Afghanistan: Project Manager

Jun 2, 2018 | Afghanaid
View Original

Afghanaid is a British international NGO (www.afghanaid.org.uk) that has been working in Afghanistan since 1983. Headquartered in Kabul, Afghanaid implements projects directly in 8 provinces and through partners in a further number of provinces and maintains a marketing and fundraising office in London. Afghanaid works in some of the most remote areas of the country and through a range of programme interventions supports development of basic services, such as water and sanitation, access roads, education facilities and other community infrastructure; strengthens livelihoods through improved natural resource management, agricultural and small enterprise development, and improved access to markets; and provides humanitarian assistance in times of emergencies. Gender mainstreaming, local governance and community development are integrated into all of Afghanaid’s work. The results achieved have earned Afghanaid the respect and recognition of stakeholders as an effective and collaborative charity.

Project Objectives

By re-establishing and strengthening local rangeland management systems, the natural resource base is sustained and improved. This reduces land degradation and protects biodiversity, while also contributing to climate change adaptation (e.g. by introducing drought resistant fodder crops) and mitigation (e.g. soil carbon sequestration). With enhanced rangeland resources, poor and landless households will increase the productivity of their livestock and make use of new income sources (e.g. medicinal herbs). They will improve their food security and livelihoods.

The overall objective of RAMA is that “Poor families improve their livelihoods through sustainable natural resource management”. Two interlinked outcomes contribute to achieving this goal:

Outcome 1: Women and men make sustainable use of rangeland resources to improve production and food security.

• Output 1.1: Women and men apply sustainable land management practices on rangelands.
• Output 1.2: Women and men generate income from sustainable rangeland-based value chains.

Outcome 2: Community-based governance institutions improve and manage rangelands in an inclusive and sustainable way.

• Output 2.1: Community-based institutions define access rights in a participatory way and establish community agreements.
• Output 2.2: Community-based institutions establish and implement pasture management and improvement plans to halt and reverse rangeland degradation.

Job profile

The Team Leader is a senior position with overall leadership and management role of the project, under the direct steer and line management of Senior Programme Manager, and working closely with Afghanaid’s project and provincial staff. The incumbent will provide overall programme leadership to the Project Management Unit (PMU) staff and develop their capacity to ensure effective delivery of strategic goals, and will lead in the planning, implementation and management of Afghanaid’s role in the Rangeland Management Project (RAMA) Phase 01 (2018-2022).

Responsibilities

Participatory Identification of Intervention Sites

• Develop through stakeholders' consultative process criteria for selecting sub-catchments, canals, forests, and rangelands for rehabilitation.
• Organize/ facilitate participatory process and arrive at consensual decisions regarding selection of sub-catchments, canals, forests and rangelands for improvement/ rehabilitation.
• Keep close watch of likely conflict which may emerge because of miscommunication or conflicting interests of interest groups, and timely address them.
• Document and disseminates decisions to relevant individuals and organizations in timely manner.
• Prepare annual work plans and spend forecast linked to the proposal, project document and LFA
• Develop project operational manual and ensure staff are informed of their responsibilities
• Take lead in recruitment of project staff with support of Human Resources
• Set in place a monthly progress review and planning mechanism for the projects team
• Ensure all project designs are analyzed and build-in interventions that ensure equal benefits and participation of women
• All projects must have exit strategy that aims to ensure sustainability of the results achieved through the project
• Develop project implementation guidelines.
• Mainstream women’s empowerment and substantive participation in project design and activities to ensure women benefit from the project
• Establishment and Strengthening Users Associations (UAs)
• Develop/ update guidelines for establishing Community Rangeland Association (CRA)
• Facilitate Forest Group and enable them to become active and functional.
• Maximum efforts are expected for to attain inclusiveness and equity measured against socio-economic diversity, gender, and geographical location (eg. Head and tail ender of the irrigation system).
• Identify trainable capacity gaps of government staffs, project staffs and communities; develop suitable training modules and implement training.
• Mobilize field staff to regularly coach UAs to enable them to become functional and active for achieving intended results.
• Regularly monitor UAs activities; collect data, document, update and report achievements.

