UNV Gender Advisor in Afghanistan

UN VOLUNTEER DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT AFGR001312--Gender Advisor The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.In most cultures volunteerism is deeply embedded in long- established, ancient traditions of sharing and support within the communities. In this context, UN Volunteers take part in various forms of volunteerism and play a role in development and peace together with co-workers, host agencies and local communities.In all assignments, UN Volunteers promote volunteerism through their action and conduct. Engaging in volunteer activity can effectively and positively enrich their understanding of local and social realities, as well as create a bridge between themselves and the people in their host community. This will make the time they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive.

General Information

Country of Assignment Afghanistan

Host Institute United Nations Development Programme

Volunteer Category International Specialist

Number of Volunteer 1

Duration Until 31-07-2019

Expected Starting Date Immediate

Duty Station Kabul [AFG]

Assignment Place Non-Family Duty station

Assignment Place Remark

Afghanistan is a non family duty station

Living Conditions

Afghanistan is a hardship duty station with a volatile security. Living and working conditions for UN volunteers in UNAMA and UNDP are similar to the living conditions of all other internationally recruited staff members. UN volunteers are provided with safe

accommodation in an extensive compound in Kabul with good infrastructure and amenities. The UN has two com- pounds in Kabul: Compound Alpha, and UNOCA (UN Operational Complex in Afghanistan) the largest one.

The UNDP office is located at the UNOCA compound on Jalalabad Road, at some distance from central Kabul.

Generally speaking stringent security measures are in place throughout the country and UN volunteers as other UN staff, are quite limited in all Afghan duty stations when it comes to movement, walking virtually not allowed. The movement is done inside the “green box” (only) only in armored vehicles driven by national qualified UN drivers. Many places are off limits (including restaurants).

There is also a curfew throughout the country, generally from 11pm to 5:30am but this can very between duty stations. UN staff in Afghanistan, including volunteers, are not permitted to walk in the streets or shop in Kabul.

13 Jun 2018 Page 1 of 6 UNV volunteers serving in Afghanistan must be prepared to endure the challenges associated with a post-conflict environment. Afghanistan is a non-family duty station and accommodation is limited to selected UN approved, MORSS+ compliant premises

(MORSS = UN Minimum Operating Residential Security Standards). The UNDP Security section provides these guide- lines during

the initial security briefing upon arrival in the mission area.

Upon arrival, volunteers are accommodated at the UNV/UNDP designated accommodations within the UNOCA which may be in

containers. These accommodations are furnished with basic necessities. Accommodation costs in these high-security residential

facilities can be high. Volunteers may or may not have access to cooking facilities in their residence and may have to rely on

canteens / food service facilities located within their residences.

Inside the UNOCA compound are two cafeterias, a restaurant, a “Superette” and 3 small shops which provide a variety of imported

canned and frozen food on offer. There is a Fresh vegeta- ble market daily. There is also a social center, a gym hall and a small

library with books and DVDs, run by the welfare Office, within the same compound.

In the provinces, the situation is different where UN personnel are confined to guess houses; in most of the regions, both electricity

and water are readily available, although water can sometimes run low as a result of severe droughts in the last couple of years.

Most guesthouses have secured water (e.g. through a well in the compound) and generators in the event of power failure.

Some degree of medical service is provided in all UN duty stations in Afghanistan. There is a UN clinic in UNAMA/UNOCA complex

and access is granted in Kabul to other private inter- national clinics.

Most products/staples are common in the markets e.g. rice, meat, vegetables, cooking oil, salt etc. UNOCA has a minimarket where

basic goods can be bought also. There are also a num- ber of UN cleared supermarkets in Kabul, in Jalalabad, and in Mazar-I-

Sharif.

Contact with and outreach to the local community is usually limited. As mentioned many places are off-limits and the choice of

recreational facilities are very poor. For all these rea-sons, bring a stock of books, DVDs/VCDs, computer games, etc., is highly

recommended.

Living allowances are paid in US$ at the end of each month, but bank transfers by UNDP to accounts abroad are possible. There

are several Western Union money transfer offices in Ka- bul and two other international banks are operating downtown as well as in

the UNOCA com- pound.

Summer in Afghanistan is hot and dry but winter is the opposite – cold and wet. Therefore, both summer and winter clothing and

comfortable boots with insulation are necessary. Most common consumer articles are available in Kabul (and in the regions).

Afghanistan is a unique country and UNAMA is a unique UN mission. It requires more stamina, commitment, and flexibility than

elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in hazardous

and harsh conditions involving physical hardship and little comfort are absolutely essential.

