Project Technical Advisor – International Consultant
Position Circumstances
- Career Category: Exec. / Management, Advisor / Individual Consultant, Resources & Environment, Agriculture - Forestry
- Schedule:Full-time
- Salary: N/A
- Open to Foreign National: Yes
Project: ADVANCING ABS IMPLEMENTATION IN CAMBODIA
Post Level: Senior Specialist
Contract Type: Individual Contractor
Duty Station: Home Based with frequent travels to project
Expected Place of Travel: Project sites in Cambodia
Contract Duration: 140 days between March 2026 to 25 April 2028
Scope of Work
Under the guidance of and reporting to the National Project Director (NPD), and working closely with the National Project Manager (NPM), the Project Coordinator, core subject matter specialists within the Project team, and the UNDP Country Office, the International Technical Project Advisor will undertake the following tasks:
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Strategic Programming and Delivery Oversight
- Provide technical support and strategic advice, and quality assurance to support effective implementation of the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), in line with MoE, UNDP and GBFF standards and best practices.
- Provide strategic and technical advice to the National Project Manager (NPM) and Project Coordinator (PC) on the design and operationalization of the ABS institutional framework and model contractual arrangements, ensuring technical soundness, feasibility, inclusiveness, and broad stakeholder ownership.
- Lead the provision of technical inputs for the development of Terms of Reference for consultants; support consultant selection and onboarding processes; and conduct systematic technical review of consultant outputs to ensure quality, coherence, and timely delivery of agreed results.
- Ensure effective coordination and technical synergy among consultants and project partners, facilitating integration and alignment of outputs across project components.
- Provide continuous technical backstopping to the PC to ensure consistency, quality assurance, and timely delivery of project outputs in accordance with approved work plans and results frameworks.
- Provide technical expertise for the design and delivery of training and capacity development initiatives on ABS, with a focus on environmentally sound decision-making, institutional strengthening, and sustainability.
- Contribute technical guidance to the development of an inclusive and sustainable business plan for the ABS demonstration, incorporating innovative financing mechanisms, IPLC participation, and biodiversity conservation objectives.
- Provide technical oversight and guidance for restoration activities in medicinal plant ABS resource areas within high conservation value forests in the Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri watersheds, ensuring application of best practices to maximize ecosystem services, resilience, and long-term sustainability.
- Support the development of communication, knowledge, and visibility products to disseminate project results, promote learning, and enhance stakeholder awareness at national and sub-national levels.
- Apply national and international technical expertise to ensure that lessons learned and global best practices are systematically integrated into project planning and implementation to maximize impact.
- In recognition of the central role of capacity development, maintain strategic oversight of the technical quality, relevance, and timely delivery of all capacity-building activities under Component 2.
- Provide technical assistance, policy advice, and capacity development support to the Ministry of Environment (MoE) and other institutional stakeholders at national and sub-national levels on ABS implementation, monitoring and evaluation systems, and knowledge management.
- Based on field assessments and implementation experience, provide hands-on technical guidance to the project team on the design and demonstration of locally appropriate implementation strategies at the community level, fostering adaptive management and joint learning among stakeholders.
- Technical Assurance, Results-Based Management and Partnership Support
- Provide technical assurance and management support to strengthen results-based implementation, accountability, and coordination in line with MoE, UNDP and GBFF requirements.
- Provide quality assurance for the development and implementation of annual work plans; monitor progress against results frameworks; and advise the National Project Director (NPD), NPM, and PC to ensure achievement of annual, mid-term, and end-of-project targets.
- Provide technical inputs to the preparation of key project deliverables, including the inception report, Project Implementation Reviews/Annual Project Reports, and quarterly financial and narrative reports, ensuring compliance with UNDP, GBFF, donor, and Government reporting standards.
- Provide technical guidance and inputs to consultants undertaking the project progress review and support adaptive management through revision of implementation strategies and work plans based on review findings.
- Support the NPD, NPM, and PC in strengthening partnerships and coordination with project partners, donor agencies, NGOs, and other stakeholders, ensuring technical alignment with complementary national, regional, and international initiatives.
- Provide technical inputs and quality assurance to the Project Terminal Evaluation process, ensuring robust assessment of results, lessons learned, and sustainability.
- Undertake additional technical and advisory tasks, as required, in consultation with and agreement of the NPD and NPM.
Expected Profile of Candidates
Languages:
- English - Fluent is required
Qualifications:
- Phd in Development Studies or related field
- Master's Degree in natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, environmental science, watershed management or development studies and other related fields.
Work History:
- At least of progressive experience in biodiversity and forest conservation, ecosystem protection, or related field for 10 years
Skills & Knowledge:
General & Technical Skills
- Experience working in development partner funded nature conservation or natural resource management projects.
- Solid understanding of Cambodia’s landscape, biodiversity, and ecosystem issues, including its values and functions.
- Experience in partnership and networking establishment, capacity development and working with the local community, indigenous people and well-integrated with society.
- Experience in mainstreaming gender in nature conservation projects.
- Experience working with a wide variety of development actors in Cambodia, including with the Royal Government of Cambodia, international development organizations, donors and other funding agencies, private sector entities, and/or civil society organizations including community groups.
- Experience with GEF and/or other UN assisted projects.
- Excellent analytical capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for the preparation of project reports.
- Ability to understand new terminology and concepts easily and to synthesize information from different sources into a coherent document.
- Fluency in written and spoken English required.
Soft Skills
- Skill in achieving results through persuading, influencing, problem solving and conflict resolution, and working with others as a team/partners.
- Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high-ranking members of the Government and other international, national and sub-national institutions.
- Displays sensitivity and adaptability to different cultures, genders, religions, races, nationalities and age groups.
- Good team player, self-starter, has the ability to work under minimum supervision and maintain good relationships.
