Chief Technical Advisor, EU Global Climate Change Alliance, IUCN Lao PDR

BACKGROUND

Under the umbrella of the EU Global Climate Change Alliance IUCN has acquired 2,4 million USD to implement the project “Capacity Development to integrate Ecosystem-based Adaptation into sub-national development planning in Lao PDR” over a period of four years. The project is closely linked to another co-funded EU project named Northern Upland Rural Development Project (NUDP) and the aim of the new initiative and two other projects funded by EU GCCA (one with CIRAD as lead, one with CARE as lead party) aims at integrating climate resilience into rural development of the three target provinces of Houaphan, Louangphabang and Phongsaly. The target groups of the capacity building activities of the IUCN project are staff of sub-national entities of mainly the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and other government, NGO and development partner stakeholders involved in rural development of the target provinces.

The partners of the IUCN project are the “Hamburg University of Applied Science, HAW”, which takes over the role of science-base capacity development and the “Lao Biodiversity Assocation, LBA”, which will support the liaison with local stakeholders and target groups.

The project will be lead from the IUCN main office in Vientiane and in addition a field office in Louangpabang will be established.

The following EU GCCA IUCN staff will work under the direct supervision of the CTA: 1 Lao national program manager, 1 Lao national senior finance officer, 1 Lao national translator, 1 Lao national or international senior communications officer, 1 Lao national driver, 1 Lao national cleaner/ field office manager. Further the CTA has to ensure quality control of the work of 1 Lao national project officer and various HAW staff delivering inputs on science-led capacity building.

The project aims at scaling-up best practices implementation examples that are related to eco-system based adaptation in the four NAPA sectors of Laos which are water, agricultureby turning the best practices into capacity development products (manuals, trainings, workshops, site visits study tours). Once capacity is built, EbA is meant to become part of the regular planning cycles of the province and district development plans through on the job coaching done by the IUCN project. Important inputs to the whole capacity development and planning cycles are expected from the NUDP project, the two other EU GCCA projects, but also many other related projects and initiatives need to be considered even outside the target region.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Programme and Project Development
1.1 Be part of the senior management team in the IUCN Lao PDR. This group will have the task of leading the development of IUCN Lao PDR programme, including developing and maintaining relationships with the Government, IUCN members, Commissions and other partnerships in Lao PDR.
1.2 Assist the CR in mapping out strategic priorities for Lao PDR.
1.3 Support the IUCN Lao PDR Programme team in delivering results under One Programme approach and facilitating the necessary coordination with the Southeast Asia Group, Regional Thematic Programmes under the Ecosystem and Livelihoods Group (ELG) and Global Thematic Programmes.
1.4 Provide programme development support and advice to IUCN Lao PDR staff in the preparation of project concepts and proposals, including facilitating technical input and reviews by the larger Southeast Asia Group (SEAG) and the regional Ecosystems and Livelihoods Groups (ELGs);
1.5 Assist the CR in seeking new funding opportunities by developing innovative alliances with donors, members and partners and producing quality project proposals in close cooperation with both technical staff within IUCN Lao PDR and with the regional SEAG and ELGs;
1.6 Assist the CR and Finance on matters related to financing and sustainability of IUCN Lao PDR notably, updating and review of OABC list, preparation of project budget and donor contracts, definition of the core functions and costs of IUCN, integration of annual work planning and budgeting, and new financing mechanisms;

2. Programme and Project Planning, Monitoring and Reporting
Support the Country Representative in effectively coordinating the IUCN Lao PDR Programme to ensure coherence and integration across the programme as well as with the Asia Region and globally, and to this end:
2.1 Coordinate the process of country programme and project planning, monitoring and reporting in accordance with guidelines established for the Asia Region and globally;
2.2 Provide support to IUCN Lao PDR Programme to operationalize the Asia Project Appraisal System (PAS) guidelines;
2.3 Assist with the development of good quality strategic, intersessional and annual plans for IUCN Lao PDR, including the development and regular monitoring of programme and project work plans;
2.4 Work with the CR and Finance, IUCN Lao PDR on matters related to preparation of project budgets and donor contracts, definition of the core functions and costs of IUCN, integration of annual work planning and budgeting, and new financing mechanisms;
2.5 Liaise closely with thematic units and Projects to ensure outputs and commitments identified in work plans are delivered in a timely and effective manner and any resulting products are of high quality;
2.6 Integrate monitoring and evaluation in the work of all projects of IUCN Lao PDR including the development and use of performance indicators for quality management;
2.7 Support programme and project evaluations and participate in related reviews, as necessary;
2.8 Ensure that lessons learnt in various projects and units of IUCN Lao PDR are documented and internalized in the current and future work of IUCN Lao PDR.
2.9 Ensure regular programme reporting requirements by both donors and IUCN Asia Regional Office (ARO) are met (e.g. Quarterly Progress-Reports & Annual Report);
2.10 Ensure strong links between communications/knowledge management and programme coordination and delivery.

3. Management of a thematic program (as required)/ Project implementation in all programm areas
3.1 Take over the management of a thematic work program of IUCN if necessary
3.2 Prepare and conduct project implementation at all levels of intervention from local (surveys, campaigns, workshops, study tours, etc.) to government (workshops, working group meetings, trainings conferences etc.)
3.3 Identify and carry out consultancies in Laos and other Asian countries, that fit to IUCN’s portfolio and strategies

4. Capacity Development in Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
4.1 Facilitate, guide and assist all programme units in using the tools and techniques available in Asia Region and globally for work planning, M&E and reporting;
4.2 Support the CR in providing guidance and advice on project development, proposal writing and donor intelligence;
4.3 Identify needs for technical support to IUCN Lao PDR and recommend to the CR on how these may be met.
4.4 Undertake specific capacity building measures and exercises (training, mentoring, other) as necessary
4.5 Institutional tasks

5. Other
5.1 Represent IUCN Lao PDR in external and internal IUCN meetings, at national, regional and international levels, as needed.
5.2 Undertake any other tasks as may be assigned by, and mutually agreed with the line manager

REQUIREMENTS

• At least a postgraduate degree in a relevant discipline, such as Climate CHange, Natural Resources Management, Environmental Management, Development Studies, International Relations, Project Management or MBA  

• At least 13 to 15 years of progressive work experience out of which at least 5 years in a project leadership role; experience in project implementation and execution is essential  

• Experience and ability to work in a multicultural and multi-perspective environment and a broad awareness of the Greater Mekong politics and relations  

• Experience of managing diverse teams essential  

• Demonstrated ability in dealing with Climate Change or related environment/development issues will be an added advantage  

• Understanding of political complexities in the Asian and especially Greater Mekong Region  

• Capacity to interact effectively with, and ability to influence a wide range of people at different levels including donors, the private sector, NGOs, government officials  

• Strong presentation skills and exceptional written and spoken communication skills in English essential  

APPLICATIONS

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST).

Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: http://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/

About IUCN

IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges.

IUCN works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, human livelihoods and greening the world economy by supporting scientific research, managing field projects all over the world, and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.

IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization, with more than 1,200 government and NGO members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by over 1,000 staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO and private sectors around the world.