Position Information

Job Title: Regional Programme Associate 

Grade Level: NPSA7 

Department: Bangkok Regional Hub     

Duty Station: Bangkok, Thailand

Bureau: Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific

Contract Modality: National Personnel Service Agreement

Contract Duration: 1 year

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
 

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 Regional bureau for Asia Pacific’s Climate Finance Network (CFN) project (2022-2028) housed in the Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH). The project aims to accelerate implementation of climate change agenda, a Climate Finance Network project has been put in place by UNDP Asia Pacific region. The project aims to support governments and other actors in the ecosystem to identify and scale up climate finance innovations and in their efforts to mobilize and use both public and private climate-responsive resources more effectively. The CFN is part of a bigger UK Government programme ‘Climate Action for Resilient Asia (CARA)’ announced at the COP 26 on the 8th of November 2021, which aims to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities, economies, and the environment against the impacts of climate change and promote low carbon growth across the Indo-Pacific. The Climate Finance Network will cover 15 countries in Asia Pacific (see brief on CFN resources here https://climatefinancenetwork.org/.)

CFN aims to assist governments to achieve their aspiration on the SDGs by engendering climate finance for adequate climate action. Beyond introducing enabling frameworks, systems and tools, the CFN will facilitate knowledge sharing on best practices emerging from countries with regional institutions, platforms; maximize synergies and collaboration with UNDP other programmes; engage across regions and with the international process to ensure that lessons from elsewhere are shared with Asia Pacific partners and vice versa; forge facilitate country engagements with strategic partners in CARA and elsewhere, as well as synergistic networks and initiatives to strengthen their capacity to integrate climate finance reforms into country systems.

UNDP has been supporting governments in Asia and the Pacific to increasingly integrate climate change concerns into national, sectoral and local level programming as well as in budget and finance policies through facilitating regional learning and south-south cooperation through the Climate Finance Network (CFN) project and also provide support to the implementation of Climate Finance Network (CFN) Project which is currently being implemented at regional level as well as in 12 countries across Asia and the Pacific.  

Duties and Responsibilities

Regional Programme Associate will work under direct supervision of the Programme Manager Climate Finance Network (CFN) Project’s who in turn reports to the SDG Finance Advisor.

Support the team’s donors management, workplan development and implementation, resource management as well as support the team’s advisory service to Asia-Pacific countries focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Smooth development of the Climate Finance Network (CFN) Project’s workplan in all levels of activities in close collaboration with team members as well as with UNDP Country offices, Asia-Pacific governments, CSOs and other development partners. This includes activities and budget planning at both country and regional levels as well as projection of programme delivery;
• Ensure Climate Finance Network (CFN) Project’s efficient workplan implementation by ensuring the efficiency of programme’s budget utilisation, expenditures monitoring and tracking, budget revisions, expenditures correction, and other such necessary functions requiring regular use of Quantum/UNALL ERP platforms with close collaboration with BRH Management Support Service team;
• Efficient preparation and facilitation of large-scale regional South-South exchange workshops by supporting the team in agenda development, identification of participants and leading the team in logistics management, including supervising workshop assistants, in collaboration with UNDP Country offices and governments in Asia-Pacific;
• Effective implementation and monitoring of the Climate Finance Network (CFN) Project’s workplan especially at key milestone of activities and ensure efficient production of progress reports and financial report based on the raw data from UNDP’s Quantum system. This includes arrangements support of national, regional and multi-donor workshops in full compliance to UNDP’s practice, rules and regulations.
• Efficient and smooth collaboration and effective communications with UNDP COs and BRH colleagues across all practice teams especially E&E and DRR, UNDP HQ as well as other development partners and Asia-Pacific member countries in order to secure good practice in resources management and mobilization;

Ensure the team’s smooth operations management by providing effective and efficient support in administration and financial management, procurement process, Human Resource management, protocol process, travel arrangements, registry and IT support focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Ensure that all activities are undertaken in full compliance with UNDP rules, regulations and policies. Build and maintain good internal relationship with all UNDP country offices and BRH’s practice teams especially with the Operation Support Team to ensure the smooth coordination and proper operational process;
• Smooth administrative process for team members’ official obligations in official financial payments, official travel arrangements, good and service procurements including consultants’ contracts process, payments for consultants and venders, official HR-related activities, office workspace and equipment, UNLP, working visa and stay permit in close collaboration with UNDP BRH Management Support Services teams namely Finance, HR, Procurement, IT, Administrative Unit using Quantum/UNALL ERP platforms and other related online applications;
• Well-Updated Procurement plan of Climate Finance Network (CFN) Project’s;
• Other relevant tasks as requested by the CFN  team.

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

Learn Continuously:  LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility:  LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:  LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Management (Project Management):

• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

Business Management (Customer Satisfaction/ Client Management):

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfill and understand the real customers’ needs
• Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy
• Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests
• Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns

Business Management (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

Finance (Budget Management):

• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets

Finance (Financial reporting and analysis):

• Understands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring. Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including non-financial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performance

Administration & Operations (Travel policy and procedures):

• Knowledge of travel policy and procedures; ability to interpret travel policy, the Staff Rules, administrative 

Administration & Operations (Events management (including retreats, trainings and meetings)):

• Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary Education is required or  
• Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Social Science, Public Administration or other related fields will be given due consideration

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years (with Secondary education) or 4 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in regional/international programme and programme management, administration and financial management or related field is required;
• Extensive knowledge of UNDP’s policies, procedures and practice including familiarity of Quantum/UNALL ERP platforms or other ERP is an asset;
• Experience  in Climate Change Finance, Development Effectiveness, Governance, and related issues is an asset;
• Full computer literacy in internet searching and Microsoft Office programmes i.e. MS-Word, MS-Excel and MS-Power Point
• Website management experience is an asset

Required skills and competencies:

• Ability to work as a part of a team, sharing information and coordinating efforts within the team;
• Ability to take lead and/or process the tasks with least supervision;

Required Languages:

• Proficiency in English and Thai with advanced command of speaking and writing. 
• Working knowledge of other UN official language is an asset.

Application to be submitted online at: UNDP Career website

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.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status. 

Scam warning
 

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.