UN University Volunteer in Programme Support

Details

Mission and objectives

Breaking the cycle of poverty in Lao PDR and graduating from the Least Developed Country (LDC) Status represents the heart of the Government’s development aspirations. UNDP has a key role in assisting the country with a smooth transition to non-LDC status, as well as the complex process to strategically raise needed funds for programs that benefit poor people. UNDP Lao PDR works toward localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), implementation of the 9th National Socio-Economic Development Plan 2021-2025 and, more broadly, Lao PDR’s graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status. UNDP supports to strengthen the Government’s capacity at central and local levels in ensuring the formulation and implementation of their development plan encompassing all key aspects, such as equitable growth, poverty reduction and environmental sustainability, with special attention given to achieving the SDGs. UNDP offers ground-breaking research on human development in Lao PDR through supporting the preparation of National Human Development Reports which advocate for policies placing people at the centre of the development process towards inclusive and sustainable growth and the achievement of the SDGs as well as LDC graduation.

Context

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 Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Finance and line ministries to implement 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 strengthen Government of Lao PDR capacity in implementing, financing and monitoring its national development agenda using high quality data, multi-sector coordination and leveraging multiple sources of SDG finance. The UN Volunteer will contribute to the UNDP’s programming on creating high value incomes for women and marginalized youth through high-quality research and advisory services, project development and delivery support, securing a wide range of strategic partnerships with government, donors, NGOs and the private sector. The assignment, inter alia, will contribute to the effective delivery of poverty reduction priorities targeting women. The UNDP’s programming on poverty reduction and inclusive growth focuses on the provision of policy advice and technical support to the Government of Lao PDR to strengthen national capacities on planning, financing and through implementation of pro-poor/green growth policies. The poverty reduction programme has supported several initiatives on women and youth livelihoods and various assessments to contribute to the growth of the tourism sector. The unit is seeking to strengthen its livelihoods and employment portfolio through high-impact, innovative solutions, new partners including traditional and non-traditional donors and with private sector.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of Team Leader of the Inclusive Growth Unit, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: • Assist UNDP in leveraging existing research and knowledge products into programmatic activities through sense making of key findings • Participate in the formulation of new project designs and individual activities in the areas of creative high value incomes for women and marginalized youth through green growth and digital economic transition building on the sense making mentioned above. • Explore new partnerships including with private sector to leverage and scale interventions to support economic empowerment of women and youth. • Support the implementation of the UNDP’s country-level Partnership and Communications Strategy and Action Plan, including by developing partners’ profiles, drafting funding proposals, supporting in negotiations work with multi- and bilateral agencies, private sector entities, providing high-quality donor reporting and donor briefings in the area of youth development, gender equality and women’s economic empowerment; • Identifying bankable projects and new resource mobilization opportunities, including by collecting and analyzing information on donor funding priorities in the areas of employment, green value chains, livelihoods targeting women and youth in Lao PDR and ASEAN, funding criteria and processes. • Conducting research activities on best practices in the country and in other countries to provide solutions to the identified development challenges and resource mobilization opportunities.