Capacity Building Officer

The Asia Pacific Regional Office, based in Bangkok, Thailand, provides strategic leadership and oversight for UNOPS operations across 17 countries, ensuring high performance, operational excellence, and alignment with organizational goals. Operations currently span Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Pacific Islands. Across these countries, we work closely with key stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and maximize impact through five main operating units: Afghanistan (AFCO), Myanmar (MMCO), South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), and the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC). Through these entities, we provide agile, client-focused service delivery across diverse sectors - including infrastructure, health, procurement, and project management - supporting the implementation of sustainable development solutions across the region.

Since 1995, UNOPS has maintained an active presence in Afghanistan, delivering efficient, agile services in support of both humanitarian response and development efforts. Prior to August 2021, the Afghanistan Country Office (AFCO) implemented projects across a broad range of sectors, including infrastructure, procurement, capacity building, and environmental protection. In response to evolving humanitarian needs, AFCO has shifted its focus to supporting life-saving initiatives and basic human needs. Current priorities include managing large-scale cash-for-work programmes, procuring emergency supplies, and providing inter-agency coordination, communication, and accountability support.

Following the political events in Afghanistan in August 2021, the subsequent economic collapse has led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis putting over 24 million people in immediate need of aid. To provide immediate short-term livelihood opportunities and deliver urgent essential services in rural and urban areas, UNOPS is working with funders to implement a large-scale community resilience program. The initiative aims to reach an estimated 1.1 million households, or 7.5 million Afghans,with livelihoods and income support. In addition, 9 million Afghans in some 6,200 rural communities and 8 cities will benefit from improved access to essential social services through strengthening the capacity of community institutions in inclusive service delivery. Under the direct supervision of the Rural Team Lead, the Capacity Building Officer is responsible for the overall design, coordination and delivery of capacity-building activities under the Rural component of the project.

The Capacity Building Officer will apply fundamental concepts to gather and analyze data in support of specialists and managers. The role involves designing, coordinating, and delivering capacity-building activities under the Rural component of the project, ensuring effective implementation and monitoring of training programs.

1. Planning and preparation

•  Develop a detailed train-the-trainer plan and budget for all the training to be conducted by the project team for the Facilitating Partners (FPs) for the duration of the project.
• Ensure that the complete training package and detailed training plan are reviewed and approved in a timely manner by the project management team and the World Bank task team.
• Coordinate with the thematic training specialists for each focus area and host the train-the-trainer sessions, including coordination with FPs on trainee attendance, accommodation, venue, training materials, food/catering, security, pre-and-post training assessment of trainees, FP certification, etc.

2. Material development

• Develop all training materials for the stated project components, in adherence to the Project legal documents and the Operations Manual and in close consultation with the thematic experts.
• Design tools and internal evaluations/surveys to assess the capacity building of CDCs or CRGs as a whole, CDC or CRGs office bearers/main representative, CDC/CRGs subcommittees/Subgroups, and women CDC or CRG members, as part of the project activities and in consultation with the thematic experts.

3. Training delivery and monitoring

• Work closely with the FPs to prepare and implement the downstream training and capacity building of communities, CDCs or CRGs, CDC or sub-committees/Subgroups, mosque committees in urban areas without CDCs, etc.
• Prepare and implement a monitoring plan for FP downstream capacity-building of CDCs, covering a small sample of FP training, by FP, region, province, topic, trainee category, etc., and report on the findings of the same.
• Support the management in compiling lessons-learned, best practices, challenges, success stories etc. in field implementation and in updating policy, procedural and training manuals as required.
• Travel to provinces, districts and communities, to see FP training to their staff and communities and make sure they are following the guidelines.
  

Required

• A first-level university degree (e.g. Bachelor) in Development Studies, Project Management, Sociology or other relevant discipline with 2 years of experience.

Desired

• Master's degree in a relevant field.

Required

• A minimum of 2 years of experience in managing organizational development or capacity building activities from the national to the community level is required.

Desired

• Experience working with the World Bank, UN agencies or other donor agencies, government ministries, and/or non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
  

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here [link removed]. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here. [link removed]
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.