Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most complex and protracted crises. Afghan women and girls face severe restrictions on their rights and participation in public life, compounded by humanitarian and economic challenges. UN Women Afghanistan remains committed to supporting Afghan women and girls and ensuring their leadership and participation in all response efforts. The Country Office focuses on five programmatic pillars: (1) Integrated Programming and Localization; (2) Women’s Civil Society; (3) Policy and Research; (4) Economic Resilience and Empowerment; and (5) Coordination, Access and Humanitarian Response. The office operates from Kabul with sub-offices in Balkh, Bamyan, Herat, Kandahar, and Nangarhar.

The Programme Management Support Unit (PMSU) supports quality assurance, compliance, and performance monitoring across the Country Office’s programme portfolio. This includes oversight support of programme partner selection and management; monitoring of project implementation and financial delivery; adherence to corporate policies and procedures; and technical support to the management of UN Women corporate systems (including PGAMS, PRISM, and Quantum).

Reporting to the PMSU Manager and under the overall guidance of the Deputy Country Representatives (Programmes and Operations), the Project Management Specialist provides technical leadership and quality assurance to programme units and sub-offices. The role focuses on: Programme partner selection and agreement management; Programme Appraisal Committee (PAC) processes; portfolio (financial) delivery monitoring and performance tracking; technical support of corporate systems (PGAMS, PRISM, Quantum); and development of country-specific checklists, tools, and capacity development.

The position ensures compliance with UN Women policies while strengthening internal systems, risk management, and delivery performance across the Afghanistan Country Office.

Technical Oversight of Programme Partner Selection and Agreements

• Provide technical guidance and substantive quality assurance on programme partner selection, partner agreement amendments, and required documentation in line with UN Women policies and procedures.
• Provide case-specific support on agreement initiation, amendment, risk mitigation, and closure.
• Liaise with Regional Office and Headquarters on policy interpretation or complex cases, as required.

Support Programme Partner Management and Risk Oversight

• Ensure quality assurance and completeness of documentation related to partner management and compliance across the Country Office portfolio, working closely with programme units.
• Provide technical support on programmatic and risk monitoring, including review of monitoring findings, risk-based capacity assessments, and implementation status of partner capacity development plans.
• Advice on management of partner performance, and programme partner risk management.

Manage Local Programme Appraisal Committeee (LPAC) and support to Regional and Global PAC Processes

• Support LPAC Secretary and focal point for Regional/Global PAC process submissions.
• Conduct first-line quality review of submission packages, for both programme partner agreements and donor project documents.
• Organize PAC reviews (meeting or virtual), circulate documentation, and ensure compliance with corporate timelines.
• Draft minutes capturing decisions, conditions, and follow-up actions.
• Monitor implementation of PAC recommendations and report status to management.
• Maintain complete and auditable PAC documentation records.

Support utilization of Corporate Systems (PGAMS, PRISM, Quantum)

• Provide quality assurance of entries in PGAMS, PRISM, and Quantum – including project concept notes, project plans, project budgets, donor awards, and partner agreements.
• Ensure completeness and compliance of system documentation related to partner agreements and donor projects.
• Serve as first-level helpdesk for programme teams.
• Coordinate with Regional Office and Headquarters to resolve system-related issues.

Portfolio Delivery Monitoring and Financial Performance Tracking

• Develop and maintain standardized dashboards and tracking tools to monitor programme and financial delivery across all units and sub-offices.
• Consolidate delivery data, validate accuracy, and present analysis to management.
• Coordinate regular portfolio review meetings and follow up on agreed actions.
• Identify systemic bottlenecks and recommend corrective measures to improve delivery performance.

Development of Guidance, Tools, and Capacity Development

• Adapt and compile step-by-step guidance, templates, and tools tailored to ACO processes on: Donor project initiation and development; Programme partner selection and management; Corporate systems (PGAMS, PRISM, Quantum).
• Identify capacity gaps and design targeted learning sessions.
• Maintain a structured knowledge repository and learning hub.
• Inform staff of updates to corporate policies and procedural changes.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Ability to priorities work, work independently, and to multi-task;
• Ability to administer and keep track of multiple processes and transactions;
• Strong web based management skills;
• Ability to extract, interpret, and present data;
• Risk management affinity. 

Education: 

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, Political Science, Development, Public Administration, Gender, or equivalent is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A project/programme management certification (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) would be an added advantage.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in programme or project management within an international organization or national non-governmental organization, including substantial experience in programme partner management, donor-funded project oversight, and financial delivery monitoring.
• Demonstrated experience in applying organizational policies, procedures, and compliance frameworks to programme partner agreement management and risk oversight processes.
• Experience in financial monitoring, portfolio tracking, and analysis of programme delivery performance required.
• Experience providing technical guidance and capacity development to multi-functional teams is highly desirable.
• Experience working with web-based ERP systems (e.g., Oracle Cloud/Quantum, PRISM, or similar platforms) is highly desirable.
• Experience supporting or managing internal review bodies (such as appraisal committees, grant review panels, compliance committees) is desirable.
• Experience in gender equality, women’s empowerment, or related thematic areas is desirable.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required.
• ⁠Fluency in Dari and/or Pashto is required.

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.