UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to tackle the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change on a global scale. Working with our broad network of experts, host governments, and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. UNDP has been working in Afghanistan for more than 50 years on climate change and resilience, gender, governance, health, livelihoods, and the rule of law.

Following the power shift in August 2021, the situation for the country remains largely uncertain and fragile, with approximately seventy percent of the population facing multifaceted vulnerabilities affecting their well-being, human security, and long-term development. While nearly 20 million people are estimated to be acutely food insecure, women and girls are increasingly stripped of their rights to education, employment, and free participation in public life that will have irreversible socioeconomic consequences. Over the recent years, the international humanitarian assistance has played a vital role in averting a socioeconomic collapse by providing lifesaving, resilience-building, and livelihoods-sustaining assistance to millions of people, hundreds of critical healthcare and educational centers, and tens of thousands of small and medium enterprises, often managed by women. Nevertheless, the humanitarian challenge in Afghanistan, which is one of the biggest in the world, and basic human needs and priorities remain extremely high. In 2024, 95 percent of the households experienced at least one shock of an economic or natural disaster nature such as floods, droughts, and others.

To help tackle the pressing challenges of rebuilding livelihoods and climate resilience, UNDP is designing fit-for-purpose portfolios of programs to create new livelihoods, income opportunities, basic services, and to build resilience against climate-induced natural calamities that continue to haunt millions of households in the country.

Afghanistan remains one of the most gender-unequal countries in the world, with women facing systemic challenges hindering their access to education and employment opportunities in the public sector and restricting their participation in public life. UNDP remains committed to women's empowerment through capacity-building initiatives, livelihoods, and self-employment employment support, enhancing gender-responsive decision-making at community level, and supporting local communities to include women, in line with UNSCR 1325 (Women, Peace, and Security).

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This is a recognition of the interconnected nature of development risks and crises that the world is facing and that calls for assembling multidisciplinary teams for an integrated and systemic response. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

The ABADEI Strategy is a tailored area-based integrated programming approach to support basic human needs, complementing short-term humanitarian life-saving assistance with the safeguarding of livelihoods and the strengthening of community resilience. It is centered around addressing worsening poverty and vulnerability, supporting community resilience and social cohesion, addressing climatic vulnerability and enabling the rehabilitation of small-scale infrastructure vital for basic human needs. It supports the creation of immediate sources of income through vocational skills training, cash-for-work, cash for market, small businesses and livelihood opportunities with particular focus on agri-business and regenerative agriculture infrastructure and services (critical for food security) that are under threat. It is sensitive to the chronic and newly emerging vulnerabilities of Afghan women and girls and aims at providing them assistance in a manner that does not exacerbate their susceptibility to violence and deprivation of opportunities and rights.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Incumbent will undertake the following to ensure the success of the project:
•    Support effective design and implementation of livelihood interventions in ABADEI project.
•    Provide support in developing partnerships and ensure coordination with implementing partners and relevant stakeholders including UN agencies.  
•    Contribute to knowledge management and information sharing in ABADEI project team
•    To undertake any other duties as required
 

1.    Support effective design and implementation of livelihood interventions in ABADEI project, focusing on achievement of the following results:
•    Provide technical support to implement livelihood activities in line with the ABADEI project strategy including stakeholder consultation, community participation so as to operationalize activities. 
•    Provide technical inputs to develop suitable livelihood options for vulnerable communities. 
•    Support to prepare capacity development materials on livelihoods; provide technical support in conducting capacity building initiatives  
•    Generate new ideas and approaches, consolidate best practices from the field and propose effective ways of doing things; 
•    Monitor project implementation of partners (contractors, consultants, grantees) in accordance with agreements, work-plans, deliverables and timelines; 
•    Ensure timely and quality progress by partners in line with agreed templates and schedules; review reports; provide feedback to UNDP and partners; 
•    Oversee implementation of livelihood-related components in the region to ensure delivery of all the targets with desired outputs. 
•    Establish and maintain network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up to date on partnership related issues; 
•    Coordinate with partners and stakeholders in the process of design and implementing livelihood initiatives
•    Assess and evaluate funding proposals from potential partner organizations maintaining quality and consistency.
•    Support UNDP’s positioning as effective partner in livelihoods and job creation 
•    Support to develop specific livelihoods activities for women and ensure integration of gender issues and concerns in livelihoods projectming
•    Keep track on financial and expenditure records related to livelihood activities if required 
•    Identify operational and projectmatic challenges in relation to livelihood work and propose solutions

2.    Provide support in developing partnerships and ensure coordination with implementing partners and relevant stakeholders including UN agencies, focusing on achievement of the following:
•    Support capacity building of local partners, organize relevant orientations and trainings for local partners  
•    Identify potential organizations to engage with in the targeted areas and contribute to build a network 
•    Act as the UNDP/ABADEI livelihood focal person in the region to develop support a coordination mechanism that allows to share information and to harmonize the work carried out by different partners.  
•    Support working relationships and create projectmatic linkages with relevant UN Agencies and counterparts as guided by the supervisor.

