Head of Programs

About ACBAR:

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 efficiently coordinate assistance and delivery of services. With its main office in Kabul since 2002, ACBAR brings together 183 National and International NGOs working in in all sectors of humanitarian assistance and development in Afghanistan. Its activities focus heavily on information to its members and the aid community in general, coordination of activities at the national and regional levels, and advocacy on issues affecting the work of its members 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. The members are the drive behind ACBAR, and their active participation is essential to ACBAR’s continued dynamism.

Job Description:

RESPONSIBILITY SUMMARY

The Head of Programs (HoP) reporting to the Director, is based in ACBAR’s Kabul Main Office and is part of the Senior Management Team (SMT). As part of the SMT, the HoP provides leadership and oversight for the design and implementation of ACBAR’s development and humanitarian programs including meeting with donors. Key components of this position are report writing, budget preparation, data collection and analysis with the assistance of MEAL, and ability to capacitate local NGOs through mentoring, training, and policy development. The HoP manages, oversees, and coordinates programmatic issues, in both quality and delivery. Additionally, the PM will be responsible for work plans, databases, theory of change, logistical framework, newsletters, risk assessment, and research. The Twinning Programme requires coordination with UNOCHA-AHF and humanitarian clusters. Most of the work performed is in the Kabul Main Office with the direct management of Twinning Department staff. The below responsibilities are not exhaustive; other tasks may be required according to changing operational and contextual needs.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Overall Management

• Ensure high quality program implementation in accordance with donors and ACBAR requirements as agreed for reporting, logframe indicators, budget, risk registers, theory of change, and work plans.
• Coordinate and implement all program activities to meet expected quality standards in a timely manner; activities include, but are not limited to, identification of training needs and delivery of training; coordination of Advisor/NNGO twinning partners’ mentoring and activities; field visits; and assessments.
• Liaise with Finance Department, donors, and management to ensure that project activities and expenses are regularly monitored, that financial reports are reviewed and submitted, and that contract revision requests are submitted and processed.
• Coordinate documentation, data collection, and review with MEAL of all programs to monitor program progress, identify, and address any potential problems.
• Review and implement ACBAR Gender activities to include policy review for ACBAR and partners, participate in PSEA Task Force and other gender initiatives.
• Coordinate with and assist the Accountability to Affected Populations Working Group and related staff as needed.
• Work with the Advocacy and Communications Manager so that ACBAR programs are well documented and promoted, and that the institutional memory of ACBAR is preserved.
• Ensure that risks to staffs, partners, assets, and programs are mitigated through carefully planned and applied mitigation.
• Guarantee that ACBAR’S mandate, values, and policies are reflected throughout all activity implementations.
• Manage the Twinning Department staffs of Remote Managers including Gender Specialist/RM, Civil Society Officer, Twinning Program Assistant, and additional staff as assigned.
• Serve as a member of the Senior Management Team, and work as Officer-in-Charge, as necessary.

Reporting

• Write program technical narrative reports, financial reports, newsletters, and program documentation to include logframe and risk matrix updates for donors in British or American English as required.
• Ensure information accuracy and quality in program documents and assist other ACBAR departments with review and editing.
• Ensure reporting deadlines to donors are met, including allotment of sufficient time for the Director to review and comment on reports.
• Ensure that program kick-off, close-out, and quarterly review meetings are conducted according to requirements, documented, and action points followed up in a timely manner.
• Ensure key lessons learned from programs are incorporated in reports, new project proposals, and documents as needed.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

• Oversee program staff data collection, provide mentoring, database review prior to verification by MEAL.
• Collaborate with MEAL and management on program design of logframe and databases, assist with data collection, review data, and make recommended modifications to databases and logframe with donor approval based on data evaluation.
• Schedule MEAL review of all necessary documents and data.
• Work with the MEAL staff regarding project monitoring and evaluation; ensuring integrity and verification of data.

