UNDP Jobs - 56703- Project Manager (Strengthening Capacity and Incent

Project Manager (Strengthening Capacity and Incentives for Wildlife Conservation in the Western Forest Complex Project)

Location :

Bangkok, THAILAND

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

01-Aug-2015

Application Deadline :

30-Jun-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

SC-9

Duration of Initial Contract :

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

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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.

Background

The most significant threats to tigers' survival in and around the Huay Kha Kaeng-Tung Yai Naresuan World Heritage Site (HKK-TYN WHS) includes: i) habitat degradation and fragmentation; ii) poaching of the prey that tigers 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 Strengthening Capacity and Incentives for Wildlife Conservation in the Western Forest Complex Project is financially supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with the Department of National Parks. Wildlife and Plant Conservation as the Implementing Partner. The project aims to improve the management effectiveness of and sustainable financing for the HKK-TYN WHS, as well as to incentivize local community stewardship.

The project has been organised into three components, and will be implemented over a period of five years (2015-2019).

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 wildlife sanctuaries.

The total GEF-supported funding for this project is US$ 7,339,450, with the co-financing of US$ 24,234,427 co-financing from the Thai counterparts.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Programme Specialist of UNOP Thailand and the Project Director as designated by ONP, 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 shall report directly to UNO? Programme Specialist. He/she shall liaise directly with the Project Board and desiqnated 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:

Ensuring the implementation of project strategies;
Ensures effective implementation and monitoring of the project, tracking use of financial resources;
Effective management of the project focusing on implementation of the project;
Ensures creation of strategic partnerships and support;
Facilitation of knowledge building and management.

Ensures implementation of project strategies focusing on achieving results:

Prepare the yearly project work plan and budget plan and ensure adherence to the project's work plan;
Oversees the day-to-day project implementation and ensure achievement of targets as outlined in the project work plan;
Effective application of Result Based Management (RBM) tools and monitoring achievement of results;
Ensure efficient use of resources and report it in transparent and accountable manner;
Responsible for managing critical issues and provide solutions to the overall processes of program implementation;
Identify expertise and prepare TORs for consultants, as necessary;
Establish and maintain good working relationship with the relevant public and development partners, communities, and other principal counterparts for the project.

Ensures effective implementation and monitoring of the project and tracking use of financial resources:

Prepare the yearly project work plan and budget plan and ensure adherence to the project's work plan, prepare the work plan;
Coordination of project implementation;
In coordination with Project Coordinator and UNDP, conduct financial and substantive monitoring of the activities under the project;
Analysis of the situation in the project, identification of operational and financial problems, development of solutions in coordination with UNDP.

Effective management of the project:

Provision of strategic direction and substantive guidance to project team and consultants to perform their role in consultation with UNDP programme staff;
Leading regular coordination meetings and dialogues with relevant stakeholders;
Preparation of annual and quarterly work plans/reports; elaboration of action plans;
Timely submission of quarterly/progress reports to UNDP;
Create a standard operating procedure, including monitoring and evaluation mechanism and quality standards of performance, as appropriate, to measure the achievement of activities;
Along with other stakeholders, constantly identify challenges and provide recommendations to manage risk of the project and ensure the smooth implementation.

Ensures creation of strategic partnerships and support:

Creation and coordination of partnerships with government institutions, private sector, communities, development partners, etc. in consultation with UNDP;
Maintain good working relationship and close collaboration with the relevant public and development partners, communities, and other principal counterparts for the project.

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management in the project:

Ensure regular recording of lessons-learned and an effective knowledge building;
Facilitate regular knowledge sharing and dissemination of knowledge products;
Compile success stories that have resulted in lasting, large-scale transformational change, if applicable.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Promoting Ethics and Integrity / Creating Organizational Precedents;
Building support and political acumen;
Building staff competence. Creating an environment of creativity and innovation;
Building and promoting effective teams;
Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication;
Creating an emotionally intelligent organization;
Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards;
Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning;
Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking.

Functional Competencies:

Advocacy / Advancing Policy Oriented Agenda: preparing information for advocacy

Identifies and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating UNDP’s mandate;
Maintains a functioning network of contacts with a variety of stakeholders to promote a better understanding of UNDP’s mandate and to support advocacy efforts.

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

Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work;
Researches linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration;
Monitors specific stages of projects/programme implementation;
Analyzes country situation to identify opportunities for project development;
Participates 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

Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up to-date on partnership related issues;
Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders;
Establishes and nurtures positive communication with partners.

Innovation and Marketing new Approaches: Enhancing processes or products

Generates new ideas and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
Documents and analyses innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches;
Documents bottlenecks, problems and issues, and proposes effective solutions;
Embraces new approaches.

Resource Mobilization: Providing inputs to resource mobilization strategies

Analyzes information/databases on potential and actual donors;
Develops a database of project profiles. Identifies opportunities for project proposals for presentation to donors.

Promoting Organizational learning and Knowledge Sharing: Basic research and analysis

Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
Documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches;
Identifies and communicates opportunities to promote learning and knowledge sharing;
Develops awareness of the various internal/external learning and knowledge-sharing resources.

Job Knowledge and Technical Expertise: Fundamental knowledge of own discipline

Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position;
Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
Identifies new and better approaches to work processes and incorporates the same in his/her work;
Analyzes the requirements and synthesizes proposals;
Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;
Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
Demonstrates in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.

Organizational Leadership and Direction

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

Identifies and communicates relevant information for advocacy for UNDP's goals for a variety of audiences;
Maintains 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;
Identifies and takes advantage of opportunities for advocating for UNDP's mandate.

Client Orientation: Establishing effective client relationships

Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion;
Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines;
Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients;
Actively supports the interests of the client by making choices and setting priorities to meet their needs;
Anticipates client needs and addresses them promptly.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

At least Bachelor Degree with 7 years of working experiences or Master’s Degree with 5 years of experiences in wildlife conservation, forestry, protected area management, biological sciences, development studies, environmental studies, and/or other related fields.

Work Experience:

Proven records of experiences at the national or international level in project management; especially those related to wildlife conservation, protected area management;
Proven experiences on policy advocacy and/or policy advisory works;
Hands-on experience in design, manage, and drive of development projects to achieve results in challenging environments;
Ability to use adaptive management skills to revise project activities in line with changing needs and circumstances;
Working experiences in the Western Forest Complex would be an asset;
Proven ability to work with government agencies a as well as communities/ indigenous groups;
Proven skills on individual and institutional capacity building process;
Proven skill on training, facilitating meetings/ forum/discussion, and presentation;
Be a strong team player, able to work independently and possessing excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to engage and motivate a wide range of stakeholders;
Excellent English communication skills;
Highest standards of integrity, discretion and commitment;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Language Requirement:

Fluency in written and spoken English and Thai.

Remuneration:

Starting Baht 1,347,275 per annum.

Remarks:

This position is open for Thai nationals only;
Position number 00101668.