Background
Despite the landmark passage of the Indigenous Peoplesโ Rights Act (IPRA), many Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) continue to experience poverty, marginalization, and limited access to basic services and decision-making spaces. Women and girls remain disproportionately excluded due to entrenched sociocultural and institutional barriers that limit their leadership, control over and resources, and access to finance, training, digital tools, and economic opportunities. I-LEAD seeks to address these challenges by โaffirming and strengthening the rights and leadership capacities of at least 1,600 indigenous women and girls across four ancestral domains of Regions XI and XII in Mindanao by 2030, through improved access to information, decision-making spaces, economic opportunities, and leadership roles within their ancestral domainsโ.
I-LEAD's Theory of Change posits that โif indigenous women and girls are equipped with the capacities, skills, and platforms to understand, assert, and exercise their rights, and if ancestral domain governance structures, national and local duty-bearers, and development partners adopt gender-responsiveโinclusive-- and rights-based service delivery models, then indigenous women and girls will be positioned to meaningfully participate in governance and decision-making, access improved services, and engage in economic activities aligned with their cultural values and environmental realitiesโ.
With support from the Government of New Zealand and in partnership with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), the Project will be implemented through three interlinked components:
Strengthening Ancestral Domain Governance with Human Rights and Gender Perspectives; Promoting Gender-Equitable and Culturally Appropriate Economic Empowerment; and Enhancing the Capacity of the NCIP and other Stakeholders on Human Rights-Based, