UNDP Lao PDR: 

Guided by the global UNDP Strategic Plan (2022 – 2025) and UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD) 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 international 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, UXO Unit: 

Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is, per capita, the most heavily bombed country in the world. More than forty years after the end of the 1964-1973 Indochina Conflict, Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) remains a major humanitarian and socioeconomic challenge to the country, causing deaths and injuries, limiting access to potentially productive land, and adding substantial costs to processes of development. The Government of Lao PDR has been active in the process of clearance since shortly after the conflict. Lao PDR has advocated for the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) and hosted the first Meeting of States Parties in 2010. It also embraced the UXO issue as a key development matter by locally establishing the Sustainable Development Goal 18 (SDG18), “Lives Safe from UXO”.

The next National Strategic Plan for the UXO Sector in the Lao PDR 2021 - 2030, “The Safe Path Forward III” (SPFIII) details the objectives of the Government and its development partners over the forthcoming period where the aim is to reduce the humanitarian and socio-economic threats posed by UXO.  A focus of the document, still to be approved by government, is the need to ensure strong integration with development mechanisms, particularly at a provincial level and to ensure actions are focused towards community level priorities for the facilitation of development.

UNDP support to the UXO sector in Lao PDR has focused in two axes, notably: 1) support to strengthening the capacity and technical competency of the National Regulatory Authority, to be able to oversee and steer the sector in pursuance of national strategic goals and obtaining Lao PDR’s unique UXO Action Sustainable Development Goal, SDG 18: Lives Safe from UXO. 2) To provide capacity support for survey and clearance, through support to UXO Lao and the Humanitarian teams of the Lao People’s Army (Unit 58), thus hastening progress towards clearance in impacted communities.   

The position is preferred to be based in the UNDP Lao PDR Country Office in Vientiane.  

OBJECTIVE :

Under the supervision of the Head of UXO Unit, the M&E and Reporting Specialist will be responsible for ensuring effective internal and external communications and UXO sector publications are produced, that M&E practices both within the UXO Unit and among IPs are strengthened, and that outreach and advocacy activities support the implementation of UNDP Lao PDR’s UXO projects. The consultant will provide communications, reporting, editing and M&E support to the UXO team members and projects to ensure UNDP Lao PDR can fulfil its mandate in providing technical and programmatic support to the Government of Lao PDR.

SCOPE OF WORK  

The successful applicant will be expected to be responsible for the following: 

Task 1: Provide project support to government partners and assistance with compliance functions through capacity building:

• Support and train the Implementing Partners (lPs) in best practices in formulation, implementation and monitoring of key strategic documents;
• Provide support to and training of Programme Units of the National Regulatory Authority for the UXO/Mine Action Sector in Lao PDR (NRA) and Lao national Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO Lao) to ensure that programme formulation, design and implementation are adhering to principles of results-based management policy;
• Support to IPs and training of relevant staff on report and proposal writing aimed at ensuring good quality products, such as donor proposals, annual reports, and speci?c donor reports;
• Support to evaluations, audits and spot checks;
• Create solid follow-up systems for the implementation of recommendations;
• Support initiatives that promote/contribute to the cohesion and synergies between the programme, finance and other relevant teams in the NRA and UXO Lao such as resource planning and management, reporting, and development of proposals;
• Support the NRA and UXO Lao from an M&E perspective with the development of a sound research capacity;

Task 2: Review and edit reports, and publications of UXO unit projects

• Review and edit reports, including sector and donor reports of the UXO Unit;
• Review and edit publications of UXO Unit projects, including research papers of the UXO unit

Task 3: Support for M&E within the UXO Unit

• Support the regular monitoring and results-based reporting of the progress and achievement in line with the results framework of UNSDPF 2022-2026, UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD) 2022-2026, and UXO Programme Document 2022-2026;
• Support the regular monitoring and full compliance of the recommendations and lessons learnt from the Mid-Term Evaluation and Final Evaluation of the previous Project (2017-21);

Support the UXO Unit to develop yearly monitoring and evaluation plan and create useful monitoring and data-gathering tools if required;

Undertake field trips with key staff and support them in the systematic collection of data to monitor the progress of the project.

Task 4: Support for IP M&E & Reporting capacity building

• Provide on-the-job training for NRA Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer
• Support the development of Monitoring & Evaluation functions at the UXO Sector level;
• Ensure proper project work planning and monitoring of work plans are undertaken in a timely and quality manner by the project managers.
• Support the joint field monitoring missions among UNDP / NRA / UXO Lao and their reporting.

Task 5; Provides other project support through other communication activities:

• Support the preparation of messages and materials for advocacy at high-level dialogues, public events and media interviews by UNDP Management;
• Drafting, editing and reviewing of project communications and outreach strategy for social media;
• In close collaboration with project implementing partners, ensure UNDP branding and donor visibility on events and related materials;
• Support IPs to organize visits for donors, media, etc.
• Coordinate with other projects teams on multi-unit and agency campaigns;

Perform other functions as may be assigned by supervisor consistent with qualifications and experience.

• Excellent ability to work collaboratively and effectively in a team.
• Skilled usage of computers, and software packages and competence in producing high-quality presentations and reports is a strong asset.

• University degree in Communications, International Relations, Development Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Social Science, Humanities, or related fields.
• A minimum of five years of relevant experience in international development, project management, research, M&E, or relevant fields. 
• Experience working in Lao PDR, working with Government of Lao PDR, and understanding of Lao context is desired.
• Experience managing research and report writing, development project management or support especially related to donor compliance, M&E, and reporting.
• Experience with media and communications is an asset.
• Familiarity with technical subjects of UXO and Mine action sector in Lao PDR or related topics is an advantage.

LANGUAGE :

• Exceptional written and oral communication, editing and proofreading skills in English. Ability to hold meetings and conduct trainings in Lao language is an asset. 

Requirements for submission of proposals 

All interested and qualified International or National Individual Consultants should apply online using the following links: 

UNDP Lao PDR Country Office website at https://www.undp.org/laopdr/jobs

In order to make your submission, please read the relevant documents available at the links below 

1. TOR (Annex I)
2. IC General Terms and Conditions _ Annex II 

Interested Individual Consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications: 

1. Technical Proposal 

            (i)  Explaining why you are the most suitable for the work; 

            (ii)  Providing a brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work including the work 

                  schedule for the delivery of outputs/deliverable; 

2. P11 Form Education and work experience, including past experience in similar projects and contact references of at least 3 references for whom you have rendered preferably the similar services; 

3. Financial proposal:  Detailed financial proposal: Lump sum offer with clear cost breakdown against each deliverable. Please use this template  Offerors Letter to UNDP

Instructions for online submissions: 

• Step 1:  Please prepare all required documents electronically. 

• Step 2: Combine all documents in ONE SINGLE FILE (PDF or WORD file) and upload to the UNDP Jobs using this link  https://www.undp.org/laopdr/jobs

• Step 3: After that you will receive an auto reply from the UNDP jobs if your offer is received successfully. 

Incomplete proposals or proposals received after the deadline will be rejected

Note:  Any request for clarification must be sent in writing before the submission deadline to the following emails: surith.sengsavang@undp.org