UNOPS strategy for Afghanistan is aimed at providing maximum support to the Government and people of Afghanistan though the delivery of projects and services in line with the government’s own priorities. The UNOPS Afghanistan Operation Center (AFOC) has been established as an organizational mechanism to deliver a range of projects for which UNOPS has been designated as the implementation agency. At present, UNOPS AFOC is implementing a number of projects in a range of sectors including infrastructure (roads and schools) development, capacity building to various ministries, and environmental protection, among others, on behalf of the Government of Afghanistan and the donor community.

The functional objective of UNOPS AFOC is to deliver projects in an efficient and effective manner, to achieve the development outcomes sought by the Government of Afghanistan and the donor community, where capacity building is always considered and encouraged. The aim of UNOPS AFOC is to provide implementation services to the Government of Afghanistan, the donor community and partner agencies in the reconstruction and development of the country. In doing so, UNOPS aims to exceed client expectations in the delivery of quality services throughout the country.

Project Information:

The Infrastructure for Basic Human Needs in Afghanistan (IBA) Project is an initiative aimed at promoting social and economic development at the local level within Herat province, an area significantly affected by a series of earthquakes in October 2023. This project is committed to the construction and rehabilitation of critical community infrastructure, prioritizing aspects such as safety, earthquake resilience, and adherence to the 'building back better' philosophy, all while maintaining respect for the local cultural context. Additionally, the project contemplates employing the "Cash for Work" scheme as a strategic measure to revitalize livelihoods and stimulate economic activity in the region.

The project envisages the active participation of a diverse group of stakeholders, relevant to the affected communities.

The Community Liaison Officer will support the Project Manager and the team as required in liaising with the local community and authorities to ensure the project can be implemented as per schedule and scope, addressing the day to day concerns of the community, updating on project’s progress, project’s plans, etc. The responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Planning and Coordination:

• Plan, organize, manage meetings/focus groups for UNOPS with stakeholders and or with any other agencies or person if so requested, including organizing meeting spaces, agendas, methodologies of running the events, preparation of relevant material, post processing of the results of the events such as mapping the results, reporting, sharing with team and follow up activities;
• Facilitate the smooth liaison between coordination entities, working groups, stakeholders from civil society, international and local NGOs, Representatives of the Authorities (and other) involved in the Herat earthquake response by maintaining regular contact and networking;
• Organize and implement activities of collection of information and strategy definition for the implementation of the project. (examples: stakeholders mapping, interviews/focus group with stakeholders, collect best practice examples, contextualized inputs, work with UNOPS team and transfer the acquired knowledge to colleagues, and similar);

Community Engagement and Implementation:

• Maintain detailed and accurate record of meetings including agendas, meeting minutes, follow-up/action points. Details of meeting held or canceled should also be maintained;
• Deliver documents to all the interested parties and similarly receive documents from both external and internal parties;
• Ensure that follow up of document approvals by concerned authorities is done timely and consistently and keep the Project Manager updated as required;
• Ensure that communities at construction/implementation sites are kept abreast of the project developments and communication channels remain open with the communities;
• Respond to community concerns by ensuring that they are brought to the attention of the UNOPS project team and facilitate the process of resolving the issue, and leveraging on opportunities;

Communication and Reporting:

• Report to the Project Manager on a daily and weekly basis on community issues and the project’s performance in relation to those issues;
• Keep up with the weekly and daily developments of the project;
• Inform Project Manager when there is issue between the community members and the project staff;
• Forward questions about the project from community leaders and residents to appropriate government authorities and the Project Manager;
• Acting as a focal point for the project on behalf of the Project Manager within UNOPS and and other stakeholders as required by the PM;
• Assist UNOPS in the identification of potential implementation problems and bottlenecks,

           Perform other duties as may be assigned  

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Economic/ Development Studies /Social Science or related field is required ;

B. Work Experience

• A minimum of 2 years of experience in communication and liaison, interpreting/translation-related fields required;
• experience working with local communities in the creation and or execution of humanitarian and development type of projects is required;
• Experience working with national and international organizations that are contributing to the reconstruction and development in Afghanistan is a significant advantage;
• Prior experience with Government Development related bodies, NGOs, INGOs, UN/UNOPS, or similar humanitarian and development actors is a significant advantage;

C.  Languages

• Excellent English language writing, editing, and verbal skills.
• Knowledge of Pashto and/or Dari language will be an asset.

D.  Key Competencies

• Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision and direction;
• Capable of working with others in a participatory and capacity building manner;
• Ability to establish and maintain excellent contacts with colleagues, government officials, community representatives and contractors;
• Self-motivated, versatile and adaptable to different cultures and people;
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize work schedules;
• Strong community liaison, mobilization and negotiation skills required;
• Working knowledge of MS Office Applications required;
• Fluent in both oral and written English;
• Good analytical skills; resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgment;
• Strong communications skills and ability to work with a team to achieve organizational goals;
• Good negotiation skills, and the ability to bring consensus amongst people.

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Vacancy Reference NO. VAC-11389

Note: Due to the high volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Please ensure that the e-mail address that you will indicate in your application is accurate. 

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