Closing date: Tuesday, 7 March 2023
Job Identification : 7926
Locations : Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Posting Date : 02/28/2023, 08:05 AM
Apply Before : 03/07/2023, 04:59 PM
Job Schedule : Full time
Agency : UNDP
Grade : NB4
Vacancy Type : National Personnel Service Agreement
Practice Area : Governance
Bureau : Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific
Contract Duration : 1 Year
Education & Work Experience : Master’s Degree – 2 year(s) experience OR Bachelor’s Degree – 4 year(s) experience
Required Languages : English and Lao
Vacancy Timeline
2 Weeks
Job Description
Background
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
UNDP Lao PDR: Guided by the global UNDP Strategic Plan (2022 – 2025) and UNDP Country Programme for Lao PDR (2022 – 2026), UNDP in Lao PDR works closely with the line Ministries, mass organizations, civil society, development partners, and the private sector at both national and sub-national levels in pursuit of the national socio-economic development priorities defined in Lao PDR’s five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNDP’s work is strongly focused on the provision of policy advice and technical support to the Government of Lao PDR in the design and implementation of national legislation and strategies across four broad Priority Pillars – (1) inclusive growth and reduced inequalities, (2) UXO clearance and risk education, (3) natural resources, climate change and disaster risk reduction, as well as (4) effective, responsive, and accountable governance.
UNDP has a long history working in Lao PDR. UNDP’s comparative advantage has been its ability to work closely with a very broad range of government and local-level institutions at all levels. The new UNDP country programme is aligned with the 9th NSEDP and is anchored in UNDP’s long-term partnership with the Government of more than three decades. The new programme builds on the achievements of the previous CPD that saw the incorporation of the SDGs into the national planning architecture. It will aim to support Lao PDR recover from the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue its transition from LDC status, with a particular emphasis on supporting inclusive growth and reducing inequality.
UNDP Lao PDR, Governance Unit: The UNDP’s programming on effective, responsive and accountable governance, inter alia, focuses on the provision of policy advice and technical support to the Government of Lao PDR to (1) enhance the rule of law, access to justice, and protection of human rights, (2) strengthen people’s participation in decision-making through increased access to information and political representation, (3) enhance public administration reform through institutional capacity-development and implementation of the Government’s decentralization policy (Sam Sang Directive).
Being the largest global development knowledge network with particular institutional expertise on governance, UNDP in Lao PDR co-chairs the Governance Sector Working Group (along with co-chairing the Public Sector Improvement Sub-Sector Working Group and Legal and Institutional Oversight Sub-Sector Working Group) of the Round Table Process, a national mechanism to coordinate the implementation of the NSEDPs and SDGs across the governmental institutions, development partners, CSOs and the private sector.
Gender Equality: UNDP’s Gender Equality Strategy 2022-2025, aligned with its Strategic Plan, guides UNDP in its efforts to assist countries in accelerating progress on gender equality and the empowerment of women over the next four years. It aims to move beyond piecemeal efforts and to instead help countries to shift power structures and the economic, social, and political systems that perpetuate discrimination.
The Joint Project on Prevention and Elimination of Violence Against Women for Mainstreaming Gender into the National Development Agenda in the Lao PDR (Khan Hom Project) is implemented by the Lao Women’s Union in partnership with UNDP and UNFPA, with financial support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). This four-year project (2020-2024) aims to strengthen institutional capacity of government agencies in Lao PDR to prevent and respond to gender-based violence through the development of policies to ensure provision of coordinated multisectoral health, social, and justice services to survivors and capacity development of service providers deliver quality services.
The project “building capacities for promoting the presence and leadership of women within public institutions at national and local levels” aims to support the development of an action plan within the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) that prioritizes gender equality and promotes women’s career progression toward leadership positions in the public sector at national and local levels. As implementing partner, UNDP Lao PDR works in close collaboration with MOHA over the next two years (2022-2024) to conduct an in-depth review of existing policies, institutional culture, practices, and the relevant legislation, to identify gaps in the national and sub-national levels related to gender equality and women’s leadership. Based on this assessment, a gender parity action plan that prioritizes gender equality within public administration and promotes women’s leadership in the public sector will be drafted and trainings will be conducted to support its implementation.
The position will be based in in the UNDP Lao PDR Country Office in Vientiane.
