Advocacy officer (only female) (Kabul, Afghanistan)

Background Information – Job-specific

The advocacy officer will be responsible to work with  Lobby & Advocacy program manager for expanding the LA portfolio and join necessary lobby and advocacy events.. S/he will be developing partnerships and successfully compete on the marketplace aiming at diversification and growth of Cordaid’s Lobby & Advocacy portfolio in Afghanistan reaching out to multiple stakeholders ranging from clients to partners to beneficiaries.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the overall direction of the lobby & advocacy program manager, and in accordance with Cordaid policies, procedures and practices, the advocacy officer will lead his/her teams in developing and managing relevant and innovative approaches to work on priorities of Cordaid within Afghanistan. S/he will closely work with Lobby & Advocacy programme manager ,operations colleagues to ensure efficient and effective support to programme and project development, implementation and closure while maintaining strong internal controls. S/he would also closely monitor and facilitate the evaluation of results and impacts in close coordination with the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (PMEAL) team to facilitate shared programme learning.

Support Programme Management and Oversight

• Assist the Lobby & Advocacy program manager for Programmes in preparing Lobby & Advocacy Strategies and Plans  relevant to Women’s Peace and Security in Afghanistan that will make a positive difference to the lives of people, families and communities, paying special attention to gender equality and youth.
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor the progress of programmes and projects on the ground and ensure effective oversight of and support of local partners taking corrective action with minimal delay.
• Maintain effective coordination with Cordaid team in Kabul and provinces to enable the effective and efficient programme implementation.
• Maintain effective coordination with the PMEAL team  to ensure timely and correct measurement of results, outcomes and impacts and to facilitate learning towards continuous improvements in the design and delivery of programmes and projects.

Assist Implementing effective Lobby & Advocacy Programmes and Projects

• Assist the programme manager for Lobby and Advocay to provide timely information on progress and results by compiling, organizing, analysing, monitoring, and preparing data for situation reports, fact sheets, donor reports, briefing notes, and other reporting and communications products, including pictures and videos.
• Undertake regular field visits to gather information on results related L&A projects and related activities to ensure that all relevant data from the field is captured, documented and reported in a timely and results-based manner for key stakeholders (donors, clusters, etc.) and for internal purposes.
• Assist the Programme Manager for Lobby and Advocay to Prepare fact based messages and quality material for distribution through social and printed media that effectively communicates to external audiences the challenges as well as results achieved in realizing security & justice for women.
• Assist the Programme Manager for Lobby and Advocay to develop and maintain appropriate, regular, transparent and supportive communication structures with assigned programme and project staff, GO sector experts and other key stakeholders (beneficiaries, implementing partners, local and national government officials, UN agencies, Embassies, NGOs, etc.), with the objective of ensuring good cooperation and partnerships.
• coordinate and support local partners and used partner monitoring and capacity building tools that enable quality, results orientation and integrity in the delivery of programmes and projects through contractual arrangements with local partners.
• Support effective risk assessment and management of programmes and projects.

Support Effective Security in the Field

• Work closely with the Country team to ensure that security policies, procedures, practices and capacities support “direct implementation” in the field taking into account the need to deliver quality services to people, families and communities while facilitating “Duty of Care” for Cordaid staff.
• Assist working closely with communities supported by programmes and projects implemented by Cordaid in developing effective mechanisms to prevent and resolve (potential) conflicts and harm to Cordaid staff in an expedient and effective manner.
• Support preventing incidents through “community acceptance” and resolve incidents through “community engagement”.

Contribute to Knowledge Management and Innovation

• Contribute to the development and introduction of innovation to ensure Cordaid is continually incorporating best practice approaches in Country Office operations.
• Contribute to the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for corporate development planning and knowledge building and, contribute to relevant Communities of Experts and Communities of Practice accordingly.

Undertake other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor and/or Cordaid Management.

The successful delivery of results by the advocacy officer will impacts the performance of programmes and projects implemented by Cordaid as well as its reputation as an effective partner in achieving positive results that lead to flourishing communities in fragile settings.

Background Information – Cordaid

Cordaid was established in 2000, when several Dutch aid organizations joined forces. But our history goes back more than a century. Cordaid has changed over the years and is more than a donor now. Reducing fragility has become our core priority and we work in all contexts of fragility, from relief, through rehabilitation to longer term development. To do this effectively we seek funds, start partnerships and compete on a global market.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments and inspired by compassion, solidarity and subsidiarity, Cordaid’s mission is to reduce fragility and the vulnerability of people where it is most needed and most difficult. We recognize that the overriding challenge in fragile and (post-)conflict countries is restoring trust and social cohesion, at community level and between communities and the state. This is what Cordaid does, right in the heart of communities, by mobilizing global networks, resources and knowledge. By doing this, we help people move beyond survival and live in dignity.

Cordaid does this by promoting equality and social inclusion, by increasing the resilience of people and societies and by strengthening the social contract between citizens and their governments. Wherever we can, we combine lifesaving humanitarian aid with the longer-term improvement of health care systems, economic opportunities and resilience, and the promotion of security and justice.

Background Information – Afghanistan Country Office

Cordaid is working in and on fragility, and has been active in Afghanistan since 2001, aiming at a stable and peaceful country. We work in 6 thematic areas, supported by lobby and advocacy activities: health care, extractives, security and justice, humanitarian aid, resilience and private sector development. We provide programmatic leadership and require that our operations and those of our local partners are implemented to the highest standards complemented with knowledge generation that incorporates best practices and lessons learned.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

• Bachelor degree in Law or equivalent, Political Sciences, or any other social studies.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience .
• Good capacity building and management skills, including human resource and financial management, communications and intercultural cooperation skills
• A networker, diplomatic and results oriented, with the ability to work under stressful and time bound project conditions.
• Flexible and capable of working in a stressful context.
• Good oral and written communication skills in English language.
• Good oral and written communication skills in Dari or Pashtun language.

Skills:

• Ability to lead and manage a diverse group of colleagues to achieve results in a responsible and collaborative manner through clear direction, supervision and modelling behaviour.
• Ability to clearly and convincingly communicate ideas and concepts in writing and orally.
• Ability to go beyond established procedures and models, and to introduce new approaches and strategic innovations.
• Ability to establish and maintain broad strategic networks and partnerships with Local partner, Government agencieas, International Organizations, Embassies, and other partners to promote partnerships and build alliances to advance organizational interests and competencies.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Excellent interpersonal, co-ordination and negotiation skills, and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.
• Strong commitment to integrity, professionalism, creativity and innovation, learning, accountability, planning and organization, results orientation, teamwork and technological solutions.

Functional Competencies

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to implment strategic planning, results-based management and reporting.
• Good knowledge of best practices in strategic partnerships.
• Good knowledge of best practices in WPS,EVAW,CEDAW and other relevant policies
• Basic knowledge in project management (from design to implementation to closure, incl. evaluation).

Management and Leadership

• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback.
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.
• Leads teams effectively and shows mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Kabul time.
• Qualified candidates are requested to submit their motivation letter and CV in one PDF file.
• Please write the job title on the subject line of your email.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.

Submission Email
Jobs.Afghanistan@cordaid.org