Regional Project Assistant

Primary Location: Thailand-Bangkok

Duration: 6 months (with possible extension)

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions. Qualified female applicants are encouraged to apply. People with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. Applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality. Organizational Setting The Regional Office for RAP is responsible for leading FAO's response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in the region. It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the Region and, in collaboration with departments and divisions at Headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO's strategic response to regional priorities. The UN-REDD Programme is the United Nations collaborative initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) in developing countries. The Programme was launched in 2008 and builds on the convening role and technical expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The UN-REDD Programme assists developing countries to prepare to implement REDD+, including the development of National REDD+ Strategies, following guidance issued by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). As part of the Technical Assistance component of the UN-REDD Programme, the Government of Norway requested the partner agencies, coordinated by FAO, to develop and implement an initiative on Addressing Forest Crime through Improved Governance in the Lower Mekong Region (LMR), covering the countries of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. The overall impact of the UN-REDD Mekong Initiative will be to reduce deforestation and forest degradation and promote sustainable management of forests across the LMR, by tackling forest crime, improving forest governance and boosting legal and sustainable trade and investment in wood products across the LMR and China. The UN-REDD Mekong Initiative is part of a portfolio of investments under the Norway International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) to reduce forest crime and illegal trade in forest products across Asia. Within the Forestry Department of FAO, the UN-REDD Mekong Initiative will be coordinated closely with the activities of the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Programme in the Asia-Pacific region. Reporting Lines The Regional Project Assistant reports to the Forestry Officer in RAP on a daily basis. The incumbent works closely with a wide range of colleagues in the division, region, central units and external clients, performing and coordinating office and management support services, and providing procedural guidance and information. Technical Focus The incumbent operates independently and takes decisions on work priorities and exercises initiative for dealing with cases without precedents. Supervision received is focused on the quality of work outputs. He/ she provides guidance and advice to other office support staff. The incumbent's work impacts directly on the timely and efficient delivery of the UN-REDD Mekong Initiative as part of the Global UN-REDD Technical Assistance Programme in Asia-Pacific. Tasks and responsibilities Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Regional Representative (DRR) for Asia and the Pacific, under the technical supervision of the responsible Forestry Officer, Lead Technical Officer and the Regional Project Coordinator at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP), with guidance from REDD+ regional advisor for UNEP in Asia-Pacific, the Regional Project Assistant will be responsible for the overall support and administration of activities under the UN-REDD Mekong Initiative covering the countries of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, specifically as below. Key Functions/Results

Screen requests for appointments with supervisor; maintain supervisor's calendar; confirm mutually convenient schedules and arrange appointments; receive visitors; place and screen telephone calls; respond to queries and correspondence, often of a sensitive, confidential or technical nature;
Coordinate office support services for meetings, trainings, seminars, committees, and special projects and events; attend meetings, prepare minutes, monitor follow-up activities; make arrangements for formal editing, translation, etc., of documents and publications;
Review, record, distribute and process incoming mail and correspondence; follow-up on pending actions; prepare draft responses to a wide range of correspondence and other communications, often requiring knowledge of technical terminologies and/or detailed office procedures; carry out quality control functions for outgoing documents; proofread texts for adherence to format, grammar, punctuation and style;
Perform a variety of administrative duties, e.g. contract extensions and requests for temporary staff, leave and attendance recording, budget preparation and follow-up; coordinate with other units to ensure smooth running and expedition of work within the unit;
Research, compile, and organize background information and reference materials from various sources for reports, briefs and speeches; generate a variety of statistical and other reports from various databases;
Coordinate the work of other office support staff, establish priorities and ensure equitable distribution of work; train new staff to relevant administrative procedures and practices and provide general assistance as required;
Create and maintain the work unit's filing and reference systems; review the efficiency of office procedures and make recommendations for improvements; update office websites;
Perform other duties as required.

Specific Functions

Support development and administration of contracts and Letters of Agreement with service providers under the UN-REDD Mekong Initiative;
Perform a variety of administrative duties, e.g. contract extensions and requests for temporary staff, leave and attendance recording, budget preparation and follow-up; coordinate with other units to ensure smooth running and expedition of work under the UN-REDD Mekong Initiative;
Coordinate office support services for events under the UN-REDD Mekong Initiative, attend and monitor follow-up activities; make arrangements for formal editing, translation, etc., of documents and publications;
Support and provide advice on administrative and financial matters, as necessary, to counterparts in FAO Representations in LMR countries, to ensure the smooth operation of the UN-REDD Mekong Initiative
Collaborate with REDD+/NFM unit colleagues in FOA HQ on financial and budget management, ensuring accuracy of record keeping and efficient and timely delivery of services under the UN-REDD Mekong Initiative

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING Minimum Requirements

University degree in Communications, Public Relations, Political Sciences, International Relations or other related fields
Four years of relevant experience in office and management support or working directly with the government
Working knowledge of English and Thai
National of Thailand.

FAO Core Competencies

Results Focus
Teamwork
Communication
Building Effective Relationships
Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

Very good knowledge of communication and documentation standards
Very good knowledge of corporate computerized financial / travel / human resources systems and administrative procedures and policies
Very good knowledge of the organizational structure
Good knowledge Corporate Computerized Systems (eg GRMS, FPMIS, Coin, iMis).
Knowledge of a second UN language is desirable (French, Arabic, Russian, Chinese or Spanish)
Very good knowledge of the MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help please contact: Careers@fao.org
Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications
For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions. HOW TO APPLY

Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile. We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date. If you need help, or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT

Location: Bangkok, Thailand Deadline: 29/12/2020 (6am) Application link: Regional Project Assistant