3. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
The Community Liaison Officer will support the Project Manager and the team as required in liaising with the local community and authorities to ensure the project can be implemented as per schedule and scope, addressing the day-to-day concerns of the community, updating on the project’s progress, the project’s plans, etc. The responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Planning and Coordination:
● Plan, organize, and manage meetings/focus groups for UNOPS with stakeholders and or with any other agencies or persons if so requested, including organizing meeting spaces, agendas, methodologies of running the events, preparation of relevant material, post-processing of the results of the events, such as mapping the results, reporting, sharing with the team, and follow-up activities;
● Working closely with the Project Manager, engineering team, IBN contractor, and community, providing support and ensuring a transparent and inclusive beneficiary selection process is carried out.
● Facilitate the smooth liaison between coordination entities, working groups, stakeholders from civil society, international and local NGOs, and representatives of the Authorities (and other) involved in the Herat earthquake response by maintaining regular contact and networking;
● Organize and implement activities of collection of information and strategy definition for the implementation of the project. (examples: stakeholders mapping, interviews/focus group with stakeholders, collect best practice examples, contextualized inputs, work with UNOPS team, and transfer the acquired knowledge to colleagues, and similar); Community Engagement and Implementation:
● Maintain detailed and accurate records of meetings, including agendas, meeting minutes, and follow-up/action points. Details of meetings held or canceled should also be maintained.
● Support in the development of focused group discussion (FGD) and post occupancy evaluation questionnaire, actual conduct of FGDs, post occupancy evaluation, and preparation of reports.
● Deliver documents to all the interested parties and similarly receive documents from both external and internal parties;
● Ensure that follow-up of document approvals by concerned authorities is done timely and consistently, and keep the Project Manager updated as required.
● Ensure that communities at construction/implementation sites are kept abreast of the project developments and communication channels remain open with the communities;
● Respond to community concerns by ensuring that they are brought to the attention of the UNOPS project team and facilitate the process of resolving the issue, and leveraging on opportunities. Communication and Reporting:
● Report to the Project Manager on a daily and weekly basis on community issues and the project’s performance in relation to those issues;
● Keep up with the weekly and daily developments of the project;
● Inform the Project Manager when there is an issue between the community members and the project staff;
● Forward questions about the project from community leaders and residents to appropriate government authorities and the Project Manager;
● Acting as a focal point for the project on behalf of the Project Manager within UNOPS and other stakeholders as required by the PM;
● Assist UNOPS in the identification of potential implementation problems and bottlenecks,
● Perform other duties as may be assigned
4. Qualifications and Experience
A. Education
● Bachelor’s Degree in Economics/ Development Studies /Social Science/Engineering or a
related field is required.
● A Master's degree in any relevant (such as management) field is desirable.
● Certification in CCADRR is desirable
● MEAL certification is desirable
B. Work Experience
● A minimum of 4 years of experience in communication and liaison, interpreting/translation-related fields, and project support is required.
● Experience working with local communities in the creation and or execution of humanitarian and development-type projects is required, post-disaster (earthquake, floods, and or similar) is desired, with at least 2 years.
● Experience working with national and international organizations that are contributing to the reconstruction and development in Afghanistan is a significant advantage.
● Prior experience with Government Development-related bodies, NGOs, INGOs, UN/UNOPS, or similar humanitarian and development actors is a significant advantage.
● Experience in working in Herat Province at least 2 years is desirable
● At least 2 years of experience in Cash for Work projects is desirable.
C. Languages
● Excellent English language writing, editing, and verbal skills.
● Knowledge of Pashto and/or Dari language will be an asset.
D. Key Competencies
● Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision and direction;
● Capable of working with others in a participatory and capacity-building manner;
● Ability to establish and maintain excellent contacts with colleagues, government officials, community representatives, and contractors;
● Self-motivated, versatile, and adaptable to different cultures and people;
● Ability to multitask and prioritize work schedules;
● Strong community liaison, mobilization, and negotiation skills required.
● Working knowledge of MS Office Applications required.
● Good analytical skills; resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgment;
● Strong communication skills and ability to work with a team to achieve organizational goals; ● Good negotiation skills and the ability to bring consensus amongst people.
● Good at managing small teams of supervisees and coordinating with other departments
5. Competencies
Integrity and Inlcusion: 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 and Other: Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others.
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.
Agitlity: 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
