UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

GENERIC JOB DESCRIPTION

I. Position Information

Job code title:                           Project Assistant (2 Positions)

Pre-classified Grade:                SC-5              

Supervisor:                               Programme Specialist, Inclusive Green Growth and Sustainable   

                                                 Development Unit of UNDP Thailand

II. Organizational Context

IGSD Unit of UNDP Thailand is currently recruiting for two skilled Project Assistants to provides day-to-day administrative and project support to the activities of projects. One successful candidate will be assigned to support Strengthening Capacity and Incentives for Wildlife Conservation in the Western Forest Complex (SCIWC) and Third National Communication (TNC) and Biennial Update Report to the UNFCCC. Another successful candidate will be assigned to support Conserving Habitats for Globally Important Flora and Fauna in Production Landscapes and NAP Agriculture Project

Reporting to Team Leader of IGSD Unit, the position will be supporting projects as required.

Project Background (Third National Communications)

The objective of this project is to enable Thailand to prepare its Third National Communication (TNC) under decision 17/CP7 and the First Biennial Update Report (BUR) under decision 2/CP17 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The TNC and BUR will build upon previous studies and the self-assessment exercises, based on the UNFCCC Guidelines. The project will be carried out by Office of Natural Resource and Environmental Policy and Planning, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in the most efficient and effective manner under the guidance of PSC and the National Climate Change Sub-committee. The TNC components of the project include (a) GHG inventory (b) Measures to facilitate adaptation to climate change, (c) Measures to mitigate climate change, (d) Relevant information to achieve the objective of the Convention, (e) Gaps and constraints and related financial, technical and capacity needs. The BUR component of the project include (a) GHG inventory for 2010, (b) mitigation actions/measures (c) constraints and gaps related to financial, technical and capacity and support needs (d) BUR support received and needed. The preparation of the TNC and BUR is expected to enhance general public awareness and knowledge, to integrate the preparation process of TNC and BUR and mainstream climate change into national sustainable development process of Thailand. The project will also strengthen the cooperation between Thailand and other Parties to achieve the ultimate objectives of the UNFCCC.

With a total project budget of USD. 852,000 from the financial support of GEF, this project starts in 2014 and is expected to conclude in 2018. The Implementing Partner of this project is Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Project Background (Strengthening Capacity and Incentive for Wildlife Conservation)

Situated at the core of the Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM), the Huai Kha Khaeng-Thung Yai Naresuan World Heritage Site (HKK-TY WHS) consists of three contiguous Wildlife Sanctuaries: the Huai Kha Khang (HKK); the Thung Yai Naresuan East (TYE); and the Thung Yai Naresuan West (TYW). Totalling an area of 6,427 km2, the largely intact forest habitats of the HKK-TY WHS provide a protected refuge for approximately half of Thailand’s tiger population.

There are no villages within the HKK, but there are 14 formally recognised enclave villages within the TYW (7 villages) and TYE (7 villages). There are further villages, together with mixed forest-agriculture, in a 5km buffer around the HKK-TY WHS with a particular concentration to the east of HKK where there is an estimated 29 villages. Many of the villagers living in the enclave and buffer villages are dependent on the use of forest resources

The most significant threats to tiger survival in and around the HKK-TY WHS includes: i) habitat degradation and fragmentation; ii) poaching of the prey that tiger depend on; and iii) poaching of the tigers themselves. These threats are further exacerbated by limited capacity and insufficient resources to effectively plan and administer the wildlife sanctuaries, and limited working relationships with enclave and buffer communities.

The project has been organized into three components, and will be implemented over a period of five years from July 2015 to June 2020.

The first component of the project is directed towards strengthening and scaling up existing best-practice management activities, and developing and testing innovative approaches to enforcement and compliance, in the HKK-TYN WHS. It will strive to reduce the direct threats to tigers and prey, improve effectiveness of wildlife sanctuary management, and enhance the use of data and information to support key management decision-making.

