At RECOFTC, we believe in a future where people live equitably and sustainably in and beside healthy, resilient forests. We take a long-term, landscape-based and inclusive approach to supporting local communities to secure their land and resource rights, stop deforestation, find alternative livelihoods and foster gender equity. We are the only non-profit organization of our kind in Asia and the Pacific. We have more than 30 years of experience working with people and forests, and have built trusting relationships with partners at all levels. Our influence and partnerships extend from multilateral institutions to governments, private sector and local communities. Our innovations, knowledge and initiatives enable countries to foster good forest governance, mitigate and adapt to climate change, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

RECOFTC is inviting applications for the position Project Coordinator, Citizen Forest Network in Thailand. The successful applicant will be based at RECOFTC Thailand in Bangkok. The contract duration is for 18 months.

Project background  
RECOFTC developed the project “Enhancing the quality of community forests for abundant ecosystem, livelihoods, security and good governance” to respond to the changing climate impacts and forest regulations in Thailand. The forest sector is expected to play a vital role in climate change mitigation. In this context, local communities have an important role in managing forests and improving governance in forest management. The new project builds on the achievements of “Empowering Community Forestry Networks towards improved and inclusive forest landscape governance mechanism through multi-stakeholder cooperation (CFNet)”. This CF Net project promoted civil society participation in forest governance, legislation and policy development. CFNet built foundations required to continue promoting good governance. It initiated a citizen forest database and increased civil society leadership in forest management across 38 provinces in Thailand.

The project “Enhancing the quality of community forests for abundant ecosystem, livelihoods, security, and good governance” adopts open data principles to enhance the quality and governance of 400 community forests in ten provinces in Thailand: Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nan, Surin, Sakonnakorn, Khonkaen, Sa Kaew, Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi and Surat Thani. The project aims to achieve three outcomes:

      1. Increase productivity and ecosystem service at targeted community forests

      2. Promote better welfare for people and communities who depend on forests for livelihood

      3. Build cooperation and transparency in forest management by opening up access to information. 

To achieve these outcomes, the project will:  

• Develop community forest management plans
• Extend participatory mechanism in the community forest management process
• Expand community forest database, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems

The Thailand Corporate Governance Fund (CF Fund) funds the initial 18 months of the project implementation, starting August 2022.

Specific tasks and duties

The Project Coordinator, Citizen Forest Network in Thailand takes a leading role in coordinating “Enhancing the quality of community forests for abundant ecosystem, livelihoods, security, and good governance”, from project planning, implementation, and monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) to reporting. The Project Coordinator supports assigned administrative and communication tasks, conducts occasional field work with project beneficiaries, and engages with stakeholders to meet the project’s goals, objectives and expectations as outlined in the project document.  

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Director, RECOFTC Thailand and in close collaboration with other RECOFTC Thailand staff, the Project Coordinator’s main duties are:

Project planning and implementation  

• Prepare project work plan, budget and MEL in compliance with donor and RECOFTC requirements
• Develop and maintain a detailed plan for project implementation and sustainability plan to assist the overall project management
• Design and schedule activities, training and fieldwork according to plan and develop concept notes for project activities
• Prepare budget requests and develop terms of reference to approve project activities 
• Coordinate with participants and organizations to conduct activities or events
• Facilitate and lead capacity building and meetings with targeted communities and key stakeholders with respect to gender equality and social inclusion principles 
• Act as focal point person to communicate the project status to all stakeholders involved in the project, including coordinating with communities and key stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of project activities and service delivery, and holding formal and informal meetings 

Project monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL)

• Monitor progress of project activities and budget spending
• Monitor progress and financial status of activities and outputs in the project implementation plan, and adjust the project plan as needed to ensure successful project implementation 
• Prepare project progress report, including narrative report and support documents for timely submission
• Provide inputs for RECOFTC’s MEL process that captures lessons learned, outputs and outcomes achieved 

 Partnership and communication

• Liaise and develop networks with international organizations, private sector, nongovernment organizations, and government agencies for information exchange, strategic operations and networking
• Represent RECOFTC in meetings, public events and networking opportunities related to the project
• Engage in advocacy with government and non-government sectors at all levels
• Maintain contacts with existing key local stakeholders and potential parties interested in supporting the project
• Work with the communication team to document project results and develop communication products to reach targeted audience

 Other  

• Maintain quality and traceable records and project information in a project data storage system
• Work with other team members to integrate cross-cutting initiatives and ensure coherence at a program level
• Perform relevant tasks as assigned by the direct supervisor

Qualifications and experience

The Project Coordinator will have the following essential qualifications and experience:  

Essential

• University degree or equivalent in forestry, environmental studies, development studies, social science or related fields
• At least five years of experience in managing development projects, preferably in the field of community forestry
• Knowledge in project management methodologies and tools
• English proficiency and computer literacy as well as open data principles
• Good report writing and presentation skills in Thai and English
• Strong experience in meeting and training facilitation
• Strong teamwork and networking
• Willingness to travel frequently within the country and the region, and work in multistakeholder and cross-cultural environments
• Thai national only

Desirable

• Ability to coordinate with other team members and manage tasks and time effectively
• Ability to maintain continuous productive communication with all stakeholders
• Openness to work across their own main function and ability to adapt and take initiative to improve the work quality
• Knowledge of database and online applications
• Ability to self-learn and maintain continuous learning, motivation and selfdevelopment
• Willing to support team members and partners capacity to grow within the area of responsibility
• Result-oriented, with ability to prioritize tasks to meet competing demands and strict deadlines
• Understanding and willinging to promote social inclusion and gender equity (SIGE) principles

RECOFTC’s core values

At RECOFTC, our core values are the foundation of our culture and guide all our work. In addition to job specific skills and experience, the applicant should possess the following characteristics, attitudes and skills:

• Embrace innovation
• Adapt to, and learn from, challenges
• Collaborate with partners and stakeholders
• Nurture commitment, responsibility and ownership
• Prioritize sustainability
• Cultivate participation, social inclusion and gender equity

How to apply

Interested candidates are requested to submit a CV and a cover letter indicating why they are suitable for this position along with salary requirements and current contact details of three referees, including recent supervisors to hr@recoftc.org. Please quote the position title in the subject line of the email. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. RECOFTC has a competitive compensation package. Offers are based on salary history, relevant experience and qualifications of the selected candidate.

To learn more about RECOFTC, please visit our website www.recoftc.org.

Applicants shall not be discriminated against based on ethnicity, religion, age, nationality, physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, colour, marital status, medical condition, or any other classification protected by RECOFTC’s values and code of conduct. Reasonable accommodation may be made so that qualified disabled applicants can partake in the application process. Women are strongly encouraged to apply. Please inform RECOFTC’s Human Resources in writing of any special needs at the time of application.

RECOFTC is an equal opportunity employer and the successful candidate will be selected based on merit.

RECOFTC retains the right to offer this position at a job grade relevant to the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.