Position Description

Background

Three decades after ASEAN was established, ASEAN Leaders recognised that: there remained inadequate shared prosperity, ASEAN awareness and contact among people of ASEAN.

It was of this concern that ASEAN Leaders established the ASEAN Foundation during ASEAN’s 30th Anniversary Commemorative Summit in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on 15 December 1997.      

After its establishment, the ASEAN Foundation has been tasked to support ASEAN’s community building efforts by promoting greater awareness of the ASEAN identity, human resource development, people-to-people interaction, and close collaboration among the business sector, civil society, academia and other stakeholders in ASEAN.

We continue to complement ASEAN priorities. To date, we work to strengthen the ASEAN Community.

We work in four thematic areas of education, arts and culture, media development and community building. We provide support in the form of scholarships, fellowships internships and exchanges. We organize meetings, conferences, roundtables and workshops in support of the ASEAN Community.

KONNECT ASEAN is a development project supported by the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Cooperation Fund and will serve as the ASEAN Foundation’s core arts and cultural programme. KONNECT ASEAN signals both an eagerness by ASEAN to revitalise its once integral role in contemporary visual arts and South Korea’s sincerity in establishing closer ties with ASEAN.

The project will celebrate Southeast Asian arts using different platforms e.g. exhibitions, educational outreach, community arts workshops and exhibits, and printed and digital documentation, and in the process explore and discuss social, political, economic, and environmental issues in the region. The artists' works and activities will engage and strengthen the public's understanding of ASEAN. Furthermore, the project intends to connect with the three major stakeholder groups of government, business, and civil society to achieve the vision of an ASEAN Community. Outcomes will provide permanent resources recording why ASEAN matters and its ongoing contribution to the region's growth, prosperity, and stability.

Position Summary

Under the supervision of the Programme Manager and in collaboration with the Project Director/Advisor of KONNECT ASEAN, the project officer provides direct programme management to the KONNECT ASEAN project. The post is based at the ASEAN Foundation in Jakarta, Indonesia, but with occasional travels to other ASEAN countries and the Republic of Korea.

The ASEAN Foundation is looking for someone who not only has skills in the areas we seek, but also someone with an eagerness to learn new ideas and find ways to put these into practice. The ideal candidate will be an innovative team-member, have strong personal skills as well as being friendly and diplomatic.

The post reports to the Programme Manager of the ASEAN Foundation and works closely with the Project Director/Advisor and the project partners.

Functional Relationship

Develop and maintain effective, collaborative relationships with the following:

Internal (within Post)

- Executive Director

- Communications Manager

- Finance Manager

- All staff of the Foundation.

External (outside Post)

- Project Director/Advisor

- Project partners

- ASEAN Secretariat and other relevant ASEAN organs

- ASEAN-ROK Programme Management Team (AKPMT)

- Other relevant partners associated with KONNECT ASEAN

Roles and Responsibilities

Project Management:

• Monitor the implementation of the work plan by ensuring ii) communication and mutual consultations in view of a perfect collaboration among all concerned stakeholders; and (ii) that activities are executed in due time and deliver outputs products that directly contribute to the attainment of the objectives of the project;
• Monitor budget, project timelines, risk and deliverables
• Coordinate with the Programme Manager and Project Director/Advisor in KONNECT ASEAN through the project cycle, particularly in areas of procurement, developing and executing work plans, disbursement, and reporting in collaboration with relevant partners, ASEAN Secretariat and AKPMT;
• Prepare/update Annual Work Plan and its budget based on the approved project activities with consultation with Programme Manager, Project Director/Advisor and project partners;
• Liaise with internal (e.g. other units) and external stakeholders (e.g. partners supporting KONNECT ASEAN) to ensure effective coordination of the KONNECT ASEAN project with other ongoing related activities in the relevant countries;
• Coordinate with ASEAN Foundation’s Programme Management Officer regarding monitoring the performance of the project against the results management framework in the proposal;

Project Finance:

• Work closely with the Finance unit to provide relevant financial report and narrative progress report of the project fund
• Coordinate budget re-phasing exercises, if needed;
• Financial and substantive monitoring of the project activities, identification of operational and financial problems, development of solutions;

Project Administration

• Maintain an updated database of contacts and project files and documents;
• Manage the logistical support for the organisation of events, workshops and meetings in the project;

Project Communication

• Work closely with the Communications Manager of the ASEAN Foundation and Project Director/Advisor of KONNECT ASEAN, to use digital and social media tools to promote and engage participation in the project;
• Write project reports for annual reports, donor reporting;
• Support the development of communications materials, including brochures, press releases and graphics;
• Take minutes at various events;

Others

• Represent ASEAN Foundation with travels to targeted countries for project preparation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation as needed;
• Other responsibilities related to the ASEAN Foundation as needed;
• Attend to assigned tasks provided by the Programme Manager, Executive Director or Project Director/Advisor, as required

Person Qualifications

Education and Experience

• A Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations, International Development, Arts and Social Sciences,
• At least 2 years of working experience in ASEAN institutions and knowledgeable about ASEAN processes

Desirable

• Appreciation of Southeast Asia art

Technical Skill

• Critical thinking and problem-solving skill
• Excellent communication skills, responding to user needs in a prompt, courteous manner
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to analyse and organize data
• Strong organizational skills
• Proficient writing in English
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and digital media

Desirable

• Knowledge of the Korean language
• Ability to travel internationally

Personal Qualities

• Ability to work independently and as a team player
• Pro-active
• Reliable
• Able to follow through on tasks
• Ability to work within systems and procedures
• Open to learning
• Able to work effectively in a small team environment involving the sharing of information and at times sharing workloads;
• Has the ability to work in diverse cultural contexts in a culturally appropriate manner

Remuneration

• A lump sum monthly salary will be provided commensurate with the qualification and experience.

Application Process

All interested applicants to send application, stating “Konnect ASEAN – Name” on the subject line, with the following documents to [email protected] – a) application letter to include a cover letter and curriculum vitae, b) salary history and expected salary

Deadline for Application

2 February 2020