Project Manager - Conserving Habitats for Globally Significant Flora and Fauna in Production Landscapes Project

Habitat loss and degradation has occurred and is happening as a result of combined rapid economic development and population growth resulting in an increasing demand for land for infrastructure (e.g. road and dam construction), agriculture and industry. The rapid expansion and intensification of industry and agriculture has also resulted in increasing demands on unsustainable use of natural resources. High demands for water within both agricultural and industrial has led to significant changes in the hydrology of many areas putting significant pressure on many freshwater species, an issue that is further heightened by high levels of pollution. Hunting of wild animals and endangered species for both domestic uses and international trade (both exotic pets and traditional medicine) remains a significant challenge in Thailand despite progress in the enforcement of laws and regulations. These threats are being further exacerbated by ongoing changes in climate that have the potential to significantly impact Thailand’s major rice crops and water resources.

The “Conserving Habitats for Globally Significant Flora and Fauna in Production Landscapes” Project intends to mainstream the conservation of globally important and endangered biodiversity into the management of production landscapes through improved management of critical habitats. At the national level, it will develop a legislative, regulatory and enforcement framework to guide endangered species (ES) and critical habitat conservation and management. This will be supported by capacity building within key ministries and agencies to enhance cross sector coordination in critical habitat management, and to effectively monitor critical habitats and ES to better inform decision makers.

Piloting three species namely Eastern Sarus Crane (Grus Antigone sharpie), the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus) and the Water Lily (Crinum thaianum) in three geographical locations, the project will also build the capacity of local authorities, communities, private sector groups, and NGOs to develop environmentally friendly goods and services, which can provide a sound economic basis for ongoing critical habitat management and economic development. The project has been divided into two components, and will be implemented over a period of four years (2015-2018).

The first component of the project focuses on strengthening the policy and institutional frameworks in place at the national level to manage and support the conservation of endangered species and critical habitats. The component aims at directly addressing existing limitations in regulations and legislation, which do not provide clear guidance on the conservation and protection of ES and critical habitats. The approach will address gaps in existing legislation, develop frameworks to guide implementation of legislation, build the capacity of relevant institutions and support cross sector learning of best practice to facilitate the upscaling of ES and critical habitat conservation and protection within production landscapes.

The second component of the project focuses on the conservation of the Eastern Sarus Crane, the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and the Water Lily. This will be achieved through both increasing national, provincial and local capacities to protect these species as well as identifying and supporting sustainable financing pathways for their conservation within production landscapes. Achievements in conserving these species will also be utilized as part of a process of sharing best practice in ES and critical habitat conservation throughout Thailand.

The project is financially supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), with the Office of National Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) as the Implementing Partner, and the Zoological Park organization (ZPO) as the Responsible Party. The total GEF-supported funding is US$ 1,758,904, with US$ 11,137,234 co-financing from the Thai counterparts.

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Project Director, appointed by the Implementing Partner, and the Programme Specialist of UNDP Thailand, the Project Manager (PM) will be in-charge of coordinating the day-to-day management and operations of the project, ensuring high quality, efficient and effective project delivery. The PM will lead the project management unit and report directly to the project director and UNDP Programme Specialist. He/she shall liaise with the Project Board and designated officials of the government of Thailand as deemed appropriate and necessary by the project management unit. The budget and associated work plan will provide guidance on the day-to-day implementation of the approved Project Document. He/she shall be responsible for delivery of all substantive, managerial and financial reports from and on behalf of the Project.

Summary of Key Functions:

• Ensuring the implementation of project strategies focusing on achieving results;
• Ensuring effective implementation and monitoring of the project, tracking use of financial resources;
• Effective management of the project focusing on project implementation;
• Ensuring creation of strategic partnerships and support;
• Ensuring facilitation of knowledge building and management.

Ensuring the implementation of project strategies focusing on achieving results:

• Design and formulate annual work and budget plans, strategic plans and risk management plans and ensure adherence to the Project Document;
• Oversee the day-to-day project implementation and ensure achievement of targets as outlined in the project work plan;
• Effectively apply Result Based Management (RBM) tools and establish management targets (BSC) for the achievement of project results;
• Ensure effective implementation of advocacy plans through forums, workshops, seminars or policy dialogues relating to conservation and protection of endangered species and critical habitats.

Ensuring effective implementation and monitoring of the project and tracking use of financial resources:

• Organize joint planning meetings involving UNDP, implementing agencies and other relevant parties to develop annual and quarterly work plans and corresponding budget plans with clearly stated milestones contributing to the achievement of target outputs defined in the Project Document and obtaining approval from the Project board;
• Ensure efficient use of resources and report it in a timely, transparent and accountable manner;
• Monitor the project progress against annual and quarterly work plans and budget plans;
• In coordination with UNDP, conduct financial and substantive monitoring of the activities under the project;
• Provide inputs by analyzing project resource requirements if there is a need for budget adjustments and possible revisions in coordination with UNDP;
• Liaise with UNDP on the conduct of the project audit and ensure access by auditors to project documentation, personnel and agencies involved in the project;
• Ensure that the implementing partners and the Project Management Unit are complied with project regulations and audit recommendations.

