Liaison Officer

Organizational Background

Women Activities and Social Services Association (WASSA) is an Afghan non-governmental organization working to improve the lives of vulnerable communities through programmes focused on protection, women's empowerment, livelihoods, education, health, nutrition, and community development.

WASSA works in coordination with relevant government institutions, local authorities, community structures, humanitarian organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure effective programme implementation and meaningful community engagement.

To strengthen institutional coordination, facilitate operational access, and ensure smooth implementation of its programmes, WASSA seeks to recruit a qualified and experienced Liaison Officer.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position: Liaison Officer

Organization: Women Activities and Social Services Association (WASSA)
Department: Programme / Operations
Duty Station: Herat, Afghanistan
Coverage: Herat, Badghis, Farah, Ghor, and other areas of WASSA operations, as required
Reports to: Head of Program / Executive Director, as assigned by management
Supervises: No direct supervisory responsibilities
Employment Type: Full-time

1. Organizational Background

Women Activities and Social Services Association (WASSA) is an Afghan non-governmental organization working to improve the lives of vulnerable communities through programmes focused on protection, women's empowerment, livelihoods, education, health, nutrition, and community development.

WASSA works in coordination with relevant government institutions, local authorities, community structures, humanitarian organizations, and other stakeholders to ensure effective programme implementation and meaningful community engagement.

To strengthen institutional coordination, facilitate operational access, and ensure smooth implementation of its programmes, WASSA seeks to recruit a qualified and experienced Liaison Officer.

2. Position Purpose

The Liaison Officer will be responsible for facilitating and maintaining effective communication, coordination, and working relationships between WASSA, relevant government authorities, including the de facto authorities (DFA), community representatives, and other local stakeholders.

The position will serve as a key organizational focal point for government and community liaison, facilitating administrative procedures, official correspondence, required permissions, stakeholder engagement, and resolution of coordination-related challenges that may affect programme implementation.

The Liaison Officer will work closely with programme, operations, administration, and field teams to ensure that WASSA's activities are appropriately coordinated with relevant authorities and communities, in accordance with organizational policies, humanitarian principles, and applicable regulations.

3. Key Responsibilities and Duties

A. Government and DFA Coordination

1. Establish, maintain, and strengthen professional working relationships with relevant government authorities at provincial and district levels.
2. Serve as an organizational focal point for routine communication and coordination with relevant government departments, including the Departments of Economy, Public Health, Education, Agriculture and Livestock, Labour and Social Affairs, Refugees and Repatriation, and other relevant line departments.
3. Facilitate the preparation, submission, follow-up, and processing of official letters, project notifications, administrative permissions, clearances, endorsements, and other required documentation.
4. Arrange and facilitate introductory meetings, official visits, project briefings, consultations, and periodic coordination meetings with relevant authorities.
5. Ensure that relevant government departments are appropriately informed about WASSA's organizational mandate, ongoing and planned projects, implementation locations, and key activities.
6. Monitor changes in government directives, policies, administrative procedures, and regulatory requirements that may affect WASSA's operations and programme implementation.
7. Follow up on government-related requests, concerns, observations, and instructions and coordinate appropriate responses with relevant WASSA departments.
8. Facilitate communication between WASSA management and relevant authorities on matters requiring institutional-level engagement or management intervention.
9. Maintain an updated directory of relevant government departments, officials, focal points, contact details, and administrative procedures.
10. Immediately communicate any significant government directive, restriction, administrative decision, or emerging issue that may affect organizational operations or project implementation to senior management.

B. Community Relations and Engagement

1. Establish and maintain constructive relationships with community elders, Shuras, Community Development Councils (CDCs), religious leaders, community representatives, and other influential local stakeholders.
2. Facilitate community entry processes and introductory meetings before the commencement of project activities in new implementation locations.
3. Support programme teams in communicating WASSA's organizational mandate, project objectives, planned activities, implementation approaches, and expected community engagement arrangements.
4. Facilitate coordination with communities to support access to project implementation sites and ensure smooth delivery of planned activities.
5. Support project teams in organizing community consultations, awareness sessions, introductory meetings, and other stakeholder engagement activities.
6. Identify and communicate community concerns, sensitivities, disputes, resistance, and other issues that may affect project implementation or community acceptance.
7. Facilitate communication between community representatives and relevant WASSA teams to address coordination-related misunderstandings and concerns.
8. Promote inclusive community engagement, ensuring appropriate consideration of women, persons with disabilities, returnees, IDPs, and other vulnerable or marginalized groups.
9. Support programme teams in strengthening community trust, acceptance, and constructive engagement with WASSA's interventions.
10. Refer complaints, feedback, protection concerns, and safeguarding issues to the designated organizational mechanisms rather than handling sensitive cases independently.

