UN Women: Program Coordinator, Home-based with travel to Afghanistan, International Consultant

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. 

UN Women has been working in Afghanistan since 2002 (as UNIFEM until 2010). Afghanistan has emerged as one of the world’s most complex emergencies. The crisis dynamics in the country are multi-layered, and Afghanistan’s people are facing the devastating effects of successive decades of conflict, increasing poverty, economic decline and natural disasters, all of which are amplified by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As per the Humanitarian Response Plan 2022, 24.4 million Afghans – more than half of the country’s estimated population of 42 million – are projected to be in need of humanitarian assistance in 2022, with a staggering 55 per cent of the population expected to face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. Women’s fundamental rights have been continually threatened since the Taliban takeover and the limited gains made over the past twenty years are now at risk of being erased – and at worst regressed. The contest around gender norms remains at the center of the political, peace and security landscape in Afghanistan, putting women and girls at the frontlines of this crisis. Responding to this crisis, the UN Women Afghanistan Country Office is consolidating its programming under the humanitarian-peace-development nexus, anchored in the Country Office Strategic Note (2018-2022), and continues to deliver on its triple mandate across four thematic areas: 1) Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action; 2) Ending Violence Against Women; 3) Women Economic Empowerment; and 4) Women’s Leadership and Participation. UN Women Afghanistan thereby capitalizes on its five Sub-Offices located in the provinces Balkh, Bamyan, Herat, Kandahar and Nangarhar respectively, and is part of inter-agency Joint UN initiatives, such as the Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA). UN Women Afghanistan Country Office plays a critical role in ensuring gender-responsive humanitarian action, working in collaboration with a number of key partners.

To ensure effective coordination across these diverse initiatives, a Program Coordinator is required to provide strategic oversight, facilitate inter-agency collaboration, and ensure timely progress in the implementation of humanitarian projects. Reporting to the GIHA Programme Manager and in close coordination with UN partner agencies, implementing and key partners, the consultant will be home-based but will undertake an initial four-week mission to Kabul to facilitate in-person coordination with stakeholders, onboarding, and administrative setup. 

Description of Responsibilities /Scope of Work

The consultant will support and enhance coordination across all Afghanistan humanitarian projects, ensuring efficient collaboration with partners and stakeholders, while integrating gender-responsive approaches into humanitarian response efforts.

Coordination and Partnership Management

• Facilitate inter-agency coordination efforts with IOM, STFA Twinning Project, Durable Solutions, UNOPS, AWAAZ, and AHF, and other partners as required.
• Strengthen collaboration with UN agencies, humanitarian clusters, NGOs, and donors to promote gender-responsive humanitarian action.
• Represent UN Women in humanitarian coordination forums and inter-agency meetings as required.

Strategic Planning and Project Implementation Support

• Ensure that humanitarian projects align with UN Women’s Humanitarian Response Strategy 2022–2025 and Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP).
• Monitor project timelines, ensuring efficient implementation and timely delivery of results.
• Facilitate learning and adaptive management practices by supporting ongoing reviews and debriefings.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Support partners in applying Results-Based Management (RBM) approaches, ensuring that outcomes align with project objectives.
• Provide technical support for logframe development, indicator tracking, and data collection