1. Background Information

Our client is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peace building, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our client  supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, our client provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.

Project Information

Responding to one of the world's most complex humanitarian crises, the Afghanistan Inter-Agency Communication and Accountability Centre (ICAC) – Awaaz Afghanistan – is an inter-agency, two-way communication and accountability mechanism that addresses the information and communication needs of affected populations while enabling them to shape humanitarian relief and recovery efforts. Based in Kabul, Awaaz operates a nationwide, toll-free Humanitarian and Basic Human Needs (BHN) helpline, serving as a vital link between humanitarian actors and the communities they support. By facilitating access to information, feedback, and complaints, Awaaz strengthens accountability to affected populations and promotes a more responsive and effective humanitarian response. Awaaz's primary objective is to promote two-way communication with affected populations by: I. Empowering communities through the provision of accessible, timely, and reliable information on how to access humanitarian services and basic human needs assistance, enabling them to improve their circumstances. II. Strengthening humanitarian coordination by collecting, analyzing, and sharing information on the urgent needs, priorities, and concerns of affected populations, thereby supporting more efficient and effective coordination among humanitarian and basic human needs actors operating in Afghanistan. III. Promoting transparency and accountability by: 1) Establishing a safe, accessible, and trusted mechanism through which affected populations can provide feedback and lodge complaints; and 2) Referring feedback and complaints to partner organizations to inform decision-making, improve programme quality, strengthen accountability to affected populations, and support evidence-based advocacy.

Job-Specific Information

The Project Management Support Associate (Community Liaison) will support the Project Manager, Community Liaison Officer, and the wider Awaaz team in expanding outreach, strengthening community engagement, fostering partnerships with local, national, and international stakeholders, and supporting coordination activities across Awaaz Afghanistan.

The incumbent will serve as a key liaison between Awaaz, humanitarian partners, local authorities, and affected communities to raise awareness of Awaaz services and facilitate access to its collective information, feedback, complaints, and referral mechanism. The Project Management Support Associate (Community Liaison) will establish and maintain effective partnerships with humanitarian and development organizations, organize Awaaz information sessions and joint outreach initiatives, coordinate the distribution of information, education, and communication (IEC) materials, and facilitate community engagement activities, including awareness sessions, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). The role also includes monitoring partner engagement, documenting outreach and community engagement activities, and contributing to the continuous improvement of the Awaaz platform and referral mechanism. Through these efforts, the Project Management Support Associate (Community Liaison) will help ensure that affected communities have access to a safe, accessible, and confidential channel for obtaining information, providing feedback, lodging complaints, and accessing referrals to appropriate services.

2. Key Functions

● Planning and Coordination:

○ Plan, organize, and coordinate Awaaz information sessions, community awareness events, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), partner meetings, and other stakeholder engagement activities, including agenda preparation, facilitation, documentation, and follow-up actions.

○ Maintain effective coordination and working relationships with humanitarian partners, UN agencies, NGOs, local authorities, clusters, working groups, and community representatives to support the implementation of Awaaz activities.

○ Conduct stakeholder mapping, gather contextual information, identify emerging community needs and best practices, and contribute to project planning and implementation.

○ Provide timely field updates and reports on community needs, perceptions, accessibility constraints, misinformation, and the relevance and effectiveness of Awaaz services and referral pathways.

○ Collect, document, and analyze feedback from affected communities, partners, and coordination forums to support project reviews, learning, and continuous improvement.

○ Support the development, adaptation, translation, and dissemination of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials and awareness messages.

○ Support the mapping and regular updating of humanitarian and Basic Human Needs (BHN) services, referral pathways, and partner information to strengthen the Awaaz referral mechanism.

○ Ensure that feedback, complaints, concerns, and rumours identified during outreach activities are accurately documented, acknowledged, and referred through the appropriate Awaaz information management and referral procedures.

○ Coordinate the inventory, distribution, and tracking of Awaaz IEC materials and visibility items.

● Community Engagement and Implementation

○ Conduct community outreach and awareness activities to promote Awaaz services and improve community access to information, feedback, complaints, and referral mechanisms.

○ Organize and facilitate community meetings, awareness sessions, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and other participatory engagement activities with affected populations and community representatives.

○ Establish and maintain effective relationships with community leaders, civil society organizations, humanitarian partners, and local authorities to strengthen community engagement and accountability.

○ Identify barriers to accessing humanitarian information and services and provide recommendations to improve the accessibility and inclusiveness of Awaaz services.

○ Monitor community perceptions, emerging issues, misinformation, and protection concerns, and ensure they are appropriately documented and communicated to the project team. ○ Support joint outreach and communication activities with humanitarian partners to increase awareness of available services and strengthen accountability to affected populations. ○ Maintain accurate records of outreach activities, participant lists, meeting minutes, action points, and follow-up actions.

○ Contribute to identifying implementation challenges and operational bottlenecks and recommend practical solutions to improve project delivery and community engagement.

● Communication and reporting

○ Establish and maintain effective communication and collaboration with humanitarian partners, UN agencies, NGOs, local authorities, coordination forums, and other stakeholders to strengthen coordination and accountability.

○ Serve as a focal point for partner engagement by ensuring timely information sharing, coordination, and follow-up in accordance with Awaaz information management procedures.

○ Represent Awaaz in humanitarian coordination meetings, including clusters, working groups, Operational Coordination Teams (OCTs), and other relevant forums, and deliver presentations and information sessions as required.

○ Organize regular meetings with partners to promote Awaaz services, identify emerging community needs, strengthen collaboration, and support updates to the Awaaz service directory and referral pathways.

○ Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the humanitarian and Basic Human Needs response and ensure relevant information is communicated to the Awaaz team in a timely manner. ○ Prepare high-quality daily, weekly, monthly, mission, and activity reports highlighting outreach achievements, community feedback, key trends, challenges, risks, lessons learned, and recommendations.

○ Contribute to monitoring and reporting against project work plans, performance indicators, and donor reporting requirements.

○ Perform any other duties assigned by the Project Manager in support of Awaaz project objectives.

3. Qualifications and Experience

a. Education

● Completion of secondary school is required.

● Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Development Studies, Social Science, Public Studies, Political Science, or related field is an asset but not required.

b. Work Experience

● With completion of secondary education, a minimum of six (6) years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian coordination, communication and liaison, partnership management, community engagement and mobilization, or other related fields is required.

● Demonstrated experience working with national and international humanitarian NGOs, UN agencies, or other humanitarian organizations supporting humanitarian response, recovery, and development activities in Afghanistan is an asset.

● Willingness and ability to travel frequently to field locations across Afghanistan.

● Sound knowledge of the humanitarian coordination architecture, humanitarian principles, and the operational context in Afghanistan is highly desirable.

C. Language Requirements:

● Full working knowledge of English is required.

● Fluency in both Dari and Pashto is required.

● Knowledge of other languages such as Uzbek or Turkmen will be considered an asset.

Project Manager

4. COMPETENCIES

Integrity & Inclusion: Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Leading self & Others: Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles

Partnering: Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Result Orientation:  Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Agility: Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behaviour. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Solution Focused: Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Effective Communication:  Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

This role has no team management responsibility.

Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply for this role.