Background
National Plastic Action Parnership
The Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) hosted by the World Economic Forum was launched in September 2018 at the Sustainable Development Investment Summit as a lighthouse initiative within the Platform for Shaping the Future of Global Public Goods. ย GPAP is a public-private platform which aims to tackle one of the most difficult and pressing challenges facing our global commons โ plastics pollution โ in particular the plastic pollution of rivers, deltas and the ocean.
The vision of GPAP is to partner with countries to champion a shift towards a circular plastics economy by addressing the root causes of plastic pollution, from production to consumption and reuse. GPAP brings together governments, regional bodies, international organizations and businesses, as well as innovators and civil society organizations on an impartial collaboration platform with the aim to shape a more sustainable and inclusive world through the eradication of plastic pollution. At the global level as well as nationally through National Plastic Action Partnerships (NPAPs), the GPAP brings together policymakers, business leaders and civil society to accelerate plastic action in six ways: informing policy; unlocking finance; transforming behaviour; boosting innovation; harmonizing metrics; and promoting inclusivity.
In 2024, ย the Government of Lao PDR, through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment have joined the GPAP and became the 19th country partnership.
Evacuation Centerย
The project aims to protect vulnerable communities in Lao PDR from seasonal flooding by providing safe evacuation centers and updating national guidelines. Lao PDR is highly susceptible to flooding, with nearly 40% of its population at risk. Financial constraints and limited coordination have hindered disaster response, particularly affecting women, children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities. The project focuses on enhancing human security in Khammouane, Saravane, and Champasack provinces through inclusive designs. It will analyze community needs to develop implementation plans and establish 12 inclusive evacuation centers, with insights contributing to improved national guidelines. The Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare will collaborate with other ministries to ensure effective implementation.
Climate Promise 2025
The UNDP Climate Promise 2025 supports coordinated UN efforts to advance Lao PDR's NDC 3.0, with UNDP as the technical lead. The initiative aims to revise the NDC with higher ambitions, integrating nature-climate linkages, gender inclusion, and alignment with national policies. It reflects the First Global Stocktake on nature-based solutions and aligns climate strategies with global best practices in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration. The project also incorporates social protection measures to ensure inclusive benefits for vulnerable communities and builds local capacity for a low-carbon, climate-resilient future. The project's goals are based on three pillars: Scale and Speed, Amplifying Ambition, and Lasting Inclusivity. It will utilize the NDC to deliver and monitor ambitious climate actions, link NDCs to long-term net-zero pathways, and engage societal actors to accelerate implementation. The project will run from January 2025 to June 2026.
Additionally, the UNDP Country Office in Lao PDR received the Silver Seal Gender Certification in 2024, recognizing its efforts in promoting gender equality. The certification aligns with UNDP's initiative to build gender capacities and achieve transformational results. The Country Office has developed a two-year Gender Equality Action Plan for 2024-2025, focusing on enhancing staff capacities and mainstreaming gender considerations into programs and projects. Gender Focal Points will oversee the plan's implementation and develop the subsequent plan for 2026-2027.
UNDP Lao PDR is looking for a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Analyst to promote and mainstream gender and inclusivity considerations in funded projects and throughout the partnershipโs activities, approaches, and planning of the Country Office. Three main scope of work of the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Analyst are to supporting the Gender and Social Context Assessment, Intersectional Gender and Inclusion Strategy, and the establishment of the Inclusive Task Force.
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Duties and Responsibilities
The incumbent will be working under the direct supervision of the UNDPโs Project Technical Analyst / NPAP Manager in close collaboration with the Natural Resources Management, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Unit and the Office Gender Focal Point with quality assurance and oversight to be provided by the Programme Support Unit. The GESI Analyst will be reporting regularly, verbally or in written communication throughout the assignment. The tasks will be reviewed and approved by the Project Technical Analyst / NPAP Manager and Team Lead of the NRM,CC & DRR Unit.
The GESI Analyst is expected to work with the NPAP Analyst, UNDP project team and the CO Gender Focal Point who provide technical assistance and guidance to deliver the following tasks:
Conduct Gender and Social Context Assessment:
The Context Assessment is an essential early exercise for the projects to understand the national context, to allow for thoughtful planning and actions that recognize and respond to existing inequalities in different situations, such as the plastics value chain, in NDC priority sectors and in disaster risk response.ย
Focuses on the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP), where the team will collaborate with a research firm to design and conduct studies, emphasizing the inclusion of underrepresented communities. This includes conducting interviews, analyzing data, and drafting reports that highlight gender and social disparities in plastic management. The GESI Analyst will build relationships with key stakeholders, develop a brief on the current gender discussion in Lao PDR, and lead community dissemination plans to apply research insights. Under the Climate Promise 2025, involves mapping key entry points for gender-responsive and social inclusion approaches in policy development and programming for the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) 3.0. The GESI Analyst will conduct analyses of current targets and indicators, review policies for gender responsiveness, and design stakeholder consultations to gather insights. They will identify integration points for gender-responsive approaches, develop gender-sensitive targets, and work closely with the NDC development team to ensure these considerations are reflected in the final draft. Focuses on developing a gender-responsive Evacuation Center project by conducting a comprehensive gender and social inclusion assessment. The GESI Analyst will analyze existing guidelines and policies through a gender lens, provide policy recommendations, and draft guidelines for the planning and operation of evacuation centers. The project will integrate gender-sensitive security measures and disability-friendly infrastructure, aligning with national policies and international frameworks to enhance disaster resilience and gender equity.Develop Intersectional Gender and Inclusion Strategy โ NPAP specific
The GESI Analyst will use the knowledge and data gathered from the Context Assessment to develop an Intersectional Gender and Inclusion Strategy, which outlines planned goals and actions that can be undertaken by the NPAP to reduce inequalities in plastic value chains:
Develop an Intersectional Gender and Inclusion Strategy based on a template provided by the Global Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Analyst that will cover programmatic and institutional objectives for the Lao PDR Partnership to meet along with concrete actions to achieve its objectives.ย The strategy will be focused on the sphere of control and influence for the local partnershipโs Secretariat, based on findings from the gender and social context assessment. The strategy will align with the Lao PDR Plastic Action Roadmap in order to ensure the Secretariatโs plastic pollution objectives work in tandem with the gender and social objectives.ย The strategy will prioritise actions that remedy and channel attention to more marginalised subpopulations (such as women and people living in the lowest wealth quintiles, in informal housing, or working in the informal economy) while at the same time addressing inequalities throughout the entire plastics value chain, as identified in the social context assessment. Together with the context assessment research firm/team, prepare a brief for the drafters of the Lao PDR Plastic Action Roadmap with recommendations for integration of gender and social considerations into the main body of the roadmap for Lao PDR. Review the draft of the Action Roadmap for its gender responsiveness and will identify further opportunities for integrating a gender and inclusion lens throughout the roadmap, including gender-responsive policy options, some gender-targeted actions, gender disaggregated data collection, and other essential recommendations for a holistic gender-responsive and inclusive approach to plastic action in the country.Support the establishment of the Inclusion Task Force โ NPAP specific
Together with the context assessment research firm/team, establish the Inclusion Task Force and ensuring the meaningful operation of the task force, which include designing the structure, identifying chairs or co-chairs, convening the community, determining frequency, drafting agendas and long-term plans, and/or delegating necessary management to strong task force members who wish to contribute. Ensuring the task force to serve to integrate gender-responsive and inclusive actions across the plastics value chain and work to make the GESI Strategy a reality, and also identify additional opportunities for the task force and will ensure GESI insights are integrated across all the Lao PDR Partnershipโs activities and task forces.ย Based on the needs of the local partnership, the GESI Analyst may determine that a strong enabler for gender-responsive and inclusive action across the Partnership is a Social Inclusion Task Force. In this case, the GESI Analyst will leverage their community building skills to identify, host, and co-create the ongoing goals of a multistakeholder local inclusion task force from within the Lao PDR Partnership community.ย Oversee the management of the partnership community as it relates to gender equality and social inclusion, building relationships with key advocates, socializing insights and hosting trainings and workshops to translate insights into action.ย Act as the point of contact for integrating gender responsive and inclusive approaches across the local partnership including throughout the Financing Roadmap and partnership Task Forces focused on inclusivity, behaviour change, metrics, policy, innovation, and financing.ย Manage the ongoing commitments of the NPAP Secretariat and community to the GESI Strategy, regularly assessing progress and building agreements to ensure the strategy is implemented in accordance with the objectives. ย Support NPAP Manager and work with other partnership Analysts and the GPAP GESI Analyst to elevate the visibility of work of GPAP and NPAP in Lao PDR through periodic blog posts, presentations, capacity-buildings etc.Develop metrics for projects to quantify and verify womenโs empowerment results within projects and value chains while also promoting women's increased access to funding opportunities โ Climate promise 2025 specific
