ThaiNGO

United Nations Development Programme

Terms of Reference

Post Title:                               Project Manager - (Maximizing carbon sink capacity and conservation, restoration and management of peat swamp ecosystems)

Type of Appointment:          Service Contract (SB-4)

Organizational Unit:             UNDP Thailand

Duration of Contract:           1 year (Renewable subject to good performance and availability of funds)

Remuneration:                      Starting Baht 952,140 per annum

Background:

The Kuan Kreng landscape (KKL) in south eastern Thailand contains the country’s second largest peat swamp forest area. The peat swamps provide many ecosystem services ranging from livelihoods for local communities, acting as a rainwater and runoff reservoir, buffering from the impact of rains and floods, acting as a natural sediment filter before waters drain into Songkhla Lake, being a major store of carbon, and harboring important biodiversity including a number of globally threatened species. By some estimates, however, about 65 percent of the KKL remains under constant threat of degradation from various threats with the primary one being conversion to oil palm cultivation and associated drainage and forest fires. The area of natural peat lands that harbor biodiversity and sequester carbon is being reduced. The long-term solution is to change the trajectory of baseline approaches and facilitate a transformative shift from unsustainable to sustainable and integrated use of peat swamps in Thailand.

The “Maximizing carbon sink capacity and conservation, restoration and management of peat swamp ecosystems” Project is in line with Thailand’s 5th National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP 2014-2017) which highlights actions to improve participatory management of peat lands as one of the priorities towards achieving the Aichi Targets. In conserving and restoring peat lands to increase their capacities to act as carbon sinks, as habitats for globally important species, and as sources of ecosystem services for improved livelihoods, the project intends to improve the status of indicator species in KKL, to demonstrate good peat swamp forest management practices, to maintain the carbon pool, to reduce emissions from peat lands, to enhance institutional capacity to account for GHG emission reduction and increase in carbon stocks, and to develop a national strategy to guide the management of peat swamps.

The project has been divided into three components, and will be implemented over a period of five years (2016-2020).

The first component of the project focuses on improving effective protection of remaining natural peat swamp forests in the second-largest peat swamp landscape of Thailand.

The second component of the project helps to implement innovative approaches to avoid drainage and restore peat swamps.

The third component of the project helps to improve national strategies for land use in peat swamps by creating an enabling environment for a landscape approach to management of peat swamp areas.

The project is financially supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with the Office of National Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) as the Implementing Partner. The total GEF-supported funding is US$ 3,224,400, with US$ 13,382,711 co-financing from the Thai counterparts.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Project Director, appointed by the Implementing Partner, and the Programme Analyst - IGSD of UNDP Thailand, the Project Manager (PM) will be in-charge of coordinating the day-to-day management and operations of the project, ensuring high quality, efficient and effective project delivery. The PM will lead the project management unit and report directly to the project director and UNDP Programme Analyst. He/she shall liaise with the Project Board and designated officials of the government of Thailand as deemed appropriate and necessary by the project management unit. The budget and associated work plan will provide guidance on the day-to-day implementation of the approved Project Document. He/she shall be responsible for delivery of all substantive, managerial and financial reports from and on behalf of the Project.

Summary of Key Functions:

Management and Coordination Support:

Create and coordinate partnerships with government institutions, private sector, communities, local and national NGOs, international organizations, development partners, etc. in consultation with implementing partners and UNDP;

Maintain good working relationship and close collaboration with the relevant public and development partners, communities, and other principal counterparts for the project;

Ensure the coordination of activities implemented to achieve the project’s objectives;

Facilitate communications and advocacy of the project results;

Determine the best use of resources and technical expertise based on best practices, cost and timing considerations.

Planning:

Organize joint planning meetings involving the implanting parties, responsible parties, UNDP and other relevant parties to develop annual and quarterly work plans and corresponding budget plans with clearly stated milestones contributing to the achievement of target outputs defined in the Project Document;

Prepare/revise work plans and budget plans in close consultation with UNDP based on the operational and strategic conditions;

Ensure effective implementation of advocacy plans through forums, workshops, seminars or policy dialogues relating to conservation and protection of endangered species and critical habitats.

Implementation:

Oversee the day-to-day project implementation and ensure achievement of targets as outlined in the project work plan and result matrix;

Lead the Project Management Unit (PMU) and the project field offices;

Mobilize competent national and international experts as needed;

Prepare and process Terms of Reference (ToR) in consultation with UNDP and/or the Implementing Partner for required inputs (individual and institutional consultancy services, the procurement of goods, organization of training, seminars, etc.) with expert technical support as required;

Analyze the performance of consultants and responsible parties in delivering individual outputs as described in their ToRs/agreements under the specific project outputs;

Follow-up and ensure that required inputs are processed in a timely and transparent manner and attest to the timeliness of submission and the quality of goods and services procured for the project;

Review project resource requirements and provide inputs to UNDP on the need for budget adjustments and possible revisions;

Together with implementing partners and other stakeholders, constantly identify challenges and provide recommendations to mitigate project risks and ensure smooth project implementation;

Manage critical issues and provide solutions to the overall processes of project implementation.

