Provincial Project Assistant (Province: Xayaboury)

Deadline for application: 14 August 2026

RECOFTC is an international nonprofit organization working towards a future where resilient communities with respected rights thrive in forest landscapes that they manage sustainably and equitably. We take a long-term, landscape-based and inclusive approach to supporting local communities to secure their land and resource rights, stop deforestation, find alternative livelihoods and foster gender equality. With almost 40 years of experience, we have built trusting relationships with partners from communities, governments, businesses, academia and civil society organizations. Our innovations, knowledge and initiatives enable countries to foster good forest governance, mitigate and adapt to climate change, and achieve the UN Global Goals.

We operate in the Asia-Pacific region, with country offices in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Project background

RECOFTC is implementing the ‘Enhancing Access to Benefits while Lowering Carbon Emissions’ (EnABLE) project in Lao PDR, funded by a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank. The project aims to enhance the inclusion of target populations, particularly women and ethnic groups living in selected remote villages, in receiving carbon and non-carbon benefits from the Lao PDR Emissions Reduction Programme and its Benefit Sharing Plan (BSP). The project will support and complement the ongoing World Bank-funded Governance, Forest Landscape and Livelihoods (GFLL) project, which is being implemented by the Department of Forestry (DoF), Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAF). The project will run until December 2027.

RECOFTC Lao PDR invites applications for the position of Provincial Project Assistant based in Xayaboury province. The contract is issued on an annual basis, with the possibility of extension subject to annual performance assessment and includes a three-month probationary period. The appointment is expected to begin in September 2026.

Specific tasks and duties

• At the provincial level, support the development and implementation of EnABLE’s annual provincial workplans and budgets
• Assist in the overall management and coordination of the project within the province
• Under the guidance of the Provincial Project Coordinator, coordinate and provide technical support for the delivery of    RECOFTC’s roles and responsibilities for EnABLE in the province
• Coordinate and work closely with relevant government entities at the provincial level, particularly the Provincial and District Agriculture and Environment Offices (PAEO/DAEO) and target villages
• Contribute to and support the design and implementation of EnABLE activities in close collaboration with government agencies responsible for the REDD+ Emission Reduction Programme (ERP), including PAEO/DAEO at the provincial and district levels
• Provide technical support and input to local government, including PAEO and DAEO, for the implementation of the ERP and Benefit Sharing Plan (BSP), with a focus on inclusion, gender and participatory planning
• Support the local government teams in enabling target villages and community groups to participate in ERP benefit-sharing, particularly in the review, update and approval of Participatory Land Use Plans, Village Forest Management Plans, recognition of land tenure and development of work-budget plans for community-based enterprises, including alternative livelihood activities such as climate-smart agriculture and forest development
• Support local government teams in conducting awareness-raising activities on the GESI, BSP, ERP, GFLL and EnABLE initiatives in target villages.
• Assist with social and environmental safeguard activities, including data collection and providing input for the preparation of draft safeguard reports
• Assist in conducting value chain analysis and other related livelihood development activities
• Support the organization and facilitation of relevant stakeholder consultations at the provincial and district levels as needed
• Provide support and facilitation to ERP/BSP government implementing entities and other partners to help ensure that a Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and Protection against Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) are in place and functional for EnABLE activities at the provincial level
• Provide support and recommendations to the Government of Lao PDR and the GFLL project regarding benefit-sharing schemes, the GRM and other relevant work, to ensure good practices with local communities and enable their participation and access to appropriate benefits
• Support local government, including PAEO/DAEO, in implementing BSP activities by working alongside PAEO/DAEO staff and consultants involved in BSP implementation
• Liaise with other RECOFTC teams, projects and initiatives to ensure project synergies and alignment within RECOFTC’s overall programme and management systems

Capacity development

With guidance from the Provincial Project Coordinator:

