Social Organizer (SO) - (Re-announced)

About WEE-RDP/MRRD:

The Government of Afghanistan (GoIRA) launched the Women’s Economic Empowerment National Priority Program (WEE-NPP) on March 8th, 2017. The WEE-NPP forms the third pillar of the GoIRA’s Gender Strategy which is encompassed in the broader Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework (ANPDF) – the country’s five-year development plan. The WEE-NPP aims to build poor women’s capacity to strengthen the economy of their households, communities, and the entire nation. It is structured as an umbrella program (rather than a stand-alone project/operation) that would operate through over a dozen line ministries (through ongoing or pipeline projects) and coordinated through a Program Coordination Office (PCO) in the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MOLSAMD).

The Mission of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) is implementing the Women Economic Empowerment Program (WEE-RDP) to ensure the social, economic, and political well-beings of rural society, especially with the poor and vulnerable people, through the provision of basic services, strengthening local governance, and promoting sustainable livelihoods. MRRD accomplishes this mission through donor funded national programs (Citizen Charter, Sustainable Economy Growth and the Boarders Sustainable Development) defined as the MRRD pillars.

Women Economic Empowerment-Rural Development Project (WEE-RDP) is a flagship national initiative of the GoIRA and part of the Sustainable Economy Growth pillar of MRRD, which intends to increase social and economic empowerment of rural poor women in selected communities during a five year project. It would work in 5000 villages in all 34 provinces across Afghanistan in close collaboration with Citizen Charter (CC) and assuring convergence with other MRRD projects, NHLP project of MAIL, Access to Finance project (TUP) of World Bank, etc. The project will work closely work with Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) and other stakeholders from financial sector to promote access to finance in selected rural areas.

SUMMARY OF DUTIES

The Social Organizer will be primarily responsible to execute Community Mobilization and Institution Development (CMID) activities in CDCs allocated to him/her in respective district. The SOs will mobilize, form, nurture & build capacity of Self-help Groups (SHGs), Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLAs). The SO will be responsible to nurture & build capacity of SHGs and VSLAs. The SOs will facilitate selection of VF (Village Facilitator) in CDCs and build his/her capacity to deliver expected support to SGs, & VSLA. The SOs will be working in overall guidance and supervision of. District Officer-CMID

Job Description:

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The SOs will be responsible for executing CMID activities in CDCs allocated for promoting socially and institutionally sustainable Self Help Groups and VSLAs in his/her project areas and mentor VFs. Specific tasks as stated as below.
Facilitate VFs selection in coordination of CDCs; District office and regional office;
Develop capacity of VFs, act as a catalyst to organize necessary workshops, trainings and exposure visits, provide regular handholding and planning support to VFs; so that VFs can facilitate and can act as sounding board for Self Help Groups and VSLA in effective enabling manner.
Identifying potential CDCs for CMID activities, develop village profiles, meeting with potential resource person(s) in the areas, identify potential target families
Undertake community mobilization towards self-help groups formation and subsequently promoting EGs & VSLAs in his/her allocated CDCs.
Formation of Self-help groups of interested members, help SHGs to develop and follow SHGs norms.
Helping groups to select office bearers/groups leaders, develop clarity of roles of SHGs and facilitators.
Organize and or conduct SHG capacity enhancement trainings, workshops and exposure visits, conduct SHG assessments, extend necessary support along with VFs to deal with identified capacity gaps, 
Facilitating SHGs to access revolving seed capital i.e. identify matured SHGs through SHG maturity assessment tool, develop credit investment plans, generate applications, following the due process described in the operation manual etc; disburse revolving seed capital as per plan, monitor repayments and on lending of revolving seed capital.
Facilitating SHGs, its leadership towards formation of VSLAs, Nurturing VSLAs, instituting system of information flow from SHGs to VSLA and vice versa in collaboration of District Officer.
Extending required support to develop various institutional and financial systems at the level of VSLAs, nurture and organize and or conduct trainings, workshops, exposures to build capacity of VSLAs
Providing training and awareness around financial literacy; livelihoods counselling and other livelihoods investment support services.    
Facilitating VSLAs for accessing finance, revolving seed capital and monitoring repayments
Collecting and compiling information/data regarding CDCs, SHGs, and VSLAs and providing data to the MIS. Sharing/presenting MIS reports to related SHGs, and VSLAs and helping these groups to deal with discrepancy if any and taking required decisions.
Identify community/Groups,  related issues/problems and conflicts and accordingly resolve them with coordination of respective authorities/community leaders;
Prepare plans and reports for progress in his/her project area to be submitted to the provincial office on weekly/fortnightly and monthly basis;
Keep himself/herself updated with latest development in the sector and keep informed team, drawing external and in house/internal knowledge & experience, documenting it and integrating into the program to build it further
Mobilize convergence and benefits from other Government or donor supported programs.
Attend workshops and trainings arranged by the program in or outside the province;

All other duties and tasks as assigned by the supervisor

Job Requirements:

KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED

Knowledge/Experience

Working experience of promoting similar groups or executing similar community development projects, will be preferable
Knowledge of rural enterprise development, and or, building village level savings and credit associations in Afghanistan would be an advantage;
Experience in information gathering, analysis, and reporting.
Women candidates with equal knowledge, experience and capabilities will be preferred.

Qualifications/Skills

Required qualification: High School certificate, with 4 years of related experiences. Bachelor degree with 2 years experiences from a recognized university is preferred.
Excellent communication skills to engage communities and develop the required level of trust to effectively implement project activities;
Willing to undertake extensive field work and someone, who enjoys engaging rural community in productive discussions and dialogue
Fluency in written and spoken Pashto, Dari.

Abilities

Ability to undertake various participatory exercise with rural community like social mapping, resource mapping and wealth ranking etc. will be preferred.
Strong team building, interpersonal and negotiation abilities including the ability to address sensitive issues with diplomacy, respect, and tact;
Ability to build positive and productive working relationships with communities;
Ability to handle multi-task, be flexible, and perform in a demanding field based working environment;

Willingness to enhance knowledge through training and personal initiative

Submission Guideline:

Interested Afghans with the required qualifications and experience should submit their applications electronically through vacancies.hrcsd@mrrd.gov.af
While submitting your applications please mention the Title of the position plus Vacancy Number in the subject of the e-mail; please do NOT submit any other supporting documentation or educational certificates with your application. If you are short listed you will be asked to submit electronic copies of your educational certificates and if you are invited to written test you will be required to present the original certificates. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date of the position. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for written test Note: In the interests of open and fair competition and a merit based selection process applicants are advised that lobbying for a position , whether by the applicant or by any person acting on his or her behalf, shall result in the immediate disqualification of the candidate from further consideration. Applicants are strongly advised to inform potential supporters of this restriction which shall be strictly enforced.

Please don’t forget to type the Vacancy Announcement Number (1398/020/HRCSD/WEE-RDP/MRRD) in Subject while applying online. Application without vacancy number will not be accepted.

The Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is highly committed to increase women’s participation in government sector therefore women are highly encouraged to apply.

Submission Email:

vacancies.hrcsd@mrrd.gov.af