Programme Management Support Officer

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations. 

 The Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP). It provides Services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

UNOPS has signed a Global Agreement with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to operationally support the implementation of their mandate through the provision of Human Resources services.

 The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), an office under the UN Secretariat, was established in 1997 to assist member states in their efforts to combat illicit drugs, crime, and terrorism, and is one of the partners under UNTSS. 

Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, UNODC operates globally to support the development and implementation of policies and programmes that address a wide range of issues, including drug trafficking and abuse, organized crime, corruption, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, cybercrime, and terrorism prevention. Through research, policy advice, capacity-building, and technical assistance, UNODC works to strengthen justice systems, promote international cooperation, and uphold the rule of law and human rights in the fight against transnational threats.

UNODC in Afghanistan operates to identify and address aspects of the drug and crime situation in the country. This is done through evidence-based advocacy in the policy arena; providing reliable information on opium poppy cultivation, production, prices, and drug users; and through implementation in the field by providing effective alternative livelihoods to farmers dependent on poppy cultivation as well as drug demand and harm reduction support to people affected by drug dependence. Afghanistan has long been a major source of illicit opium production, making UNODC's work particularly important for both national and regional stability.

UNODC's Alternative Development (AD) Programme aims to prevent resumption of illicit crop cultivation, crime prevention and prevention of illegal migration/ Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) as well as Trafficking in Persons (TIP) of members of farming communities due to lack of alternative livelihoods. 

The programme supports rural communities affected by poppy cultivation with capacity building support through training; exposure visits; exchange programmes; provision of tools and equipment; distribution of quality seeds and fertilizer; installation of improved irrigation systems; and marketing support.

The UNODC AD Programme is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly as a key instrument for addressing illicit drug cultivation and promoting sustainable livelihoods in drug-producing countries through UNGA Resolution 68/196 (2013) and the UN Guiding Principles on AD, which designate UNODC as the principal UN entity providing policy, technical, and operational support in this area. The UNODC AD Programme offers an integrated platform that bridges UNODC's normative, research, and operational mandates. Through evidence generated from illicit-crop monitoring, socioeconomic assessments, and livelihood analyses, the programme designs targeted interventions that address the root causes of illicit crop cultivation.

UNODC’s AD Programme in Afghanistan operates as part of the broader United Nations Country Team (UNCT) response and is coordinated within the UN’s strategic planning and development architecture for Afghanistan. 

Furthermore, it complements the comparative advantages of other UN agencies by serving as a nexus between counter-narcotics objectives and rural development, food security, economic recovery, gender equality, and climate resilience efforts under the broader UN Country Team response in Afghanistan.

Under the overall supervision of the UNODC Representative and under the direct supervision of head of AD programme, the Programme Management Support Officer will support the implementation of UNODC's AD Programme in Afghanistan, particularly contributing to market development, trade promotion, certification, and private sector engagement. 

The Programme Management Support Officer provides technical support for the implementation of project activities related to market development, trade promotion, certification, and private sector engagement. The incumbent contributes to strengthening value chains, facilitating market access, supporting certification processes such as ISO and organic certification, and fostering partnerships with stakeholders in compliance with UNODC standards and procedures.

• Support the AD Project Management Office (PMO) Specialist and project team in the planning, design, and implementation of programme activities related to market development, trade promotion, certification, and private sector engagement at national and sub-national levels.
• Assist in the development and implementation of annual work plans to ensure timely delivery of project outputs.
• Support the preparation of community-based AD project concepts, proposals, and interventions in close consultation with target communities and relevant stakeholders.
• Contribute to market assessments and value chain analyses studies to identify market opportunities, constraints, and potential interventions for programme beneficiaries.
• Facilitate the establishment of market linkages between input suppliers, producers, cooperatives, traders, exporters, Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) and Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI) and other relevant stakeholders.
• Support business and product development, branding, packaging, quality assurance, certification, marketing, and compliance with national and international market standards.
• Work with certification bodies for acquiring certificates for the target SMEs and with financial institutions, business development service providers, and trade promotion organizations to facilitate sustainable business opportunities and market access.
• Monitor project implementation activities, ensuring compliance with project objectives, work plans, donor requirements, and UNODC policies and procedures.
• Contribute to the preparation of technical reports, progress reports, quarterly reports, annual reports, donor updates, briefing notes, lessons learned, case studies, success stories, and other programme documentation.
• Participate in coordination meetings, stakeholder consultations, workshops, training events, and joint UN or partner missions as required.
• Undertake regular field visits and travel to project locations for monitoring, beneficiary consultations, market assessments, and evaluation purposes.
• Maintain effective working relationships with counterparts, community representatives, development partners, private sector stakeholders, and implementing partners.
• Promote gender-responsive, inclusive, and sustainable approaches across all AD market related interventions.

• Performs other duties as may be reasonably required and in line with the incumbent's scope of services above