3.    Contribute to knowledge management and information sharing in the UNDP country office 
•    Collect information related to livelihood work and provide inputs for the preparation of substantive briefs
•    Identify and document best practices and lessons learned from livelihood interventions
•    Assis in producing publicity materials on livelihood work including success and lessons learned

4.    Promote Gender-Responsive Livelihood project; as well as Women’s Economic Empowerment across UNDP’s Projects Cycle. 
•    Assess gender roles, access/control over resources, market barriers, time use, and unpaid care work and design project that addresses specific needs of women (including widows, female heads of households, women with disabilities) in any stages of project cycle.
•    Design and Implement Interventions on Women’s Economic Empowerment, Women’s Role in Peace Building, conduct gender audit with transformative results that contribute to Gender Seal. 
•    Promote Women CSOs, Women Enterprise by contracting process improvement, or by capacity building with evidence-based result. 
•    Contribute to project team’s goal, or area office goal in gender mainstreaming and women’s empowerment initiative. Ensure GBV, especially domestic violence and intra household power dynamics are integrated and tracked through evidence. 
•    Provide training and capacity building on Women’s Economic Empowerment, Women & Peace Building, with focus on conflict resolution, business negotiation skills, and leadership capacity to handle stress and challenges at home and in the business sector.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization

Institutional Arrangement:
The Techical Associate - Livelihood will work in close coordination with Livelihood Specialist in ABADEI PMU and be responsible for providing technical support to livelihood component in the region. S/he works under the guidance and supervision of the Sub-Area Manager and in close collaboration with team members in Southeast region. The incumbent will also work closely with partners, UN Agencies, technical advisors and experts, civil societies, local communities and other stakeholders to help implement livelihood activities..
 

Competencies

Core
Achieve Results:                          LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
Think Innovatively:                      LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 
Learn Continuously:                    LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility:                      LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 
Act with Determination:              LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner:                    LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:    LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 
 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Business Direction & Strategy - System Thinking - Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
Partnership Management - Strategic Engagement - Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives.                                                                                                                                                                                    

Business Development - Knowledge Facilitation - Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally
Partnership management - Emerging partnerships - Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships                                                                                                                                                                                              

Engagement & Effectiveness - Effectiveness - Projecting principles & standards and development effectiveness principles
Prosperity - Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility - Development and Mine Action (for people's livelihoods)
Prosperity  - Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility  - Sustainable Livelihoods Diversification/recovery

Education:

Secondary education is required. OR
A first-level university degree (Bachelor´s degree) in Agribusiness, Economics, Social sciences will be given due consideration but not a requirement.
 

Experience:

A minimum of 6 years (with secondary education) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in the design and implementation of agriculture focused intervention, income generation/livelihoods recovery projects is required

Required  skills 

•    Experience with developing and applying tools to collect, monitor and address livelihood needs of Afghanistan communities including grievances of the project beneficiaries is required.
•    Experience with identifying livelihood needs through assessments, designing appropriate interventions, monitor implementation and conducting evaluation at project closure is required.
•    Experience with documenting success stories and lessons learnt for livelihood projects is required.
•    Experience and familiarity with the region are a requirement.
 

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

•    Experience with project results tracking and reporting for livelihoods projects
•    Experience with collecting, developing, and disseminating project success stories
•    working experience with UN or Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) at the local or international level in Livelihoods or Agribusiness role 
•    Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), and web-based management systems such as KOBO, and up-to-date, advanced knowledge of data management tools and database packages
•    Previous experience of working with communities on livelihood interventions
•    Knowledge on result-based management and project implementation
•    Good analytical skills and writing skills-experience is desired
•    Experience from previous UN assignments and/or multilateral and bi-lateral aid organizations would be an asset
 

Required Language(s) 

•    Fluency in English is required. 
•    Fluency in Dari and/or Pashtu is required.
 

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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Interested applicants can apply by clicking the link below or by copying and pasting the link into their browsers to access the application for the post.

Technical Associate - Livelihoods, (Gardez) - UNDP Careers