Guided by the global UNDP Strategic Plan (2022 – 2025) and UNDP Country Programme for Lao PDR (2022 – 2026), UNDP in Lao PDR works closely with the line Ministries, mass organizations, civil society, development partners, and the private sector at both national and sub-national levels in pursuit of the national socio-economic development priorities defined in Lao PDR’s five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNDP’s work is strongly focused on the provision of policy advice and technical support to the Government of Lao PDR in the design and implementation of national legislation and strategies across four broad Priority Pillars – (1) inclusive growth and reduced inequalities, (2) UXO clearance and risk education, (3) natural resources, climate change and disaster risk reduction, as well as (4) effective, responsive, and accountable governance.

UNDP has a long history of working in Lao PDR. UNDP’s comparative advantage has been its ability to work closely with a very broad range of government and local-level institutions at all levels. The new UNDP country programme is aligned with the 9th NSEDP and is anchored in UNDP’s long-term partnership with the Government of more than three decades. The new programme builds on the achievements of the previous CPD that saw the incorporation of the SDGs into the national planning architecture. It will aim to support Lao PDR in recover from the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue its transition from LDC status, with a particular emphasis on supporting inclusive growth and reducing inequality.

UNDP Lao PDR, Governance Unit:

The UNDP’s programming on effective, responsive and accountable governance, inter alia, focuses on the provision of policy advice and technical support to the Government of Lao PDR to (1) enhance the rule of law, access to justice, and protection of human rights, (2) strengthen people’s participation in decision-making through increased access to information and political representation, (3) enhance public administration reform through institutional capacity-development and implementation of the Government’s decentralization policy (Sam Sang Directive).

Being the largest global development knowledge network with particular institutional expertise on governance, UNDP in Lao PDR co-chairs the Governance Sector Working Group (along with co-chairing the Public Sector Improvement Sub-Sector Working Group and Legal and Institutional Oversight Sub-Sector Working Group) of the Round Table Process, a national mechanism to coordinate the implementation of the NSEDPs and SDGs across the governmental institutions, development partners, CSOs and the private sector.

The position will be based in UNDP Lao PDR Country Office in Vientiane.

UNDP Lao PDR is committed to achieving gender balance in recruitment processes. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Persons with disabilities, persons from ethnic groups, and people from other diverse groups are also encouraged to apply.

Summary of key functions:

• Support to the Governance Sector Working Group (GSWG)
• Support for institutional optimization programming for data collection in service delivery
• Advisory services on strengthening systems for citizens’ feedback in Lao PDR

Support to the Governance Sector Working Group (GSWG);

• Support the coordination of activities outlined in the work plan, ensuring implementation;
• Contribute to reporting on governance interventions to the annual round table meeting (RTM) of the GSWG;
• Conduct basic research on emerging trending in governance for consideration by the GSWG;
• Coordinate between the members of GSWG to ensure synergies are strengthened and align with national development priorities.

Support for institutional optimization (public administration reform) programming in the public sector;

• Identify key issues for data collection at the service delivery level, specifically the One Door Service Centers (ODSC);
• Design a new mechanism for data collection of ODSC and provide inputs and drafting support of a national roadmap, practical guidance, and SOPs;
• Support the UNDP Governance Team to advance gender equality in the civil service under the initiative with MOHA

Support services on strengthening systems for citizen feedback;

• Support the development of a national mechanism for citizen feedback;
• Support the dissemination and adoption of citizen feedback in local institution optimization efforts;

Facilitate knowledge building and management, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Conceptualize and formulate policy-related discussions, proposals, and concepts for discussions with UNDP and other stakeholders;
• Provide high-quality interpretation and translation as needed

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process
• Act with Determination:  LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies: 

Partnership Management           

• Multi-stakeholder engagement: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies 
• 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

Partnership Management           

• Strategic Engagement: Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives  

Governance      

• Inclusion & Participation: Knowledge and experience of social inclusion and increasing political participation.
• Public Administration and Local Governance: Knowledge of public administration reform and institutional optimization including at the subnational level.

Government Knowledge              

• Core Government Functions: Knowledge of key public administration areas and core government functions and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations in different development situations.

• University degree in political science, public policy, law, development studies or other relevant disciplines.

• 2 years of relevant experience (with Masters) or 4 years of relevant experience (with Bachelors)
• Understanding of the political, administrative and institutional set up of the government;
• Experience in working in governance and public administration in Lao PDR is a considerable asset and desirable;
• Experience in project coordination is desirable;
• Technical knowledge of public service delivery and governance strengthening;
• Experience in providing advisory services to and advocating with public officials;
• Experience in delivering clear and concise advice in written and spoken form 

Communication and Relationship Management – Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform:

• Synthesizes information to communicate independent analysis
• Communicates ideas and positions with command and confidence
• Finds common ground to solve problems

Innovation – Ability to make new and useful ideas work. Adept with complex concepts and challenges convention purposefully:

• Critically assess established methods
• Contributes to prototyping, piloting, and evaluating lessons/feedback

Knowledge Management – Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge

Required Languages:

• Fluency in English and Lao essential