Twinning Program Manager (Kabul, Afghanistan)

RESPONSIBILITY SUMMARY

The initial Twinning Program ran from February 2015 – March 2019. The current program started in August 2019, with an expected completion date on 31 March, 2024. The Twinning Program Manager, reporting to the Deputy Director, will provide leadership and oversight of ACBAR’s twinning program, which works intensively with more than 30 national and international NGO partners to provide training, capacity sharing/professional development, and mentoring. The Twinning Program Manager will oversee and coordinate programmatic issues, in both quality and delivery, as well as be responsible for budget planning and implementation. This position closely works with the Finance Manager and the Advocacy and Communications Manager. Although based in Kabul, this position requires travel to the regions. The below responsibilities are not exhaustive; other tasks may be required according to changing operational and contextual needs.

GENERAL MANAGEMENT

• Line manage the program’s remote managers.
• Ensure high quality project implementation in accordance with donor and ACBAR requirements as well as agreed project indicators, budget, work plan and other documents such as the risk register. Review and update project planning documents as required.
• Ensure that risks to staffs, Twinning Program partners, and assets are mitigated through a risk mitigation, acceptance, and activity-enabling lens.
• Coordinate all Twinning Program activities so that they are implemented in a timely manner and meet expected quality standards; activities include, but are not limited to, identification of training needs; coordination of INGO/NNGO twinning partners’ mentoring and activities; field visits; and assessments.
• In coordination with the Finance Manager, ensure that project activities and expenses are regularly monitored and, as needed, budget revision requests are submitted and followed-up in a timely manner.
• Ensure team cohesion and organize regular team building activities; ensure regular monitoring and support visits to Twinning Program partners’ offices and activities.
• Oversee project monitoring and evaluation data base; ensuring integrity of data.
• Work with the Advocacy and Communications Manager so that the Twinning Program is well documented, promoted to the wider humanitarian community, and that the institutional memory of ACBAR is preserved.
• Liaise with donor on a regular basis; ensure quarterly and annual reports are on time and of expected quality and information accuracy.
• Guarantee that ACBAR’S mandate, values, and policies are reflected throughout all Twinning Program operations and activity implementation (e.g. Code of Conduct, PSEA, Anti-Corruption and Anti-Fraud, and Security).
• Ensure that ACBAR’s accountability obligations are delegated and carried out in accordance with ACBAR protocols.
• Serve as a member of the Senior Management Team, and work as acting Director as necessary.

REPRESENTATION AND COORDINATION

• Liaise with UNOCHA on national NGO Due Diligence assessments, identifying training and assessment needs for Twinning Program partners.
• Ensure ACBAR’s and the Twinning Program’s mandates are known and correctly understood by all stakeholders; pro-actively liaise and build good rapport with authorities, UN agencies, cluster coordinators, and any other relevant stakeholders.
• Participate as relevant in coordination mechanisms in Kabul and the regions, represent ACBAR as requested; ensure Twinning Program staff are participating in designated cluster coordination.

The Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief and Development, ACBAR, is an independent forum founded in 1988 in response to the demand from NGOs working with Afghan refugees in Pakistan and across the border in Afghanistan to coordinate assistance and delivery of services more efficiently. With its main office in Kabul since 2002, ACBAR brings together 154 National and International NGOs working in in all sectors of humanitarian assistance and development in Afghanistan. ACBAR has a mission to provide an efficient platform for members to carry out effective humanitarian, development, and peace building activities in Afghanistan.

In 2013, UNOCHA established a Due Diligence and Capacity Assessment system within the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) with the objective of building the capabilities of National NGOs (NNGO) to effectively manage and deliver humanitarian programmes in Afghanistan. The ability to access AHF funding in Afghanistan requires robust technical skills, administrative capacity, and an understanding of the cluster coordinated platform. The FCDO-funded ACBAR Twinning Program focuses on helping NNGOs access the AHF by improving localization of the humanitarian response in Afghanistan through professional development of NNGOs.

The Twinning Program Manager is responsible for providing support in this professional development to increase NNGOs’ ability to access humanitarian funding and deliver humanitarian assistance. This is achieved through intensive mentoring by ACBAR’s team and by the Advisors (INGO or NNGO twinning partners), through field visits and trainings, based on NNGO needs identified by all parties. Additionally, the Twinning Program encourages NNGO partners to participate in and engage with the UN clusters to provide accurate data and information to the humanitarian community in Afghanistan.

• Minimum Master’s degree in political science, social sciences, development studies, or other relevant field of study.
• Minimum of five years professional track record of work experience in the humanitarian field and with a NGO – including at least two years of management of humanitarian assistance projects in insecure environments.
• Demonstrated ability with grants management, including project design, budget preparation, expenditure tracking, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, and supervision and performance.
• Experience of managing budgets and multiple donor grants/contracts, particularly with OCHA pooled funds, UN agencies, and DFID/FCDO.
• Ability to think strategically, prioritize, and meet deadlines in a complex and challenging environment; must be culturally sensitive.
• Extensive M&E knowledge and experience, including conducting surveys/assessments and analyzing data.
• Exhibit a strong work ethic with a high degree of flexibility with respect to working hours; ability to effectively plan and manage own time.
• Excellent writing and verbal skills in English for reports and communications documents; Dari/Pashto skills is an added advantage.
• Able to work under pressure and in difficult security conditions; past experience working in a complex conflict environment.
• Outstanding networking and interpersonal skills with different cultures.

Preferred:

• Have a demonstrated track record in initiating, cultivating, and securing support from a range of institutional and private donors.
• Previous experience as a cluster coordinator – either at national or sub-national level.

All qualified potential candidates are encouraged to apply. ACBAR strongly encourages qualified women to apply, regardless of nationality.

PARAMETERS

Start Date: Preferably 1 November, 2020, or before Kabul, Afghanistan, with frequent travel to the regions (security permitting). All ACBAR staffs must abide by all safety and security protocols.

Contract:  Two-year contract, which is renewable depending on funding and performance.

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with ACBAR expatriate salary scale. For qualified National staff, the employment terms will be in accordance with ACBAR terms for National staff.

Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience may submit their current CV and cover letter detailing their motivation to apply and why they are best suited for the position.

Please submit your application (i.e., cover letter and CV), both in English, to the following email address: applications@acbar.org  no later than 11 October, 2020. Please do not submit any written recommendations or training certificates as part of your application. Any CV-only applications or applications emailed directly to individual ACBAR staffs will not be considered.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and this position may be filled prior to the closing date. 

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please contact webinfo@acbar.org.

Submission Email
applications@acbar.org