Field Coordinating Assistant

Contract

This is a NPSA-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Personnel Services Agreement. It is normally only for nationals. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education. More about NPSA-5 contracts.

Background

The GCF NAP Readiness and Preparatory Support project on ‘Increasing resilience to climate change impacts in marine and coastal areas along the Gulf of Thailand’ will be an important contribution to the implementation of Thailand’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP), prepared by the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), which provides an overarching planning framework for addressing climate change adaptation. This project focuses on advancing climate change adaptation planning in relation to marine and coastal areas in the Gulf of Thailand . Anticipated extreme events, sea-level rise, climate induced erosion, drought, and flooding are expected to affect local tourism, agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, and natural resources as well as create additional stress on land and water resource management. The project objective is to “Integrate climate change adaptation into marine and coastal area related planning and budgeting”. The project will reduce barriers such as missing of climate change information at sub-national level, climate change impact knowledge, and coordination for adaptation planning; technical capacities for integration of risk informed approaches in planning and budgeting; and lack of options to attract financing for climate change adaptation, particularly from the private sector.The project will be conducted with very extensive consultations at the national and provincial levels to guarantee a participative approach and avoid any social issues. Moreover, the project will build the capacities of decision-makers at different levels to measure and evaluate the exposure of communities to climate-related hazards for the integration of these risks into planning and budgeting.

The assignment aims to support the project implementation at the provinces along the coastal zone along the Gulf of Thailand. Each Field Coordinating Assistant will be stationed at each designated province namely Rayong, Petchaburi, Suratthani and Songkhla Provinces as seen in Annex. These Field Coordinating Assistants will help to coordinate with local relevant government agencies, local civil societies and communities and conduct other duties and functions as defined in the key duties and responsibilities .

Annex: Duty station at assigned project site

Rayong, based at DMCR

(sub-national)

• Responsible for Coastal Zone 1 (Trat, Chanthaburi, Rayong provinces)
• Establish and maintain stakeholder relations
• Prepare and support conduct workshops, events, research, field missions

Support to prepare technical outputs, ensure access to subnational data and stakeholders in coastal zone 2Tentative Mission travel

• To Bangkok: 1 trip
• To Trat: 3 trips
• To Chanthaburi: 3 trips

Phetchaburi based at DMCR

(sub-national)- Responsible for Coastal Zone 2 (Chonburi, Chachoengsao, Samut Prakan, Bangkok Metropolis, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Phetchaburi provinces) - Establish and maintain stakeholder relations - Prepare and support conduct workshops, events, research, field missions - Support to prepare technical outputs, ensure access to subnational data and stakeholders in coastal zone 1

Tentative Mission travel

• To Bangkok: 1 trip
• To Chonburi: 3 trips
• To Samut Songkram: 3 trips
• To Samut Sakhon: 3 trips

Surat Thani, based at DMCR (sub-national)- Responsible for Coastal Zone 3 (Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani provinces) - Establish and maintain stakeholder relations - Prepare and support conduct workshops, events, research, field missions - Support to prepare technical outputs, ensure access to subnational data and stakeholders in coastal zone 3

Tentative Mission travel

• To Bangkok: 1 trip
• To Chumphon: 3 trips
• To Prachuab kirikhan: 3 trips

Hat Yai, based at DMCR (sub-national)- Responsible for Coastal Zone 4 (Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Narathiwat provinces) - Establish and maintain stakeholder relations - Prepare and support conduct workshops, events, research, field missions - Support to prepare technical outputs, ensure access to subnational data and stakeholders in coastal zone 4

Tentative Mission travel

• To Bangkok: 1 trip
• To Nakhon Si Thammarat: 3 trips
• To Pattani: 3 trips
• To Phattalung: 3 trips

Duties and Responsibilities

Key duties and responsibilities include:

Task 1: Support day-to-day activity of the Project Management Unit ( UNDP) in collaboration with the Implementation Partners (Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources).

