Mission and objectives

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, working with national counterparts on solutions to global and national development challenges. In Bhutan, over last 50 years, UNDP has been supporting the Royal Government to attain its national priorities. In 2024, UNDP started implementation of the Country Programme Document 2024-2028, aligning to the country’s 13th Five Year Plan (13th FYP).

Context

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.

Task Description

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

Competencies and values

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organizing • Stakeholder engagement and coordination • Professionalism • Self-management • Effective communication

Living conditions and remarks

Bhutan is a lower middle-income country1, landlocked between China and India, with an estimated population of 770,0002. A Human Development Index of 0.666 (2021)3 places it in the medium human development category, ranked 127 out of 189 countries. Rapid economic growth averaging 7.5 per cent per annum was experienced since the 1980s4. Between 2010 and 2021, the Gross National Income (GNI) per capita increased by 22.3 per cent to USD 11,3005. Poverty rates reduced sharply from 23 per cent in 2007 to 8 per cent in 20176, with 12.4 per cent recorded in 2022.7 Significant gains in human development, poverty reduction and living standards have been guided by Bhutan’s gross national happiness philosophy of balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability, inclusive social progress and cultural vibrancy, underpinned by good governance. Despite the positive momentum, socio-economic vulnerability remains, primarily due to difficult geographical conditions, narrow economic base, dependency on limited international market for trade, and increased emigration of productive population in recent years. Bhutan is a relatively stable and peaceful country. The capital, Thimphu, is located at an elevation of 2,334 meters where the summers are warm, and winters are chilly. The Bhutanese currency Ngultrum is pegged with the Indian Rupees and one USD is equivalent to 82 Ngultrums approximately. In the capital, rented flats range from Nu.7000-17,000 (96 to 250 USD) while furnished apartments cost around 300 to 700 USD. Public transportation including taxis are cheap starting from 0.3 USD to 5 USD. Groceries and other food items would amount to around 300 dollars a month. Bhutan provides free basic health and education and as per Article 9 of the Constitution of Bhutan, access to universal basic health services is free to all individuals living in the country. The country’s national language is Dzongkha, but the local populace is comfortable in using English which makes day to day conversations easy. Entitlements of National UN Volunteer include Entry Lump Sum Allowance (USD400), Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) for the UN Volunteer category in Duty Station, at local currency and amount to be specified (*), Insurance Coverage (Comprehensive health, life, and malicious acts insurance); Annual Leave of 2.5 days per month; Access to UNV’s learning and career development resources; and Exit Lump Sum Allowance (1-month VLA/12 months) payable upon successful completion of the assignment. For further information on the full entitlements, please refer to the Unified Conditions of Service for UN Volunteers (COS) at app.unv.org/explore * Please refer to ‘Entitlement Calculator’ at Calculators - UVP UNV