DACAAR – det danske hjælpekonsortium for afghanske flygtninge – søger ny direktør i Afghanistans hovedstad, Kabul, med virkning fra den 1. november.
Her er stillingsopslaget i sin helhed:
Director (International)
DACAAR – Danish Committee for Aid to Afghan Refugees
Job description and profile
DIRECTOR
Afghanistan
DACAAR is opening for applications from qualified candidates wanting to take up a position as the organisations leading representative in Kabul, Afghanistan, with effect from November 2005.
Apart from overall management of the programme, the Director will lead a challenging adjustment of the organisation into a new phase.This includes consolidation of core programme qualities and achievements as well as capacity building and handing over of parts of programme activities to government, civil society and private sector.
The new Director for DACAAR will have substantial management experiences, preferably from international development operations. S/he is an assertive person with skills in leadership, strategy analysis and development, is diplomatic and has cultural sensitivity and adaptability.
DACAAR PROGRAMMES
DACAAR is a Danish NGO association established in 1984 and is currently consisting of the Danish Refugee Council, MS – Danish Association for International Co-operation, and Danish Peoples Aid, all of which holds a seat in the DACAAR Steering Committee.
DACAAR has since 1989 been implementing rural rehabilitation and development projects in Afghanistan in support of social and economic recovery and the sustainable repatriation of Afghan refugees. DACAARs Programme Document for 2005-08 sets the overall objectives and provides the strategic framework for the programme during the coming years. Activities are currently undertaken within the following two programmes:
The Water and Sanitation Programme (WSP) combines drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene education and aims at systematic coverage of rural areas of Afghanistan. DACAAR is still the largest agency providing safe water in Afghanistan and plays a leading role in coordination as well as policy and technology development within the sector.
A major objective for the coming years is to build capacities within government and private sector manage the water and sanitation sector and subsequently hand over major parts of DACAAR activities.
The Rural Development Programme (RDP) is currently implemented in eight areas, of which four are in western and four in eastern Afghanistan. The programme focuses on re-establishing a sustainable rural economy and improved livelihoods in each project area through a community-based approach, combining increased agricultural production with soil and moisture conservation measures.
The programme will during the coming years have an emphasis on the establishment and strengthening of local governance and civil society organisations.
The two programmes are managed as two separate operational entities and are implemented by professional Afghan and expatriate staff. In addition, a number of specialist expatriate advisors are attached to the programmes.
In total, the staff numbers about 1.000 persons. The total yearly budget is approximately 10 million US dollar, primarily funded by the Danish Government, the EC, ECHO, and various UN agencies. More recently, a substantial part of the funds are channelled through Afghan ministries.
With the increased focus on development, and in order to adapt to the changed political circumstances after 2001, DACAAR is going through substantial organisational changes and adjustments of strategic thinking.
This includes a focus on coordination with and capacity building to government institutions at local and national levels as well as to agencies involved in the water supply and rural development sectors in Afghanistan. There is also an emphasis on assistance to formation and capacity building of local community based organisations and associations in order for these to play a greater role in local governance.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Director represents DACAAR in Afghanistan and holds the overall responsibility for programme activities and financial and administrative tasks connected hereto. The Director refers to DACAARs Steering Committee, which represents the three Danish member organisations.
On a daily basis, the Programme Coordinator at the Secretariat in Denmark forms the link between the Director and the Steering Committee and the Director will maintain a close cooperation and exchange of information with the Danish secretariat.
In executing the Directors functions in Afghanistan, substantial responsibilities are delegated to the Chief of Administration, Chief of Finance, Chief of Programmes and to the two Programme Managers responsible for the main sector activities, water & sanitation and rural development.
The Director is responsible for monitoring of targets set in the 2005-08 Programme Document; for the continued adjustment and refinement of programme strategies in a constantly changing context in Afghanistan, as well as for raising funds for parts of the programme with unsecured funding.
The Director is in charge of negotiations, coordination and general relations with local authorities, donors, international and local organisations.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
The tasks include but are not necessarily limited to:
Planning and implementation:
Overseeing the preparation and submission of proposals for new activities, strategies and budgets for approval by the Steering Committee.