Financial and Logistics Management

• Oversee financial management, ensure transparency in the utilization of financial resources
• Ensure that financial spending/expenses approved and incurrent are in line with budget
• Monitor budget utilization and prepare monthly spending plan in line with work plan
• Prepare procurement plan and ensure timely procurement of good and material following Afghanaid as well as donors procurement and logistics rules and regulation

Reporting, Communications and Internal Coordination

• Responsible to prepare and submit monthly and quarterly, six-monthly and interim progress reports (both narrative and financial) for the donors requirement and as well as organizational requirement
• Prepare bi-annual, annual or any other report that may be asked by the donor and submit to the head office
• Coordinate with Programme Development & Resource Mobilization Team to develop project specific brochures, information for Afghanaid official website, case studies, and a portfolio of projects photos of before / after situation as visual evidence of outputs and impact
• With support of Programme Development & Resource Mobilization Team, take active role in organizing dissemination workshops, seminars etc.

Networking, Coordination and Representation

• Represent Afghanaid in relevant coordination for a at provincial/national/regional level
• Induct all key stakeholders in the salient elements of the project
• Facilitate visit of donor mission to the project areas, and ensure that they are briefed properly
• Develop an active network for mutual learning and exchange of experiences with other partners or organizations implement similar programs in the province and at regional level

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Work closely with M&E team in the Head Office for putting in place a monitoring framework and MIS to track results of the intervention of the projects at different stages.
• Support the M&E team and ensure collection, compilation and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data to measure progress and outcomes of the project
• Support M&E Specialist to ensure that capacity of relevant staff is built in M&E knowledge and ensure field implementation
• Work closely with Programme Development and Knowledge Management Team in the head office to ensure outsourcing of baselines, midterm review, end of the project evaluations and any studies and research on best practices and lessons learned

Study and Research

• Lead to conduct and update baselines as demanded by objectively verifiable indicators specified in project log frame.
• Assist Partner in preparing ToR and commissioning consultants to carry out various socio-economic studies and researches specified in project documents.
• Lead documenting project learning (success and failure), successful cases for extension and replication. It also includes training of staffs for documenting learning and preparing case studies.
• In collaboration with the field staff design and conduct adaptive researches to better understand community dynamics which affect project deliverables.

Visibility and Publication

• Assess needs about the appropriateness of various types of IEC materials for different target audiences.
• Lead in designing, preparation and dissemination of IEC materials
• Assess effectiveness of the IEC materials used and improve if required
• Conceptualize, design, plan, implement and participate in meeting, workshops and seminars for enhancing visibility

Participatory Identification of Intervention Sites

• Develop through stakeholders' consultative process criteria for selecting sub-catchments, canals, forests, and rangelands for rehabilitation.
• Organize/ facilitate participatory process and arrive at consensual decisions regarding selection of sub-catchments, canals, forests and rangelands for improvement/ rehabilitation.
• Keep close watch of likely conflict which may emerge because of miscommunication or conflicting interests of interest groups, and timely address them.
• Document and disseminates decisions to relevant individuals and organizations in timely manner.
• Prepare annual work plans and spend forecast linked to the proposal, project document and LFA
• Develop project operational manual and ensure staff are informed of their responsibilities
• Take lead in recruitment of project staff with support of Human Resources
• Set in place a monthly progress review and planning mechanism for the projects team
• Ensure all project designs are analyzed and build-in interventions that ensure equal benefits and participation of women
• All projects must have exit strategy that aims to ensure sustainability of the results achieved through the project
• Develop project implementation guidelines.
• Mainstream women’s empowerment and substantive participation in project design and activities to ensure women benefit from the project

Establishment and Strengthening Users Associations (UAs)

• Develop/ update guidelines for establishing Community Rangeland Association (CRA)
• Facilitate Forest Group and enable them to become active and functional.
• Maximum efforts are expected for to attain inclusiveness and equity measured against socio-economic diversity, gender, and geographical location (eg. Head and tail ender of the irrigation system).
• Identify trainable capacity gaps of government staffs, project staffs and communities; develop suitable training modules and implement training.
• Mobilize field staff to regularly coach UAs to enable them to become functional and active for achieving intended results.
• Regularly monitor UAs activities; collect data, document, update and report achievements.