Assignment Details

Assignment Title Gender Advisor

Organizational Context & Project Description

The UN Electoral Support Project (UNESP) is the international community’s programming vehicle to support the next elections in

Afghanistan, including the parliamentary and district council elections announced by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) for

20 October 2018. The project has two overall objectives – 1) to build the capacity of the Afghan electoral institutions (the

Independent Elections Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission) to implement elections in line with the national

electoral legal framework and Afghanistan’s international commitments; 2) to allow a programming mechanism for the international

community to partially finance the elections as per the request of the Government of Afghanistan. The project follows previous UN

projects in support of the Afghan electoral process, most notably the Enhancing Legal and Electoral Capacity for Tomorrow (ELECT)

projects, from 2006-2011 (ELECT I) and 2012-2015 (ELECT II), and the UNDP Project Initiation Plan that is in place since July 2015

– October 2017. The UNESP places the UN’s electoral support to Afghanistan directly under the political and supervisory oversight

of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and reflects the growing sustainability of the Afghan electoral process, as

evidenced by the Government of Afghanistan’s financial commitment to both electoral institutions, and the provision of significant in-

13 Jun 2018 Page 2 of 6 kind support to the implementation of elections. The Project Board, under the overall political guidance of the UNAMA Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Political, will be co-chaired by UNAMA DSRSG for Political and the

Chairpersons of the IEC and ECC or their delegates. It will be comprised of all key stakeholders to oversee and approve UNESP’s

budget, annual work plans and policy in support of the Afghan electoral institutions. Project implementation support will be provided

by the UNDP Country Office, reporting, on fiduciary and operational matters, to the UNAMA Deputy Special Representative of the

Secretary-General for Development/ UN Resident Coordinator/ UNDP Resident Representative through the UNDP Country Director.

Along with support to both electoral institutions, UNESP will also support Afghan civil society’s civic and voter education and

observation efforts to enhance the quality and quantity of participation in the electoral process. Overall, the project will have five

outputs: (i) administration of credible elections is facilitated by the meeting of key IEC structural and planning milestones; (ii) credible

electoral dispute resolution is provided by the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) (iii) public outreach (along with support to

civil society) to encourage citizen engagement in the electoral process. (iv) a polling center specific voter list for the upcoming

elections is produced by the IEC. (v) the IEC and ECC provide credible administration of and electoral dispute resolution for the

Wolesi Jirga and District Council elections, respectively. Mainstreaming of gender throughout the project is evident in key output

indicators related to women’s participation in all three project outputs, reflecting the importance that UNESP places on increasing the

position of women in Afghan electoral and political life. The project also aims at supporting the EMBs in strengthening integrity of the

electoral process by enhancing accountability of responsible actors and supporting the implementation of electoral fraud mitigation

mechanisms. Assisting the EMBs to implement measures to increase public confidence in election and democracy will be

mainstreamed through the electoral assistance provided.

Sustainable Development Goals 16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UNV Focus Area Securing access to basic social services

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Communication and Outreach Advisor the International UNV will undertake the following tasks:

Assistance to the assessment of the existing situation with a view to determine needs and considerations necessary in

developing a comprehensive strategy for gender mainstreaming in the field of electoral affairs;

Assistance to ensuring that gender issues are taking into consideration in the design and implementation of all aspects of

capacity and needs assessments and planning.

Advise in developing a mid and long-term comprehensive gender strategy for the IEC, based on this assessment and other

available information and input;

Supporting the IEC in planning, preparing and implementing capacity development activities for staff at headquarters and

provincial offices;

Supporting the IEC in planning and organizing workshops/seminars for all stakeholders, surrounding the inclusion of women

in electoral activities;

Providing advice to the Commission on international best practices, legal and international human rights and equal

opportunity employment standards, which should reflect gender equitable principles and practices, pertaining to electoral

management bodies;

Identifying ways to promote the full participation of women in decision-making, with particular regard to electoral activities;

Advise in mainstreaming gender concerns within IEC policies and programmes, including external relations and outreach;

Providing advice on and support to strategies for the IEC to increase women’s participation in the electoral process and

administration;

Assist and mentor capacity development of the IEC Gender Unit staff;

Collecting and analysing data on women as stakeholders in the electoral process;

Advise the IEC on cooperation with government institutions, CSO and women’s networks working on relevant for the

empowerment of women;

Advise on how IEC and the ELECT II project can cooperate with other UN agencies in support of women in order to achieve

synergies and increase impact;

Contributes to ELECT II regular reporting and documents ELECT II capacity building support for best practice knowledge

sharing;

S/He will work closely with the IEC Gender Unit;

Perform any other tasks as assigned by the supervisor.

