Assistant Governance Adviser - DFID Afghanistan

Reference: DFIDJOB-0257

Closing date: 08 September 2012

Interview date: Not Specified

Number of vacancies: 1

Salary: -

Location: Kabul, Afghanistan

Appointment Terms: Permanent

Working Arrangements: Full-time

Specific requirements: Staff appointed in country (SAIC)

Brief description: DFID Afghanistan is looking for an enthusiastic and self-motivated Assistant Governance Adviser to work in three crucial areas: Sub-national Governance, Political Governance and Government Capacity & Integrity.

The British Government’s Department for International Development (DFID), one of Afghanistan’s major donors, invites applications for the post of Assistant Governance Adviser in the Governance Reform Group of its Kabul office. The contract will be permanent.

DFID Afghanistan is looking for an enthusiastic and self-motivated Assistant Governance Adviser to work in three crucial areas: Sub-national Governance, Political Governance and Government Capacity & Integrity. This is an excellent opportunity to be part of one of the most respected development agencies in the world. Afghanistan is one of the UK Government’s top development priorities, given the urgent need to improve security, strengthen governance, and to address poverty and injustice.

As one of three Governance Advisers within the Governance Reform Group you will provide advice on a variety of governance issues, to inform the national policy debate as well as DFID’s programmes. The group is responsible for an exciting and interesting range of programmes as well as providing substantive political-economy analysis and advice to DFID Afghanistan. Its work receives extensive interest from across the UK Government, the UK public and Afghan media, Non-Governmental Organisations and other donors. Effective communication of programme outputs and impact and close collaboration with key Ministries will therefore be essential.

You will be working in a challenging but supportive environment where you will have to work to tight deadlines. You will bring with you a well developed sense of humour, a can-do attitude, and a willingness to support other team members and provide advice on a whole range of governance issues. This post brings real opportunities to develop and demonstrate new skills.

Key duties include:

• Providing high-calibre governance advice on a variety of policy debates on sub-national governance, political governance, capacity building and anti-corruption.
• Supporting the development of new programmes, e.g. on elections and sub-national finance.
• Providing advice on current programmes, ensuring they follow governance best practice and reflect Afghanistan’s political reality.
• Providing governance advice for the wider Afghanistan programme.
• Building strong relationships with DFID’s partners, such as the UK Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office colleagues in Kabul, the Government of Afghanistan and our international development partners.
• Supporting the work of the wider DFID Afghanistan team, including through participating in briefings and field trips for senior visitors, engagement in strategy and policy formulation, and responding to requests from Parliament, NGOs and others.
• Helping to provide cover for colleagues during breaks.
• Monitoring, analysing and reporting on developments in Afghan politics and government.
• Providing institutional analysis and advice.

Qualifications and experience:

The successful candidate will require:

• A minimum of 5 years relevant experience, preferably in donor agencies, international NGOs or Embassies;
• Direct experience of governance programming;
• Evidence of political analysis skills;
• Masters Degree or equivalent in relevant subject (e.g. politics, economics or public administration), extensive experience will be considered if a Masters has not been completed;
• Fluency in English (both written and verbal), Dari or Pashto;
• Good inter-personal skills and proven ability to work well in a team;
• Strong personal initiative, confidence, and sound analysis and judgement;
• Strong IT skills – good knowledge of Word, Excel, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Outlook; and
• A strong commitment to assisting the UK Government’s support for the reconstruction effort in Afghanistan.

Competencies required

• Working with Others – takes responsibility to build and maintain positive relationships and values the opinion of others; (level 3)
• Communicating with Others – able to vary the way they communicate ideas and information ensuring their message is understood. (level 3)
• Planning and Delivery of Work – plans and organises work to meet individual, team and departmental objectives whilst achieving quality and value for money. (level 3)
• Analysis and Use of Information – able to assess and interpret information in order to identify issues or problems. (level 3)
• Decision making – considers the information that is available, identifies options and makes timely decisions. (level 3)

Information on these competencies can be found on the right hand side of this page.

You should also be able to demonstrate:

• Knowledge of sub-national governance in Afghanistan – including the role of local government and de-concentration.
• Knowledge of Afghanistan’s governance institutions and political economy.
• The required DFID governance competencies in areas such as

- Political systems and analysis

- State building and human security including security and justice

- Public sector governance and delivering essential services

- Public financial management and accountability

- Enabling economic growth

- Tackling and reducing corruption, and managing fiduciary risk

Salary & Benefits:

A competitive salary and benefits will be offered including: transport allowance, medical coverage for the job holder and their immediate family and 25 days paid leave per year. DFID is committed to staff development. The successful candidate will receive both on the job and formal training.

How to apply:

If you meet the above standards, you should apply by submitting the following three application documents to the email address r-kabul@dfid.gov.uk:

- completed application form
- CV
- covering letter

Related documents

• DFID competency framework [PDF - 108 KB]
• Technical competencies for Governance Advisers [PDF - 57 KB]
• Application form [DOC - 60 KB]

You can access the application form from the right hand side of this page.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 1700 on Saturday 8 September 2012. Incomplete applications without one or more of the documents requested above will not be considered

Applications will then be assessed and the most suitable candidates invited to a competency-based interview and assessment centre will take place in the second half of September. The successful candidate will be required to complete a medical check, security check, reference check and educational qualifications check before starting in the job.

DFID is an equal opportunities employer. Applications are welcomed from all parts of the community and we actively encourage interest from women, ethnic minority groups, and those with a disability. Selection is on merit although you will need to hold Afghanistan citizenship or have the legal right to live and work in Afghanistan.