• Responsible for carrying out the project activities in his/her assigned coastal zone/provinces.
• Establish and maintain stakeholder relations.
• Monitor and review all aspects of fieldwork on a daily basis at the assigned coastal zone/provinces
• Prepare schedule for field demonstrations, surveys and training programmes, including identification of local partners, fishers and farmers groups or individual households, community entity who are potentially interested in the project’s activities implementation.
• Coordinate with a National consultant to conduct risk and vulnerability assessment, climate information systems and climate change projections.
• Prepare a quarterly work plan in consultation with all stakeholders, project implementing partners, PMU in advance.
• Support developing relevant lessons learned documents, communication materials, website updates, and other relevant publications;
• Support ensuring that the outcomes specified in the projec’s workplan are delivered at the required quality standards and within the specified cost and time limits;
• Support implementing annual work plans with indicative scheduling of identified main outputs and activities as guidance documents for the formulation and review of annual work plans;
• Support PMU to prepare biannual and annual report based on the project’s annual workplan.
• Consult with Project Management Unit (PMU), ONEP, DMCR, and UNDP for technical guidance.

Task 2: Coordinate field work with local government agencies, the local project partners, sub-contract non-civil societies, local stakeholders, communities and leaders at the assigned project site.

• Participate in field data monitoring and collection by joining implementing local government agencies at the assigned project site.
• Participate in weekly, monthly and ad hoc meetings of local government agencies and target communities organizing at the assigned project site.
• Prepare brief notes of the mentioned meeting and report to PMU.
• Support faciliating focus group discussion, public hearing.
• Support conducting risk and vulnerability assessment, climate information systems and climate change projections lead handling by national-international consultants and firm/institution.
• Support building partnership with relevant stakeholders from public and private institutions existing at the site to fulfill the objectives of the Programmes.

Task 3: Implement and manage administrative and logistic tasks related to fields work and activities

• Communicate with local government agencies, the local project partners, sub-contract non-civil societies, local stakeholders, communities and leaders at the assigned project site.
• Support monitoring and assisting with logistical arrangements for field trips for national and international consultants in accordance with UNDP procedures;
• Responsible for all logistics requirements of the training and workshops
• Support facilitating the building of capacity and awareness of key stakeholders regarding climate finance readiness, including among the private sector and civil society;
• Conduct any other relevant tasks to support implementing the activities of outcome 1 to 3 and across these three outcomes.
• Manage and report budget and expenses of the project implementation.
• Support to the development of communication and partnership arrangements and development of a coordination mechanism between partners and cooperatives.

Institutional Arrangement

The Field Coordinating Assistants (National) will be supervised by the Project Manager and being a member of the Project Management Unit. Each Technical Field Coordinator will work and be based at an office of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources as seen in Annex.

Competencies

UN CORE VALUES AND COMPETENCIES

Professionalism: Shows pride in work and achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Communication:Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients " and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Required skills and competencies

• Knowledge and experience in climate change and relevant sectors such as marine and coastal areas, agriculture, water, energy, and cross-cutting issues such as gender, private sector etc;
• Demonstrated knowledge and working experiences on internship with government’s system and policies and/or GCF’s policy, system and procedures;

Desired additional skills and competencies

• Act as a team player and facilitating team work;
• Ability to work under pressure and time constraints.
• Sound understanding of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and their implications to the local government.
• Ability to prepare drafting project reports, training and workshop documents;
• Knowledge or experience working for the Government of Thailand and/or UN is an asset;
• Knowledge of UNDP and/or international development organization’s policies and procedures relating to consultant contract arrangement, logistics arrangement, budget management, planning, reporting and documentation.

Functional Competencies:

• Strong interpersonal skills, communication, coordination and diplomatic skills;
• Openness to change and ability to receive and integrate feedback;
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities; and
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines; and Responds to client needs promptly.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary Education.
• University degree in environmental management, engineer, marine science, climate change, biology, law, economy, public administration, business administration or any other relevant subject would be desirable, but it is not a requirement.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years for secondary school, or 2 years for Bachelor’s degree holder,relevant professional experience in the areas of environmental protection, nature protection, and/or climate change or new graduate conducted special study on natural and coastal resources management and protection;

Language Requirement:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in Thai and English