The second component of the project is focused on linking sustainable livelihood development in the enclave and buffer zone villages with specific conservation outcomes, and improving economic links between the buffer zone and enclave villages and the Wildlife Sanctuaries. It will seek to achieve these linkages by promoting incentives (including technical support and grant funding for sustainable livelihood initiatives, ecotourism development and piloting a REDD+ Wildlife Premium carbon project) for community-based sustainable forest management, environmentally-friendly agricultural practices, nature-based tourism and education and improved wildlife and habitat protection.

The third component of the project is directed towards raising the awareness in communities living in and around the WHS of the need to conserve, and the importance of protecting, the forest landscapes and associated wildlife. With the iterative recognition in these communities of the intrinsic value of the forest habitats and wildlife, work under this component will assist in strengthening the representation of the buffer and enclave communities in each of the Wildlife Sanctuary’s Protected Area Committees (PACs). With improved community-based representation on the PAC, the project will assist in building the capacity (information, knowledge, skills) of each of the community representatives to assure a constructive and meaningful contribution to the co-management of the WSs

The total costs of investment in the project is estimated at US$31,573,877, of which US$7,339,450 constitutes grant funding from GEF and US$24,234,427 comprises co-financing.

Project Background (Conserving Habitats for Globally Significant Flora and Fauna in Production Landscapes)

Habitat loss and degradation has occurred and is happening as a result of combined rapid economic development and population growth resulting in an increasing demand for land for infrastructure (e.g. road and dam construction), agriculture and industry. The rapid expansion and intensification of industry and agriculture has also resulted in increasing demands on unsustainable use of natural resources. High demands for water within both agricultural and industrial has led to significant changes in the hydrology of many areas putting significant pressure on many freshwater species, an issue that is further heightened by high levels of pollution. Hunting of wild animals and endangered species for both domestic uses and international trade (both exotic pets and traditional medicine) remains a significant challenge in Thailand despite progress in the enforcement of laws and regulations. These threats are being further exacerbated by ongoing changes in climate that have the potential to significantly impact Thailand's major rice crops and water resources.

The "Conserving Habitats for Globally Significant Flora and Fauna in Production Landscapes" Project intends to mainstream the conservation of globally important and endangered biodiversity into the management of production landscapes through improved management of critical habitats. At the national level, it will develop a legislative, regulatory and enforcement framework to guide endangered species (ES) and critical habitat conservation and management. This will be supported by capacity building within key ministries and agencies to enhance cross sector coordination in critical habitat management, and to effectively monitor critical habitats and ES to better inform decision makers.

Piloting three species namely Eastern Sarus Crane (Grus Antigone sharpie), the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus) and the Water Lily (Crinum thaianum) in three geographical locations, the project will also build the capacity of local authorities, communities, private sector groups, and NGOs to develop environmentally friendly goods and services, which can provide a sound economic basis for ongoing critical habitat management and economic development. The project has been divided into two components, and will be implemented over a period of four years (2015-2018).

The first component of the project focuses on strengthening the policy and institutional frameworks in place at the national level to manage and support the conservation of endangered species and critical habitats. The component aims at directly addressing existing limitations in regulations and legislation, which do not provide clear guidance on the conservation   and protection of ES and critical habitats.  The approach   will  address   gaps  in  existing   legislation,   develop   frameworks    to  guide  implementation    of legislation,   build the capacity  of relevant  institutions  and support  cross sector  learning  of best practice  to facilitate    the   upscaling    of   ES  and   critical   habitat   conservation    and   protection   within   production landscapes.

The  second  component   of the  project  focuses   on  the  conservation   of the  Eastern  Sarus  Crane,  the Spoon-billed   Sandpiper   and  the  Water   Lily.  This  will  be  achieved   through   both  increasing   national, provincial  and local capacities  to protect  these  species  as well as identifying  and supporting  sustainable financing   pathways  for  their  conservation   within  production   landscapes.   Achievements in conserving these species will also be utilized as part of a process of sharing best practice in ES and critical habitat conservation   throughout Thailand.

