Emergency and social protection advisor

Background

The high frequency of natural disasters in Afghanistan such as earthquake, floods, droughts, avalanches, landslides and extreme winters, causes widespread damage and hampers the development process. Beside the natural events, disasters also result from adverse human actions such as conflicts, ethnic tensions and land occupation.
Recognizing that natural and man-made disasters can wipe out decades of progress in poverty reduction and sustainable development efforts, MRRD considers disaster management as an essential component of its mandate in alleviating poverty and empowering communities.

Nature and scope of assignment

• This assignment involves supporting a government-led capacity development program within the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development. Under the supervision of the Director of the Social Protection Directorate, the successful candidate will provide technical advice, management support and technical inputs required to allow the ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development to achieve its targets.
• The successful applicant will be expected to work with and through his/her Afghan national counterpart, and to progressively transfer skills and responsibilities to them. This position does not involve management or line responsibilities.

Duties and responsibilities

Working with the Director of the Social Protection Directorate, with assistance from the CTAP Capacity Development team and other relevant staff and advisors, the Emergency and Social Protection Advisor will:

• Assess staff training needs and devise a comprehensive capacity building plan for the delivery of formal and on-the-job training;
• Foster key professional relationships with the MRRD programs, line ministries, UN and non-governmental agencies to support coordination and collaboration at national and sub-national level;
• Collaborate with other MRRD departments and programs to ensure effective coordination and integration of social protection activities where feasible and strategic;
• Facilitate the identification and analysis of issues pertaining to disaster management and assist in the development of policies ensuring alignment with MRRD vision, mission and values, monitor their implementation and assist in undertaking regular reviews;
• Assist with planning of Social Protection activities and set quality performance targets ensuring adherence to technical standards, best practices and donor guidelines;
• Ensure that all Social Protection projects include and follow appropriate M and E systems, allowing the documentation of best practices, lessons learned and successes, and the use of M and E information and documentation to continually improve programming;
• Assist in preparing internal and external reports and ensure they are following MRRD and donor guidelines;
• Assist the Director in maintaining frequent and productive communication with current and future donor agencies and foundations, identifying and following-up on potential funding opportunities and lead the development of evidence-based, innovative concept notes and proposals;
• Provide training – or facilitate the organization of training - to MRRD personnel in emergency preparedness and response, protection and post-conflict resettlement and recovery as needed/requested;
• Ensure sharing of knowledge and skills across the sectors and sharing of guidelines and manuals;
• Assist staff in developing annual, quarterly, and monthly work plans and achieving identified targets, and assist the Director in regular staff performance appraisal;

Assist the Director in the recruitment process for any new Social Protection staff, including developing job descriptions and interview test questions, participating in the interview process, and providing orientation to the new staff.

Deliverables

The deliverables of the Emergency and Social Protection Advisor:

• Capacity building plan;
• Training modules and implementation feedback;
• Policy papers, and review reports;
• Quality performance targets, planning and programming tools;
• Best practices, lessons learned, documented;
• Evidence-based concept notes and proposals;
• Regular reporting;

Skills, experience and qualifications required

• Experience: 8 years total with at least 4 years relevant
• Nationality: International
• Gender: Any

The successful candidate should have the following skills, experience and qualifications:
• Graduate degree in international studies, development, or related field or work.
• Minimum eight years professional experience in disaster management, preferably in conflict or post-conflict countries;
• At least three years in a management position, coaching staff, in an international or intercultural environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in core sectors of humanitarian relief, including Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response, UN guidelines, etc.
• Prior experience working with donors and successfully securing funding from a range of donors and funding mechanisms is highly desired.
• Proven ability to function effectively as part of a multi-cultural team.
• Excellent communication and writing skills, particularly in proposal and grant preparations.
• Strong ability to think and plan strategically.
• Written and verbal proficiency in English, understanding of Dari/Pashto would be an advantage.
• Computer proficiency in Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Internet.