With more than 20 years of experience in the country, our client in Afghanistan focuses on providing maximum support to the people of Afghanistan through the delivery of projects and services that improve the lives of people in need. Our Client in Afghanistan Country Office (AFCO) serves as an organizational mechanism to deliver a range of projects for which our client has been designated as the implementation agency. At present, our client’s activities cover a range of sectors including humanitarian, basic human needs, cash for work, infrastructure, development, procurement and HR services. The functional objective of our client is to contribute to improving the lives of girls, boys, men and women living in Afghanistan. The aim of our client is to provide efficient and cost-effective implementation services on behalf of all our partners to support the humanitarian response and development of the country. Our client’s mission is to exceed the expectations of all stakeholders in the delivery of client’s services, at all times, in all places, in all circumstances, in order to improve the lives of Afghans in need.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION – JOB SPECIFIC:

Project Information

The Infrastructure for Basic Human Needs in Afghanistan (IBN) 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” implementation modality as a strategic measure to revitalize livelihoods and stimulate economic activity in the region.

3. Purpose and Scope of Assignment:

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 the project’s progress, the project’s plans, etc. The responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Planning and Coordination:

● Plan, organize, and manage meetings/focus groups for UNOPS with stakeholders and or with any other agencies or persons 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 the team, and follow-up activities;

● Working closely with the Project Manager, engineering team, IBN contractor, and community, providing support and ensuring a transparent and inclusive beneficiary selection process is carried out.

● Facilitate the smooth liaison between coordination entities, working groups, stakeholders from civil society, international and local NGOs, and 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 records of meetings, including agendas, meeting minutes, and follow-up/action points. Details of meetings held or canceled should also be maintained.

● Support in the development of focused group discussion (FGD) and post occupancy evaluation questionnaire, actual conduct of FGDs, post occupancy evaluation, and preparation of reports.

● 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 the Project Manager when there is an 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 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

Languages

● Excellent English language writing, editing, and verbal skills.

● Knowledge of Pashto and/or Dari language will be an asset.

Senior Project Manager (SPM) or as delegated by the SPM

Community Management Senior Associate(s) will be reporting to this role

Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply for this role.