Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the 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. Under the broader framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in close coordination with other UN agencies, UNDP is supporting the Afghan people’s aspiration for peace, prosperity, and sustainability. UNDP is currently implementing its flagship crisis response programme, ABADEI (Area Based Approach to Development Emergency Initiatives), as part of the ongoing UN-led response to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and the breakdown of Afghanistan’s economy following the August 2021 shift in power.
UNDP Afghanistan Operations teams actively supports the delivery of projects throughout the country, providing strategic services across Procurement, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Administration and Common Services. This includes support to the management of the network of field offices in the regions of the country and therein with extensive support provided by ICT Unit.
The ICT team plays a crucial role in the Country Office (CO) as reliance on digital technology continues to increase in all office operations, projects and programme delivery. The team drives UNDP’s digital transformation efforts in the CO to better enable, leverage and deploy technology solutions that help the CO implement new ways of doing business to work smarter and more efficiently, and ultimately to improve the way it provides value to UNDP partners, stakeholders, and beneficiaries. The ICT unit is entrusted with the following minimum services:
- Provision of ICT support services to UNDP country office in UNOCA, and all other program, projects, regions, and field offices.
- Maintenance of hardware and software
- Support with CO digitization program and information management, data security, etc.
- Cybersecurity support measures
- Computer and corporate applications support services, mainly MS 365 applications like SharePoint Online
- ERP services
- MS Azure/Intune/AD Services
- IDAM (Identity and Access Management) services
- Internet connection provision
- Office extension with incoming and outgoing facility
- Printing services
- Centralized Document Management/Sharing/Document Collaboration System
Duties and Responsibilities
The ICT Associate works in close collaboration with the personnel in the Country Office operations and programme Units, and projects, field Offices, Bangkok Regional Hub, and other UN agency staff, and UNDP HQ staff to resolve ICT-related issues. The position also collaborates with Regional ICT coordinator based in Bangkok and the Office of Information Management Technology (OIMT) to exchange information and ensure service delivery that is consistent with UNDP’s policies and procedures. Following is a list of key functions for this position, but not limited to, with the addition of tasks assigned on required basis.
1. Implements ICT strategies and introduce/implement new technologies:
- Compliance with corporate information management and technology standards, guidelines, and procedures for the offices’ technology environment.
- Provision of inputs to elaboration of internal policies and procedures on the use of ICT.
- Elaboration of the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures in ICT in consultation with office management.
- Participate in development and update of the ICT annual plan.
- Provision of support to the use of corporate ERP for improved business results and improved client services.
- Provide helpdesk support to colleagues in the Country Office, Field Offices, and Projects.
2. Ensures effective functioning of Country Office and Regional Offices hardware and software packages focusing on the achievement of the following results:
- Provision of advice on maintenance of equipment and acquisition of hardware supplies, making routine repairs and change of hardware electronic components.
- Ensure implementation of corporate UNDP systems.
- Provision of inputs for development of new software packages for high impact results (e.g., office management system, electronic registry, etc.) as required.
3. Ensures efficient networks administration focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Operation of network utility procedures defining network users and security attributes establishing directories, menus, and drive-mappings, configuring network printers, and providing user access. Ensure that the UNDP desktop and network resources are protected from malicious virus attacks and deploy countermeasures in the event of the attacks.
- Troubleshooting and monitoring of network problems.
- Respond to user needs and questions regarding network access.
- Maintenance of up-to-date parameters of information for the network clients and electronic mail.
- Implementation of backup and restoration procedures for local drives. Maintenance of backup logs. Organization of off-site storage of backups.
- Maintenance of measures in place for business continuity and disaster recover processes and procedures including backup and restoration of both server and local storage facilities.
- Timely LAN Infrastructure and Internet connectivity upgrade to meet UNDP requirements.
4. Ensures facilitation of video conferences and communications in the office, focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Installs, configures, and tests audio, video conference and desktop video conference hardware/software using available communication and network connectivity.
- Assists in meetings preparation by preparing and configuring conference hardware in various locations and operates equipment during conferences.
- Provides support and training for new users of conference systems and applications.
- Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the Regional Hub and CO focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Identification and promotion of different systems and applications for optimal content management, knowledge management and sharing, information provision.
- Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on ICT issues.
- Maintenance of staff training profiles.
- Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices in ICT.
- Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
5. Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the Regional Hub and CO focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Identification and promotion of different systems and applications for optimal content management, knowledge management and sharing, information provision.
- Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on ICT issues.
- Maintenance of staff training profiles.
- Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices in ICT.
- Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
Institutional Arrangement
Under the overall guidance of Operations Manager, and ICT Analyst, and the direct supervision of ICT Associate/G6, the ICT Associate/NPSA6 provides ICT services to the UNDP country office, field offices, and project teams, and implements ICT management systems and strategies, provides daily technical support to users of information management tools and technology infrastructure. The incumbent is also responsible for review and advice on the use of new technologies that will enhance the country offices.
Competencies
Core
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
Business Development: Knowledge Generation – Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
Business Development: Human-centered Design – Ability to develop solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process.
Business Management: Digital Awareness and Literacy – Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillful grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed.
Business Management: Customer Satisfaction/Client Management – Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, pro ide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs. Pro ide inputs to the development of customer ser ice strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
Information Management & Technology: IT Service Delivery & Operations – Ability to deliver the IT products and services to customers at the right level of Quality and Costs, considering user experience. ISO 20000 knowledge. ITIL certification or similar desirable.
Information Management & Technology: User Experience and business analyst – Capacity to translate efficiently users’ needs in IT requirements around human-centered design.
Information Management & Technology: Configuration Management – Business analysis, requirements – Knowledge of configuration management changes, ability to manage and control the configuration change management process.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Secondary education is required with formal training in IT systems, business software and/or web-based applications.
- Certifications in CCNA, MSCA, MSCE, and/or MCP are an asset.
- A university degree in Information Technology, Information Management, Telecommunications and Computer Science will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement
Experience:
- Minimum of 6 years (with high school diploma) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant working experience in network administration, web design, providing technical support for hardware/software or Cloud ERP environments, working with telecommunications facilities; and applying knowledge of database applications, web-based management systems and cloud infrastructure solutions.
Required skills and competencies
- Hands-on experience in design, implementation, troubleshooting and monitoring of ICT Systems and services mainly cloud platforms such as MS Azure, and also video conferencing systems, usage, and support of desktop productivity suites, mainly Microsoft 365 with Skype for Business, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, Yammer, Planner, knowledge of database packages.
- Hands-on experience in design, implementation, troubleshooting and monitoring of ICT Networking services mainly Cisco Meraki Firewalls, Routers, Switches, and Wi-Fi devices, familiarity with fundamental information security concepts.
- Proven experience in and knowledge of corporate email management systems IDAM as well as ERP system.
Desired additional skills and competencies
- Knowledge of UNDP’s rules and regulations would be an advantage.
- Experience of working in ICT sector, such as ISPs or Telecom industries.
Required Language(s) (at working level)
- Fluency in English and local languages of duty station Dari and/or Pashto is required.
Desired Professional Certificates
Any of the following are desired, and not a requirement.
ITIL: Fundamentals, Cisco CCNA/CCNP, Microsoft 365 Certified: Fundamentals, Cisco Certified Network Engineer (CCNE), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
Disclaimer
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: 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.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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