UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. UNDP has been working in Afghanistan for more than 50 years on climate change and resilience, gender, governance, health, livelihoods, and rule of law. Under the broader framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in close coordination with other UN agencies, UNDP is supporting the Afghan people’s aspiration for peace, prosperity, and sustainability. UNDP is currently implementing its flagship crisis response programme, ABADEI (Area Based Approach to Development Emergency Initiatives), as part of the ongoing UN-led response to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and the breakdown of Afghanistan’s economy following the August 2021 shift in power.

The ABADEI Strategy is a tailored area-based integrated programming approach to support basic human needs, complementing short-term humanitarian life-saving assistance with the safeguarding of livelihoods and the strengthening of community resilience. It is centered around addressing worsening poverty and vulnerability, supporting community resilience and social cohesion, addressing climatic vulnerability, and enabling the rehabilitation of small-scale infrastructure vital for basic human needs. It supports the creation of immediate sources of income through vocational skills training, cash-for-work, cash for the market, small businesses, and livelihood opportunities with a particular focus on agri-business and regenerative agriculture infrastructure and services (critical for food security) that are under threat. It is sensitive to the chronic and newly emerging vulnerabilities of Afghan women and girls and aims at providing them assistance in a manner that does not exacerbate their susceptibility to violence and deprivation of opportunities and rights.

Position Purpose:

In this context, the Programme Analyst will work under the direct supervision of the Area Manager. S/he works in close collaboration with the PMU (Program Management Unit) team, Project teams, other CO teams, technical advisors and experts, and coordinates with other UN agencies, civil society organizations and other stakeholders in the region to help implement the regional programme. S/he also provides quality technical support to implementing partners. The Programme Analyst will be based in Herat with regular field visits in the region, as needed. The Programme Analyst in UNDP Herat Office will oversee programming in the Western Region of Afghanistan (Herat, Farah and Badghis provinces).

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

• Supporting the development of regional programme activities from design through implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Establishing, and maintaining strategic partnerships and supporting resource mobilization.
• Ensuring provision of top-quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management.

Contribute to the development of regional programme activities from design through implementation, monitoring and evaluation focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Conduct a thorough analysis and research of the political, social, and economic situation in the country and collaborate with the PMU team in the preparation/revision of project documents, AWPs (Annual Work Plans) and other documents as necessary
• Identify opportunities for new programme/project development including joint programming with UN agencies.
• Ensure coordination and networking with clients, stakeholders, and programme partners.
• Collaborate with the Country Office to align regional programme with UNDP global and regional initiatives, policies and knowledge products.
• Provide leadership with technical guidance in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, ensuring that results are delivered in accordance with the work plans, standards, allocations, framework and rules and regulations.
• Support effective application of RBM (Result-Based Management) tools, the establishment of management targets, and monitoring achievement of results.
• Monitor work plan implementation, ensure it is on track, and support resolution of bottlenecks working with PMU and CO.
• Take a lead role in planning and carrying out programme monitoring and preparing periodic and ad hoc reports, including the annual report, donor reports, ROAR (Result-Oriented Annual Report) and IWP (Integrated Work Plan), as required.
• Ensure programme reviews and evaluations take place, manage the reviews and evaluation process and take a lead in preparing management response.
• Support in identifying and managing risks, and ensuring application of safeguarding principles, such as Do No Harm principles and UNDP’s Social & Environmental Standards.
• Support audit exercises and coordinate with the team to provide timely responses.
• Analyze, research, and provide inputs for preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, and identify opportunities to initiate new projects.
• Ensure capacity building of implementing partners, and organize relevant trainings and orientations.
• Work in coordination with Gender Specialist to conduct analysis and research o the gender dimension of regional programme and collaborate in the preparation/revision of programme documents, AWP and other documents.
• Ensure coordination and networking with UN agencies, clients, stakeholders, and programme partners.

Establish and maintain strategic partnerships and supports resource mobilization focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Analyze, research, and provide inputs for preparation of substantive briefs on new programmatic initiatives, and identify opportunities to initiate new projects, including joint projects.
• Support in developing ideas and concepts for new programmatic initiatives, for resource mobilization purposes.
• Support the CO in resource mobilization efforts for the regional programme portfolio.
• Act as a focal point from PMU to develop a coordination mechanism that allows sharing of information and harmonizes the work carried out by different partners.
• Conduct research and analysis of information on existing and new partners.
• Contribute to the implementation of CO partnerships and resource mobilization strategies.
• Develop ideas and concepts for possible areas of cooperation, and identification of funding opportunities for ongoing and new programme and projects.
• Support working relationships and creates programmatic linkages with relevant UN Agencies and counterparts, as guided by the supervisor.
• Represent UNDP at external meetings within his/her area of programming, when required.

Supports the provision of high-quality technical support and facilitation of knowledge building and management, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned emerging from programme implementation in the region.
• Coordinate and ensure best practices and lessons learned are taken into consideration while developing work plans, new projects and programme strategies.
• Ensure that lessons learned from the regional programme are captured and recorded into the CO knowledge pool.
• Contribute to enhancing collaboration, communication and knowledge sharing with Project Offices in the other regions.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: N/A

Achieve Results:LEVEL 1

• Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.

Think Innovatively:LEVEL 1

Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.

Learn Continuously:LEVEL 1

• Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.

Adapt with Agility:LEVEL 1

• Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.

Act with Determination:LEVEL 1

• Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.

Engage and Partner:LEVEL 1

• Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:LEVEL 1

• Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical:

Partnership management – Resource mobilization:

• Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements.

Partnership management – Emerging partnerships:

• Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships.

2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness – Effectiveness:

• Programming principles & standards and development effectiveness principles.

Business Management – Monitoring:

• Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.

Business Management – Evaluation:

• Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks – Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.

Business Management – Knowledge Generation:

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need

2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness – Effectiveness:

• Project Quality Assurance