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, and the Zoological Park organization (ZPO) as the Responsible Party. The total GEF-supported funding is US$ 1, 758,904 with US$ 11, 137,234 co-financing from the Thai counterparts.

Project Background (Supporting Developing Countries to Integrate the Agricultural Sectors into National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)

A 3-year (2016-2018) -year (2016-2018) global programme on “Supporting Developing Countries to Integrate the Agricultural Sectors into National Adaptation Plans (NAPs)” was launched in 2014 with funding support by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature, Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). Under a collaborative work plan between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Thailand is one of eleven developing countries benefitting from capacity building and technical assistance to integrate climate risk within existing national planning and budgeting processes to safeguard agricultural GDP and related livelihoods. The program outputs intend to reinforce the national adaptation planning (NAP) process underway in parallel that is being coordinated by the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP).

In Thailand, the work is steered by the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) and a broader advisory committee. The main programme components and objectives are as follows:

1. Technical capacity and institutions on NAPs strengthened (Global)

Strengthening Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) Capacity & Knowledge on Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) (Thailand)

1. Integrated Road Maps for NAP (Global)

Mainstreaming CCA into Planning & Budgeting Cycle (Thailand)

1. Evidence-Base for CCA Improved through Enhanced M&E Frameworks (Global and Thailand)

1. Advocacy and knowledge-sharing on NAPs promoted (Global)

Lessons learned feed into Thailand NAP development process and global efforts to support NAPs (Thailand)

During the implementation phase (2017-2018), the project aims to undertake key activities under the aforementioned outputs that will support the mainstreaming of CCA into MoAC planning and budgeting including: (1) providing technical capacity building tools to support MoAC on screening and prioritizing CCA projects under the Strategic Climate Change Action Plan for Agriculture (2017-2021) based on a Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA), (2) strengthening MoAC knowledge and understanding on budget tagging tools related to CCA budget expenditure, (3) supporting a formulation and appraisal of CCA bankable projects based on a Cost-Benefit Analysis and other suitable methods, and (4) enhancing monitoring and evaluating (M&E) framework of CCA projects. 

 III. Functions / Key Results Expected

Key Function: The Project Assistant will support the project management units to provide logistical support and administrative functions to ensure smooth implementation of the above-mentioned projects. S/he will be responsible especially for payments, financial reporting on a quarterly and annual basis, and in case of needs, according to the government and UNDP requirements, for projects assigned to him/her.

1) Support for Planning Process through the following tasks and duties:

• Collection, analysis and presentation of information for joint planning meeting, quarterly work plans, and budget work plans to support project implementation;
• Prepare information for Project Manager for his/her advice to donor, implementing partners and UNDP;
• Creating project in Atlas, prepare budget revisions, revision of project status, determination of unutilized funds;
• Prepare and regularly update the Annual Workplan and the project budget; and
• Undertake project operational and financial closure formalities including submission of terminal reports, transfer and disposal of equipment, processing of semi-final and final revision and support project manager in preparing the terminal assessment reports.

2) Support to Implementing and Managing Projects through the following tasks and duties:

• Providing administrative, operational and logistical supports for the achievement of the outcomes of both projects assigned to him/her in a timely manner;
• Support national project implementation activities according to UNDP workflows (including IC process, organization of forums, workshops, travel, etc);
• Taking all necessary steps for the contractual procedures for the procurement of the goods and services as well as Individual Contracts are taken place in line with UNDP’s rules and regulations;
• Proving input on the terms of references for the services and goods that will be required for the smooth implementation of the project when required;
• Controlling the expenditures of the projects and ensure adequate management of the financial resources provided;
• Creation of requisitions in ATLAS for development projects, register of goods receipts in ATLAS;
• Issuing the project-related payments and ensuring that all payments are proceeded in a timely manner in line with the UNDP’s financial rules and regulations;
• Preparing financial reports to be submitted to project management and donor when required;
• Participating workshops, meeting, missions in the projects’ field when needed;
• Preparing correspondences relating to the implementation of the projects;
• Making logistical arrangements for the missions of the project team, consultants and any other relevant actors to the projects’ field; and
• Making project-related translations when needed.