UNDP Laos is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Persons with disabilities, persons from ethnic groups and people from other diverse groups are encouraged to apply.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Project Coordinator will work under direct supervision of the Head of Governance Unit.
Summary of key functions: Provide project management support and coordination by supporting administrative, operational and logistical processes in the following areas related to gender equality, including through women’s empowerment, participation and representation, and protection:
- Support the implementation of programming on women’s protection from discrimination, especially gender-based violence;
- Support to programming related to women’s empowerment;
- Support to programming related to women’s participation and representation;
- Facilitate knowledge building and management.
Support the implementation of programming on women’s protection from discrimination, especially gender-based violence through the Khan Hom project, focusing on the achievement of the following results:
- Support the development of workplans and activities with the implementing partner and UNDP;
- Proactively contribute to day-to-day implementation of the project, engaging regularly with the implementing partner to ensure conformity to expected results and project workplans;
- Ensure compliance with procedures and frameworks, including by learning and applying UNDP’s Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP);
- Provide overall coordination support to Lao Women’s Union (LWU) and National Commission for the Advancement of Women, Mother-Child (NCAWMC) and support the management of consultants and provide technical inputs to implement the Justice and Policing Sector SOP for GBV Prevention and Response;
- Be familiar with the role and responsibilities of UNDP as administrative agent for the Khan Hom Project, including liaising with the donor (KOICA) and coordinating with partner agencies for reporting and funds request.
Support to programming related to women’s empowerment, focusing on the achievement of the following results:
- Provide coordination support to the national consultant to liaise with government counterparts to conduct a gender gap analysis within the public administration and develop a gender action plan;
- Timely reporting to UNDESA on project progress, including on risks and lessons learned;
- Work across units and partners to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment, including economic empowerment;
- Support with the development of project proposal for multiyear project on women’s economic empowerment.
Support to programming related to women’s participation and representation, focusing on the achievement of the following results:
- Provide support to civil society to directly engage with the International Treaty Bodies, especially CEDAW, and contribute to the national reporting, implementation, and follow-up processes;
- Coordinate between UNDP and the People’s Assemblies and support the UNDP Governance Team Projects to advance gender equality in the civil service;
- Strengthen existing internal and external partnerships in the areas of gender equality, women’s empowerment, and human rights.
Facilitate knowledge building and management, focusing on the achievement of the following results:
- Synthesis of lessons learned and best practices in the project;
- Conceptualize and formulate policy-related discussions, proposals and concepts for discussions with UNDP and other stakeholders;
- Provide high quality interpretation and translation as needed.
Competencies
Core Competencies:
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making
Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies: Partnership Management
- Multi-stakeholder engagement: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
- Strategic Engagement: Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives.
Business Management
- Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
- Monitoring: Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.
Governance
- Inclusion & Participation: Knowledge and experience of social inclusion and increasing political participation.
Government Knowledge
- Core Government: Functions Knowledge of key justice and policing functions and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations in different development situations.
Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights
- Women’s Access to Justice: Knowledge of laws and policies related to violence against women and institutional optimization including at the subnational level.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degreein law, development studies, political science, public policy, or other relevant discipline. Studies on gender and women’s studies is an asset.
Experience:
- 2 years of relevant experience (with Masters) or 4 years of relevant experience (with Bachelors)
- Understanding of the political, administrative and institutional set up of the government;
- Experience in working on areas related to gender equality (gender-based violence, CEDAW) and access to justice in Lao PDR is a considerable asset and desirable;
- Experience in project coordination is desirable;
- Technical knowledge of laws and policies, justice service delivery, and governance strengthening;
- Experience in providing advisory services to and advocating with public officials;
- Experience in delivering clear and concise advice in written and spoken form.
Required Skills:
- Innovation, Communication, Delivery, People Management
Communication and Relationship Management – Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform:
- Synthesizes information to communicate independent analysis.
- Communicates ideas and positions with command and confidence
- Finds common ground to solve problems
Innovation – Ability to make new and useful ideas work. Adept with complex concepts and challenges convention purposefully:
- Critically assess established methods
- Contributes to prototyping, piloting, and evaluating lessons/feedback.
- Knowledge Management – Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge.
Language requirements:
- Fluency in English and Lao essential
Note: This position is open for Lao nationals only
Disclaimer
Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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