• Contribute to and support the project team in conducting capacity development programme for key implementing agencies and partners in the province, including government organizations, non-profit associations, villagers and other BSP beneficiaries
• Assist in developing training curricula and materials based on the results of the capacity development and needs assessment (CDNA)
• Support, reinforce and complement REDD+ ERP capacity-building and awareness-raising activities for key implementing government agencies and partners, mass organizations such as the Lao Women’s Union and the Lao Front for National Development, civil society organizations, non-profit associations and other BSP beneficiaries, with particular emphasis on women and ethnic groups in remote areas
• Attend and support training-of-trainers (ToT) sessions based on a “training for action” approach and provide field mentoring and coaching for trained staff conducting training in villages and related village activities in the province

Reporting, monitoring and evaluation

With guidance from the Provincial Project Coordinator:

• Gather information and data following the project’s results framework and other relevant qualitative criteria and support the preparation of provincial-level inputs for project progress reports as required by the World Bank, including semi-annual, annual and final reports
• Liaise with the project team to support monitoring, evaluation and learning activities and ensure the required data is collected for RECOFTC annual reports in the province
• Support the conduct of annual external audit

Knowledge management and communication 

With guidance from the Provincial Project Coordinator:

• Assist in organizing and facilitating learning exchange visits to other villages that have undertaken similar activities
• Support the development of suitable information, education and communication audio-visual materials in Lao and local ethnic languages, where applicable, for awareness-raising and dissemination
• Support the preparation and dissemination of documentation on good practices and lessons learned, including case studies and policy briefs
• Assist in maintaining information and knowledge sharing among partners and stakeholders through SharePoint and social media platforms

Other responsibilities

• Perform other tasks assigned by the Provincial Project Coordinator, MEL focal person and Project Coordinator

The Provincial Project Assistant should have the following essential qualifications and experience:

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in forestry, environmental or socio-economic sciences, natural resource management, international development, or a related field
• Minimum of three years’ experience in implementing international/national development projects, with a focus on inclusive natural resource management, REDD+, carbon initiatives, village forestry, forest governance, climate-smart agriculture and landscape approaches
• Experience in project planning, budgeting, monitoring, evaluation and reporting
• Experience coordinating and facilitating multi-stakeholder platforms and networks at provincial and district levels
• Proficiency in written and spoken English, as well as fluency in Lao with a sound understanding of the country context
• Willingness and ability to travel to the field locations as required
• Commitment to practicing and promoting RECOFTC’s core values
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint

• Public relation skills
• Effective training and facilitation skills, especially in fostering participatory processes with adult learners
• Strong analytical skills and strategic thinking
• Familiarity with monitoring, evaluation and learning systems and principles
• Familiarity with engagement, knowledge management and communication concepts, processes and technologies

RECOFTC’s core values

At RECOFTC, our core values are the foundation of our culture and guide all our work. In addition to job specific skills and experience, the applicant should possess the following characteristics, attitudes and skills:

• Embrace innovation
• Adapt to and learn from challenges
• Collaborate with partners and stakeholders
• Nurture commitment, responsibility and ownership
• Prioritize sustainability
• Cultivate participation, social inclusion and gender equity
• Prioritize wellbeing

Commitment to RECOFTC policies and procedures

How to apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit a CV and a cover letter. The cover letter should clearly outline the candidate’s suitability for the position, include salary expectations and provide current contact details of three referees, including recent supervisors.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. RECOFTC offers a competitive compensation package.

For more information about RECOFTC, please visit our website at https://www.recoftc.org/

RECOFTC is committed to non-discrimination and equal opportunity. Applicants will not be discriminated against based on ethnicity, religion, age, nationality, physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, colour, marital status, medical condition, or any other classification protected by RECOFTC's values and code of conduct. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified disabled applicants to participate in the application process. If you require special accommodation, please inform RECOFTC's Human Resources in writing at the time of application. The successful candidate will be selected based on merit. RECOFTC strongly encourages women and members of Indigenous and or ethnic groups to apply.