Reporting and Communications Analyst [Open to Tier 1 & 2 applicants]

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to tackle the injustices of poverty, inequality, and climate change on a global scale. Working with our broad network of experts, host governments and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. UNDP has been working in Afghanistan for more than 50 years on climate change and resilience, gender, governance, health, livelihoods, and rule of law.

Following the power shift in August 2021, the situation for the country remains largely uncertain and fragile, with approximately seventy percent of the population facing multifaceted vulnerabilities affecting their well-being, human security and long-term development while nearly a third of the population are estimated to be acutely food insecure. Over the recent years, international assistance has played a vital role in averting a socioeconomic collapse by providing lifesaving, resilience-building and livelihoods-sustaining assistance to millions of people, hundreds of critical healthcare and educational centres, and tens of thousands of small and medium enterprises, often owned and managed by women. Nevertheless, the humanitarian challenge in Afghanistan is one of the biggest in the world, and basic human needs and priorities remain extremely high. In 2024, 95 percent of households experienced at least one shock of an economic or natural disaster nature such as floods, droughts and others.

To help tackle the pressing challenges for enduring livelihoods and climate resilience, UNDP is designing fit-for-purpose portfolios of programs to create new livelihoods, income opportunities, basic services and to build resilience against climate-induced natural calamities that continue to haunt millions of households in the country.

Afghanistan remains one of the most gender-unequal countries in the world, with women facing systemic challenges hindering their access to education and employment opportunities in the public sector and restricting their participation in public life. UNDP remains committed to women's empowerment through capacity-building initiatives, livelihoods and self-employment/employment support, enhancing gender-responsive decision-making at community level, and supporting local communities to include women, in line with UNSCR 1325 (Women, Peace, and Security).

Energy poverty significantly impacts the quality of life for both men and women, affecting health, employment, and access to basic services. Afghanistan faces a critical energy supply shortage, with demand far exceeding supply. The transmission and distribution grid is unreliable, leading to frequent outages. Many provinces rely on costly local diesel generators, limiting access to affordable energy and hindering economic, social, and educational opportunities for the poor and rural residents.

To address these challenges, the Federal Republic of Germany has funded the project “Sustainable Energy Services for Education and Health in Afghanistan (SESEHA)” through KfW, Germany’s State-owned Investment and Development Bank. The key objective of the project SESEHA is adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency measures in public facilities (primarily in health and education sectors) for sustained delivery of essential services for basic human needs in Afghanistan.

This project aligns with UNDP’s energy solutions and the UN’s Strategic Framework for Afghanistan 2023-2025, contributing to two key outcomes by the end of 2025:

Outcome 1: More people in Afghanistan, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized, including women and girls have their basic human needs progressively met through the sustained delivery of essential services.

Outcome 2: People in Afghanistan, especially women, youth, and other marginalized groups, and those at risk of being left behind benefit from a more equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient employment-rich economy and shared economic opportunities with enhanced productive capacities for improved livelihoods and decent work.

Position Purpose

The Reporting and Communications Analyst will work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager and in close coordination with the Programme Management Support Unit (PMSU), Communications Unit, and relevant technical teams. The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring high-quality monitoring, reporting, and communication of project results in line with UNDP standards, donor requirements, and results-based management principles.

The Reporting and Communications Analyst will support the design and implementation of monitoring and reporting systems, ensuring data quality, accuracy, and timely reporting against project indicators and Annual Work Plans (AWPs). The role will also contribute to strengthening evidence-based decision-making by analyzing implementation progress and risks, and by generating actionable insights.

In addition, the incumbent will lead the development and dissemination of communication and knowledge products to enhance project visibility, stakeholder engagement, and resource mobilization. The position promotes a collaborative, client-oriented, and results-focused approach, working closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective delivery of reporting, communications, and knowledge management functions.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions. Therefore, personnel are expected to work across teams, functions, and projects to enhance collaboration and achieve strategic outcomes.

