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. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations System efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

Afghanistan is one of the world’s most complex emergencies and the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Afghan people are grappling with the impact of conflict, poverty, economic decline, and natural disasters. In this context, Afghan women and girls face unique vulnerabilities and require urgent support as gender inequality is interwoven with conflict dynamics and humanitarian needs. It is essential that Afghan women and girls can continue to shape the development of their country, and that their gains are protected. UN Women remains fully committed to supporting Afghan women and girls and to putting them at the center of the global response to the crisis in Afghanistan.

UN Women have been in Afghanistan for two decades. UN Women’s programming approach is informed by analysis of the political, economic, and humanitarian situation, risks to and capacities of partner organizations, and needs of Afghan women and girls. UN Women Afghanistan currently has four key program priorities: (1) Gender in Humanitarian Action, (2) Ending Violence Against Women, (3) Women’s Economic Empowerment, and (4) Women, Peace and Security.

Reporting to Programme Management Specialist- EVAW, the Administrative and Finance Consultant works and provides support to the members of the Programme Team in the development and implementation of effective programs consistent with UN Women’s rules and regulations.  The Administrative and Finance Consultant provides program, administrative, and operational assistance to the team for smooth program implementation. S/he works in close collaboration with the operations, program, and projects’ staff in the RO and UN Women HQs as required for resolving complex finance-related issues and exchange of information.

Duties and Responsibilities

Deliverables

1. Provide general financial support to the formulation, implementation management, and monitoring of the EVAW Programme, including support for financial tracking, monitoring of activities, and reporting and liaising with CSO partners:

• Prepare requests for the advance of funds and/or direct payments.
• Support CSOs with the preparation of budgets and financial documents in full compliance with UN Women rules, regulations, policies, and recording and reporting systems.
• create invoices in Quantum, process travel claims, and other supplier’s payments.
• Monitor follow-up on advances to implementing partners and review their financial reports together with the Programme Specialist.
• Undertake corrective actions on un-posted vouchers, including vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, and unapproved vouchers. Provide administrative support, together with the supervisor on Finance Section requests to resolve financial data issues.
• Review and verify financial transactions, activities, and documentation; taking corrective actions as needed and reporting any unusual activities.
• Provide inputs in the formulation of the budget, control allotments, monitor expenditures, and revisions according to the needs of the partnership.
• Maintain a proper record of approved program budgets and budget revisions.
• Monitor budget expenditures and payment tracking.
• Support the setup of the Partner agreement in PGAMS and ensure projects are properly closed in PGAMS

2.  Provide procurement support to the EVAW program for UN Women in Afghanistan

• Provide administrative support in the Procurement process for the projects as requested following the UN Women rules, regulations, and standards.
• Prepare documents for Procurement review committee (PRC) meetings.
• Provide administrative and coordination support procurement actions as required but do not act as Buyer.

3. Provide administrative and operational support to the EVAW Programme for UN Women in Afghanistan

• Provide administrative and coordination, inputs in preparing project documents, work plans, budgets, and proposals on implementation arrangements.
• Draft general administrative and coordination inputs to the team in preparation of narrative reports of the project implementation (quarterly, annual).
• Organize, update, and maintain EVAW-related administrative documents in project files, in hard copy and electronic formats.
• Make travel arrangements including preparation of travel requests, processing of tickets and DSA payments, obtaining security and medical clearances, etc.
• Provide administrative and logistical support in the organization of workshops/ events.
• Liaise with administrative and operations staff from other relevant UN Women teams.

4. Provide finance support to the EVAW Programme

• Prepare non-PO vouchers for EVAW projects;
• Support on the preparation of  budget revisions, revising project awards and status, and tracking unutilized funds;
• Review transactions in Quantum, and ensure payroll, travel claims, supplier’s payment, and other entitlements are processed.
• Administrative support to tracking AWP and expenditure reports.

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy.

Competencies

Core Values: 

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism

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 Core Values and Competencies:

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES: 

• Ability to perform multiple tasks, in a multicultural environment and to deal with confidential matters.
• Ability to manage day-to-day office activities (including but not limited to travel management, facilities and asset management, policy and procedures maintenance) to meet operational needs.
• Ability to review and edit documents, ability to produce meeting reports identifying key actions.
• Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge.
• Ability to evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful manner.
• Ability to identify and prioritize risks and organize actions around mitigating them.
• Good knowledge in the application of complex financial systems and modules (such as Quantum).
• Good knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
• Good knowledge of administrative and financial rules and regulations preferably UN/UN Women Financial Rules and Regulations.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Certification:

• Completion of secondary education required.

• A bachelor’s degree in business, Finance, Public Administration, Economics, politics, or social science or a relevant discipline or a related field is an asset.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible administration, finance, or program experience at the national level is required.
• Experience in the application of financial tools and systems and modules (such as Quantum).
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and ability to use the internet for research.
• Knowledge and experience working in Afghanistan, supporting multiple programs and partners.

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Dari is required.

How to Apply:

• Personal CV or P11 (P11 can be downloaded from:  )
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page)
• Personal CV; and financial proposal; Proposed inclusive daily rate.

Application:

• All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from   Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.

Note:

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.

Inclusion Statement:

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 based on 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.).