ThaiNGO

Mekong Institute

Terms of Reference (TOR)

1. Mekong Institute (MI)

Mekong Institute (MI) is an intergovernmental organization owned and governed by the six Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) member countries: Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam.  As a regional platform for cooperation, MI strengthens institutional and human capacities, convenes policy dialogue, facilitates knowledge exchange, and mobilizes strategic partnerships to advance regional integration and sustainable development.

Guided by its Strategic Plan 2026-2030, MI adopts an integrated, programmatic and partnership-driven approach to addressing shared cross-border challenges and generating regional public value. Through a nexus approach, MI connects economic transformation, resilient sectoral systems, cross-sector collaboration, and institutional strengthening to translate regional priorities into practical actions, evidence-informed policies, and scalable solutions that contribute to a more resilient, inclusive and prosperous Greater Mekong Subregion.

2. Background of the Project  

The Creative Industries project aims to preserve the cultural heritage of historic landmarks in the Mekong region while also boosting the local economy. Specifically, the project fosters innovative and economically beneficial measures to ensure the conservation of these heritage sites. Creative industries are important contributor to the global GDP and is estimated account for 10% by 2030. Recognizing the significant contribution of the creative industries, United Nations (UN) declared 2021 as the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. However, Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) sector has been seriously affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in the Mekong region. To revive the sector, MI is currently implementing a three-year project on “Promoting Creative Industry for Heritage Tourism Development in the Mekong Region” which consists of several components, including the development of a creative industries platform, the formulation and implementation of capacity building programs, and research studies among others.

Mekong Institute is hiring a Project Assistant to support day to day project secretarial services for the Creative Industries project. The ideal candidate will have a background in providing project support and assistance and additional experience and knowledge on organising capacity building, communication and preferably from any of the Mekong countries. The Project Assistant will work closely with the project team to coordinate effectively with the project stakeholders and report to the Director of Regional Connectivity and Value Chains Department.

3. Tasks and Responsibilities 

• Work closely with the Project Coordinator for all aspects of planning, implementation, and evaluation of the courses/workshops, including participants recruitment, training/workshop delivery, hiring consultants etc.
• Coordinate with the training and workshop participants on travel, accommodations and expenses clearance.
• Coordinate with Administration, Finance and General Services departments of MI on all aspects of the project activities.
• Prepare budgets for the project activities, assume overall responsibility for financial management, and provide budget planning as required.
• Facilitate the training/workshop sessions and assist resource persons and their contract and payments.
• Assist in drafting letters, data collection, etc. 
• Support the project coordinator and project team in collating information, preparing project reports (including quarterly, progress, annual, midterm and completion reports), and other reports as required by Department Director and Project team.
• In partnership with the project and program team, communications and knowledge management team, develop content and manage program communication deliverables.
• Assist in preparing contents for newsletters, tools, announcements, blogs among others, and track project metrics;
• Perform other relevant tasks required by RVC department and MI management. 

4. Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in creative media technology, tourism, communications, journalism, public relations or a related field with experience of working in development projects.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in a capacity building activities management and coordination roles within international development organizations. Background/experience in cultural and creative industries is preferred.
• He/she should have advanced working knowledge of MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Publisher). Candidates with design and layout skills and adept in using Adobe Photoshop and Pagemaker is an advantage.
• Experience collaborating with diverse groups of stakeholders across multiple projects.
• Experience in communications, marketing, and public relations, and another related field.
• Understanding of basic financial and accounting procedures.
• Proven skills and experience in facilitating capacity building activities such as training, workshops, forums etc.  
• Excellent written and oral English communication skills are required. Knowledge of other Mekong countries languages is an asset.
• Proven ability to work in a team and coordinate with others.
• Proficiency with graphic design software and video editing is preferred.

Desirable

• Preference will be given to nationals from GMS countries or to those residing in Thailand.

5. Salary and Benefits

Salary

The salary shall be commensurate with qualifications and experience, and in

accordance with MI’s salary structure Maximum USD 1,000 per month

Benefits

The following benefits are provided subject to the availability of the approved

project budget, in accordance with MI’s Human Resources Policies:

Apply

If you have the skills and experience to exceed in this position and are passionate about equitable and inclusive economic growth in GMS, Submit your CV and the letter cover via the online application form : https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/MFwBQJEZWE

by selecting the “Project Assistant-A24”  within July 19, 2026. Please note that the closing date is midnight Bangkok, Thailand time and only applications successful in progressing to the next stage will be responded to