Project Associate – BIOFIN

UNDP is the lead development agency of the United Nations, working to support countries’ work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs. UNDP has more than 50 years of experience leading the UN’s development work, providing knowledge, practical expertise, and a legacy of trust. UNDP works in nearly 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, and to do that in a way which also reduces inequality and exclusion, and avoids wrecking the ecosystems on which life depends.

The UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021 embraces the complexity of development and commits the organization to help countries to find faster, more durable solutions to achieve Agenda 2030. Important development trends like urbanization, climate change, and rising inequalities pose significant challenges to achieve the 2030 agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNDP Thailand is working with the Royal Thai government, civil society, national partners, and the Thai public to help find solutions to persistent development challenges. We continue to work to provide technical expertise, such as improved data quality and collection, international expertise on environmental issues like climate change finance and adaptation.

UNDP, in October 2012, launched the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) as a new global partnership seeking to address the biodiversity finance challenge in a comprehensive manner – building a sound business case for increased investment in the management of ecosystems and biodiversity, with a particular focus on the needs and transformational opportunities at the national level. 

During BIOFIN Phase II (2018 – 2027), the Biodiversity Finance Initiative will implement its prioritised Biodiversity Finance Solutions which were endorsed by the National Steering Committee of BIOFIN Thailand and the Global BIOFIN Programme (December 2020).

The Project Associate will provide both project and financial management support to ensure effective and efficient implementation in a timely manner. He/she will be required to travel to pilot project sites in the country and attend key meetings/workshops as assigned by the BIOFIN

Scope of Work

Under the direct supervision of the BIOFIN Country Project Manager, the Project Associate will support the project in coordinating the day-to-day management and operations of the project, ensuring high quality, efficient and effective project delivery. He/she will play an important role in administration support as a back office for BIOFIN Thailand. He/she will facilitate the BIOFIN Thailand and other contributing experts in order to implement the Project in Phase II. The expected result of the work for the Project Associate will have an impact on the execution of the project and financial management in terms of quality, accuracy, and timeliness. The scope of work includes:

Coordination Support:

•            Support the National BIOFIN team in the coordination of project activities;

•            Keep the Project Management Unit of BIOFIN Thailand and the Programme Management of IGSD informed of day-to-day development, emerging challenges/risks, and provide solutions in a timely manner;

•            Coordinate activities with pilot projects’ stakeholders, government agencies, private sector and communities, local and national NGOs, BIOFIN national steering committee members, international organizations, development partners, etc.

•            Maintain regular contact with focal persons in pilot projects regarding the coordination of project activities in selected sites. Frequent travel to pilot project sites is anticipated;

•            Strengthen the Biodiversity Finance Initiative network at national and global level;

•            Keep the communication officer informed of any planned activities a week in advance as well as provide support in materials preparation so that any event can be promoted with UNDP Thailand visibility by communications team;

•            Maintain effective coordination role with government partners, civil society, and private sector entities within area of responsibility.

Planning:

•            Support the National BIOFIN team in planning meetings involving the implementing parties, responsible parties, UNDP, and other relevant parties to develop annual and quarterly work plans and corresponding budget plans with clearly stated milestones contributing to the achievement of target outputs defined in the Country Implementation Strategy of BIOFIN Phase II;

•            Discuss with the Project Management Unit of BIOFIN Thailand in order to develop and complete a multi-year Annual Workplan and Budget, update and revise the multi-year Annual Workplan and Budget to reflect the dynamic of project implementation at least twice a year (May and November), and carry out the workplan and delivery in meticulously and quality standards;

•            Report the project’s financial and delivery status on quarterly basis by retrieving relevant information from Quantum and Stream, UNDP’s operating systems, and present the financial report to the Project Management Unit in Microsoft excel worksheet;

•            Provide specific inputs to the Global BIOFIN’s quarterly report with precise financial delivery against the workplan and budget, and prepare any required data for finalizing progress reports (quarterly and annual/financial and substantive) and final project report;

•            Participate in workshops, meeting, and missions when needed.

Implementation:

•            Support the team to organize the BIOFIN Thailand’s National Steering Committee (NSC) meetings on semi-annually basis;

•            Support the National BIOFIN team in overseeing the day-to-day project implementation and ensure achievement of targets as outlined in the project work plan and result matrix;

•            Support the National BIOFIN team in the preparation of draft Terms of Reference (ToR) in consultation with UNDP and/or the Implementing Partner for required inputs (individual and institutional consultancy services, the procurement of goods, organization of training, seminars, etc.) with expert technical support as required;

•            Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks such as information and communication technology for finance and human resource management, procurement management;

•            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 and update the procurement plan in system regularly;

•            Provide logistical support and administrative functions to ensure smooth implementation especially for payments, financial reporting on a quarterly and annual basis, and in case of needs, according to the government and UNDP requirements;

•            Provide lead time of work-in-process and expected completion of tasks and keep the team informed of the progress made;

•            Issue the project-related payments and ensuring that all payments are proceeded in a timely manner in line with the UNDP’s financial rules and regulations;

•            Make logistical arrangements for the missions of the project team, consultants and any other relevant actors to the projects’ field;

•            Support the BIOFIN regional workshop in Thailand including all preparatory work, venue selection, accommodation arrangements, logistics, materials, and coordinating activities.

Reporting and Audit:

•            Maintain good records of communications for traceability by utilizing UNDP official email correspondence in systematic manner, and develop BIOFIN filing system in a UNDP OneDrive for both soft and hard documents;

•            Provide inputs to project progress reports (quarterly and annual / financial and substantive) against set targets and indicators, with an analysis of evidence of progress towards planned outputs according to schedules, budgets, and inputs provided by the project;

•            Prepare inputs to the project report, with an analysis of progress towards expected results as defined in the Project Document and subsequent work plans and budgets; Support the BIOFIN Project Manager in Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting exercises as needed.

•            Provide updates on the expenditures of the projects and regularly ensure adequate expenditure available of the financial resources provided.

•            Prepare financial reports to be submitted to project management and donor when required.

•            Establish and maintain a systematic filing system of key documents (in hard copy in BIOFIN folder and soft copy in UNDP One Drive system) in line with audit requirements.

•            Assist the BIOFIN Project Manager in closing projects operationally and financially in accordance with rules and regulations of UNDP and in close coordination with implementing agencies. Liaise with UNDP’s Global BIOFIN 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.

Institutional Arrangement

Under the overall supervision and guidance of the Country Project Manager of BIOFIN and the Biodiversity Finance Coordinator, the project associate will be responsible for providing administrative, programmatic, and project-related support.

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 fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs, Ability toprovide inputs to the development of customer service strategy, Ability to look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests and ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.