Cash and Voucher Assistance Expert – Afghanistan At INTERSOS

INTERSOS is an independent humanitarian organization that assists the victims of natural disasters, armed conflicts and exclusion. Its activities are based on the principles of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equality of rights and opportunities, respect for diversity and coexistence, paying special attention to the most vulnerable people.

Terms of reference

Job Title: Cash and Voucher Assistance Expert

Code: 28-6576

Duty station: Kabul with frequent visits to field locations

Starting date: 01/05/2023

Contract duration: 6 months (renewable)

Reporting to: Country Programme Coordinator

Dependents: non-family duty station

General context of the project

INTERSOS has been working in Afghanistan since 2001, with a country office in Kabul, and field bases in Kandahar and Zabul provinces. In recent years INTERSOS has been focusing its assistance based on integrated community-based approach that includes primary health care (including sexual and reproductive health care), nutrition and protection programmes serving conflict-affected populations, particularly in hard-to-reach areas, with a special focus on socially excluded individuals, including women, children and persons living with disabilities.

With its operational approach and active engagement with the communities, INTERSOS has been enjoying strong community acceptance and operational access.

Intersos as leader and/or part of Consortiums has been working with other consortium bodies through a needs-based, people-centered and multi-sectorial approach.

General purpose of the position

The Cash and Voucher (CVA) Expert will be responsible for setting Country frameworks and standards and supporting the Programme Team to establish and run quality cash and voucher operations around the country. INTERSOS is looking for an Expert who has multiple skills and competencies to lead the upgrade of the development of policies, SoPs, organizational structures, resources to deliver high quality CVA programming, integrating the approaches into the organization’s sectorial strategies, ensuring that they are appropriated by the country teams through evaluating team capability and provide a capacity building trainings and follow up in the implementation phases.

The Cash and Voucher (CVA) Expert will work across INTERSOS’s program and be responsible for providing technical support to cash-based activities. S/he will work under the guidance and supervision of the Country Program Coordinator and in coordination with relevant Departments. S/he also will be responsible of evaluating and building the capacity of partners on cash-based interventions to identify areas for standardized cash-based intervention in line with donors’ and Intersos’ requirements. Furthermore, the Expert would also contribute within the period of assignment to the global objectives of the Organization in coordination with HQ Programme Department.

Main responsibilities and tasks

Field/Mission of assignment – 80%

• Formulating and leading the implementation of the CVA Strategy and integrating CVA into the Country Strategy and Programme.
• Support the implementation of CVA interventions (Cash and Voucher) to ensure timely, cost-effective, and integrated approaches with core activities and in close cooperation with the Programme Team. This should include the design of cash-based operational plans and related SOPs.
• Consider innovative opportunities generated by cash assistance, such as integration of market interventions, and financial inclusion.
• Lead or build productive partnerships and collaborate with other Departments in key CVA functions (e.g. Logistics, Finance and MEAL) to ensure an integrated CVA approach to project activities and cross-functional operational alignment.
• Coordinate analysis for cash-based modalities and delivery mechanism selection including needs, market, and sectorial assessments, setting transfer values and Minimum Expenditure values in close collaboration with other departments.
• Develop strategies on beneficiary sensitization in line with the Accountability to Affected Populations framework.
• Plan and manage delivery systems, including participation in due diligence processes and drafting contracts for financial service providers and partners selection; determination of criteria for beneficiary selection and creation of payment lists;
• Provide oversight of payment instruments by ensuring appropriate controls are in place and in line with Donors and Intersos standards.
• Review and analyse MEAL outputs and adjust program design as needed; read analytical results and reflect findings in operational management.
• Identify and build productive partnerships with counterparts amongst government and other national organizations, UN agencies, and NGOs to share operational knowledge and resources and build capacity resulting in coordinated and cost-effective CVA interventions.
• Evaluate the field staff’s capacity, plan, and provide capacity building as needed.
• Evaluate partner capability; organize, develop, and deliver partner capacity-building trainings when necessary.
• Undertakes field visits to monitor and assess programme implementation and recommends required corrective action.
• Represent INTERSOS in external humanitarian Cash Working Group to ensure a closer coordination with other stakeholders, when required.
• Undertake other assigned tasks, as required.

Global (with remote engagement) – 20%

• Advise INTERSOS HQ Programmes Department on the design of INTERSOS CVA Strategy integrating into operational plans, strategies and projects.
• Lead the collection, harmonization or development of INTERSOS CVA Standard Operating Procedures and related tools, and risk management analysis;
• Represent INTERSOS in regional forums and in meetings with donors, partners and other stakeholders on cash and voucher assistance, in coordination with Regional Offices and relevant Missions.

Required profile and experience

Education

University degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or other relevant fields related to humanitarian interventions/international development and/or certified studies in Cash-based interventions.​

Professional Experience

• Between 3-5 years of professional experience in managing Cash-based interventions including coordination with internal and external stakeholders
• Experience in designing and setting up Cash-based interventions;
• Experience in implementing operational Cash-based interventions strategies;
• Experience in developing and managing relationships and national capacity building initiatives with UN agencies, NGOs;
• Experience in identifying operational risks and maintaining documentation on emergency preparedness;
• Experience in implementing/setting-up Cash-based interventions improvement and optimization initiatives to achieve cost efficiency, improved agility, reliability and quality

Professional Requirements

• Administration, finance and budget management skills
• Essential computer literacy (Office and Google suites)
• Analytical thinking, analysis capacity and strategic program development skills
• Strong representation and negotiation skills
• Ability to ensure quick quality delivery in stressful environment
• Ability to adhere to deadlines and respect line management

Languages

English mandatory and multi-language knowledge as added value​

Personal Requirements

• Adaptability, flexibility
• Ability to manage stress effectively
• Independence
• Diversity/cultural sensitivity
• Integrity, accountability, reliability
• Capacity to live in socially limited environments
• Adherence to humanitarian principles and code of conduct, in line with INTERSOS’ principles, values and regulations