13 Jun 2018 Page 3 of 6 Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:- Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International

Volunteer Day)- Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country- Provide annual

and end of assignment reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities using UNV’s Volunteer Reporting Application-

Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.-

Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers- Promote or advise local groups in the use of online

volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever

technically possible.

Results/Expected Outputs

. Results/Expected Outputs:

Key results will affect the overall efficiency of the electoral support project in supporting gender-equitable strategy

development; developing IEC staff and institutional capacity; providing accurate, thoroughly researched and documented

electoral advice; and enhancing the credibility of the UNDP in contributing to gender equitable conditions for the holding of

elections.

The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including

supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs);

Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout

the assignment

A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting

on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

• The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including

supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counter-parts, including Implementing Partners (IPs); • Age, Gender and Diversity

(AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment • A final

statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development dur-ing the assignment, such as reporting on the

number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

Qualifications/Requirements

Required Degree Level Master degree or equivalent

Education - Additional Comments

Master degree or equivalent in Gender/women Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Social Welfare, Development Studies, law or

a related field, with a focus on International Development, Gender or Human Rights

Required experience 36 months

Experience Remark

Minimum 3 years of experience in electoral process and gender mainstreaming, and well experienced in needs assessment

planning and implementation; Diversified and progressively responsible professional experience in Gender and Human Rights

or International Development, specifically related to the promotion of gender equality and women's empowerment, including

considerable experience dealing with policy makers and senior technical specialists; Good understanding of the various

stages of the electoral process [candidate nomination, code of conduct, accreditation of candidate and party agents, public

outreach, voter education, training etc.] and the electoral management body’s mandate; Previous experience in Afghanistan

or other Islamic countries is an asset.

Language Skills

English (Mandatory) , Level - Fluent

13 Jun 2018 Page 4 of 6 Area of Expertise

Gender equality and the advancement of women Mandatory

Area of Expertise Requirement

Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, Access, Graphic Design etc.);

Previous work experience in Afghanistan is an asset; including knowledge of Afghanistan’s culture, tradition and Islamic

context certainly an advantage;

Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment with sound understanding and capability to empower and develop the capacity

of national counterparts;

Knowledge of cultural and traditional values and norms within an Islamic country context is advantageous;

Excellent interpersonal skills and excellent command of oral and written English.

Need Driving Licence No

Competencies & Values

Accountability

Communication

Working in Teams

Conditions of Service and other information

Condition of Service Click here to view Conditions of Service

Conditions of Service for International Specialist:

The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and

satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.

A UN Volunteer receives a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) which is composed of the Monthly Living Allowance (MLA) and a Family

Allowance (FA) for those with dependents (maximum three).

The Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) is paid at the end of each month to cover housing, utilities, transportation, communications and

other basic needs. The VLA can be computed by applying the Post-Adjustment Multiplier (PAM) to the VLA base rate of US$ 1,602. The

VLA base rate is a global rate across the world, while the PAM is duty station/country-specific and fluctuates on a monthly basis

according to the cost of living. This method ensures that international UN Volunteers have comparable purchasing power at all duty

stations irrespective of varying costs of living. The PAM is established by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) and is

published at the beginning of every month on the ICSC website http://icsc.un.org.

For UN Volunteer entitlements, kindly refer to the link Calculator

13 Jun 2018 Page 5 of 6 In non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC, international UN Volunteers receive a Well-Being Differential (WBD) on a monthly basis.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are provided a settling-in-grant (SIG) at the start of the assignment (if the volunteer did not reside in the

duty station for at least 6 months prior to taking up the assignment) and in the event of a permanent reassignment to another duty

station.

UNV provides life, health, permanent disability insurances as well as assignment travel, annual leave, full integration in the UN security

framework (including residential security reimbursements).

UN Volunteers are paid Daily Subsistence Allowance at the UN rate for official travels, flight tickets for periodic home visit and for the final

repatriation travel (if applicable). Resettlement allowance is paid for satisfactory service at the end of the assignment.

UNV will provide, together with the offer of assignment, a copy of the Conditions of Service, including Code of conduct, to the successful

candidate.

Application Code AFGR001312-2857

Application procedure

* Not yet registered in the UNV Talent Pool?

Please first register your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/signup. Important: After creating your account, complete all sections

of your profile and submit it. Then go to ‘My Page’ at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the ‘Special Calls’ hyperlink.

Lastly, select the special call to which you would like to apply.

* Already registered in the UNV Talent Pool?

Please first update your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/profile. Then go to ‘My Page’ at

https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the ‘Special Calls’ hyperlink to select the special call to which you would like to

apply.

Application deadline: 20 June 2018

Disclaimer

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme which welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are

committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture.

13 Jun 2018 Page 6 of 6