Background

Lao PDR has achieved impressive growth rates for two decades. Poverty rates declined significantly from 33.5 percent in 2002-2003 to 23.2 percent in 2012-2013 and 18.6 percent in 2018-2019.  Lao PDR's Human Development Index value increased by 52.0 percent between 1990 and 2022, reflecting significant progress in life expectancy, expected years of schooling, mean years of schooling and GNI per capita. Sustained socio-economic progress enabled Lao PDR to meet the criteria for graduation from Least Developed Country status with graduation scheduled in November 2026. However, progress, while significant, also masks underlying development challenges which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following prolonged periods of currency depreciation and high inflation rates in the last three years, the Government has been able to stabilize the Lao Kip and inflation rates with tightened monetary policy measures. Lao PDR’s economy is also recovering, with projected GDP growth around 4 percent for 2025, mainly driven by services including tourism and logistics sectors. In 2023, Lao PDR’s Human Development Index score was 0.622, placing the country in the medium human development category. However, when adjusted for planetary pressures (carbon dioxide emissions per person -production-based-, and material footprint per capita), Lao PDR’s score falls to 0.580, reflecting the environmental cost of development gains.

To support Lao PDR’s vision of becoming a self-reliant economy – a central theme of the Tenth National Socio-Economic Development Plan 2026-2030, and its smooth graduation from Least Developed Country status, UNDP Lao PDR provides technical assistance and capacity building aimed at systems strengthening, including national planning and financing processes, trade promotion, and Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises ecosystems. As the global development financing landscape undergoes major disruption and transition, UNDP will support Lao PDR to test and scale innovative financing instruments and policies to achieve climate resilience and sustainable development. More importantly, UNDP will expand its work with the private sector, recognizing its role as a driver of inclusive growth, to help align private capital with national and global sustainable development goals, ensuring that private investments generate positive social and environmental impacts while yielding financial returns.

UNDP Country Office is currently designing its next country programme for Lao PDR which will cover the period 2027-2031. The next country programme will be aligned with UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2026-2029 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Lao PDR 2027-2031, also under preparation.  

UNDP focuses on expanding people’s choices for a fairer, sustainable future, as envisioned by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: a future where no country has to choose between human development and the health of the planet, where prosperity and sustainability advance together, leaving no one behind. UNDP helps to reduce poverty and create prosperity by expanding opportunities for people and businesses to access productive assets, decent jobs and livelihoods and to build human capital; and by enhancing protection from shocks, crises and multidimensional vulnerability, through risk reduction measures, access to essential services and social protection. Prosperity for all must include enhancing women’s economic opportunities and overcoming barriers to their full economic participation, including limited access to property rights, financial services and equal pay.

Under the overall authority of the Resident Representative and the supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative, the Programme Specialist – Team Leader, in close collaboration and consultation with the Economist, is responsible for the management of the Inclusive Growth portfolio and the coordination and implementation of project activities. S/he analyzes political, social and economic trends; leads strategic planning, formulation, management and evaluation of programme and project activities within his/her portfolio; identifies new areas for programming in line with the UNDP Country Programme priorities; aligns programming to emerging challenges and opportunites; and provides policy advice services to UNDP senior management and national partners.

S/he supervises and leads the Inclusive Growth Unit staff and coordinates their activities, and works in close collaboration with other units and the Operations team in the Country Office, programme staff in other UN Agencies, UNDP staff in HQs staff and the Regional Hub, Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multilateral and bilateral donors and civil society to successfully implement the UNDP programme and achieve its intended targets and results.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across  interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

The Programme Specialist – Team Leader Inclusive Growth Unit is based in the UNDP Lao Country Office in Vientiane. UNDP Laos is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

• Ensuring the strategic direction of UNDP programme on inclusive growth
• Management of the CO programme on poverty and supervision of the Programme team
• Strategic partnerships and support to resource mobilization
• Provision of top quality policy advice services to the Government and facilitation of knowledge building and management

1.) As a member of the CO management team, ensures the strategic direction of the UNDP programme focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Thorough analysis of the political, social and economic situation in the country and collaborative preparation/revision of CCA, UNPF, CPD, AWP and other documents.
• Identification of strategic programme areas of cooperation. 
• Operationalization of UN Partnership Framework / Country Programme Document in collaboration with the main partners and other UN Agencies. Identification of possibilities for joint programming.
• Analysis and presentation of UNDP policies and their implementation in the CO.
• CO business processes mapping and establishment of and advocacy for internal Standard Operating Procedures in Results Management, control of the workflows in the Programme Unit.

2.) Ensures effective management of the CO programme and supervision of the Inclusive Growth team team focusing on quality control of the full cycle of programming from formulation to implementation achieving the following results:

• Effective application of RBM tools, establishment of management targets (BSC) and monitoring achievement of results.
• Design and formulation of CO programme within the area of responsibility, translating UNDP priorities into local interventions. Coordination of programme implementation with the executing agencies. 
• Strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementing and monitoring of the programme, tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations. The Programme Specialist – Team Leader performs the function of Manager Level 2 in Atlas for development projects transactions approval. 
• Effective monitoring, measuring the impact of the CO programme and evaluation. Constant monitoring and analysis of the programme environment, timely readjustment of programme.
• Follow up on audit recommendations. All exceptions are timely reported.
• Aggregate reports are regularly prepared on activities, outputs and outcomes. Preparation of donor reports.
• Organization of cost-recovery system for the services provided by the CO to projects in close collaboration with Operations Manager.

3.) Establishes and maintains strategic partnerships and supports the resource mobilization focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Implementation of the CO partnerships and resources mobilization strategies to achieve programme outcomes.
• Creation and coordination of partnerships with the UN Agencies, IFIs, government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, civil society etc. 
• Determination of programmatic areas of cooperation, based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs and donors’ priorities. 
• Analysis and research of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for cost-sharing.

4.) Ensures provision of top quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country policy goals.
• Coordination of development of policies and institutions that will address the country problems and needs in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners.
• Establishment of advocacy networks at national level and linked to international networks. Relevant, high-impact advocacy campaigns are implemented with key partners. 
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on programme.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact 
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management:

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction and Strategy     

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions. Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.

Business Management     

• Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritise and control the organisations programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimising return on investment 

Partnership management     

• Relationship management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding 
• Resource mobilization: Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements 

2030 Agenda: Prosperity     

• Inclusive Growth: Economic Diversification: ability to identify and structure strategies that contribute to the efforts of enhancing positive economic growth and development

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, International relations or related field preferred; or 
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, International Relations or related field.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills:

• 5 years of relevant experience (with Masters) or 7 years of relevant work experiences (with Bachelors) at the national or international level in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects in the areas of Inclusive Growth, livelihoods, economic policy, or planning and financing. 
• Experience in establishing inter-relationships among international organization and national governments.  Experience in working for the UN or NGO in the field of development is an asset.
• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
• Experience managing complex projects, including project design, activity/budget planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting.
• Experience undertaking socio-economic analysis and in preparing policy briefs  
• Experience in managing teams
• Knowledge and experience of Sustainable Development, Inclusive Growth strategies including programming related to national development planning and financing
• Knowledge and experience of private sector engagement and leveraging private sector financing solutions for livelihood interventions
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Lao

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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