Coordinating fund raising and overall allocation of DACAARs resources in accordance with approved strategies, plans and budgets.
Coordinating DACAARs activities with those of other agencies to ensure a rational allocation of available resources for rehabilitation and development of Afghanistan.
Ensuring that DACAARs activities are executed in a timely, economic and professional manner in accordance with DACAARs principles and policies, obligations to donors as well as local laws and customs.
Overseeing recruitment and human resource development activities to strengthen the professional expertise of DACAARs staff.
Overseeing the continued process of organisational change in response to demands of present day Afghanistan and a corresponding stronger role of Afghan staff in general management.
Having an overall responsibility for assessments of developments in the security situation, for providing general security guidance and for taking appropriate action in cases of particular security incidents.
In consultation with the Steering Committee commissioning and coordinating periodic evaluations of DACAARs activities.
Reporting:
Accounting for the overall activities of DACAAR in Pakistan and in Afghanistan.
Ensuring and coordinating a continued upkeep and development of efficient internal financial and progress monitoring and reporting systems.
Submitting reports on a quarterly basis, or more often as required by the circumstances, to the Steering Committee about the progress of DACAARs activities.
Coordinating the preparation and submission of annual reports and audited annual accounts for approval by the Steering Committee.
Overseeing the submission of all required reporting to donors.
Planning and implementing occasional reviews of DACAARs performance, methodology and objectives upon request by the Steering Committee or because of changing circumstances.
External affairs and fund raising:
Developing and maintaining such relations to third parties, including government offices, donor agencies, foreign representations and NGO communities, as required for the sound execution of DACAARs activities.
Maintaining overall fund raising strategies and coordinating submission of funding applications to donors.
Committing DACAAR through signing of agreements with donors and other third parties, provided this is in accordance with DACAARs policies and this job description.
Liasing with local and foreign media. The Steering Committee is to be kept informed about contacts with international media.
The Director will undertake frequent travelling to project sites in Afghanistan and 2-3 times per year to Denmark.
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES REQUIRED
In general, the Director will be an assertive person with an active interest in leadership of large and complex operations and will have excellent diplomacy and negotiation skills. S/he will have good political judgement and analytical skills, cultural sensitivity and adaptability and be willing to live, travel and work under difficult conditions.
The following experiences are required:
University degree in management, public administration, international development, social science or the equivalent.
Substantial knowledge and documented international experiences at management level, preferably from international development assistance.
Extensive experience with managing and leading complicated international operations, preferably in the field of development assistance programmes. This includes experiences of fund raising, personnel management, human resource development and financial management.
Experiences of strategic programming, planning and organisational development.
Experiences of negotiations and coordination with government authorities, international organisations, donors and with civil society organisations.
Work experience from and knowledge about Islamic culture in general and Afghanistan in particular is an advantage.
Fluency in written and spoken English. Knowledge of Danish and/or Dari/Farsi an advantage.
DACAAR welcomes applications from both women and men.
CONDITIONS
Duty station: Kabul, Afghanistan. The work will require some travelling in rural areas in Afghanistan, subject to the security situation. For the time being, Kabul is classified as a non-family duty station.
Contract: Two years – with possibilities for extension, with the Danish Refugee Council (on behalf of DACAAR). Salary and conditions in accordance with Danish Refugee Councils Terms of Employment for Expatriates.
Availability: 1 November 2005
APPLICATION
Only motivated applications that address the stipulated duties and meet the required qualifications, sent together with a CV, will be considered.
Deadline for applications is Sunday August 21st, 2005
Please send your application by email to [email protected] – or by mail:
Suzanne Frost
DACAAR, c/o Danish Refugee Council
Borgergade 10, 3, P.O. Box 53
DK-1002 Copenhagen K
Interviews and tests will be held during the week 12-16 September 2005.
For further information
Ann Mary Olsen, DACAAR Steering Committee, 0045 3373 5002 (from 25 July).
Sten Andreasen, Programme Coordinator, 0045 3373 5034 (from 8 August).
A copy of DACAARs latest annual report can be viewed at our website www.dacaar.org.
