Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.

Guided by the global UNDP Strategic Plan (2022 – 2025) and UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD) for Lao PDR (2022 – 2026), and in line with the UN Sustainable development Country Framework (UNSDCF) of the UN system with Lao PDR, UNDP in Lao PDR works closely with the line Ministries, mass organizations, civil society, development partners, and the private sector at both national and sub-national levels in pursuit of the national socio-economic development priorities defined in Lao PDR’s five-year National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UNDP’s work is strongly focused on the provision of policy advice and technical support to the Government of Lao PDR in the design and implementation of national legislation and strategies across three broad priority pillars – (1) inclusive growth and reduced inequalities, including UXO clearance and risk education, (2) natural resources, climate change and disaster risk reduction, and (3) effective, responsive, and accountable governance (Lao PDR | UNDP).

UNDP’s comparative advantage has been its ability to work closely with a very broad range of government and local-level institutions at all levels. The UNDP country programme is aligned with the 9th NSEDP and aims to support Lao PDR recover from the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and continue its transition from LDC status, with a particular emphasis on supporting inclusive growth and reducing inequality.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an independent international institution committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. The WEF, incorporated as a foundation in 1971 and based in Geneva, Switzerland, is impartial, not-for-profit and is tied to no political, partisan or national interests.

The Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) hosted by the WEF 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.  GPAP is a public-private platform which aims to tackle one of the most difficult and pressing challenges facing our global commons — plastics pollution — 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, the Government of Lao PDR, through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment have joined the GPAP and became the 19th country partnership.

The National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) will contribute to three strategic interventions that include:

• Align with the government of Lao PDR, build stakeholder engagement, and establish the organizational and operational structures of the NPAP.
• Generate evidence-based insights to feed into the national action roadmap and strengthen community engagement.
• Grow the NPAP community and members’ ownership by increasing coordination and collaboration and leveraging initiatives from different partners.

UNDP Lao PDR will act as the NPAP Secretariat for Lao PDR. The NPAP Secretariat in Lao PDR will play a critical role in coordinating and implementing the NPAP’s initiatives in the country and the NPAP Manager will be mobilized as a key position of the NPAP Secretariat team at the CO.

Plastic context

Lao PDR faces significant challenges with plastic pollution, exacerbated by rapid urbanization and economic growth. The country generates a substantial amount of waste, with plastic comprising up to 24% of the total waste in urban areas. This pollution has severe environmental and health impacts, including blocked drains, air pollution, and decreased tourism value1. The increase in single-use plastics, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, has worsened the situation. Waste management infrastructure is inadequate, with only 40-60% of waste collected in urban centres and much of it improperly disposed of.

The government has recognized the need for action and endorsed the National Plastic Action Plan and committing to green growth strategies. The National Plastic Action Plan outlined four key outputs:

1. Develop legislation and policies for plastic waste management.
2. Raise public awareness about reducing and recycling plastics.
3. Encourage alternatives to single-use plastics.
4. Establish a monitoring system for NPAP implementation.

This represents a significant step towards integrating sustainable consumption and production practices into national policy. By prioritizing plastic waste management, promoting circular economy principles, and fostering stakeholder engagement, Laos is taking proactive measures to combat environmental degradation while supporting economic growth in a sustainable manner. However, addressing plastic pollution requires comprehensive solutions that tackle the root causes, such as unsustainable production and consumption patterns, and inadequate legal frameworks and enforcement.

Businesses are the ones producing the single-use plastic products that litter our oceans and landfills. As such, they hold the key to innovating how we produce, use, and manage resources and plays a crucial role in combating plastic pollution through innovation, investment, and collaboration. Companies are at the forefront of developing sustainable alternatives to traditional plastics, such as biodegradable and compostable materials. They also invest in advanced recycling technologies to enhance the efficiency and capacity of plastic waste management systems.

By embracing a circular economy approach, collaborating with private sector and leveraging their resources and influence, Lao PDR can accelerate the transformative efforts to mitigate plastic pollution impacts and promote sustainable development.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Communication and Engagement Associate will be working under the direct supervision of the UNDP’s Project Technical Advisor / NPAP Manager in close collaboration with the Natural Resources Management, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Unit with quality assurance and oversight to be provided by the Programme Support Unit. The Communication and Engagement Associate will be reporting regularly, verbally or in written communication throughout the assignment. The tasks will be reviewed and approved by the Project Technical Advisor / NPAP Manager and Team Lead of the NRM, CC & DRR Unit.

