Project Management Support Specialist (Liaison)

Dutystation: Kabul, Afghanistan

Functional responsibilities

• Assessment and mapping of the DFA relevant offices and representatives as well as other relevant stakeholders. Share such knowledge with PM and team to enable them understanding what information can be found and where, and what level of accuracy should be expected,
• Navigate the above mentioned DFA organizational structure in order to collect the necessary information (documentation, records, and any other source of information) and share it with the rest of the team,
• Advise the project team how to build collaborative connections with DFA representatives that will facilitate and support the project implementation,
• Work with the Deputy Project Manager advising and sharing experience (in coordination with stakeholder in order to produce appropriate plans and strategies necessary for the implementation of the project,
• Advise the project team about risks that might affect the project implementation,
• Monitoring of progress of any interaction and communication between UNOPS and stakeholders and across stakeholders including DFA. Proactive follow up with DFA and other project stakeholders if/when any blockage materializes in the process of communications and or exchange of data and information.
• Contribute to the creation of alternative means of verification and collection of data and documents to support the process of resolving the pending claims,
• When necessary, lead and or assist in the interactions between technical teams and relevant DFA stakeholders so to act as facilitator and drive smooth interaction
• When agreed with the PM, manage, supervise and delegate the tasks to the other liaison officers personnel in order to carry out coordination and facilitation activities (especially when coordination with local community members is needed)
• Support in interpretation of data collected in order to contextualize them and avoid misunderstanding
• Participate in negotiation meetings with the role of facilitating communication across teams (tech teams, contractors-suppliers-private sector, etc) for a productive discussion over the claims mentioned in the paragraph “Project information” hereinabove
• Collaborate with the team in the crafting of reasonable and just (sensible) agreement scenarios
• Contribute to the design and implementation of a communication strategy ( advise on how to properly explain the project aim, challenges, and positive impact) to create a collaborative environment with the various stakeholders

Education/Experience/Language requirements

a. Education

• Bachelor’s degree preferably in political science, economics, law, engineering, international development or other relevant fields is required

• Master’s Degree in a relevant field is desirable and may substitute for 2 of the required years of experience.

b. Work Experience

Required:

• Minimum of 5 years relevant experience in stakeholders management, government relations, planning or project / programme management involving government counterparts

• Within these 5 years:

• a minimum of 3 years working in roles related to management of partnerships, negotiation or conflict resolution

• A minimum 1 year interacting with DFA structures, and 4 years with government structures, formally and informally

• A minimum of 4 years of experience in roles that required management and or general knowledge of functioning systems, procedures and informal practices of the Afghanistan government/DFA

Strongly Desired:

• Experience in management of government projects / programmes in infrastructures and procurement

• Experience within the international development and/or humanitarian sector

• Experience in preparing and delivering presentations

• Project management of infrastructure and / or procurement projects experience

• Experience in roles that required analytical skills; resourcefulness, initiative, maturity of judgment

c. Languages

• Fluency in written and spoken English required

• Fluency in written and spoken Dari and Pashto required