Project Monitoring and Evaluation:

Create a standard operating procedure, including monitoring and evaluation mechanism, tracking tools, and quality standards of performance, as appropriate, to evaluate the achievement of project activities;

Effectively apply Result Based Management (RBM) tools and establish management targets (BSC) for the achievement of project results;

Monitor project progress against annual and quarterly work plans and budget plans;

Monitor activities implemented by project partners;

Liaise with the implementing partners, responsible parties and UNDP on the conduct of project evaluation.

Reporting and Audit:

Prepare project progress reports (quarterly and annual / financial and substantive) against set targets and indicators, with an analysis of evidence of progress towards planned outputs according to schedules, budgets, and inputs provided by the project;

Prepare the project report, with an analysis of progress towards expected results as defined in the Project Document and subsequent work plans and budgets;

Facilitate the mid-term review and the terminal evaluation in accordance with GEF requirements;

Establish and maintain a systematic filing system of key documents (hard and soft copies) in line with audit requirements;

Assist UNDP Programme Officer in closing Project operationally and financially in accordance of rules and regulations of UNDP and in close coordination with the Senior Beneficiaries and Responsible Parties;

Liaise with UNDP on the conduct of project audit and ensure access by auditors to project documentation, personnel and institutions involved in the project.

Facilitation of knowledge building and management in the project:

Ensure regular documentation of innovations, good practices, lessons learned and an effective knowledge building;

Facilitate regular knowledge sharing/transferring and dissemination of knowledge products;

Compile success stories that have resulted in lasting, large-scale transformational change, if applicable.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Professionalism; demonstrates an ability to work a calm, competent and committed manner;

Creating an environment of creativity and innovation;

Building and promoting effective teams;

Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP and setting standards;

Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning;

Fair and transparent decision making, calculated risk-taking;

Promoting Ethics and Integrity / Creating Organizational Precedents;

Displaying cultural, gender and racial sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Managerial

Proven track record in project implementation, managing and overseeing inter-disciplinary teams;

Ability to perform specialized tasks related to Results-Based Management, including support to design, planning and implementation of the Project;

Ability to establish and sustain interpersonal and professional relationships with partner organizations, local staff, national, provincial and local government, and other collaborating agencies and donors;

Excellent skills in supervision, coaching and team management with a performance orientation;

Good oral and written communication skills;

Ability to anticipate and understand client needs, formulate clear strategic plans, prioritize interventions, and allocate resources according to priorities;

Ability to establish effective working relations in a multicultural team environment.

Results-based Programme Development and Management: Contributes into results through primary research and analysis

Assess project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work;

Research linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration;

Monitor specific stages of projects/programme implementation;

Analyze country situation to identify opportunities for project development;

Participate in the formulation of project proposals and ensures substantive rigor in the design and application of proven successful approaches and drafts proposals accordingly.

Building Strategic Partnerships: Maintaining a network of contacts

Maintain an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues;

Analyze and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders;

Establish and nurtures positive communication with partners.

Innovation and Marketing new Approaches: Enhancing processes or products

Generate new ideas and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;

Document and analyses innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches;

Document bottlenecks, problems and issues, and proposes effective solutions;

Embrace new approaches.

Promoting Organizational learning and Knowledge Sharing: Basic research and analysis

Generate new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;

Document and analyze innovative strategies and new approaches;

Identify and communicate opportunities to promote learning and knowledge sharing;

Develop awareness of the various internal/external learning and knowledge-sharing resources.

Job Knowledge and Technical Expertise: Fundamental knowledge of own discipline

Understand and apply fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position;

Possess basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;

Identify new and better approach to work processes and incorporates the same in his/her work;

Analyze the requirements and synthesize proposals;

Strive to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;

Demonstrate good knowledge of information technology and apply it in work assignments;

Demonstrate in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilize these regularly in work assignments.

Organizational Leadership and Direction

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals: Preparing information for global advocacy

Identify and communicate relevant information for advocacy for UNDP’s goals for a variety of audiences;

Maintain a functioning network of contacts in the media and civil society, to promote a better understanding of UNDP’s mandate and to support advocacy efforts;

Identify and take advantage of opportunities for advocating for UNDP’s mandate.

Client Orientation: Establishing effective client relationships

Research potential solutions to internal and external client needs and report back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion;

Organize and prioritize work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines

Establish, build and sustain effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients;

Actively support the interest of the client by making choices and setting priorities to meet their needs;

Anticipate client needs and address them promptly.

Qualifications:

Education:

Thai national with Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in environment or development related fields, preferably with specialization in conservation, climate change, and/or sustainable development.

Work experience:

At least 5 years for Bachelor’s or 3 years for Master’s holders, of relevant work experience at the national or international level, including experience dealing with project management;

Experience with interagency coordination in national and local governments and UN agencies as well as experience in working with civil society, NGOs and communities on development or conservation issues as an advantage;

Excellent communications/facilitation skills to engage and motivate  a wide range of stakeholders included leading consultation/focus-grouped discussions, facilitating training, meeting and presentation;

Familiar with UNDP systems, rules and procedures is also an advantage;

Strong interpersonal, managerial and advocacy skills.

Language Requirement:

Fluency in written and spoken English and Thai.

Interested candidates should submit applications online with UN Personal History Form (P11) by 19 May 2016 at:

https://jobs.partneragencies.net/erecruitjobs.html?JobOpeningId=3795

This position is open for Thai nationals only.

Only short listed candidates will be notified.