Executive Director

Organizational background DCA:

The Dutch Committee for Afghanistan – Livestock Programs (in short DCA) is a non-profit private organization (Dutch Foundation), which was established in 1988. DCA is based and registered in The Netherlands as a Dutch Foundation in 1994, and in Afghanistan as an International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) in 2005.

The Board in The Netherlands governs the INGO in Kabul via a liaison office with 2 part time staff. An expatriate executive director leads the Afghan organization, existing of a core management team, project managers and supporting staff.

Since 1988, DCA has trained > 1400 veterinary paraprofessionals (VPP) and supported them after graduation to start a Veterinary Field Unit (VFU) in the countryside of Afghanistan. Currently, there are about 1,000 VFUs active as small independent businesses, covering most provinces in Afghanistan including remote areas, giving private veterinary services to the local livestock owners.

During the years, DCA has implemented a lot of veterinary and livestock related projects for many donors like EU, USAID, FAO, IFAD, GIZ, UNODC and Brooke, often under authority and/or in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL).

The DCA approach:

Vision of DCA

To reduce poverty and increase food security for the people of Afghanistan through improved animal health, welfare, production and value chain measures which sustains.

Private Veterinary Services

DCA has become a key organization in the livestock sector in Afghanistan and gives support to the VFUs for further improving private veterinary services (treatments, vaccinations) for the rural communities where possible.

Distribution system veterinary medicines

In 2011, DCA initiated a spin-off company, named VetServ for importing and distributing quality vaccines and medicines to VFUs.

Public Private Partnership

The Department of Animal Health and Livestock Production of the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock started working with the Sanitary Mandate Contracting Scheme (SMCS), allowing the VFUs to support in surveillance and control of contagious animal diseases.

Extension projects

To implement projects, DCA often uses the network of the VFUs. For extension to livestock owners to improve (quality of) animal health and production, DCA has developed several Herd Health Packages, useful to communicate with (often illiterate) beneficiaries.

Value chain

Sector development supports the activities of individual entrepreneurs (VPPs and livestock owners). Therefore, DCA focuses on value chain development with the goal to develop sustainable animal production.

Animal Welfare

Animal welfare is one of the focus points of the work of DCA. Brooke is an international equine welfare organization and cooperates with DCA since many years. We look after the welfare of horses and donkeys, and in the slipstream other animal species, which also has an effect on the welfare of their owners. Donkeys are essential for the poor families for transport of products, food, feed and drinking water.

One Health

Few years ago, DCA added “One Health” to her program in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health and recently DCA is active in the COVID 19 outbreak in Afghanistan.

Training

The DCA training center(s) perform(s) primary/basic courses and refresher courses in all the DCA Program parts.

Gender

DCA supports the empowerment of women among the beneficiaries through its projects as well as through its own recruitment policy for new staff.

Position of the candidate:

The selected candidate is the potential successor of the current executive director who will retire end of 2021. In the course of 2021, the candidate executive director will support the current executive director and will report to him. The executive director reports directly to the DCA Board. The responsibilities of the executive director are:

• Final responsibility for all activities of DCA in Afghanistan.
• Further develop the role of DCA in Afghanistan based on an annual workplan and budget which is in line with the DCA strategy, vision and mission and which is approved by the DCA board.
• Leading the day-to-day management of DCA in Afghanistan
• Hiring, managing and contributing to capacity building of DCA staff towards equal employment opportunities for women, minorities, veterans, the handicapped and other groups.
• Coordinating and supervising the implementation of DCA projects and activities, including ensuring financial and administrative support for field and office activities.
• Leading efforts to secure funding for the DCA Program. Working to maintain a diversified funding base at a sustainable level to support DCA.
• Managing and overseeing grant- and financial reporting.
• Raising the profile of DCA in Afghanistan through attending relevant meetings, workshops, and strategy sessions
• Establishing and maintaining excellent working relationships with partners and donors. Meeting regularly with project partners, relevant government agencies, and community leaders.
• Serving as a liaison between the DCA Country Program and scientific and other stakeholders in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
• Acting as the legal representative of DCA in Afghanistan ensuring all activities are in accordance with the Afghan laws and regulations.
• Liaising with the Board and DCA staff in The Netherlands

Qualifications

• Applicants should have a PhD, MBA, or MSc with extensive experience managing complex institutions, with expertise from the livestock sector in development countries.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in managing development aid programs and projects, project budgets, and staff, particularly in remote and/or developing country settings.
• Fluency in English
• Preferably experience in managing European Union and/or USAID funded projects.
• Demonstrated success working with diverse partners to achieve common objectives.
• Ability to train and build capacity in project implementation, community-based activities, project management.
• Applicants should be willing to live full-time in Afghanistan (with paid home leave every 4 months), be willing to travel regularly in the regions, have excellent problem-solving skills and be flexible to developing countries’ constraints.
• Experience working in Islamic countries is strongly preferred
• Salary level commensurate with experience and responsibilities.

Emoluments and other benefits

• Offered is a 12-months-contract with a 2-months-probation period, and possible extension
• Competitive salary based on experience; 4-monthly leave periods; 3 international flights
• Accommodation is supplied in the DCA Guesthouse in Kabul with all facilities provided
• Note: this is an unaccompanied post

Further information can be obtained from

Dr. Raymond Briscoe, Executive Director DCA in Kabul; [email protected]

Dr. Ab Emmerzaal, Secretary General DCA in the Netherlands; [email protected]