Background:  The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) is one of the key ministries of the Afghan Government with a mission “to restore Afghanistan's licit agricultural economy through increasing production and productivity, natural resource management, improved physical infrastructure and market development”.

Agriculture is one of the primary drivers of the Afghan economy with more than 80% of the population of the country engaged in this sector.  During the last few years the MAIL has made tremendous progress in its service delivery to Afghan farmers, yet still there is much more the Ministry strives to achieve in this regard.

The General Directorate of Forestry and Rangeland Development (GD-FRD) is one of the biggest and most important directorates of the MAIL. This directorate offers services in Natural Resource Management (NRM), promoting Community Based NRM initiatives so that local communities can benefit, in a fair and equitable way, from the livelihood opportunities available to them through the responsible and sustainable management of their local natural resources (forests, rangelands and protected areas).  However the GD-FRD is still in need of support and development so that it can mobilize funding, develop and coordinate projects, and thereby offer more focused and tailored services to local communities in a more timely, efficient and sustainable way. This is a key reason as to why the establishment of a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) is needed in the GD-FRD of MAIL.

The PIU is a new entity for the GD-FRD and is designed to support this Directorate towards providing better service delivery to local Afghan communities with regards to participatory and community based NRM initiatives as per the policy and regulations of the GD-FRD of MAIL, including the soon-to-be gazette Forest law, to meet the mission, vision, goals and objectives of the MAIL.

Under the overall direction of the Minister and Technical Deputy Minister of MAIL, the Program Coordinator will, in close collaboration with the General Director of GD-FRD, be responsible and will carry out the following tasks.

1. The Program Coordinator will be the overall focal point and contact person for all stakeholders as well as for internal matters in thePIU.
2. Overall coordination and management of the programs/projects of PIU of GD-FRD, MAIL.
3. Provide the overall direction ofprograms/projects to the concern departments at PIU of GD-FRD, MAIL.
4. Ensure realistic goals are set for programs/projects, and that these goals are met accordingly.
5. Ensure the PIU programs/projects are formulated and implemented as per the relevant legislation of the GoIRA.
6. Coordination and close consultation with donors and concerned governmental authorities.
7. Ensure that all programs/projects activities are going as planned to achieved goals and objectives of GD-FRD of MAIL and are set in place and constantly monitored.
8. Ensure timely input delivery for smooth and timely implementation of programs/project activities.
9. Closely supervision of financial performance and ensure cost effective implementation of all programs/projects of PIU of GD-FRD, MAIL.
10. Manage risks to the organisation.
11. Ensure that the overall DG-FRD of MAIL policies and procedures are followed.
12. Consult with management staff on issues faced during programs/projects implementation.
13. Provide leadership and motivation for all employees and staff members.
14. Act as a bridge amongst all stakeholders through coordination and consultation.
15. Represent the organisation at conferences and official occasions.
16. Ensure all financial reports have been submitted in a timely manner as per donor requirements.
17. Submission of programs/projects activity reports to the concerned donor and Deputy Minister of MAIL.
18. Any other task assign by concern supervisors mentioned above.

• A Ph.D or M.Sc degree in NRM, Forestry,Horticulture, Programs/projectsManagement, Public Administration, Social Sciences or equivalent is preferred.
• Considerable experience in the field of CBNRM.
• At least 5 to 10 years work experience in Government agencies, donor agencies, NGOs or United Nations in a relevant field.
• Strong communication skills in English,Pashto or Dari essential - other languages will be an asset.
• High level of demonstrated teamwork skills.
• Proof of ability of strong coordination among all stakeholders.
• Demonstrable analytical, design and presentation skills.
• Other analytical and management tasks or any other duties reflecting overall purpose of the PIU/GD-FRD of MAIL and the specific development project objectives of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Submission

Guideline:

The application comprises of a one-page cover letter explaining your interest and suitability for the post and your CV with your contact number. Interested male/female candidates should submit their applications to: HR department of MAIL Email Address: (vacancies@mail.gov.af)or (hojat.fazly@mail.gov.af). Short listed candidates will be directly contacted for interview. If you are not contacted two Weeks after the closing date, please understand that your application has not been successful for the post.

Note: Subject line must be: Program Coordinator with vacancy otherwise your application may not be considered