Representation and Coordination

• Liaise with UNOCHA-AHF on national NGO Due Diligence and Capacity Assessments, identifying training and mentoring needs for Twinning Programme partners.
• Participate as relevant in coordination mechanisms in Kabul and the regions; ensure program staff are participating in designated cluster coordination.
• Ensure ACBAR’s program 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.

Strategy and Policy

• Support the Director in drafting, promoting, and rolling out of strategic planning documents including ensuring proper understanding of these documents by relevant actors (e.g., members, staff members, partners, authorities, and donors).
• Ensure regular and critical review of the strategic and action plans with the Director.
• Follow-up on the action plan and report against its indicators.
• Review, update, and ensure implementation of policies for ACBAR and program partners as agreed.

Donor Relations and Funding

• Represent ACBAR with partners, authorities, and donor entities with the Director, develop a strong relationship with donors to ensure predictable funding for all ACBAR programs.
• Monitor developments in funding opportunities and determine strategic opportunities.
• Work with relevant staff to design and implement fundraising strategies in coordination with the Director, so that ACBAR’s programs are adequately financed.
• Ensure that high quality, integrated, and needs-based proposals are developed and according to ACBAR priorities as identified in its strategic planning.
• Review of programs and ACBARS risk matrixes to meet due diligence and provide response, feedback, and comments on time.

Administration

• Collaborate with the Director and Head of Administration to develop policies, such as for staff development.
• Review and approve official documents as signatory (contracts, payments, purchase orders) within approved parameters and in compliance with ACBAR’s and donor’s rules and regulations, and Afghan law.
• Provide appropriate and timely feedback to program staff regarding their performance, including annual staff performance appraisals. Identify with program staff their needs and opportunities for professional development.
• Assist in developing job descriptions and in the recruitment of senior program staff (national and international).
• Carry out staff Annual Appraisal Performance for the direct reporter and prepare training need assessment for staff capacity building.

Job Requirements:

• Minimum Master’s degree in political science, social sciences, development studies, public administration, or other relevant field of study.
• Minimum of eight years professional track record of overseas work experience with an NGO – including at least six years at program manager level or above, preferred experience in humanitarian work, prior experience in Afghanistan, and insecure environments.
• Excellent writing and verbal skills in English for reports, program, and other documentation.
• Extensive MEAL knowledge and experience with databases and data management, including conducting surveys/assessments, analyzing, and presenting data.
• Demonstrated ability with grants management, including project design, budget preparation, expenditure tracking, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, and supervision.
• Ability to think strategically, prioritize, and meet deadlines in a complex and challenging environment; must be culturally sensitive.
• Experience of managing budgets and multiple donor grants/contracts, including UNOCHA pooled funds, UN agencies, FCDO and other large donors.
• Able to work under pressure and in unpredictable security conditions; preferred experience working in a complex, fragile environment.
• Outstanding networking and interpersonal skills with different cultures.
• Exhibit a strong work ethic with a high degree of flexibility with respect to working hours; ability to effectively plan and manage own time.
• Ability to primarily live and work in Kabul, and to occasionally travel to meet with partners for assessments, training, and activities, or to visit ACBAR regional offices in the provinces under unpredictable security conditions.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. ACBAR strongly encourages applications from qualified women.

Start Date: Preferably 15 April 2023 or before.

How to apply

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 along with writing samples answering the following:

Question:# 1. Describe your experience with, or understanding of, designing a humanitarian program component delivering training to beneficiaries in a conflict environment.

Question:# 2. Write briefly about your best and worst program implementation experiences including details of what made the implementation of the program successful, how problems were resolved, and lessons learned.

Please follow instructions carefully and submit your application (i.e., cover letter, CV, and writing samples) as one document either in Word or pdf format to [email protected] with Head of Programs in the subject line no later than 6 March, 2023.Please do not submit any written recommendations or training certificates as part of your application. Any applications emailed directly to individual ACBAR staffs will not be considered.

Because applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and this position may be filled prior to the closing date, please send submissions as soon as possible.

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please contact [email protected].

Submission Email:

[email protected]