Regional Programme Associate

Background

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in about 170 countries and territories, working with national counterparts on solutions to global and national development challenges.

To respond to the growing demands and imperatives, UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) has been providing support to countries in Asia Pacific on sustainable finance. There has been a key focus on climate change financing, enhancing the mobilisation of private and innovative finance and improving the efficiency of public sector investments in climate change.

UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Asia Pacific with the support of Government of Sweden (Sida) has been implementing Governance of Climate Change Finance (GCCF Phase I and II) from 2017-2022.  With the continued support of Sida, Strengthening the Governance of Climate Finance to Promote Inclusive Climate Resilience in Asia Pacific has been put in place. This is a UNDP-UNCDF joint project (2023-2028) and will be implemented in partnership with UNCDF in 5 countries, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. As it builds on the achievement and lessons learnt in the next two phases, the focus will be on the sector ministries and the sub national governments to assist in gender inclusive climate integrated budgeting, ensuring accountable climate finance and assistance in mobilizing alternate sources of finance.

In addition, UNDP Regional bureau for Asia Pacific’s Climate Finance Network (CFN) project (2022-2028) is also 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 17 countries in Asia Pacific.

Duties and Responsibilities

Regional Programme Associate will work under direct supervision of the Regional Public Climate Finance Advisor, who is Programme Manager Climate Finance Network (CFN) Project with matrix reporting to the Programme Officer.

Support the team’s donor’s 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 and GCCF3 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 and GCCF3 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 and GCCF3 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 and GCCF3 Project’s.
• Other relevant tasks as requested by the CFN team.

Competencies

Core competencies:

• 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
• 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. 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.
• 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.
• 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
• 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.
• 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.
• Website management experience is an asset.

Required Languages:

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

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

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.

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