Project Assistant

Thailand joined the other 195 countries at the UN climate change conference in Paris in December 2015 in adopting the Paris Agreement – the first ever, legally binding universal pact that sets out a global action plan for limiting global warming to “well below 2°C” starting from 2020. The Agreement, which officially entered into force on 4 November 2016, built upon the foundation of climate pledges from 187 countries, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).  Like other countries, Thailand is expected to submit an updated and more ambitious NDC every five years to illustrate the country’s strategic vision on climate change in the context of sustainable development.

The currently submitted NDC by Thailand set the targets of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent compared to business-as-usual (BAU) level by 2030, prioritized multiple fronts in its adaptation efforts, and up to 25 percent emission reduction by 2030 subject to adequate and enhanced access to technology development and transfer, financial resources and capacity building support through a balanced and ambitious global agreement under the UNFCCC.

Along with the opportunity and momentum created by the Paris Agreement comes the important challenge of transforming Thailand’s NDC into tangible actions that lead to long term, zero-carbon and climate-resilient development in the country. As evident in the submitted NDC, Thailand will need sustained financial, capacity building and technical support to regularly prepare, implement, and report on national actions under the Paris Agreement and more specifically against NDC targets for reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs).

The UNDP NDC Support Project will support the Thai Government to achieve transformational change by using NDC implementation as a mechanism to scale up investments in climate change and deliver gender-responsive climate actions for sustainable development. The supporting NDC implementation project in Thailand will build on UNDP’s extensive foundational work supporting on low-emission development and climate change finance to help the country delivers on the commitment outlined in its NDC and, through this, on the Paris Agreement and beyond to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The project comprises of three main outputs.  Outputs 1 to 3 are designed as primarily country-level support areas that UNDP Thailand team will deliver with UNDP Global Support Unit (GSU) and UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) technical backstopping. Through this project, building on previous efforts including the LECB project and foundational work on climate finance and gender equality, UNDP will encourage development of capacities that enable climate-related institutional, financial and policy reforms in Thailand.

Output 1: Strengthened public climate finance reforms to deliver NDC outcomes and enhance gender equality

The cross-cutting nature of climate change and climate finance requires an integrated development response and increased ownership of a broad range of stakeholders in finding solutions. This output promotes a whole-of-government approach that brings together relevant lines of ministries and parliamentarians at national and/or sub-national level as well as non-state actors (private sector representatives, NGOs, youth leaders, gender representatives, vulnerable communities, academia, and other development practitioners) to work in a coordinated and adaptive response to climate change. The project team will include and work closely with Thailand’s national budgeting and financial management authorities to define a streamlined and coordinated approach to NDC implementation, and to mainstream climate change into sectoral strategies, programmes, and budgets. Capacity development will be provided through a participatory action research approach and on the job support as part of technical assistance as well as the development and implementation of training modules that provide national planning and budgeting officials with the tools and capacities to integrate climate change, gender equality and poverty in the budget process.

Output 2: Policy framework strengthened to incentivize private sector climate investment and finance delivered in delivering Thailand NDC commitments

Public-private partnerships must be encouraged to create an environment of trust, openness and informational symmetry and help the Thai Government to address regulatory and legislative impediments to the NDC implementation investment. Under this output, a Private Climate Expenditures and Institutional Review (PCEIR) Working Group will be established to create a proactive and participatory approach to identifying the areas in which the private sector can best contribute to NDC implementation and support the transparency and credibility of efforts. The project will engage the private sector to achieving low-carbon, climate resilient, and sustainable development targets. Regulatory and policy approaches that can best encourage financial stability and market-based solutions will be identified and adopted. The Government will be assisted to set up robust monitoring systems for GHG emissions focusing on the NDC priority sectors, market-based registries and tracking of sustainable development impacts of priority NDC actions.

Output 3: Capacity developed for assessing climate financial flows to deliver NDC implementation in sectorial programming

This output recognizes the need for Thailand to develop capacities of key stakeholders in undertaking assessments of investment and financial flows (I&FF) to address inclusive, gender-responsive climate change for selected 1-2 sectors in the NDC (to be identified/confirmed during the Inception period), as well as in implementing the policies that emanate from the I&FF assessment. The assessments of investment and financial flows (I&FF) will help Thailand to better understand the magnitude of funds needed to tackle climate change now and in the long term. Activities under this output are designed to determine the country’s current and future financial requirements to address the impact of climate change and to support the NDC implementation as well as long-term capacity enhancement in climate change planning and decision-making in the public sector. One of the key sectors to be chosen for this analysis is the transport sector with mitigation strategies considered. Policies and institutional frameworks will be strengthened to mainstream national mitigation policies and targets in the context of NDCs and linkages to the SDGs, and to enhance gender integration into climate planning and policy processes/bodies.

The Project Assistant will support the project management units to provide logistical support and administrative functions to ensure smooth implementation of the above-mentioned project. 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.

Support for Planning Process through the following tasks and duties:

• Assist Project Manager in collecting, analyzing, and presenting 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;
• Create 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;
• 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.

Support to Implementing and Managing Project through the following tasks and duties:

• Provide administrative, operational and logistical supports for the achievement of the outcomes of both projects assigned to him/her in a timely manner;
• Assist Project Manager in supporting national project implementation activities according to UNDP workflows (including IC process, organization of forums, workshops, travel, etc.);
• Take 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;
• Provide inputs on the terms of references for the services and goods that will be required for the smooth implementation of the project when required;
• Control the expenditures of the projects and ensure adequate management of the financial resources provided;
• Create requisitions in ATLAS for development projects, register of goods receipts in ATLAS;
• Issue the project-related payments and ensure that all payments are proceeded in a timely manner in line with the UNDP’s financial rules and regulations;
• Prepare financial reports to be submitted to project management and donor when required;
• Participate workshops, meeting, missions in the projects’ field when needed;
• Prepare correspondences relating to the implementation of the projects;
• Make logistical arrangements for the missions of the project team, consultants and any other relevant actors to the projects’ field;
• Make project-related translations when needed.

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;
• Assist Project Manager in organizing project mid-term reviews and final evaluation meetings.

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.

Functional Competencies:             

Level 1.1: Support the preparation of information for advocacy

• 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

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

Building Strategic Partnerships

Level 1.1: Maintaining information and databases

• 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

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

Resource Mobilization (Field Duty Stations)

Level 1.1: Providing information for resource mobilization strategies

• Maintains information/databases on potential and actual donors
• Maintains database of project files
• Provides data and information needed for preparation of project documents

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

Level 1.1: Basic research and analysis

• 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

• Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks
• 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

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

Client Orientation

Level 1.1:  Maintains effective client relationships

• Reports to internal and external clients in a timely 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
• Responds to client needs promptly

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity
•  Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment
• Self-development, initiative-taking
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively
• Creating synergies through self-control
• Managing conflict
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
• Informed and transparent decision making

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 (or 2 years with Bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in administrative, financial, or office support functions in an organization;
• Experience in programme, project management and/or government institutions would be an advantage;
• Experience in climate change related projects would be 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.