Project Director-Afghanistan

In partnership with Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MOLSAMD) and UNICEF-Afghanistan
Project Director-Afghanistan
Background

UNICEF has been supporting the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MOLSAMD) to develop national capacity in child-centered social work. In the absence of a school of social work in Afghanistan and to address the immediate needs of vulnerable children, UNICEF and MOLSAMD have begun a project to formalize social work as recognized profession in Afghanistan. Experiences gathered by implementing partners of the social work training and coaching system show the need for:

a) a common framework regarding expected professional competencies of social workers; b) accountability mechanisms among social work practitioners and child care providers; c) a registered and accredited institution providing social work training and d) a regulatory mechanism to monitor and control the quality of social work/social workers.

Overview

The Project Director will be based in the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MOLSAMD) in Kabul, Afghanistan and will direct all aspects of the project on site in Kabul.  The Project Director reports to the Senior Advisors based in New York and Boston, at the Hunter College School of Social Work CUNY and the  .  The Project Director is the main representative on the ground in Afghanistan and is responsible for coordinating closely with the MOLSAMD and UNICEF.  The Project Director oversees and coordinates implementation and daily operations of the project funded by UNICEF. S/he will be responsible for day to day communication with NSDP at MOLSAMD, and UNICEF, as well as the advisory board and partner agencies. S/he will lead teams that have been trained by the Senior Advisors, while developing the DACUM maps and testing syllabi and training modules as they are prepared. To this end s/he will travel to meet with regional partners and other key interlocutors.
Key Activities/Responsibilities

* Recruit, hire, and supervise the Project Assistant, Driver and short-term hires.
* Assist with the identification of the implementing institution in consultation with UNICEF and NSDP
* Organize meetings with Advisory Committee members
* Organize and assist with the induction training of Advisory Committee members on NSDP’s competency based training approach/DACUM methodology
* Organize field visits and assist with data gathering on field visits
* Assist with the development of the first and final drafts of occupational standards
* Assist with the recruitment of M&E officers
* Assist with the development of the assessment and evaluation tools
* Organize field visits and assist with field testing the training manuals
* Assist with the identification and training of Master Trainers and M & E officers
* Assist with development of implementation plan for establishment of social work regulatory body
* Coordinate closely with the MOLSAMD, UNICEF, Implementing Institution, and Advisory Committee
* Monitor project activities and report regularly to Senior Advisors


Key Competencies

* Supervisory and staff management skills
* Program management skills
* Planning and organizational skills
* Skills in the organization, development, and provision of training
* Networking and coordination skills
* Strong interpersonal and communication skills
* Mentoring and capacity building skills
* Representational skills
* Knowledge of key child protection issues in an international context
* Knowledge of best practices in child protection
* English language skills

Qualifications

* Advanced degree in social work, education, child development, psychology or other area related to child protection;
* International field experience in community-based, child protection programming;

Experience in program management;

* Flexibility and team-based approach;
* Fluency in English in written and spoken English


Interested persons should send cv and letter of interest by email to marthabragin@att.net or mbragin@hunter.cuny.edu


Salary commensurate with experience