Project Management Support Analyst- Grants Management

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

The project was established due to the significant, ongoing drought exacerbating water access issues which has created an emergency situation in rural areas across southern and central Afghanistan. Inadequate availability of efficient irrigation contributes to the food insecurity crisis. The project objective is to improve access to the quality of water supply and surface water irrigation services in selected rural and drought affected areas and regions.

The project will finance the provision of off-grid solar systems and, where applicable, emergency energy efficient equipment to support surface water irrigation in the selected areas. This will include installation of solar pump systems, and battery systems in high priority areas. These solar water pump systems will be installed to supply for irrigation to meet the needs of farmers pumping the surface water in identified rural areas. Solar pumps used for irrigation purposes will only pump surface water from rivers that have permanent water bodies and not from seasonal rivers.

Under the direct supervision of the Procurement Specialist (Grants Management) the Grants Management - Project Management Support Analyst ensures the provision of efficient and timely support services in Grants and contract administration to the different programmes in a relevant geographical area. The Grants Management - Project Management Support Analyst promotes a client-focused, quality and results-oriented approach and provides support to the relevant Grants Management personnel. In the discharge of their duties, the Grants Management - Project Management Support Analyst works with minimal supervision and liaises with relevant project staff.

Specific responsibilities and duties include, but are not limited to: 

Grants Management & Administration:

● Support all grant making processes, including the following;

• Inviting Proposals- participate in the pre-proposal meetings and attend to clarification questions;

• Proposal submission and management- Play one of the required roles of proposal opener and /or proposal receiver;

• Proposal evaluation and review- Be a member of  proposal evaluation committee ;

• Conduct capacity assessments of IPs;

• Process the Requests for awards and award amendments;

• Grant Support Agreements administration, ensuring that grantees adhere to the conditions of the grant support agreements;

• Follow the Key Resources- Grants Community of Practice guidance and ensure that all organizational policy is complied with (Operation  Instructions);

● Coordinate the delivery  of work plans, including monitoring delivery of milestones to ensure adherence to project timelines;

●  Monitor the implementation of approved IPs plans (including theestablishment of milestones) within tolerances set by the project;and escalate issues to the Grants Management Specialist

●  Alert the Grant Management Specialist (as required) of any deviations from the IPs work plans;

● Support management and updating of  the risk register for the IPs’ grants;

● Conduct  monitoring visits and spot checks of the IPs;

Procedures:

● In support of the Grants Management Specialist, providing inputs on  progress towards the overall project objectives into all mandatory reports;

● Maintain and update all the Grants Management folders, as required;

● Coordinate with the Grants Management Specialist to support the Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager and Project Support Officer to ensure that all expenditure comply with UNOPS Financial Rules and Regulations (FRR);

● Support the Grants Management Specialist to ensure that deliverables are met and grants disbursements done on time;

● With guidance of the Grants Management Specialist, conduct due diligence and capacity assessments of Grantees;

● Check all Grantees documentation to ensure that Grantees meet all conditions before disbursements are done;

● Conduct rapid market verifications to ensure that Grantees submitted invoices are in line with market trends;

● Support/ monitor the delivery of capacity building plans, ensuring that all laid down procedures;

are followed;

Stakeholder Management:

● Keep track of developments in project operational areas and advise the Grants Management Specialist on any emerging opportunities and threats/issues that may impact the achievement of WERP private sector grants objectives and overall project outcomes;

Knowledge Management:

● Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice;

● Support the Grants Management Specialist in documenting and maintaining lessons learnt from the IPs grants for the purposes of knowledge sharing and continuous improvement in the delivery of similar activities;

Impact of Results

The effective and successful achievement of results by the Grants Management - Project Management Support Analyst directly impacts on the development and performance of the project. It confirms UNOPS’ role as a key and trusted partner to the World Bank, and UNOPS’ position as a critical service provider, in all challenging work environments. Given the current political and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, this project would support the urgent repositioning of AFCO and strengthen UNOPS presence and visibility in Afghanistan, raising the profile of UNOPS  in the global humanitarian context. 

Monitoring and progress controls will be in accordance with work plans that the Supervisor and incumbent will prepare at the beginning of the assignment.  

a. Education

• Advanced University Degree in any of the following: Business Administration, Entrepreneurship or SME development, Agricultural Economics, Economics,  Accounting and Banking  and Procurement is required.

• University Degree (bachelor’s degree / first level) with a combination of 2 additional years of relevant professional experience will be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree

• A relevant combination of academic credentials and/or industry certifications and qualifying

• experience may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above.

b. Work experience 

• Past experience in grants management/administration/procurement  is required;

• 2 years of experience in the implementation of development projects in a project/programme

• management or support role is desirable;

• Past experience in business plan development and/or business analysis is highly desirable

• Experience working with the private sector is a distinct advantage;

• Competent in the use of all commonly used computer software – spreadsheet and other computer programmes;

• Knowledge of the UN system and familiarity with UNOPS procedures is an advantage;

• Good communication and facilitation skills and ability to engage with all levels of business from micro businesses to larger companies

c. Languages

• Proficiency in English and Dari/Pashto are required.

Contract type: National Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA)
Contract level: LICA 8
Contract duration: Ongoing ICA - Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance 

• 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. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. 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.