Project Management Associate – Thailand Policy Lab

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Organization : UNDP Thailand

Background

The UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021 embraces the complexity of development and commits the organization to help countries to find faster, more durable solutions to achieve Agenda 2030. Important development trends like urbanization, climate change, and rising inequalities pose significant challenges to achieve the 2030 agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNDP has begun incubating several strategic initiatives aimed at ensuring UNDP is ‘fit for purpose’ to deliver a new generation of solutions in line with the challenges the world faces. One such key strategic initiative is the Country Accelerator Lab Network. The initiative is a recognition that increasingly interrelated development challenges require going beyond “business as usual” and single point, linear and silver bullet responses in development. Instead, they call for interdisciplinary approaches and non-linear solutions that crowd in the collective efforts of a variety of partners and tap into local insights and the knowledge of people closest to the problem and the solutions.

The initiative is also a recognition and investment in the emerging momentum among a growing number of UNDP Country Offices to adopt disruptive, cutting edge methodologies with contextual, country-based insights and expertise to accelerate impact and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.

As an upper-middle-income country, Thailand has advanced far beyond having many of the more basic development challenges affecting other nations. However, several challenges remain. Even in areas where Thailand has advanced and even become a model for other countries, improvements are possible. Those challenges are no longer best solved by conventional approaches and innovation is better suited.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic consequences highlight the irrelevance of traditional ways of formulating public policies and delivering public services that are not sufficiently agile, efficient and effective to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

In Thailand, for many years UNDP has been investing in exploring innovation by providing seed-funding to initiatives with the belief that innovation happens through practical explorations of new ways to address old development problems.

To accelerate innovation in public policy and services, UNDP and the Royal Thai Government through the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) see an opportunity to accelerate innovation for policies and public services in Thailand and have entered in an agreement to establish a policy innovation platform “Thailand Policy Lab” or “TPLab” to connect and build capacities of various stakeholders in Thailand including government; academic; private sector; and citizen, to accelerate the impact of innovation in public policy and services in Thailand, and exchange knowledge and experience with other countries in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.

The Thailand Policy Lab (TPLab) will provide 3 core capacities to partners in Thailand as follow:

a. Exploration

Exploring the strategic risks under uncertainties, horizon scanning in Thailand and to identify under-the-radar trends and outliers and spot future trends that are relevant for policy formulation and public service development.

b. Portfolio Options & Experiment

Articulating the possible strategic options against the strategic risks
Designing and running multiple policy experiments to build Portfolio Options & Experimentation for accelerating impact in selected priority areas
Experimenting evaluation (e.g. RCT, real-time monitoring, big data, lean impact measurement)

c. Learning

Accelerated learning, capacity building, and regional/global positioning for Thailand (e.g. On-the-job learning opportunities for government officials at different levels (line ministry level, local government, and public administration)

To support implementation of various initiatives of the TPLab, UNDP is looking for a Project Management Associate – Thailand Policy Lab. The Project Management Associate is responsible to provide administration services to the TPLab. He/She will work closely with government agencies, civil society organizations, academia, NGOs and citizen and will report directly to Head of TPLab. He/she will work closely with the team of UNDP programme and operation teams in Thailand and NESDC.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of Head of Thailand Policy Lab, the Project Management Associate will be in charge of day-to-day operations of TPLab, ensuring high quality, efficient and effective project delivery. He/she shall liaise with TPLab team, NESDC, UNDP and stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation of the project activities.

The Project Management Associate will support and facilitate the coordination of all technical and logistic arrangements in the following areas:

1. Coordination Support:

Organize meetings of the TPLab team, etc.
Coordinate activities of TPLab with UNDP staff, NESDC, government agencies, NGOs, academia, etc.
Maintain regular contact with focal persons of partners and project service providers such as academic institutes, consultants and, etc.

2. Planning:

Support the TPLab in planning and organizing meetings to develop annual and quarterly work plans and corresponding budget plans, as needed.
Assist in preparing work plans and budget plans in close consultation with UNDP and government agencies, as needed.
Keep the TPLab team updated on issues and potential delays and risks to the work schedule and other operational and budgetary issues.

3. Implementation:

Provide administrative and programmatic support to TPLab team in the day-to-day implementation and ensure achievement of targets through effective and efficient administrative support.
Assist the mobilization of competent national and international experts as needed.
Provide inputs for draft concept note, Terms of Reference (ToR), document, meeting minutes, report, etc.
Undertake any other duties as required.

4. Reporting and Audit:

Prepare a draft of project progress reports (quarterly and annual/financial and substantive) against set targets and indicators.
Assist the TPLab team in preparing reports and involve in monitoring and evaluating activities as required by UNDP and government agencies.

5. Knowledge Building and Sharing:

Organize training for administrative staff supporting the TPLab.
Provide input for drafting documentation of innovations, good practices, lessons learned and an effective knowledge building.
Strengthen partnership among knowledge networks and organize knowledge sharing sessions.
Compile success stories, in particular from government agencies, that have addressed key development challenges in Thailand using innovative approaches.

Competencies

*Core*
Innovation Ability to make new and useful ideas work	Level 3: Adapts deliverables to meet client needs
Leadership Ability to persuade others to follow	Level 3: Proactively seeks and recognizes contributions of others
People Management Ability to improve performance and satisfaction	Level 3: Appropriately involves team in different stages of work and decision-making
Communication Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform	Level 3: Expresses information and views with adaptive reasoning and appreciation for complexity and variation
Delivery Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement	Level 3: Takes responsibility for addressing critical situations and delivering core value
*Technical/Functional*	Detailed list of competencies can be accessed through https://intranet.undp.org/unit/ohr/competency-framework/SitePages/Home.aspx and hiring managers are encouraged to familiarize themselves for more information
Results-based Management Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results	Level 3: Implement & Manage: Exercises skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in area of work
Partnerships Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationship	Level 3: Implement & Manage: Exercises skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in area of work
Project Management Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.	Level 3: Implement & Manage: Exercises skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in area of work
Resource Mobilization Ability to analyze information/ databases and develop a database of project profiles and identify opportunities for project proposal to donors	Level 3: Implement & Manage: Exercises skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in area of work
Knowledge Management Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge	Level 3: Implement & Manage: Exercises skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in area of work
Job Knowledge/ Technical Expertise Ability to understand and apply principles of professional discipline and identify new and better approach to work processes	Level 3: Implement & Manage: Exercises skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in area of work
Client Orientation Ability to research potential solutions to internal and external client needs and maintain effective relationships within the work unit and with external client.	Level 3: Implement & Manage: Exercises skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in area of work

Required Skills and Experiences

Education:

Thai national with Secondary Education. Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, Political Science, Economics, Public Management, International Development, or related field would be desirable.

Experience:

Minimum 6 years (or 3 years with bachelor’s degree) of relevant administrative and/or programme experience in development areas at the national or international level.
Demonstrated professional experience in one or more of the following substantive areas: business administration, political science, innovation.
Hands-on experience in supporting designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating development projects to achieve results.
Excellent judgement and communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to work with minimal supervision, producing quality results.

Language Requirements: