RECOFTC Job Vacancy: Project Coordinator - Bangkok, Thailand

The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC) holds a unique and important place in the world of forestry. It is the only international not-for-profit organization that specializes in capacity development for community forestry and devolved forest management whilst taking a landscape approach to natural resource management. The Center engages in strategic networks and effective partnerships with governments, nongovernment organizations, civil society, the private sector, local people, and research and educational institutes throughout the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. With over 30 years of international experience and a dynamic approach to capacity development—involving research, analysis and synthesis; strategic communication; training and learning networks; and piloting and demonstrating - The Center delivers innovative solutions for people and forests.

To address the needs and challenges of the Asia-Pacific region, the Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC) has developed an innovative new strategy (2018-2023) to help local people find solutions together with government, the private sector, development partners, local institutes, academia, media and others. Building on its previous strategic phases, the 2018–2023 Strategic Plan puts people at the center of change, by empowering communities, governments and the private sector with rights, opportunities for dialogue, networking, technical expertise, tools and knowledge. The Center’s results will help nearly 5 million people in and near forest landscapes live more equitably, with dignity and greater empowerment to protect themselves from the injustices of poverty and environmental degradation.

Strengthening Non State Actors’ (NSA) voices for improved forest governance in the Mekong region (also known as Voice for Mekong Forests - V4MF) – a five year (2017-2021) project funded by European Union (EU) aligns well with the new strategic plan of the Center. In partnership with WWF, NEPCon, EWMI-ODI as well as NGO Forum (Cambodia), LBA (Lao PDR), MERN (Myanmar), Raks Thai (Thailand) and PanNature (Viet Nam) the project aims to strengthen the capacity of NSAs for improved forest governance in the Mekong region. Besides these national and partners, the project also coordinates with affiliate partners –EFI, FAO, ADPC’s SERVIR-Mekong, UN-REDD and TNC.

The project is soon entering into its third year of implementation beginning January 2019.
The overarching rationale of the project is that for forests to be sustained, forest landscape governance must be based on principles of inclusivity, requiring effective participation of NSAs. The project recognizes that many initiatives from sub-national to the global level offer opportunities for NSAs to become actively involved in government-led forest landscape dialogues and decision-making processes. The project therefore leverages and contributes to these initiatives, particularly the European Union’s Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade – Voluntary Partnership Agreements (FLEGT-VPA) and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+), by helping to ensure they are built on multi-stakeholder processes, and that NSAs, particularly civil society have the capacity to effectively engage on issues, present their concerns to policy makers, and organize themselves to share information and strengthen negotiating positions.

The project is working on regional, national and landscape levels, recognizing that efforts to address the challenges facing forest governance in the region need to take a holistic approach. The trans-boundary focus of the project covers three landscapes across five countries. These landscapes are home to many forest dependent communities, and among the most biodiverse in the region, providing a range of ecosystem services. Aligning with the Center’s new strategic plan (2018-23), V4MF project is one of the organization’s most important projects that is aimed to contribute substantially to achieve the targets set under all four strategic goals of the plan – Goal 1: Landscape Collaboration in Changing Climate; Goal 2: Governance and Conflict Transformation; Goal 3: Private Sector Engagement and Enterprising Communities and Goal 4: Social Inclusion, Gender Equity and Public Action. Below listed transboundary landscapes of the project are the key landscapes where the Center has planned for its programmatic activities under these strategic goals of the new strategic plan:

• Dawna Tenasserim Transboundary Landscape (DTL) – covering Tanintharyi Nature Reserve (Myanmar) and Western Forest Complex (Thailand) 
• Northern Thailand - Lao PDR Transboundary Landscape (NTLL) – covering DoiPhuKha National Park (Thailand) and Bokeo and Xayabury provinces (Lao PDR)
  
• Viet Nam - Lao PDR - Cambodia Transboundary Landscape (VLCL) – covering: a) Eastern Plains Landscape (Cambodia bordering with Viet Nam); b) Quang Nam province, Central Annamites; Kon Tum province, Central Highlands (Viet Nam bordering Cambodia and Lao PDR); and c) XePian and Dong Amphan National Biodiversity Conservation Areas (Lao PDR)
  

The Center is currently seeking a qualified dynamic candidate with proven leadership, experience with financial and project management oversight to work as the Project Coordinator, directly reporting to the Director of Program Coordination and Technical Services (PCTS) Unit. The successful applicant will be based at the Center for People and Forests’ regional office in Bangkok, Thailand with frequent travels to the Mekong Countries. The project is entering into its third year and assuming that delivery goes according to plan, project funding is secured through the end of 2021.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Project Coordinator will work closely with program staff from other units, including Corporate Services, PCTS, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (ME&L) and Knowledge Management and Strategic Communications (KMSC). The Project Coordinator is responsible for the overall planning and management, performance, including fiscal efficiency of the project, and progress reporting to the project’s donor agency.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

The main tasks of the Project Coordinator will include but not limited to the following:

Project Management and Leadership

• With technical support from regional program staff and Director of PCTS unit, provide leadership and guidance to project implementing consortium in each country to achieve project’s outcomes and outputs, especially using financial controls to incentivize actions;
• Identify project coordination challenges and effectively address them in a timely manner to avoid any delays in project delivery and ensure fiscal efficiency;
• Provide leadership to country offices and partners to organize regular coordination meetings among themselves and regularly update representatives from states and EU delegates in the country about the progress of the project;
• Coordination, including providing timely guidance to project teams at national level and regional partners for developing annual work plans and quarterly budgets for project implementation and monitor the disbursement of the project funds and their efficient utilization by country program teams and partner organizations;
• Support the PCTS Unit Director to mobilize technical support for the project from RECOFTC staff and partner organizations in order to ensure quality delivery of the project’s outputs and activities;
• Liaise with program and project teams within the Center to ensure that V4MF project’s outputs and activities are synergized and aligned to contribute to achieving the Center’s strategic goals;
• Work closely with the Senior Strategic Advisor of the Center and ensure his support for the project to effectively coordinate with each of the Advisory Groups that are coordinating the achievement of the Center’s Strategic Goals;

Fiscal Controls and Management

• Work closely with Center’s Corporate Service team at the regional office and Administrative and Finance Officers of the country program offices and partner organizations to monitor the fiscal operations of the project and provide immediate support in case of any deviations in the fiscal operations of the project;
• Regularly liaise with donor organization and its representative to ensure compliance with all financial regulations and reporting requirements of the project;
  
• Ensure timely reporting from country offices and partner organizations in order to submit annual narrative and fiscal progress reports to donor organization without delay;
  

Knowledge Management and Strategic Communication

• Supervise the execution of communication plan for the project in close coordination with the KMSC Unit; 
• Provide guidance for documenting best practices learned from the project and inputs for planning and designing the knowledge management system of the project through learning interventions and relevant communication tools;
  
• Support the V4MF Communication Officer to coordinate closely with other project leads of the Center. Liaise with country program staff and partner organizations to develop, produce, and disseminate a series of knowledge products both in English and the five local languages for the project to effectively disseminate products to larger audiences;
  

Strengthening Partnerships

• Strengthen partnerships with national and regional partner organizations of the project to support and amplify the project’s on the ground achievements and impacts; 
• Guide development of capacity development programs for NSAs and oversee its execution to ensure sustainability of the improved forest governance in project countries;
  
• Engage with other relevant project and program partners in the region, including project affiliates, and project countries to ensure synergies and strengthen sustainability potential of the project;
  

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCES

The Project Coordinator will have the following essential and desirable qualifications and experience:

Essential

• Master in international development and relationships, or business administration
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in implementing and monitoring budgets on multi-country projects preferably on natural resource management, including FLEGT, REDD+, climate change and related topics in Asia Pacific region
• Proven track record in project management, including planning and funding/financial management and monitoring with strong work ethics
• Strong team building, leadership, and networking abilities
• Fluent written and spoken English.
• Willingness to work in the Center’s regional office in Bangkok with frequent travel throughout the five Mekong countries for project coordination and fiscal oversight with RECOFTC offices and implementing partners.

Desirable

• Experience in natural resource management especially in the Mekong Sub-region.
• Good facilitation and training skills.
• Knowledge of one or more regional languages, especially those of Mekong countries.
• Good understanding of the role for Private Sector Engagement in Sustainable Forest Management
• Awareness on importance of gender equity and social inclusion in natural resource management and development sector

GeneralIn addition to job specific skills and experience, the applicant should possess the following characteristics (including attitudes and skills)

• Interpersonal communication skills, individually and in-groups, with an ability to work as an active member of teams. This implies flexibility and open-mindedness
• Possess leadership personality, and able to take on and solve problems quickly and efficiently;
• Hands-on experience and able to work independently with minimum supervision
• Initiative and ability to make informed independent judgments which is consistent with an overall team approach
• Ability to work in a variety of cultural and institutional contexts
  

Interested candidates are requested to submit CV and a cover letter indicating why they are suitable for this position along with salary requirements and current contact details of three referees, including recent supervisors to HR@recoftc.org. Please quote the position title in the subject line of the email. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. The Center has a competitive compensation package. However, offers shall be based on salary history, relevant experience and qualifications of the selected candidate.

Applicants shall not be discriminated due to ethnicity, religion, age, nationality, physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, medical condition, or any other classification protected by RECOFTC’s values and code of conduct. Reasonable accommodation may be made so that qualified disabled applicants can partake in the application process. Women are strongly encouraged to apply. Please inform the Center’s Human Resources Office in writing of any special needs at the time of application.

The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC) is an equal opportunity employer and the successful candidate will be selected based on merit.

The Center retains the right to offer this position at a job grade relevant to the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.

Closing Date: 10 December 2018

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