Effective management of the project:

• Prepare Terms of Reference (ToRs) for required inputs (individual and institutional consultancy services, the procurement of goods, organization of training, seminars, etc), with technical support as required;
• Lead regular coordination meetings and dialogues with relevant stakeholders;
• Ensure the coordination of activities carried out by project counterparts to achieve the project objectives;
• Manage critical issues and provide solutions to the overall processes of project implementation;
• Prepare project progress reports (quarterly and annual/financial and substantive) against set targets and indicators, with an analysis of evidence of progress towards planned outputs according to schedules, budgets and inputs provided by the project;
• Submit project progress reports to UNDP in a timely manner;
• Create a standard operating procedure, including monitoring and evaluation mechanism and quality standards of performance, as appropriate, to evaluate the achievement of project activities;
• Together with implementing partners and other stakeholders, constantly identify challenges and provide recommendations to mitigate project risks and ensure smooth project implementation.

Ensuring creation of strategic partnerships and support:

• Create and coordinate partnerships with government institutions, private sector, communities, development partners, etc. in consultation with UNDP;
• Maintain good working relationship and close collaboration with the relevant public and development partners, communities, and other principal counterparts for the project.

Ensuring facilitation of knowledge building and management in the project:

• Ensure regular documentation of innovations, good practices, lessons learned and an effective knowledge building;
• Facilitate regular knowledge sharing/transferring and dissemination of knowledge products;
• Compile success stories that have resulted in lasting, large-scale transformational change, if applicable.

Core Competencies:

• Promoting Ethics and Integrity / Creating Organizational Precedents;
• Building support and political acumen;
• Building staff competence, Creating an environment of creativity and innovation;
• Building and promoting effective teams;
• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication;
• Creating an emotionally intelligent organization;
• Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP and setting standards;
• Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning;
• Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking.

Functional Competencies:

Results-based Programme Development and Management: Contributes into results through primary research and analysis

• Assess project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work;
• Research linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration;
• Monitor specific stages of projects/programme implementation;
• Analyze country situation to identify opportunities for project development;
• Participate in the formulation of project proposals and ensures substantive rigor in the design and application of proven successful approaches and drafts proposals accordingly.

Building Strategic Partnerships: Maintaining a network of contacts

• Maintain an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues;
• Analyze and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders;
• Establish and nurtures positive communication with partners.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches: Enhancing processes or products

• Generate new ideas and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Document and analyses innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches;
• Document bottlenecks, problems and issues, and proposes effective solutions;
• Embrace new approaches.

Resource Mobilization:  Providing inputs to resource mobilization strategies

• Analyze information/databases on potential and actual donors;
• Develop a database of project profiles.  Identifies opportunities for project proposals for presentation to donors.

Promoting Organizational learning and Knowledge Sharing: Basic research and analysis

• Generate new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Document and analyze innovative strategies and new approaches;
• Identify and communicate opportunities to promote learning and knowledge sharing;
• Develop awareness of the various internal/external learning and knowledge-sharing resources.

Job Knowledge and Technical Expertise: Fundamental knowledge of own discipline

• Understand and apply fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position;
• Possess basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
• Identify new and better approach to work processes and incorporates the same in his/her work;
• Analyze the requirements and synthesize proposals;
• Strive to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;
• Demonstrate good knowledge of information technology and apply it in work assignments;
• Demonstrate in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilize these regularly in work assignments.

Organizational Leadership and Direction

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals: Preparing information for global advocacy

• Identify and communicate relevant information for advocacy for UNDP’s goals for a variety of audiences;
• Maintain a functioning network of contacts in the media and civil society, to promote a better understanding of UNDP’s mandate and to support advocacy efforts;
• Identify and take advantage of opportunities for advocating for UNDP’s mandate.

Client Orientation: Establishing effective client relationships

• Research potential solutions to internal and external client needs and report back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion;
• Organize and prioritize work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines;
• Establish, build and sustain effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients;
• Actively support the interest of the client by making choices and setting priorities to meet their needs;
• Anticipate client needs and address them promptly.

Education:

• Thai national with Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in wildlife conservation, forestry, protected area management, biological sciences, development studies, environmental studies, and/or related fields.

Experience:

• At least 5 years for Bachelor’s or 3 years for Master’s holders, of relevant experience in project management, provision of policy advisory services, especially those related to wildlife and plant conservation, protected area management, ecosystem and biodiversity management at the national or international level;
• Hands-on experience in designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating development projects to achieve results in challenging environments;
• Proven ability to use adaptive management skills to revise project activities in line with changing needs and circumstances;
• Experience in working with government agencies on internationally funded project;
• Proven working experience in the conservation of endangered species would be an asset;
• Proven ability to work with government agencies, civil society groups and communities;
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills on individual and institutional capacity building process;
• Proven skills on training, facilitating meetings/ forum/ discussion, and presentation;
• Being a strong team player, able to work independently and possessing excellent interpersonal skills;
• Strong communication skills, possessing the ability to engage and motivate a wide range of stakeholders and at various levels.

Language Requirement:

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Thai.