Tiered Approach
In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:
- Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
- Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
- Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
- Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates
Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.
Background
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to tackle the injustices of poverty, inequality, and climate change on a global scale. Working with our broad network of experts, host governments and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and 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.
Following the power shift in August 2021, the situation for the country remains largely uncertain and fragile, with approximately seventy percent of the population facing multifaceted vulnerabilities affecting their well-being, human security and long-term development while nearly a third of the population are estimated to be acutely food insecure. Over the recent years, international assistance has played a vital role in averting a socioeconomic collapse by providing lifesaving, resilience-building and livelihoods-sustaining assistance to millions of people, hundreds of critical healthcare and educational centres, and tens of thousands of small and medium enterprises, often owned and managed by women. Nevertheless, the humanitarian challenge in Afghanistan is one of the biggest in the world, and basic human needs and priorities remain extremely high. In 2024, 95 percent of households experienced at least one shock of an economic or natural disaster nature such as floods, droughts and others.
To help tackle the pressing challenges for enduring livelihoods and climate resilience, UNDP is designing fit-for-purpose portfolios of programs to create new livelihoods, income opportunities, basic services and to build resilience against climate-induced natural calamities that continue to haunt millions of households in the country.
Afghanistan remains one of the most gender-unequal countries in the world, with women facing systemic challenges hindering their access to education and employment opportunities in the public sector and restricting their participation in public life. UNDP remains committed to women's empowerment through capacity-building initiatives, livelihoods and self-employment/employment support, enhancing gender-responsive decision-making at community level, and supporting local communities to include women, in line with UNSCR 1325 (Women, Peace, and Security).
Energy poverty significantly impacts the quality of life for both men and women, affecting health, employment, and access to basic services. Afghanistan faces a critical energy supply shortage, with demand far exceeding supply. The transmission and distribution grid is unreliable, leading to frequent outages. Many provinces rely on costly local diesel generators, limiting access to affordable energy and hindering economic, social, and educational opportunities for the poor and rural residents.
To address these challenges, the Federal Republic of Germany has funded the project “Sustainable Energy Services for Education and Health in Afghanistan (SESEHA)” through KfW, Germany’s State-owned Investment and Development Bank. The key objective of the project SESEHA is adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in public facilities (primarily in health and education sectors) for sustained delivery of essential services for basic human needs in Afghanistan.
This project aligns with UNDP’s energy solutions and the UN’s Strategic Framework for Afghanistan 2023-2025, contributing to two key outcomes by the end of 2025:
Outcome 1: More people in Afghanistan, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized, including women and girls have their basic human needs progressively met through the sustained delivery of essential services.
Outcome 2: People in Afghanistan, especially women, youth, and other marginalized groups, and those at risk of being left behind benefit from a more equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient employment-rich economy and shared economic opportunities with enhanced productive capacities for improved livelihoods and decent work.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of the Project Manager, the Project Analyst will support the effective planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and operational management of the SESEHA Project. The incumbent will also lead gender mainstreaming initiatives across project activities and contribute to strengthening project quality, partnerships, and knowledge management.
1. Coordinate project planning and implementation
- Coordinate preparation, implementation and monitoring of Annual Work Plans (AWPs), procurement plans and implementation schedules.
- Monitor implementation progress against approved work plans, budgets and project results framework.
- Ensure project implementation complies with UNDP POPP, Quantum procedures and donor requirements.
- Support the Project Manager in identifying implementation bottlenecks and recommending corrective actions.
2. Coordinate project operations and financial management
- Monitor project budget utilization, delivery rates and expenditure trends.
- Coordinate budget revisions and work planning exercises.
- Coordinate procurement planning and monitor implementation of procurement activities.
- Liaise with Country Office Operations units on finance, procurement, human resources, travel and logistics.
- Monitor contracts of project personnel, consultants and service providers.
- Maintain accurate project documentation and ensure compliance with internal control procedures.
3. Lead gender mainstreaming and social inclusion
- Lead implementation of the SESEHA Gender Action Plan and ensure gender commitments are integrated throughout project implementation.
- Provide technical guidance to project staff, contractors and partners on gender-responsive programming.
- Coordinate collection, analysis and reporting of sex-disaggregated data and gender indicators.
- Develop gender-responsive tools, guidance notes and capacity-building materials.
- Organize awareness sessions, consultations and capacity-building activities on gender equality, women's empowerment and social inclusion.
- Ensure gender considerations are reflected in procurement, monitoring, reporting and knowledge products.
- Prepare analytical reports on gender results, challenges and recommendations for management and donors.
- Coordinate closely with the UNDP Gender Team and relevant stakeholders to promote good practices and ensure compliance with UNDP gender standards.
4. Monitor and report on progress in implementing project activities and achieving the targets set.
- Contribute to monthly, quarterly, annual, and donor reporting processes, as required.
- Monitor project risks and support implementation of mitigation measures, in accordance with the established quality criteria and UNDP rules, regulations, and standards.
- Support audits, evaluations and donor review missions.
- Maintain project information in Quantum and other corporate systems.
5. Partnership coordination, communication and knowledge management
- Coordinate with counterparts, implementing partners, UN agencies, donors and other stakeholders, as required.
- Provide inputs into the briefing notes, presentations and management reports.
- Document lessons learned, best practices and success stories.
- Support preparation of communication and visibility materials.
- Organize meetings, workshops and stakeholder consultations.
- Support development of project concept notes and resource mobilization initiatives.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation
Institutional Arrangement
The Project Analyst will work under the direct supervision of the SESEHA Project Manager and in close collaboration with the technical, operations, monitoring and communications teams of UNDP Afghanistan. The incumbent will coordinate regularly with implementing partners, contractors, counterparts, donors and the UNDP Gender Team to ensure effective project implementation and delivery of project results.
Competencies
Core Competencies
- 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
Functional and Technical Competencies
Business Direction & Strategy
- System Thinking
- Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
Business Development
- Knowledge Facilitation
- Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange
Business Management
- Project Management
- Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
- Partnerships Management
- Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies
- Communication
- Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels
- Monitoring & Evaluation
- Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results.
- Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming.
- Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks.
- Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
Partnership Management
- Relationship Management
- Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding
Required Skills and Experience
Minimum Education requirements
- Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Development Studies, Gender Studies, Social Sciences, or Project Managemen is required. or
- A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in the areas mentioned above, an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Minimum years of relevant work experience
- Applicants with a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience.
- Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in project management, programme implementation, operations, monitoring and reporting, or development programming.
Desired additional skills and competencies
- Experience working with UNDP or other UN agencies is desired.
- Experience in the preparation, implementation and monitoring of Annual Work Plans (AWPs), procurement plans and implementation schedules is desired.
- Experience supporting donor-funded development projects, especially reporting, audits, and evaluations is desired.
- Experience in using Microsoft Office and web-based ERPs (Quantum or similar) is an asset.
- Experience and good networking abilities and partnership development is desired
Required Language(s)
- Flunecy in in English – both written and oral, is required.
- Fluency in the local language of duty station Dari and/or Pashto, is required
Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Use of AI by candidates
Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection
Scam alert
UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.