How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

The purpose of hiring an Individual Consultant “PSEAH Coordination Analyst, Herat” is to strengthen safeguarding from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSEAH) across western Afghanistan, which has been identified as one of the three high-risk regions in the country. The western region faces heightened vulnerabilities, shaped by large-scale returnee and cross-border movements, ongoing protection risks for women, girls, boys, and frontline female staff, and the compounding effects of recurrent natural disasters. 

The Analyst reports directly to the PSEAH Specialist and Network Coordinator for strategic direction and operational oversight, while also receiving daily administrative guidance from the relevant Head of Sub-Office/Provincial Coordinator, as appropriate. 

As a field-based position, the Analyst will work with colleagues in the Herat Sub-Office to ensure that PSEAH is systematically integrated into UNFPA’s programmes, humanitarian interventions, and basic human needs response. This includes supporting the Sub-Office to mainstream safeguarding across projects, assisting in the establishment of systems for safe and confidential reporting and referral, and helping to promote awareness of victim-centred approaches to SEA and SH. The Analyst will also support staff training, mentoring, and capacity-building to ensure consistent safeguarding practices across thematic areas and units operating in the western region. 

In relation to implementing partners, the Analyst will provide targeted support to both established and new partners to meet safeguarding requirements and build sustainable systems. This will include conducting capacity assessments; supporting the development and monitoring of action plans; and providing technical mentoring and guidance. Particular emphasis will be placed on the safety, wellbeing, and professional capacity of female frontline staff engaged by implementing partners, while also ensuring that programme participants (especially women, girls, boys, youth, returnees, and other at-risk groups) are informed of their rights, understand safe reporting options, and have access to victim-centred services. Community engagement and systematic data collection will be central to this work, helping to build an evidence base for interventions that are responsive to the realities of affected populations. 

The Analyst will also contribute to inter-agency coordination by supporting the Western Region PSEA Working Group, which plays a central role in coordinating safeguarding efforts across agencies in the west. This will involve convening and following up on meetings, promoting joint community outreach, and ensuring collective prevention and response initiatives are implemented. The role will require close collaboration with the GBV AoR and the Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) mechanisms to ensure complementarity and synergies between PSEAH, GBV, and gender-focused interventions, particularly in areas such as referrals, outreach, and risk analysis. In addition, the Analyst will work with the new regional and provincial coordination structures and liaise with partners engaged in returnee and cross-border response to ensure safeguarding is effectively embedded in all aspects of humanitarian programming. 

Based in Herat, with regular travel across western provinces and to border areas, the Analyst will serve as the operational link between UNFPA’s national safeguarding commitments and field-level realities. The aim is to ensure that PSEAH standards are consistently translated into practical protection measures for frontline female staff and programme participants in western Afghanistan, with a particular focus on gender- and age-sensitive prevention, safe reporting, victim-centred response, and the inclusion of returnee and disaster-affected populations.

You would be responsible for:

Under the overall supervision of the PSEAH Specialist and Network Coordinator for strategic direction and operational oversight, and with daily administrative guidance from the Herat Sub-Office (Head of Sub-Office/Provincial Coordinator), the PSEAH Coordination Analyst will work closely with UNFPA staff, implementing partners, and inter-agency counterparts to strengthen safeguarding commitments across internal systems, partner institutions, and coordination mechanisms in western Afghanistan. She/he will perform the following tasks: 

Herat Sub-Office 

• Support colleagues in the Herat Sub-Office to mainstream PSEAH across humanitarian, development, and basic human needs interventions. 
• Assist in setting up and strengthening safeguarding systems, policies, and procedures to ensure consistent practice across UNFPA-supported projects.
• Strengthen safe and confidential reporting and referral pathways, including those relevant to emergency contexts. 
• Organize and deliver trainings, workshops, and mentoring for staff to reinforce prevention, safe disclosure management, and victim-centred responses. 
• Support sub-office activities, monitoring, and programme activities, as requested by Head of Sub-Office/Provincial Coordinator

Implementing Partners 

• Provide technical support to both established and new implementing partners in the western region to meet safeguarding requirements and strengthen their institutional systems. 
• Roll out the UN Implementing Partner PSEA Capacity Assessment, support the development and monitoring of capacity-strengthening action plans, and provide technical mentoring and follow-up. 
• Strengthen safeguarding measures for female frontline staff, ensuring their safety, wellbeing, and access to support in cases of sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment. 
• Ensure programme participants (particularly women, girls, boys, youth, returnees, and other vulnerable groups) are informed of their rights, aware of reporting channels, and able to access support services.
• Support community engagement and awareness activities in coordination with implementing partners, integrating data collection and analysis to inform evidence-based interventions tailored to the western region.

Inter-agency Coordination 

• Support coordination of the Western Region PSEA Working Group by convening meetings, ensuring follow-up, and contributing to collective prevention and response initiatives. 
• Participate in inter-agency missions, monitoring visits, and awareness campaigns in western provinces and along the border. 
• Collaborate with the GBV AoR and Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) mechanisms to ensure complementarity and synergies with PSEAH, particularly for victim referrals, outreach, and risk analysis. 
• Work with the new regional and provincial coordination structures (established under the humanitarian aid architecture review) to embed safeguarding in humanitarian response. 
• Liaise with actors engaged in returnee and cross-border response to ensure PSEAH is included in support for communities affected by displacement and return. 

Support 

• Provide logistical, administrative, and translation support for PSEAH-related activities in Herat and across the western provinces.
• Support the rollout of the SEARO risk index and contribute to its use in programme monitoring and planning. 
• Contribute to reporting requirements by providing inputs to internal reports, inter-agency updates, briefing notes, and lessons-learned documentation.

Education:  

Master’s degree in social science, gender, international relations, risk management, or a related field; OR a Bachelor’s degree in the same fields with two additional years of relevant professional experience
 

Knowledge and Experience: 

• At least 2 years of professional experience in humanitarian or basic human needs coordination or programming, ideally in areas relevant to UNFPA’s mandate.
• Experience in protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, community engagement, accountability to affected populations, and/or disability inclusion is desirable, with an understanding of how these intersect with UNFPA’s programme areas. 
• Familiarity with the UN Partner Portal (UNPP) and experience in conducting the UN Implementing Partner Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Capacity Assessment is a strong advantage. 
• Previous experience working with UNFPA, another UN agency, or an international organization is an asset
• Strong oral and written communication skills, with proven ability in drafting, reporting, and producing programme-related documentation. 
• High level of accuracy and professionalism in document production. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work inclusively and collaboratively.
• Ability to adapt and work effectively in challenging environments. 
• Commitment to UNFPA’s mandate and values, including advancing reproductive health and rights, gender equality, protection, and youth empowerment.

Functional Competencies: 

• Technical expertise in safeguarding, PSEAH, conduct, and accountability. 
• Strong capacity-building, facilitation, and mentoring skills. 
• Ability to analyse information and produce high-quality reports.

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity and accountability. 
• Commitment to UNFPA’s mandate, including gender equality and human rights.

Language Requirements: 

Excellent command of written and spoken English. Dari and/or Pashto are necessary, as the working languages in Afghanistan.
 

Inputs/services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g, support services, office space, equipment), if applicable:

 Office space, travel support, and equipment will be provided to enable the PSEAH Coordination Analyst to perform the duties outlined in this Terms of Reference.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

 Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.

UNFPA will only accept properly completed job application forms in Quantum before the closing date & will not consider late submissions after the closing date. Any information provided on the Quantum job application form will be considered binding.

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