Community Accountability and Inclusion Coordinator

The Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief and Development (ACBAR) is an independent forum founded in 1988 in response to the demand from NGOs working with Afghan refugees in Pakistan and across the border in Afghanistan to more efficiently coordinate assistance and delivery of services. With its main office in Kabul since 2002, ACBAR brings together more than 200 National and International NGOs working in all sectors of humanitarian assistance and development in Afghanistan. Its activities focus heavily on information to its members and the aid community in general, coordination of activities at the national and regional levels, and advocacy on issues affecting the work of its members in Afghanistan. ACBAR has a mission to provide an efficient platform for members to carry out effective humanitarian, development, and peace building activities in Afghanistan. The members are the drive behind ACBAR, and their active participation is essential to ACBAR’s continued dynamism.

ACBAR is the co-chair of the Accountability and Disability Inclusion (ADI) Working Group (joining the AAP Working Group and Disability Inclusion Working Groups) which reflects the commitment by the Humanitarian Country Team, the Inter-Cluster Coordination Team, and UN and NGO partners to be accountable across all sectors to the people of Afghanistan. The ADI WG supports the application of global and national commitments to accountability and inclusion. Additionally, ACBAR is facilitating the work of the ADI WG and other initiatives to support the work of our NGO members to better support

RESPONSIBILITY SUMMARY

ACBAR is hiring a Community Accountability and Inclusion (CAI) Coordinator, an Afghan national to serve as ACBAR focal point to the ADI WG, who will support building membership, raising awareness among and facilitating trainings and workshops related to the AAP and DI priorities of ACBAR and the WG.  This position will ensure longer-term coordination leadership to better support mainstreaming AAP and DI priorities into shorter-term humanitarian programming and longer-term development programming. It will also support the operationalization of top ADI Working Group priorities by utilizing an established network of local NGOs to ensure activities reach into communities, and are more relevant and sustainable. The Community Accountability and Inclusion Coordinator is expected to be the key support person to both humanitarian actors and authorities, as possible, to build partnerships needed to reach affected communities. The CAI Coordinator should have strong coordination experience, and comprehensive local knowledge of key partners in Afghanistan. The CAI Coordinator is also expected to have solid knowledge of humanitarian operations conducted by UN agencies and NGOs, be able to engage with a wide range of local authorities and other stakeholders on accountability best practices, and a basic understanding of accountability and humanitarian principles.

ESSENTIAL TASKS

Essential tasks include the following:

• Provide leadership and guidance for the Afghanistan ADI WG in consultation with the WG chair and co-chair.
• With the chair and co-chair of the ADI WG, coordinate monthly meetings, organize presentations and activities in the meeting that further goals and objectives as articulated in the national ADI WG action plan developed by the WG members; facilitate consensus building.
• Work closely with the HCT, the ICCT, individual cluster and working group/task force coordinators and donors; advocate for ADI inclusion (including budgeting) with response decision makers across clusters and provide strong technical expertise to all clusters.
• Coordinate with other relevant response entities and WG members to strengthen ADI questions and indicators in joint and individual organizational assessments. Coordinate joint information needs and communication preferences assessments and assessments of AAP (including community engagement) and DI interventions.
• Support establishment of a community, face-to-face feedback-complaint-response channel and coordinate it with Awaaz Afghanistan telephone hotline to strengthen the inter-agency, response-wide feedback-complaint-response mechanism and make it as inclusive as possible.
• Coordinate common service mechanisms, support AAP projects, and provide clusters with the technical advice and guidance needed to create cohesive two-way communication and information provision to all affected community members, including marginalized and hard-to-reach populations.
• Track and coordinate awareness-raising and other ADI-related activities with clusters, individual organizations and thematic/cross-cutting working groups and task forces.
• Set, promote and expand common standards for the inter-agency feedback mechanism.
• Support collection, coordination, analysis and dissemination of data relative to AAP feedback mechanisms for use in decision making by ADI WG partners, NGO’s and CSO’s, UN agencies and other stakeholders.
• Work with clusters to develop appropriate accountability mechanisms and ensure implementation and reporting.
• Engage with the OCHA Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) to ensure AAP and DI principles, budgeting, activities and monitoring mechanisms are in all AHF project proposals.
• Facilitate and coordinate the development and dissemination of appropriate thematic and cross-cutting messaging related to AAP and DI
• Attend key cluster meetings, subgroups, task forces, and other relevant response and development entities to ensure ADI WG activities and mechanisms are used in campaigns and responses.
• Encourage and facilitate a wide range of actors and agencies involved in all AAP output.
• Facilitate relationships and partnerships among agencies.
• Facilitate participation of local and national NGOs, as well as civil society organisations, in all WG activities; recruit additional national/local NGOs, especially those led by women, people with disabilities and other more marginalized people, to be active members of the ADI WG.
• With the WG chair and co-chair, support ADI/AAP sub-working groups and ensure their adherence to WG guidelines.
• Represent the ADI WG at coordination meetings plus national and international AAP, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Task Force, and Risk Communication and Community Engagement forums as needed.
• Make reports as required to the Inter-Cluster Coordination Team and the Humanitarian Country Team.
• Other relevant WG duties as assigned by supervisor.
• Support ACBAR strategic initiatives to develop more community accountability programs that will create greater dialogue with communities and that will support the strategic planning of the ADI WG.
• Support in the development of program reports, proposals, and other program documents related to ACBAR’s strategic priorities to support 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and/or ATTRIBUTES

• Demonstrated ability to work within a coordinated entity and collaborative activities in the humanitarian response.
• Strong coordination, negotiation, motivation, mobilizing, and facilitation skills.
• Strong computer/work processing and standard office software skills.
• Ability to think strategically, prioritize, and meet deadlines in a complex and challenging environment; must be culturally sensitive. Excellent problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and travel to the provinces in difficult security conditions.

• A demonstrated commitment to ensuring community representation and authentic participation in humanitarian and development programming, including of women and girls in Afghanistan and People with Disabilities.

• Documented operational experience at a senior level of creating and managing AAP-community engagement activities, advocacy and outreach is an advantage, as well as awareness of Disability Inclusion programming.

• Demonstrated experience with two-way communications, including focus group discussions, participatory community engagement, and use of media as a two-way communicating with communities’ tool. M&E knowledge and experience, including conducting surveys/assessments and analysing data is an advantage.

• Experience with collective and common feedback mechanisms, accountability strategies, and complaint processes in crisis-affected communities is an advantage.
• Data management experience, with familiarity of development and managing dashboards and using Power-BI and similar programs, is strongly preferred.

EDUCATION, TRAINING and/or EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree from an accredited academic institution, preferably in communications, media, humanitarian, or development studies.
• Minimum of eight years of experience progressively responsible experience working in the humanitarian response in Afghanistan; demonstrated familiarity with humanitarian coordination infrastructure and/or the UN cluster system is preferred.
• Two-to-three years’ experience leading NGO systems for accountability, community engagement, and learning is required, with work supporting MEAL systems within in NGO setting preferred.
• Preferred background supporting Disability Inclusion Programming.

LANGUAGE SKILLS, MATHEMATICAL SKILLS AND REASONING ABILITY

• Excellent writing and verbal skills in English and Dari/Pashto for reports and other communication with communities’ content.  
• Ability to work well within and lead teams.

If you possess the necessary qualifications and experience, we invite you to complete the form using the link provided below by March. 15, 2025.  Prepare your CV and cover letter as a single file before applying; you will have to attach them.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Notes:

Please be informed that the written test and interview will be conducted only in person.

Job Application Form Link: Community Accountability and Inclusion Coordinator - Application form