Conduct the baseline data to measure the initial status of women's empowerment before ย projects or program starts through various method(e.g focus group โ womenโs grassroot organization, CSOs, project developers). It could be any projects in various sectors under NDC. Analyze and establish measurable targets for womenโs empowerment, along with key quantitative and qualitative indicators, to ensure that the project/program effectively promotes womenโs empowerment within the project and value chain.ย Analyze the types of funding women need most (e.g., microloans, grants, venture capital) and how accessible these are to them and design mechanisms that facilitate womenโs access to funding opportunities by addressing barriers such as financial literacy, lack of collateral, and limited access to networks.ย Lead and design the training workshop for CSO, Womenโs grassroot orgabisation, private sectors ย on womentโs empowerment metrics (e.g, target and indicator determination, monitoring and evaustaion approaches) ย in projects/ programโ development.ย Develop clear reports and presentations that communicate both the success stories and areas for improvement in womenโs empowerment within projects.Capacity building and community engagement for inclusive climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction โ Evacuation Shelters project specific
Develop and implement training programmes for local authorities, communities, and UNDP staff on gender-responsive disaster risk reduction and emergencies response.ย Facilitate community consultation and participatory planning to ensure that the evacuation center being built reflects the needs of vulnerable groups and promotes womenโs leadership in disaster preparedness.ย Support project monitoring and evaluation to include gender-sensitive indicators and track the progress in ensuring equitable access and benefits of the projectโs outcomes.Support to the CO Gender Focal Point in implementing the CO Gender Equality Action Plan
Support Gender Focal Team (GFT) coordination: organization of GFT meetings, helping with the internal communication to the COย Support in the organization and preparation of CO Gender Equality initiatives (International Womenโs Day, 16 Days of Activismโฆ) Support in the preparation of a Gender Transformative Workshop for the Country Office: assist in strengthening the capacities of gender focal points and CO staff in gender mainstreaming Support the preparation for the Gender Seal Certification for 2026: assist in gathering required documentation for the future Gender Seal application, establish monitor and track gender-related initiatives to strengthen the COโs positioning for the certification next year.The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Competencies
Core competencies:
Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadlineย Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements ย Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedbackย Adapt with Agility:ย LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible ย Act with Determination:ย LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confidentย Engage and Partner:ย LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationshipsย Enable Diversity and Inclusion:ย LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination ยย
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:
Digital
Ethnography: Ability to build rapport and empathy with people and vulnerable communities to learn about their everyday lives, experiences and context. Being able to identify and understand patterns of relations, and their meaning, between different entities (i.e. of people, objects, animals, etc.)ยBeing able to immerse deeply in the context of a community and look at it from an \"\"insidersperspective\"\" to understand how realities are socially constructed and understand and appreciated these realities; explore perceptions, motivations, preferences, needs, rituals to understand \"\"why people do things the way they do\"\".ย
Being inclusive when using digital tools engaging with communities; have a thorough understanding of ethical guidelines when engaging with vulnerable communities.ย
Ability to translate observations into compelling insights for community empowerment or to inform decision making, problem solving and policy design. Sensemaking: Being curious about \"\"what's going on?\"\" in the world or direct business environment, grasp 'thick data', ย separate signals from noise, adopt new frames to identify (non-obvious) patterns; Ability to facilitate group reflection and induce collective learning to extract meaning from experiences; socialise these insights to inform ย problem solving, decision making, strategic planning or future work; Ability to share and disseminate new perspectives or understandings influencing how key stakeholders socially construct meaning.
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 Emerging partnerships: Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnershipsGeneral (across the functions)
Public relations: Ability to build and maintain an overall positive public image for the organisation, its mandate and its brand, while ensuring that individual campaigns and other communications and advocacy initiatives are supported in reaching the publicHR - Talent management
Diversity and inclusion: Ability to design and deliver diversity and inclusion approaches; ability to integrate diversity and inclusion considerations into the specific people and organisational strategies, policies and initiatives; knowledge of the theory and methods to mitigate biases and eliminate discrimination; knowledge of practical ways to increase participation of underrepresented groups in the workforce; knowledge of inclusive workplace practices and behavioursยBusiness Direction & Strategy
System Thinking:ย Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the systemRequired Skills and Experience
Education:
Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Social Science, Public Policy, or another related major is required, orย A first-level university degree (bachelorโs degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.Experience:
Minimum 2 years (with masterโs degree) or 4 years (with bachelorโs degree) of professional working experience in the development sector, with experience on gender issues. Legal ability to work in host country Strong analytical skills on situation analysis and/or gender analysis Demonstrated ability in engagement with the public and private sector Strong academic research skills Excellent oral and written communication skills Excellent facilitation skills Candidate must be self-motivated, detail-oriented, and an organized thinker with the ability to juggle multiple priorities, handle assignments independently, and work under tight deadlines High integrity, passion for sustainable development 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 in working on other equity issues (such as disability rights, rights of workers in the informal economy, non-discrimination, etc.) is desirable.ย Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability is desirable.ย Strong professional network in Lao PDR both with public and private sector is desirable.Required languages:
Fluency in English and Lao language is required.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.ย
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.ย
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.ย 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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