Project Associate for UNDP Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

Update

UNDP is a global development agency working with 170 countries mandated to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, and strengthen democratic governance. It connects countries to knowledge, resources, and expertise to improve lives. Since 1973, UNDP has been a trusted partner of the Royal Government of Bhutan, advancing sustainable development goals through its permanent presence in Thimphu. Over five decades, UNDP has supported Bhutan’s development through innovation, financing, partnerships, and global expertise. Its largest portfolio focuses on climate action, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity conservation, and resilience building. UNDP's support aligns with Bhutan’s aspirations for sustainable and inclusive growth, addressing development challenges through innovation and technology.

Bhutan faces challenges in infrastructure planning due to a lack of inclusive, climate-risk-informed approaches, often overlooking vulnerable groups like women and persons with disabilities. This leads to maladaptation and increased climate risks, worsened by Bhutan's river valleys and fragile terrain. Limited technical capacity among planners and engineers hinders the integration of climate resilience into urban development. Inadequate systems, including stormwater infrastructure and water conservation, along with low community awareness, restricts nature-based solutions. The project aims to shift urban planning toward risk-informed strategies, enhancing resilience in Thimphu and Phuentsholing. Risk assessments and mapping will generate data to guide planning, using supported standards and guidelines. It will build institutional and technical capacity among planners, engineers, and policymakers. By promoting sustainable infrastructure and inclusive design, the project seeks to influence investments of USD 101 million, directly benefiting 142,209 urban residents.

The CDRI project will enhance disaster resilience in Bhutan’s infrastructure. It will offer expertise, develop best practices, and promote innovative approaches to resilient infrastructure. CDRI will collaborate with governments, the private sector, and academia to ensure infrastructure is robust and sustainable against climate challenges.

The CDRI Secretariat became a formal International Organization in India on 28 June 2023. It promotes resilient infrastructure to support the Sustainable Development Goals, expanding access to basic services and enabling prosperity. Its strategic priorities are:
• Technical Support & Capacity-building: Including disaster response, innovation, institutional and community support, and certification.
• Research & Knowledge Management: Including collaborative research, flagship reports, and a global database of infrastructure resilience.
• Advocacy & Partnerships: Including global events, collaboration with implementation agencies, and dissemination of knowledge products.

Effective day-to-day administrative, financial, and knowledge management to ensure effective and efficient operation and management of the country programme portfolio with partners and stakeholders.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance of Project Manager, the Project Associate will work with the Environment and Livelihoods Unit and support the following tasks.

Support to Programme implementation

• Facilitate day-to-day activities, including managing and monitoring on ground partner/s to ensure the achievement of targets as per the UNDP and CDRI guideline, work plan and templates.
• Support consultants/firms in conducting field visits, data collection, consultations and meetings.
• Contract management of the consultants/forms for receiving deliverables and timely payments.
• Assist in effective risk management for the project with a well-documented risk mitigation plan and escalate them to the management for timely intervention.
• Organize meeting, workshops, conferences, trainings and document the same for the effective monitoring of the project.
• Coordinate travel schedule and visa clearances from government agencies for the field mission by the consultant and staff.
• Support to programme/project implementation and ensure conformity to expected results, outputs, objectives and work-plans.

Stakeholders Engagement

• Liaise and develop good partnerships with all relevant stakeholders including government, private sector and other partners (relevant local institutions, academia and CSOs. To ensure smooth implementation of project activities.
• Coordinate dissemination of high-quality knowledge and visibility of the project activities among the relevant stakeholders.
• Provide regular communication on relevant project issues with the stakeholders with a focus on sustainability and exit strategy towards the end of the project.

Financial Management
• Preparation of project financial report and validate supporting documentation of projects’ interim and final financial reports.
• Maintain financial data on of the project and update progress
• Establish and maintain a financial folder for project financial transactions.
• Provide other financial support as required.

Administrative Functions
• Establish a proper filing system, maintain country office administrative, financial, and management files and update them with original documentation or copy of the original documentation as necessary.
• Maintain personnel files, performance evaluation reports, leave records, and other pertinent personnel/consultant records.
• Draft routine correspondence and communications and establish filing system to record communications with stakeholders and ensure flow of information and dissemination of materials with all concerned.
• Maintain and update inventory of all physical assets and register all inventory in the asset inventory sheet.

Knowledge Management and Communication
• Actively support the project in the efforts on knowledge management, knowledge networking and visibility of project.
• In accordance with country office communication guidelines, support project managers in the development of project communication materials.
• Facilitate organization of project advocacy events, workshops, stakeholders’ dialogues and roundtables.
• Support the drafting articles and publications and participate in events to disseminate information.

Results/expected outputs:

As an active member of UNDP Environment and Livelihoods Portfolio, provide efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNDP Bhutan Country Office and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions