Laos Country Representative

July 2020
 Welcome from Cord CEO
Andy Pask
Thanks for taking the time to read about what
it means to join the Cord family

The Laos Country Representative is a key

leadership role in our organisation and provides
a rewarding opportunity for someone looking to
advance development in Laos

Cord has a long and proud history of working

with communities worldwide to build their
capacity for peace

The focus of our global strategy is on

transforming dysfunctional relationships between
those in power and citizens (like you or I) into
those that create peaceful and inclusive societies
where everyone can live free from fear and with
the freedom to flourish
Our current country portfolio focuses on 5 highly
sensitive contexts - Burundi, Cambodia, Laos,
Myanmar & Vietnam

We work with a wide range of civil society groups

and powerholders (authorities, multi-national
businesses, faith leaders) in order to develop
more constructive engagement

This leads to real transformative change such as:

- survivors of sexual violence accessing justice
- stigmatised groups gaining access to healthcare
- indigenous peoples regaining rights to their land
- religious and ethnic minorities gaining freedom
to express their beliefs

We have been present in Laos since 2011 and have

a long term strategy to deliver transformational
change

We play a leading role in supporting the

capacity development of Lao civil society and key
powerholders to support the development of Lao
PDR for the benefit of all citizens
This is an exciting and strategic leadership role within Cord

You will be leading a brilliant team of staff who have many years of experience and expertise
in this area

We are looking for someone to provide inspirational leadership and vision for the team, someone
who is passionate about Cord’s values and the work that we do and can model those values to
those we work with

This role would suit someone who has representational and influencing skills and can engage
effectively with a diverse range of stakeholder including programme participants, Laos
government, sector partners and prospective donors

You will need a deep understanding of the complex relationships between civil society and
government and the key role that they both plan in Lao national development – and you will need
to be well informed, curious, and passionate about it.

To deliver well in this senior role within Cord you will need lots of interdiciplanry skills

You will be a pragmatic enabler and team player

If you like what you read and are passionate about real and lasting change,
come and join us and be part of the Cord story,

Andy Pask - Cord CEO

For over fifty years we have been
committed to healthy, thriving,
collaborative relationships that
support peace

Our Mission...
is to transform dysfunctional
relationships between individuals and
communities and those holding power
into positive and thriving relationships
built on mutual dependency and trust

Our Vision...
is of a world where all people live
in the fullness of peace; having the
freedom to flourish and live free
from fear
Our Values
We are compassionate and we find within
ourselves a deep concern for our fellow
human beings who are not flourishing

We value everyone and recognise that every

human being is created unique and special
We therefore place great value on every
human life being worthy of dignity and
respect with fundamental rights that should
be protected

We are interdependent and know that

communities and societies work best when
strong and healthy interdependent
relationships are formed

We explore root causes of conflict, pushing

through superficial and visible effects to
understand hidden drivers and how we can
address them in the most sustainable way
The Role - Laos Country Representative
Location
Vientiane, Lao PDR

Contract
24 months with potential to renew

Salary
Dependent on experience

Benefits
33 days annual leave (including public
holidays)
Internal relationships
Laos programme team, Programme
Reports to Development Team (UK), Finance
CEO Manager (UK), Fundraising Manager (UK),
other country leaders
Responsible for
Programme Manager, Senior Finance External relationships
Officer, Finance & Admin Assistant Local government partners and national
level representatives, donors and
potential funders, INGO & CSO partners,
INGOs/CSWG/network members
Role Overview
The Country Representative is the senior leader responsible for oversight and management
of the Cord Laos programme and operation. They provide inspirational leadership and vision
for the team, being someone who is passionate about Cord’s values and the work that we do
and who can model those values to the team and those we work with.They are responsible
and accountable for implementing Cord’s strategy in Lao PDR and for the coaching and
support of colleagues and partners, ensuring that the programme is well-run from both a
financial and programmatic perspective, adequately resourced and delivers successful
outcomes that can be communicated with key stakeholders.

They have representational and influencing skills, and can engage effectively with a diverse
range of stakeholders. They create new leads for funding, build donor relationships and
co-develop proposals. They bring a deep understanding of the complex relationships between
civil society and government and the key role that both play in Lao national development.
They are a strong advocate of local capacity development and are passionate about the
development of Lao civil society organisations.They are broadly informed, with a high level
of intellectual curiosity and the capacity to encourage others to explore new terrain.

They are an interdisciplinary and creative thinker who can be innovative as well as pragmatic.
They are an open-minded, confident professional who enjoys exploring issues with diverse
stakeholders to develop and implement innovative solutions. They are a team player and an
enabler and facilitator, with the strength of character and conviction to represent Laos
professionally to a range of stakeholders as well as with Cord’s global leadership team.
Key Responsibilities
Country Programme Leadership
Lead on the contextualisation and
implementation of Cord’s strategy in Lao PDR
Provide inspiration, encouragement, direction
& leadership to the Cord Laos team
Lead on Cord’s values & culture by personally
modelling these to the Cord team & externally
Represent Cord Laos with authority and
professionalism both externally and internally,
in official protocol, key networks and in media
Manage the work of senior staff staff including
conducting annual performance reviews and
providing regular development supervision,
holding them accountable to achieving
programmatic goals
Ensure HR efficiency and quality output,
manage the team structure strategically to
meet resourcing needs, identify development
opportunities and capacity gaps
Provide internal leadership and input to Cord’s
strategic priorities as part of the country leaders
team
Programme Development
Lead on programme development including new
project design & partnership development
Lead and support proposal development
(including narrative and budget) with relevant
staff and partners, in a way that builds capacity
in this area
Develop and maintain relationships with key
donors to secure new programme funding
Take responsibility for the financial feasibility of
the programme and ensure financial
sustainability
In collaboration with the Programme
Development group, implement a diversified
and sustainable funding strategy
Key Responsibilities
Programmes Oversight
Provide leadership and operational oversight
of programme implementation
Lead identifying key issues related to
organizational development, capacity building
and learning processes locally
Guide the documentation and dissemination of
learning to the wider development community
Provide leadership and operational oversight of
programme implementation
Lead on the local implementation of Cord’s
Organisational monitoring, Evaluation,
Accountability and Learning (OMEAL) approach
to ensure there is clear evidence of the impact
of Cord’s work
Ensure that all programmatic and financial
reporting is accurate, on time, and adheres to
the requirements of donors, the Government
of Lao PDR, Donors, Cord regionally and
globally and other stakeholders

Take the lead in identifying key issues related

to organizational development, capacity
building and learning processes in the local
context

Guide the documentation and dissemination of

learning to the wider development community
Key Responsibilities
Financial & Operations Management
Oversea Cord’s financial operations in Laos and
ensure:
-Monthly financial reporting to the UK
-Procedures are followed
-Cash planning and timely fund requests
-Processes provide good financial control
-Ensure effective budget management, quality
donor contract management and reporting
Prepare the annual country budget, maintain
a 3 year budget horizon, input to proposal
budgets to ensure project and organisational
costs are well planned for
Ensure compliance to the terms of donor and
partner contracts
Run a financial operation with a high degree
of financial control, ensuring diligent review of
documentation, completion of routine internal
audit functions and undertake occasional spot
checks
Actively engage with the Leadership Team and
Programme Development Group about
programme and operational resource needs
Ensure compliance to local laws
In consultation with the Leadership Team, be
responsible for the following areas of Cord’s
operation in Laos:
-Health and Safety, security and safeguarding
-Facilities management of the Laos office
-IT systems and knowledge management good
practice
-Good human resource management practices
-Policy development for Laos operating
procedures
About You
Knowledge
Post-graduate qualification in a relevant field of
study
Extensive of the contemporary socio-political
context of Laos
Familiarity with international development
actors, their mode of operation and their policy
instruments
Understanding of collaborative processes,
principles of relationship management and
partnership formation
Experience
Experience managing multi-national teams in
an international development setting or a
minimum of 3 years in a senior programme
management role
Experience in managing complex multi-donor
funded programmes
Extensive experience in: peace-building,
capacity development, international
development, organisational development
and/or business development
Experience in supporting civil society,
preferably in Lao
About You
Skills
Ability to develop, and follow through HR,
administrative, logistical and financial systems
with staff

Financial management skills, proven ability to

develop and manage budgets, and maintain
good financial control

Proven ability at writing donor proposals and

reports

Demonstrated communication, leadership and

influencing skills

Demonstrated capacity to develop and promote

shared values, a common perspective, respect
and trust Comparable knowledge,
experience & skills to the
Ability to enhance staff capacity and coach
staff in cross-cultural context above are also welcomed and
accepted
You’ll need...
Positive attitude and ability to engender
support

Flexibility and adaptability, with calmness in

the face of changing circumstances

Knowledge of and sensitivity to Lao culture

Patience and persistence to develop

relationships with a range of stakeholders

Commitment to reflection and personal/

professional learning

Willingness actively to support an active

engaged civil society

Commitment to Cord’s mission and values

Willingness to undertake travel within Laos

as well as occasional international travel
Next Steps
Interested?
To apply please send an application form
to hr@cord.org.uk

Recruitment Timeline
Applications will be reviewed on an
ongoing basis and interviews will be
organised according to availability

As such, the application window may

close prior to the date below if a suitable
candidate is appointed

The application deadline is:

Sunday 23rd August 2020 – 23:59 GMT