Job Detail

1. People In Need (PIN) Afghanistan

PIN is a Czech, non-governmental, non-profit organisation founded on the ideals of humanism, freedom, equality and solidarity. Human dignity and freedom are fundamental values and we believe that people anywhere in the world should have the right to make decisions about their own lives and share the rights expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

People in Need’s Afghanistan country programme started in November 2001, providing emergency food distribution in mountainous areas of the central highlands. 20 years later, the programme has visibly grown and diversified, but continues to promote PIN’s core values: envisioning a world where people are free to make decisions about their lives; a world where people are not restricted by an un-free society, poverty, lack of education or discrimination. Today, we work along the humanitarian and development spectrum, providing immediate aid supporting the most vulnerable in Afghanistan to find long-term solutions to the challenges they face.

2. Background

PIN Afghanistan’s three strategic objectives for the current planning period (2021-2022) are (1) Agency driven, transformative, humanitarian assistance; (2) Making markets work for crisis affected and marginalised communities; and, (3) Harnessing decent, productive and inclusive livelihoods. Under the current evolving context, the CP is focusing efforts under strategic priority 1 and in particular supporting people to have (1) enough to eat, (2) a safe and secure living space that supports their health and well-being, (3) the basic items needed to stay safe and warm, and (4) access to education when the normal structures are no longer available to them. 

PIN has secured an 11 month Educations in Emergencies project funded by the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund. The project will establish temporary learning spaces to 2400 children in crisis affected communities in Kabul providing access to recreational activities, psychosocial support and basic educational course in line with EIEWG standards.

Purpose of the Role

PIN Afghanistan is seeking an experienced Project Manager (PM) to deliver its fall/winter season humanitarian response projects in Wardak Province. The PM will be responsible for a team of up to 30 field staff, delivering assigned projects to time and budget towards the achievement of intended results. The PM will be responsible for implementing projects in line with PIN project management quality standards, proactively managing risks, pre-empting and actively solving problems to ensure the project remains on track and those we support receive their assistance in full and in a dignified and respectful manner. The PM will implement projects in line with Core Humanitarian Standards and PIN policies and procedures, escalating risks and issues to the Program maanger in good time. The selected PM will have strong technical understanding of humanitarian response, cash-based intervention, WASH, nutrition, health, and food security programming, and proven experience successfully delivering cash and agricultural assistance projects in conflict prone areas where access is sometimes a challenge. 

Responsibilities 

The Project Manager is responsible for, but not limited to, the following work areas and duties: 

Core Project Management 

• Ensuring strong and robust set-up of the project, including establishment of clear workplans, risk and issues registers, activity informed budgets and budget forecasts, procurement plans, results tracking tools and clear visibility and communication plans

• Monthly and weekly monitoring and reporting of project progress against workplan, results, budget expenditure and risks, resulting in monthly updates of project management tools 

• Initiating and leading monthly meetings with project support functions to ensure all functions are meeting their obligations to the project in a timely, efficient and effective manner, escalating any issues to the Program Manager 

• Ensure contextualized and project appropriate establishment of Community Feedback and Response Mechanism  

• Timely and efficient project administration as per PIN policies, procedures and systems, including review, tracking and approval of project purchases and payments, ensuring timely procurement of goods and services to meet the projects needs, and gathering information and data to evidence project performance and results achievement  

• Contract management of project suppliers and vendors ensuring quality, timely and compliant delivery of contracted goods and services as per contract terms 

• Proactive escalation of risks and issues to the Program Manager with proposed solutions where available 

• Agile and proactive solving of problems, ensuring that all efforts are made to deliver the project successfully 

• Holding responsibility for the safety and security of the field team, and complying fully and completely with the security advisory and procedures issued by the PIN Afghanistan Security Team, Access Team and Senior Management 

• Reporting immediately any perceived, anticipated or actual security threats immediately to the Access and Safety Manager, Program Manager 

• Accurate and timely reporting of project progress to the donor, in line with donor standards and requirements 

• Effective and efficient management of the project funding contract ensuring the project remains fully compliant at all times

• Maintaining up to date and accurate project documentation as per PIN archiving systems and standards, ensuring full audit compliance and creation of institutional knowledge

• Ensuring strong and robust project close down, ensuring all close-down tasks as per PIN quality standards are completed prior to the end of the PMs contract or within 2 months of the project’s completion

Project Cycle Management 

• With support of expatriate Program Manager, timely registration of the project with the necessary authorities at the National, Provincial and Local levels where appropriate.

• Ensuring communities and local structures’ initial and continued acceptance of PIN, the project, and the project team in programming areas, whilst maintaining adherence to PIN ‘red-lines’ and Core Humanitarian Standards

• Escalating any access or acceptance issued to the Program Manager and Access and Safety Coordinator immediately 

• Ensure needs assessments and beneficiary selection activities adhere to PIN policies, procedures, quality standards and Core Humanitarian Standards and apply principles of protection and accountability to affected persons (AAP) 

• Work with MEAL team in the design of assessments, and timely implementation of assessments, verification, and monitoring activities.

• Ensure distributions and other project activities are carried out in accordance with PIN policies, procedures and quality standards, enhance protection of and accountability to affected persons and all audit-supporting documents are maintained, completed and filed accordingly 

• Ensure proactive, clear and appropriate communications with project stakeholders at all times, ensuring expectations of all are managed sensitively and effectively in order to limit risks to PIN operations and reputation

• Ensuring open and respectful communication and effective management of project partners and sub-contractors/grantees 

• Proactive monitoring of project performance against intended results with support of the MEAL Team, and identifying actions to be taken to ensure the project remains relevant and effective

• Ensure that lessons are being tracked and documented to inform business development and continuous improvement   

Technical Responsibilities 

• Ensure that any sensitization, awareness raising or community engagement activities are supported with quality, technically accurate and accessible materials to ensure meaningful access of marginalized and vulnerable.  

• Ensuring mainstreaming of protection measures through all stages of project delivery and AAP 

• Professional representation of PIN to communities, local authorities and other NGOs 

• Ensure full knowledge and understanding of PIN policies relating to accountability, Code of Conduct, Access principles, data protection, safeguarding and PSEA policies  

Team Management 

• Direct line management of Project Officers, Community Mobilizers Health and Nutrition promoters, Field Officer and Enumerators ensuring resources are allocated effectively and efficiently across project works and any other requirements identified by Programs Unit Management

• Ensure project team’s performance against PIN Code of Conduct, SOPs, project requirements  

• Ensuring proactive, open and transparent communications across the team to foster respectful and inclusive working environment, proactively resolving any team tensions and leading by example  

• Ensuring all team members are fully clear on their individual roles and responsibilities and their obligations to other team members and PIN supportive functions are well known and they understand the dependencies between their work and others’ work to ensure effective delivery and achievement of the project’s objectives.