Duties and Responsibilities

1- Ensure effective monitoring, reporting, and data quality management

• Design and implement data collection and reporting protocols aligned with project outcomes and indicators.
• Support the development, finalization, and implementation of project M&E plans to track progress against results frameworks and AWPs.
• Monitor data quality, verify reported results, and identify gaps and opportunities for capacity building of staff and implementing partners.
• Conduct field monitoring visits, as required, to validate data and ensure accuracy of reporting.
• Analyze project data and performance against indicators, providing evidence-based insights and recommendations for improved implementation.
• Draft high-quality monthly, quarterly, biannual, and annual reports in compliance with donor requirements and UNDP standards.
• Monitor project milestones, outputs, and key achievements, ensuring timely documentation and reporting.
• Maintain and update project risk logs (offline and in Quantum) to support proactive risk management and decision-making.
• Support organization of monitoring missions, third-party monitoring (TPM), evaluations, and donor engagement activities.

2- Lead visibility, communication, and stakeholder engagement efforts

• Support the development and implementation of project communication strategies to enhance visibility and stakeholder engagement.
• Prepare and disseminate communication products, including success stories, blogs, newsletters, factsheets, and web content.
• Collaborate closely with the UNDP Communications Unit to ensure alignment with corporate communication standards and branding guidelines.
• Conduct analysis of the political, social, and economic context to inform communication messaging and reporting.
• Maintain effective coordination and networking with UN agencies, donors, government counterparts, and implementing partners.
• Support resource mobilization efforts through the preparation of communication materials and reporting inputs.
• Ensure that all communication materials accurately reflect project results and contributions to UNDP strategic priorities.

3- Facilitate knowledge management and learning

• Support the implementation of project knowledge management and learning strategies.
• Document lessons learned, best practices, and case studies to inform adaptive management and future programming.
• Develop knowledge products such as toolkits, reports, and learning materials related to monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing through workshops, webinars, and communities of practice.
• Maintain regular communication with project teams, donors, and stakeholders to promote knowledge exchange and collaboration.
• Engage with UNDP networks and external partners to stay updated on best practices, tools, and innovations in M&E and communications

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: None

Competencies

Core Competencies

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination : LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Communications - Advocacy strategy and implementation : Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change
Communications - Multimedia writing/editing : Ability to create and/or edit written content for multimedia
Communications - Web and social media analytics: Ability to analyse and interpret data and statistics to measure web and social media performance
Partnership management - Relationship management : Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding
Business Direction & Strategy - Business Acumen : Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome. Ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization.
Digital - Systems thinking & transformation: Understand that complex problems need a non-reductionistic, holistic approach. Ability to explore challenges from multiple perspectives by zooming in and out, with a focus on relationships and flows rather than individual elements; understand how certain dynamics and conditions are driving and influencing an issue. Ability to develop a collective understanding by a mapping systems and their dynamics (e.g. flows or resources, information; power relations); is able to handle ambiguity and can help others navigate it. Being able to identify intervention points to leverage change and system transformation by setting out a coherent collection of multiple interventions to probe the system for desirable effects. Understand that change is non-linear and unpredictable; being comfortable and able to work with emergence.
Business Management - Monitoring and Evaluation: Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results. Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Development Studies, Economics, Statistics, Communications, Public Administration, Social Sciences, or a related field is required; or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced degree

Experience:

• Minimum 2 years (with Master’s degree) or 4 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience in monitoring and evaluation, reporting, communications, or programme management in development or humanitarian contexts is required.
• At least 2 years of demonstrated experience in results-based management, data analysis, and preparation of high-quality reports for donors is required.
• Experience in developing communication products such as reports, blogs, success stories, and knowledge materials is required.
• Experience in designing third-party monitoring tools, implementing and/or managing assessments, evaluations, and/or data collection exercises/processes is desired.
• Experience working in crisis or hardship environments is highly desirable.
• Experience with UNDP or other UN agencies, or donor-funded projects, is desired.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP is required.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of local languages (Dari and/or Pashto) is desired.
• Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

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