Project Management Support Specialist (Liaison)

Afghanistan

With more than 20 years of experience in the country, UNOPS Afghanistan focuses on providing maximum support to the people of Afghanistan through the delivery of projects and services that improve the lives of people in need. The UNOPS Afghanistan Country Office (AFCO) serves as an organizational mechanism to deliver a range of projects for which UNOPS has been designated as the implementation agency.  At present, UNOPS AFCO activities cover a range of sectors including humanitarian, basic human needs, cash for work, infrastructure, development, procurement and HR services. 

The functional objective of UNOPS AFCO is to contribute to improving the lives of girls, boys, men and women living in Afghanistan. The aim of UNOPS AFCO is to provide efficient and cost-effective implementation services on behalf of all our partners to support the humanitarian response and development of the country. UNOPS AFCO’s mission is to exceed the expectations of all stakeholders in the delivery of AFCO services, at all times, in all places, in all circumstances, in order to improve the lives of Afghans in need.

Project Information

In this project, UNOPS will act as a “verifying agency” with the aim to scrutinize, verify and resolve the pending claims between the relevant De-facto Authority (DFA) employing ministry or agency and contractors, consultants and suppliers, both international and local, for the works and services completed before 15 August 2021 under the relevant externally financed projects in the country. The assignment includes the verification of different types of contracts including civil works, supply of goods and services by consultancy firms and individual consultants, mainly in the infrastructure sectors, across the country.  The verification work will also include verification of certain other project costs incurred before 15 August 2021.

UNOPS will provide the financier of the proposed project with a comprehensive overview of the state of potential unresolved project-related claims, clarify the amount of pending payments with credible supporting documents, and make recommendations for the amounts to be paid to each contractor, consultant, supplier or project-affected person.

Key project stakeholders are: the financier of the proposed project, working level staff of Afghanistan De-facto Authority ministries, contractors, consultants and suppliers (both international and local).

Job Specific Information

UNOPS is seeking a Project Management Support Specialist (Liaison)  to support the Project team to liaise with relevant DFA counterparts. The role of the project management support Specialist (Liaison) is key to facilitate both the access to DFA counterparts and the collection of all relevant  documentation and  records, useful to project technical teams (Engineering, buildings, health, procurements) during the verification process of the pending claims.

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Project Manager, the Project Management Support Specialist (Liaison) with the support of  the project team focuses on the provision of:

• Assessment and mapping of the DFA relevant offices and representatives as well as other relevant stakeholders. Share such knowledge with PM and team to enable them understanding what information can be found and where, and what level of accuracy should be expected,
• Navigate the above mentioned DFA organizational structure in order to collect the necessary information (documentation, records, and any other source of information) and share it with the rest of the team,
• Advise the project team how to build collaborative connections with DFA representatives that will facilitate and support the project implementation,
• Work with the Deputy Project Manager advising and sharing experience (in coordination with stakeholder in order to produce appropriate plans and strategies necessary for the implementation of the project,
• Advise the project team about risks that might affect the project implementation,
• Monitoring of progress of any interaction and communication between UNOPS and stakeholders and across stakeholders including DFA. Proactive follow up with DFA and other project stakeholders if/when any blockage materializes in the process of communications and or exchange of data and information.
• Contribute to the creation of alternative means of verification and collection of data and documents to support the process of resolving the pending claims,
• When necessary, lead and or assist in the interactions between technical teams and relevant DFA stakeholders so to act as facilitator and drive smooth interaction 
• When agreed with the PM, manage, supervise and delegate the tasks to the other liaison officers personnel in order to carry out coordination and facilitation activities (especially when coordination with local community members is needed)
• Support in interpretation of data collected in order to contextualize them and avoid misunderstanding
• Participate in negotiation meetings with the role of facilitating communication across teams (tech teams, contractors-suppliers-private sector, etc) for a productive discussion over the claims mentioned in the paragraph “Project information” hereinabove
• Collaborate with the team in the crafting of reasonable and just (sensible) agreement scenarios
• Contribute to the design and implementation of a communication strategy ( advise on how to properly explain the project aim, challenges, and positive impact) to create  a collaborative environment with the various stakeholders

a.  Education

• Bachelor’s degree preferably in political science, economics, law, engineering, international development or other relevant fields is required

• Master’s Degree in a relevant field is desirable and may substitute for 2 of the required years of experience.

b. Work Experience 

Required:

• Minimum of 5 years relevant experience in stakeholders management, government relations, planning or project / programme management involving government counterparts

• Within these 5 years:

• a minimum of 3 years working in roles related to  management of partnerships, negotiation or conflict resolution 

• A minimum 1 year interacting with DFA structures, and 4 years with government structures, formally and informally

• A minimum of 4 years of experience in roles that required management and or general knowledge of functioning systems, procedures and informal practices of the Afghanistan government/DFA

Strongly Desired:

• Experience in management of government projects / programmes in infrastructures and procurement

• Experience within the international development and/or humanitarian sector 

• Experience in preparing and delivering presentations 

• Project management of infrastructure and / or procurement projects experience

• Experience in roles that required analytical skills; resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgment

c.  Languages

• Fluency in written and spoken English required 

• Fluency in written and spoken Dari and Pashto required

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.