The Communication and Engagement Associate will be part of the NPAP Secretariat and is expected to work with the NPAP Manager and UNDP project team, the main duties and responsibilities of the incumbent are to:

• Supports NPAP Manager and collaborates with GPAP Secretariat.
• Helps organize NPAP meetings, including preparing relevant materials, in consultation with GPAP and NPAP Secretariat.
• Engages with members, maintains and curates NPAP community member database and regularly communicates changes to NPAP Secretariat.
• Designs and implements NPAP communication strategy in alignment with GPAP Secretariat.
• Build and disseminate a country-specific communication strategy. This includes maintaining relevant social media channels and regular newsletters for the NPAP community, including managing and curating Toplink content.
• Maintain updated key communication and marketing materials (e.g., NPAP brochure, factsheet and FAQs) needed for NPAP initiatives.
• Updating central databases with NPAP Members’ information.
• Maintain and update the NPAP database consisting of meeting minutes, presentation, reports, and other documents.
• Maintain proactive communications to NPAP Members through email, WhatsApp and other tools.
• Coordinate closely with communications and public engagement counterparts at the GPAP and the World Economic Forum to highlight national updates to the global plastic action community.
• Support NPAP Manager in preparing documents and reports, such as Task Force and Leadership Board meeting materials, including PowerPoint presentations and videos.
• Supports the outreach and engagement of NPAP community members.
• Curation of national, regional and international events and opportunities (e.g., call for proposals job listing, etc) that would be relevant for the national plastic action community.
• Liaise with NPAP Secretariat members to identify communication needs across various workstream, ensuring consistency of messaging and branding.
• Development and maintenance of key communication materials such as talking points, PowerPoint presentations, flyers, briefs, social media posts, cards and videos to be readily shared.
• Engage with NPAP partners and affiliate members to identify news-worthy stories to be shared across national and global platforms.
• Draft reports, whitepapers, press releases, articles, and interview scripts / talking points etc for the NPAP Manager, Leadership Board members and GPAP Secretariat, as needed.
• Support third-party consultants to conform deliverables to NPAP brand identity.
• Curate the NPAP spaces on the GPAP Digital Collaboration Platform and coordinating the input of regional activities in the GPAP Annual Report.
• Contribute to the design and execution of the proposed annual meeting of GPAP in collaboration with the GPAP Secretariat.

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 deadline
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously:  LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Digital

• Behaviour changes communication/communication for development – Knowledge of appropriate digital communication methodologies for development and behaviour change, and ability to apply them practically.
• Story telling – Ability to empathise with people’s perceptions, motivations, feelings and mental models and craft narratives to build an emotive argument for change accordingly.
• Ability to present data, insights or information in compelling ways to mobilise resources, talent or action.
• Ability to choose media and channels that is fit for purpose to reach specific target audiences.

Business Direction & Strategy

• System Thinking – 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 system

Communications

• Campaign management – Ability to produce and implement communications and advocacy campaigns which lead to impactful change
• Social Media management – Ability to represent and promote the NPAP/GPAP brand in virtual communities and networks
• Web and social media analytics – Ability to analyse and interpret data and statistics to measure web and social media performance

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

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Secondary education is required.
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in Communication, Public Relations, Graphic Design, Media, Journalism, or other related major will be given due consideration, but is not a requirement.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years (with secondary education) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of experience developing and delivering communication content.
• Advanced skills of Microsoft Office, Internet, virtual meeting tools, and graphic design/ video editing software.
• Excellent story telling.
• Excellent oral, written, and visual communication skill.
• Demonstrated ability to work across the public, private and civil society sectors.
• Track-record experience developing communications campaigns in host country and meaningfully engaging broad and diverse audiences on topics pertinent to national development.
• Strong organizational skills, ability to self-manage and multi-task across projects, prioritizing as necessary.
• Strong professional network in Lao PDR within the sustainable development sector considered a competitive advantage.
• Strong social media presence across influential and high-traffic platforms nationally, regionally and internationally is considered a competitive advantage.
• Experience working in sustainable development with experience in plastics pollution, innovation or gender issues is considered a competitive advantage.

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.

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.

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.

Scam alert

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