C. Project Implementation and Operational Facilitation

1. Work closely with Programme Managers, Project Officers, and field teams to identify government and community coordination requirements for ongoing and planned projects.
2. Facilitate timely access to project implementation locations, facilities, institutions, and communities through appropriate coordination channels.
3. Support programme teams in obtaining necessary administrative permissions, approvals, notifications, and other external arrangements before conducting project activities.
4. Coordinate with relevant authorities and community representatives to facilitate project launches, monitoring visits, official inspections, field visits, distributions, training sessions, and other project-related activities.
5. Follow up on external coordination challenges affecting project activities and facilitate their resolution in consultation with relevant WASSA departments.
6. Maintain regular communication with field teams to identify emerging stakeholder concerns and administrative obstacles.
7. Coordinate with the Operations, Administration, and Security teams on matters requiring external stakeholder engagement or local coordination.
8. Support the timely resolution of issues raised by government authorities, community representatives, and other external stakeholders.
9. Provide management with practical recommendations to address coordination challenges and minimize interruptions to programme implementation.
10. Ensure that coordination arrangements are made in advance to minimize delays, misunderstandings, and disruptions to project activities.

D. Institutional Representation and Stakeholder Relations

1. Represent WASSA in government, community, and stakeholder meetings when formally delegated by management.
2. Maintain professional working relationships with UN agencies, international and national NGOs, civil society organizations, community-based organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.
3. Support WASSA's participation in relevant provincial and district-level coordination meetings and consultation platforms.
4. Facilitate communication and information-sharing between WASSA and relevant external stakeholders, within the limits of organizational authorization and confidentiality requirements.
5. Support senior management in organizing high-level institutional meetings, official visits, and stakeholder consultations.
6. Promote WASSA's organizational mandate, credibility, and professional image through constructive and transparent engagement.
7. Identify opportunities to strengthen WASSA's institutional relationships, local acceptance, coordination mechanisms, and operational access.
8. Ensure that external commitments, representations, and official communications remain consistent with WASSA's approved positions, policies, and delegated authority.

E. Documentation, Reporting, and Information Management

1. Maintain an organized filing system for official correspondence, government permissions, administrative clearances, meeting minutes, and stakeholder engagement records.
2. Maintain an updated government coordination and correspondence tracker, documenting submitted requests, pending approvals, follow-up actions, responsible persons, and deadlines.
3. Prepare meeting minutes and action points following relevant government and stakeholder meetings.
4. Submit regular coordination updates to management, highlighting completed engagements, pending matters, emerging challenges, and required follow-up actions.
5. Prepare a monthly liaison report summarizing government coordination, community engagement, administrative facilitation, key developments, and recommendations.
6. Maintain an updated stakeholder directory, including relevant institutions, focal points, and contact information.
7. Ensure timely communication of important information and developments to relevant programme and operational teams.
8. Maintain confidentiality and ensure the secure handling of sensitive organizational and stakeholder information.

Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Law, Social Sciences, Business Administration, Development Studies, or a related field.

Professional Experience

• Minimum of 3–5 years of relevant professional experience in government liaison, institutional coordination, community engagement, public relations, administration, or NGO operations.
• Demonstrated experience engaging with government authorities and local institutions in Afghanistan.
• Previous experience working with national or international NGOs, UN agencies, or humanitarian organizations is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with provincial and district-level administrative structures, government procedures, and local community dynamics.
• Proven experience facilitating official correspondence, administrative approvals, stakeholder consultations, and coordination meetings.

Technical Skills and Knowledge

• Strong understanding of Afghanistan's administrative and government coordination structures.
• Knowledge of NGO operational requirements, humanitarian principles, and local coordination mechanisms.
• Good communication, coordination, problem-solving, report-writing, documentation, and information-management skills.
• Ability to prepare official correspondence, meeting minutes, and coordination reports.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in Dari and Pashto
• Working knowledge of English is an advantage.