The position is located with the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the Regional Programmes Division and based in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Regional Programmes Division is responsible for consolidating and enhancing the linkages between UN Habitat’s activities in the field with the Strategic Plan, the 2030 Agenda, and the UN-Habitat’s overall future priorities and to make sure that they are appropriate to the country context.

UN-Habitat’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific manages UN-Habitat’s project portfolio in the Asia and Pacific region. It ensures that country priorities are in alignment with the UN-Habitat’s organizational policies and strategic objectives and brings through its Regional Representative to the attention of the Executive Management Committee (EMC) opportunities and challenges in the region, allowing for timely feedback and responses to urgent demands and requests from the Member States.

Since 1992, UN-Habitat has worked closely with Afghan communities, contributing to the physical and social reconstruction of the country. Our work has focused on the development of urban policies and regulations; strategic urban planning; increasing municipal revenue; establishing community-based organizations; addressing the land and housing needs of IDPs and returnees and contributing to the provision of basic urban services.

Several IDPs and returnees live in substandard shelters that provide limited or no protection from the elements and expose them to heightening protection risks. Some of the most vulnerable families live under these shelter conditions as a coping strategy during resettlement caused due to armed conflict or following a natural disaster while others remain for a longer time. While most of these shelter conditions can be found in Informal Settlements, conflict-affected areas, and areas prone to natural disasters, assessments have shown that those in the communities also live in similar conditions. While the humanitarian assistance measures continue to provide short-term immediate shelter response in the form of cash for rent and the standard emergency shelter kits, minimum support is being provided to those living in poor shelter conditions until a medium-term or durable solution is found. Families living in these conditions are very vulnerable: often insufficiently protected from the physical and environmental elements, with no privacy due to overcrowding and no ability to close a

Organizational Setting and Reporting Relationships: 

The position is located with the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the Regional Programmes Division and based in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Regional Programmes Division is responsible for consolidating and enhancing the linkages between UN Habitat’s activities in the field with the Strategic Plan, the 2030 Agenda, and the UN-Habitat’s overall future priorities and to make sure that they are appropriate to the country context.

UN-Habitat’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific manages UN-Habitat’s project portfolio in the Asia and Pacific region. It ensures that country priorities are in alignment with the UN-Habitat’s organizational policies and strategic objectives and brings through its Regional Representative to the attention of the Executive Management Committee (EMC) opportunities and challenges in the region, allowing for timely feedback and responses to urgent demands and requests from the Member States.

Since 1992, UN-Habitat has worked closely with Afghan communities, contributing to the physical and social reconstruction of the country. Our work has focused on the development of urban policies and regulations; strategic urban planning; increasing municipal revenue; establishing community-based organizations; addressing the land and housing needs of IDPs and returnees and contributing to the provision of basic urban services.

Several IDPs and returnees live in substandard shelters that provide limited or no protection from the elements and expose them to heightening protection risks. Some of the most vulnerable families live under these shelter conditions as a coping strategy during resettlement caused due to armed conflict or following a natural disaster while others remain for a longer time. While most of these shelter conditions can be found in Informal Settlements, conflict-affected areas, and areas prone to natural disasters, assessments have shown that those in the communities also live in similar conditions. While the humanitarian assistance measures continue to provide short-term immediate shelter response in the form of cash for rent and the standard emergency shelter kits, minimum support is being provided to those living in poor shelter conditions until a medium-term or durable solution is found. Families living in these conditions are very vulnerable: often insufficiently protected from the physical and environmental elements, with no privacy due to overcrowding and no ability to close a door to keep the family safe at night. This is a particular shelter and protection concern, especially for vulnerable families, should be addressed with shelter action.

To address these pressing needs, early identification of funds to support winterization activities and preparedness is pivotal. This allows partners to strategically plan and acquire winter items before heavy snowfall cuts off certain parts of the country from critical supply routes. A swift response to these needs will not only alleviate the adoption of negative coping mechanisms but also significantly reduce occurrences of respiratory infections, hypothermia, and, in some cases, even preventable deaths – especially among children.

The proposed action enables protection and durable solutions for shelter through the repair and construction of shelters that are damaged due to conflict or natural disasters. The actions proposed are in line with the Emergency Shelter/Non-Food Item (ES/NFI) Cluster’s 2022 strategy, projected need under the 2023 HRP, and 2023 1st Allocation strategy.

The incumbent will support implementation of the Provision of shelter repair support &seasonal winter assistance to vulnerable households affected by recent floods in Kunar province. Project  to ensure that the required outputs are achieved in line with the work plan.

He/She will have the following duties and responsibilities:

• Development of a training manual on community mobilization in line with the People’s Process and Provision of shelter repair support &seasonal winter assistance to vulnerable households affected by recent floods project in Kunar province .
• With Support of Project officer and project Engineer, conducting training for community CDCs and ensure they understand the programme objectives and implementation modality.
• Supporting community (CDC) on documentation process including finance and procurement.
• Develop a system for quality assurance of community-based initiatives of the sub project.
• Support project engineer and project GIS associate to implement technical Sheter activities in the project area.
• Monitor and ensure that community consultation, meetings, trainings, demonstration activities, area mapping, community action, hazard mapping plan and capacity building of the community are done on a timely basis as per the agreed standards.
• Identifying the social related issues in the project area and providing the possible solutions to the field teams.
• Discuss project activities regularly with local communities (CDCs) and beneficiares and receive their feedback on the activities.
• Maintain good liaison with the local authority’s district level, project partners and communities.
• Conduct regular field surveys and assessments; map information and ensure documentation.
• Identify and document good practices/lessons learned; bring to the attention of project officer and recommend solutions.
• Prepare weekly monitoring reports based on standard formats for submission to the project officer.
• Prepare monthly progress reports on community mobilization and training submission to project officer.
• Ensure adherence to UN-Habitat operational policies, procedures and standards of conduct.
• Perform any other task assigned by the supervisor(s).

Work implies frequent interaction with the following:

• The Social Mobilizer will be reporting on a day-to-day basis to the project officer.
• Close cooperation with Management and Technical team for the implementation of the Shelter programme

Results Expected:

• Communities well informed and sensitized to programme activities.
• Coordination mechanisms established with community-based organizations, and project beneficiaries  and UN-Habitat colleagues.
• Ensure the completion of activities across programmes according to their respective work plans.
• Adequate and timely assistance as detailed my management and which my change in response to emerging need and programme priorities.

High School Certificate with minimum 3 years’ relevant experience in social mobilization and community development programs with displaced Afghans.

b)   Experience: 

• Experience in working in shelter project implementation with IDPs and returnees.
• Experience in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and housing (shelter) assistance and community mobilization is preferred.
• Expertise in monitoring and reporting systems.
• Knowledge of UN rules and regulations is an advantage.
• Good knowledge of MS-Office applications.
• Knowledge of local area and community is essential.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

c) Language:

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English and Local/National Language of the duty station is required.

d) Other:

Build support with national counterparts, during the programme period; Ensure high-quality and timely achievement of relevant activities and targets; Support capacity development efforts with programme partners for the required components; Support UN-Habitat’s contribution to multi-stakeholder national coordination and advocacy forums; Support ‘learning by doing’ capacity development efforts throughout the programme period with programme partners for improving local safety and security, especially for women, youth and marginalized urban groups; Support coordination with other partners’ programmes in target cities.