Vietnam has united to tackle plastic pollution, a pressing national issue, with 2.9 million tons of plastic waste generated annually (as of 202 ). To support Vietnam in addressing this challenge, with a target of reducing marine plastic litter by 75% by 2030 and promoting reuse, reduction, and recycling across various sectors, UNDP has actively partnered with government agencies and relevant stakeholders. Together, they are transforming commitments into actions and deploying practical solutions and initiatives. The Circular Economy, Waste, and Chemicals (CE) Portfolio of UNDP has been instrumental in this transformation, piloting and expanding innovative solutions, and fostering an innovation ecosystem that includes innovators, startups, intermediaries, and investors. These efforts aim to reduce plastic waste and enhance a more sustainable and inclusive circular economy.

Funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), the Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge (EPPIC) is an ASEAN-wide competition inviting innovators to share their bright ideas for tackling plastic pollution. EPPIC has supported over 100 innovations through its acceleration program, offering USD 18,000 to each project and providing a platform for ASEAN countries to share knowledge and exchange lessons learned. At the national level, the Vietnam National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) platform brings together multiple stakeholders from different sectors, enabling collaboration between the government and other vital partners to turn plastic waste and pollution commitments into actions. As the host of the NPAP Secretariat, UNDP Vietnam works with NPAP’s Leadership Board chair, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), to devise collaborative plans for national plastic reduction goals and initiatives. And one of the first two technical working groups under the NPAP, the Innovation and Financing Task Force, was established in May 2023. Comprising 14 members from government agencies, businesses, NGOs, development organizations, and financial institutions, this task force fosters innovative ideas and solutions and unlocks new sources of sustainable financing for plastic reduction, reuse, and recycling.

In addition, continuing the momentum of supporting national action plans, UNDP Regional has partnered with the Coca-Cola Foundation in the Asia-Pacific region, including Vietnam, to create an enabling environment and promote circular interventions throughout the plastic lifecycle. This partnership will bring more opportunities for various pilot projects to tackle plastic pollution in fisheries and local provinces, promote responsible sourcing throughout the supply chain, and improve waste sorting at the source. It will also strengthen the engagement of relevant stakeholders in collective plastic actions towards a circular economy in Vietnam

UNDP Viet Nam is looking for a Project Analyst to coordinate and support the successful implementation of projects related to plastic pollution and innovation under the Circular Economy, Waste, and Chemicals Portfolio.

This position is expected to deliver the following tasks:

Coordinate and ensure the successful implementation of the TCCF Regional Plastics Circularity Project:

• Be responsible for day-to-day management of the project; develop and adjust annual workplan and timeline for the project with certain deliverables and milestones of 04 project interventions;
• Coordinate with the focal points of the above-mentioned components (if any) and technical officer within the CE portfolio and national and/or international consultant for TORs of consultancies and relevant work packages, procurement and equipment, output review in accordance with project’s objectives, and event organization.
• Actively engage and maintain regular contact with local focal points and government authorities to ensure the smooth running of the project activities;
• Be responsible for project reports, project’s knowledge products, experience exchanges and lessons learned compiled from project activities;
• Coordinate with the UNDP Regional Team to ensure any project updates and reporting, risk monitoring and communication plan the guidance of the Programme Analyst;
• Support Progamme Analyst (PM) with administrative and financial procedures in bidding and disbursement.

Coordinate the NPAP Innovation and Financing Task Force

• Coordinate and support the implementation of relevant activities of the Task Force (TF) within the year-round timeline in collaboration with the TF chair and co-chair and under the guidance of NPAP Secretariat’s Manager;
• Facilitate the TF meeting, including the preparation and organization of TF events in collaboration with the TF chair, co-chair and the Engagement and Communication Associate;
• Support to update the NPAP innovation tracker with plastic-associated innovations and the utilization of this database;
• Support NPAP’s report and communication materials with TF activities and outputs;
• Support to expand impacts of the TF activities in boosting effective and innovative solutions to tackle plastic waste and plastic pollutions.
• Support the formulation and the implementation of projects under the Circular Economy, Waste, and Chemicals Portfolio

The Viet Nam Flagship Project of Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW)

• Act as the focal point to organize regular meetings and updated progress of the project Risk Monitoring Task Force;
• Conduct engagement with local authorities, NGOs, businesses and relevant organizations, stakeholders in the implementation of the project upon requests.

The ASEAN Blue Innovation Challenge (ABIC) and the Global Plastics Innovation Programme (GPIP)

• Lead the communication with the UNDP Indonesia team regarding the project implementation, and provide contribution to the pilot phases of the ABIC at CO level to 5 innovation winners;
• Coordinate and implement to achieve the target of promoting technology adoption, advance innovation uptake and strengthen South-South cooperation in Plastics management among project’s selected countries under the GPIP;
• Tailor activities to streamline and position UNDP Viet Nam in fostering plastic innovations through these regional initiatives.

Other tasks on project formulation and implementation

• Participate in planning for the portfolio development and fund raising for project, activities under the Portfolio.
•  Support to the preparation of reports, knowledge products and other proposals of the CE portfolio and UNDP regarding the plastic innovation work

Perform other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Business Direction & Strategy

• Systems Thinking. Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Business Management

• Risk Management. Identify and organize action around reducing, mitigating and proactively managing risks
• Project Management. Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• 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

Business Development

• Knowledge Generation. Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.

Partnership management

• Multi-stakeholder engagement & funding. Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms

2030 Agenda: Planet

• Climate. Circular economy and green economy