Disability Inclusion Focal Point

Volunteering Crisis & Emergency Response Medical & Health

Overview

Lead efforts towards disability inclusion across UNFPA programs in Afghanistan.

You have:

• Three years of experience in disability inclusion, protection, or related roles in humanitarian settings.
• Strong understanding of disability rights frameworks, such as the UNCRPD and IASC guidelines.
• Proven experience working with community groups and marginalized populations, including persons with disabilities.
• Ability to deliver trainings or technical support to field teams and Implementing Partners.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of stakeholders.
• Knowledge of cultural sensitivities around disability, gender, and mental health.
• Computer skills (able to use MS Windows, Zoom, office applications, etc.).
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment.

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s Strategic Plan (2022- 2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.

UNFPA started its operation in Afghanistan in 1976. The overall goal of UNFPA’s interventions in the humanitarian context in Afghanistan is to provide life-saving reproductive health services and respond to women's psychosocial support needs through qualified women service providers to the affected population, especially women, girls and young people. This is based on the concept of "by women, for women."

People with disabilities remain a vastly excluded and vulnerable group in humanitarian crises, and women and girls with disabilities face intersecting forms of discrimination and barriers to accessing services. This is particularly important in the context of Afghanistan, where as many as 83% of women and girls live with disabilities, with 44% experiencing moderate, and 15% severe disability – both figures higher for women than for men (Model Disability Survey of Afghanistan 2019, The Asia Foundation).

The Disability Inclusion Focal Point is part of UNFPA’s ongoing efforts towards disability inclusion.

Their role is to lead, coordinate, monitor, and strengthen disability inclusion across UNFPA programs in Afghanistan, ensuring that services are accessible and persons with disabilities are meaningfully included in program planning, implementation, and monitoring. They will identify and address gaps and challenges, and support staff and partners in disability inclusion efforts.

A. Inclusive Program Design and Technical Support

Support UNFPA and Implementing Partners’ teams to integrate inclusive practices across all phases of program design and delivery, using participatory and rights-based approaches. ● Lead the implementation of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan in collaboration with Program Units and Implementing Partners. ● Support Implementing Partners in Disability Inclusion Assessments of their Service Delivery Points and developing Action Plans to identify, reduce or remove the physical, communication, attitudinal, and institutional barriers to accessing services for persons with disabilities. ● Monitor Action Plan implementation - assessment of progress; identification of good practices, lessons learned, achievements, and gaps. ● Support in development and revision of localized referral pathways to include Organizations of Persons with Disabilities. ● Integrate disability inclusion content in program documents: standard operating procedures, programmatic guidelines for awareness sessions and outreach activities, as well as communication and advocacy materials. ● Oversee and backstop the roll out of Washington Group Questions in data collection and analysis - assessment of access of beneficiaries with disabilities to services. ● Community engagement and participation: organize collaborations with Organizations of Persons with Disabilities through consultations, to inform referral pathways, programmatic developments, and situation analysis. ● Identify and address gaps in the Disability Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan implementation.

B. Capacity Strengthening

Organize and facilitate training for UNFPA and Implementing Partners teams on disability inclusion, including content on: understanding disability in the human rights-based approach; key approaches to disability inclusion with practical steps and measures; and Washington Group Questions rationale and administration. ● Support and backstop Implementing Partners’ trainers to deliver quality trainings on disability inclusion. ● Oversee the rollout of the e-learning module on disability inclusion to ensure all new staff receive the Disability Inclusion Training, and existing staff receive regular refreshers. ● Provide ongoing mentoring and technical advice to Implementing Partners’ trainers.

C. Coordination and Representation

Act as the focal point for disability inclusion, ensuring coordination with relevant internal teams—such as Program Units, Programme Management (PRM), Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)—as well as with external stakeholders.

● Represent UNFPA at the Disability Inclusion working Group and other relevant fora. ● Represent UNFPA at the Disability for All (DfA) Ministry of Public Health (including the mental health and disability departments), United Nations (UN) agencies, Health Cluster, Protection Cluster, and Gender-Based Violence Area of Responsibility (GBV AoR), as needed. ● Collaborate with other teams on to develop disability inclusion related inputs into proposals, reports, and in communication materials, to showcase the impact of inclusive programming.

D. Monitoring & Evaluation and Learning

Ensure disability inclusive M&E framework that reflects the rights, needs, and priorities of persons with disabilities, integrates disaggregated data collection and analysis, and informs inclusive program design, implementation, and accountability mechanisms. ● Oversee the use of Washington Group Questions to identify the level of access of persons with disabilities to UNFPA services. ● Backstop Implementing Partners’ frontline workers and data collection teams to correctly administer the Washington Group Questions and report disability data. ● Analyze evidence from the M&E and AAP data to inform programming and strengthen disability inclusion. ● Contribute to the design of inclusive M&E frameworks and support the development of tools to monitor access, satisfaction, and outcomes for persons with disabilities; monitor and support the revision of the indicators in the Action Plan. ● Lead practical operational research to identify, document and share good practices, challenges, and lessons learned in inclusive programming in Afghanistan.

● Integrity, commitment, cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity ● Building and managing relationships ● Organizational awareness ● Adaptability and flexibility ● Impact and influence ● Job knowledge/technical expertise ● Planning and organising ● Professionalism ● Self-management

Three years of experience in disability inclusion, protection, or related roles in humanitarian settings, preferably in Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), Gender-Based Violence (GBV), adolescents and youth, or Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) programming, as well as other cross-cutting issues such as climate change. ●Strong understanding of disability rights frameworks, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) guidelines, and humanitarian principles. ● Strong understanding of UNFPA’s mandate and its work in delivering life-saving reproductive health services and responding to women's psychosocial support needs. ● Proven experience working with community groups, and marginalized populations, including persons with disabilities. ● Ability to deliver trainings or technical support to field teams and Implementing Partners. ● Knowledge of cultural sensitivities around disability, gender, and mental health. ● Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of stakeholders, including Implementing Partners, community members, youth organizations, and authorities at different levels. ● Computer skills (able to use MS Windows, Zoom, office applications, etc.). ● Experience working under minimum supervision and tight deadlines. ● Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel. ● Sound security awareness.

Afghanistan is a unique country and the UNFPA Afghanistan program is a unique humanitarian operation. It provides an enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural awareness, as well as stamina and commitment. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, are essential.

The security situation in the country remains volatile, though the number of security incidents has reduced significantly since 2021. As the security level in the country remains high, it requires strict compliance with the relevant guidance. Kabul is a non-family duty station. It is classified "E", with "A" being the least and "E", the most difficult.

UN personnel are accommodated in the UN guesthouses within the UN compounds only. No commercial rent of accommodations or travel outside of the compound for recreational purposes is allowed. Guesthouse rooms are equipped with kitchen and basic appliances and utensils. There are 2 supermarkets in the compound with a wide variety of products. Gym, soccer field, basketball court are also available at the compound. The internet is stable at the office and the guesthouses.

The weather in Afghanistan can vary significantly from day to day and across different regions. It is advisable to bring some warm layers to accommodate these changes. During the winter season the weather can be very cold, up to -15 degrees and it is recommended to bring enough winter clothes.

Afghanistan is an Islamic country, and it is advised that personnel dress accordingly.

You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator. The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.

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Potential interview questions

Added 10 months ago - Updated 9 months ago - Source: unv.org