Financial and Logistics Management

• Oversee financial management, ensure transparency in the utilization of financial resources
• Ensure that financial spending/expenses approved and incurrent are in line with budget
• Monitor budget utilization and prepare monthly spending plan in line with work plan
• Prepare procurement plan and ensure timely procurement of good and material following Afghanaid as well as donors procurement and logistics rules and regulation

Reporting, Communications and Internal Coordination

• Responsible to prepare and submit monthly and quarterly, six-monthly and interim progress reports (both narrative and financial) for the donors requirement and as well as organizational requirement
• Prepare bi-annual, annual or any other report that may be asked by the donor and submit to the head office
• Coordinate with Programme Development & Resource Mobilization Team to develop project specific brochures, information for Afghanaid official website, case studies, and a portfolio of projects photos of before / after situation as visual evidence of outputs and impact
• With support of Programme Development & Resource Mobilization Team, take active role in organizing dissemination workshops, seminars etc.

Networking, Coordination and Representation

• Represent Afghanaid in relevant coordination for a at provincial/national/regional level
• Induct all key stakeholders in the salient elements of the project
• Facilitate visit of donor mission to the project areas, and ensure that they are briefed properly
• Develop an active network for mutual learning and exchange of experiences with other partners or organizations implement similar programs in the province and at regional level

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Work closely with M&E team in the Head Office for putting in place a monitoring framework and MIS to track results of the intervention of the projects at different stages.
• Support the M&E team and ensure collection, compilation and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data to measure progress and outcomes of the project
• Support M&E Specialist to ensure that capacity of relevant staff is built in M&E knowledge and ensure field implementation
• Work closely with Programme Development and Knowledge Management Team in the head office to ensure outsourcing of baselines, midterm review, end of the project evaluations and any studies and research on best practices and lessons learned

Security Management

• Take responsibility for managing the security of project staff and assets, in close coordination with the provincial security focal points, the Head of Security and the line manager.

Any other duties as and when assigned by the line manager and overview manager.

Education & Professional Qualification

Essential: Masters degree from a well-recognized University in relevant research-based discipline (Agriculture, Development, Social Science, Governance, and other relevant fields.

Key Skills, Experience and Competencies

Essential

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in field-based implementation of community development programming.
• Solid understanding of community based organisation (CBOs), including natural resource management user associations
• Demonstrated ability to produce high quality field research documents, communication
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement trainings, workshops
• Proven skills in mentoring, coaching and facilitating learning and development of staff at
• provincial and field level
• Behavioral role model for peers and fellow team members
• Creative and innovative in conceptual and analytical thinking
• A results-oriented approach to delivering work
• Highly developed reporting, budget monitoring, and management skills.
• Proven management ability and strong interpersonal skills – team player.
• Problem solving and leadership skills.
• Proficiency in the most common computer software including word processing, and excel spreadsheets.
• Fluent in English and Dari (spoken and written), can understand and speak in Pashto
• Ability to deal with difficult, often frustrating work situations.
• A willingness to live, travel and work in isolated and possibly dangerous locations.
• Sensitive to Gender and Cultural issue.
• Sensitivity to the Islamic culture.
• Commitment to support/develop the capacity of the national staff and of rural communities.
• Personal integrity and a sense of humour.
• Knowledge of personal strengths and weaknesses.
• Ability to manage conflicting priorities in personal workload.
• Knowledge of exit strategies and sustainability issues.
• Commitment to empowering and rights-based approaches to support poor Afghan women and men in securing their rights including national staff

Desirable

• Prior experience working with NRM association such rangeland user association
• Experience of private sector development including value chain development
• Experience or familiarity with SDC funded projects
• Proficiency with databases

HOW TO APPLY:

Please email a covering letter and your CV, by no later than 9th Jun 2018, to vacancies@afghanaid.org.uk, including your name and the job title in the subject line. Your covering letter should be no more than 2 standard A4 pages in length and explain how you meet the essential and desirable position requirements and why you feel you would be a suitable candidate for this role. The precision and style with which you present yourself in your covering letter and CV will be given significant weight in shortlisting candidates.