Ordnance Risk Education in CP projects)
Represent UNMAS at the Central Region Protection Cluster meetings and provide mine action updates as well as other inputs required by this forum
Attend inter-agency and cluster meetings (e.g. Inter-Cluster Coordination Team, Protection Cluster) and collaborate with and provide information to humanitarian partners, including UN partner agencies and international and national NGOs on mine action
Ensure that mine action is represented in key sector-wide assessments, plans (e.g. Humanitarian Need Overview, Humanitarian Response Plan), Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) and Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) funding allocation strategies and other documents by coordinating and collating inputs from partners, drafting of narrative, financial and information management-related inputs and following up with Protection Cluster and OCHA partners.
Ensure mine action is represented in humanitarian forums through proactive liaison with the Protection Cluster and the OCHA-managed Inter-Cluster Coordination Team
Coordinate the submission of mine action proposals for AHF and CERF allocations by liaising and guiding mine action partners and internal stakeholders on the process, conduct the initial review of concept notes and proposals to ensure they are technically sound and respond to the allocation strategy paper
Act as the focal point for Awaaz Afghanistan and ensure that mine action concerns reported to Awaaz are followed-up on by relevant internal and external stakeholders
Act as a focal point for the OneUN Cooperation Framework (or similar) on behalf of UNMAS Afghanistan including provision of inputs for the annual work plans and submission of reports against the annual plans.
Act as a focal point for the Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action (IACG-MA) and provide necessary information as required for the survey and particularly on the UN Mine Action Strategy 2019-2023
Represent UNMAS at the Programme Management Team (PMT) meetings in absence of the responsible Programme Officer.

Financial oversight of MAPA

Ensure the funding information of Programme (VTF and Bilateral) are kept up to date
Provide periodic updates on the level of funding secured or outstanding for operations against the annual target with assistance from the Programme Officer
Assist in presenting the funding updates to the mine action stakeholders

Proposal writing and donor reporting

Develop comprehensive drafts of reports for donors and other stakeholder reporting obligations
Assist in drafting proposals for mine action projects in consultation with the Programme Management Office (PMO) and other internal stakeholders
Ensure timely donor reports against contracted objectives, outputs and outcome are prepared for review by the Programme office

Proposal Review

Assist in reviewing and analyzing project proposals in terms of project outcome, impact and best use of money as part of the proposal review team
Make sure the needs and views of women, girls, boys and men are considered in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all mine action proposals

Information Management and Monitoring and Evaluation

In collaboration with the Operations Department, ensure information on the progress projects under the assigned FA, projects funded by the AHF and CERF, are accurate and up to date
In collaboration with the Operations Department, ensure accurate and up to date information on the quality of implementing partner activities are maintained.
Prepare quarterly updates of the above for internal and external distribution
In support of the implementation of UNMAS Afghanistan Programme Strategy, provide innovative ideas to continually improve the Programme’s M&E capacity for Programme officer’s review
Coordinate and access data and relevant information on projects from external and internal stakeholders
Maintain M&E database and advise on methods for improving M&E for UNMAS Afghanistan and the wider MAPA

Knowledge management and document management and innovation

Identify, contribute to, record and share the ongoing development and implementation of best practice, lessons identified, and innovative approaches to improve overall programme performance
Maintain records of programme files and other necessary programme documents such as documentation of decisions and actions taken on programme issues.

People management

Foster a positive work environment, respectful of both men and women, and ensure that the highest standards of conduct are observed.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY! a) &...

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and enc...

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Additional Considerations

Only Afghanistan citizens are considered Please note that the closing ...

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Local Individual Contract Agreement (LICA) Contract level:&n...

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful imp...

This vacancy is closed.

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