3) Support to Monitoring and Evaluation of the projects through the following tasks and duties:

• Prepare information for Project Manager in finalizing project progress reports (quarterly and annual/financial and substantive) and final project reports; and
• Support to the organisation of project mid-term reviews and final evaluation meetings.

4) Reporting and Audit:

• Establish and maintain a systematic filing system of key documents (in hard copy and soft copy) in line with audit requirements;
• Assist Project Manager in closing projects operationally and financially in accordance of rules and regulations of UNDP and in close coordination with Implementing agencies;
• Liaise with UNDP on the conduct of project audit and ensure access by auditors to project documentation, personnel and institutions involved in the project; and presentation of information for project audit.

IV. Impact of Results

The key results have an impact on the execution of the projects and financial management in terms of quality and accuracy of work. 

Accurate data entry and presentation of administrative and financial information and a client-oriented approach enhances UNDP’s capability to effectively and efficiently manage financial resources.

 V. Competencies and Critical Success Factors

Functional Competencies:             

Level 1.1: Support the preparation of information for advocacy

q  Identifies relevant information for advocacy for a variety of audiences

Results-Based Programme Development and Management

Level 1.1: Contributing to results through provision of information

q  Provides information and documentation on specific stages of projects/programme implementation

Building Strategic Partnerships

Level 1.1: Maintaining information and databases

q  Analyzes general information and selects materials in support of partnership building initiatives

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches

Level 1.1: Implementing processes and uses products

q  Documents and tracks innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches

Resource Mobilization (Field Duty Stations)

Level 1.1: Providing information for resource mobilization strategies

q  Maintains information/databases on potential and actual donors

q  Maintains database of project files

q  Provides data and information needed for preparation of project documents

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

Level 1.1: Basic research and analysis

q  Researches best practices and poses new, more effective ways of doing things

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

Level 1.1: Fundamental knowledge of processes, methods and procedures

q  Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position

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

q  Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals

Level 1.1: Research and analysis

q  Identifies relevant information for advocacy for UNDP’s goals for a variety of audiences

Client Orientation

Level 1.1:  Maintains effective client relationships

q  Reports to internal and external clients in a timely and appropriate fashion

q  Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines

q  Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients

q  Responds to client needs promptly

Core Competencies:

q  Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity  

q  Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment

q  Self-development, initiative-taking

q  Acting as a team player and facilitating team work

q  Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively

q  Creating synergies through self-control

q  Managing conflict

q  Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.

q  Informed and transparent decision making

VI. Recruitment Qualifications

Education:

Thai national with Secondary Education or equivalent.  Bachelor’s Degree in Science, Social Science, Arts, or related fields would be desirable, but it is not a requirement.

Experience:

·           Minimum 5 years for Secondary school, or 3 years for a Bachelor’s Degree holder, of progressively responsible experience in administrative, financial, or office support functions in an organization;

·           Some specific experiences in programme, project management and/or government institutions is an advantage;

·           Experience in climate change related projects is an advantage;

·           Experience in organizing events involving international participants (i.e. workshops, meetings, etc.) would be an advantage;

·           Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, database packages and web browsers. Knowledge of UNDP ATLAS financial system would be an advantage;

·           Familiarity of UNDP system, rules and procedures is an advantage.

Language Requirements:

·           Excellent command of writing and speaking Thai and English.

VII. Signatures-  Job  Description Certification

Incumbent  (if applicable)

Name                                                          Signature                               Date

Supervisor

Name: Ms. Sutharin Koonphol                   Signature                               Date

Chief Division/Section

Name: Mr. Martin Hart-Hansen, DRR        Signature                               Date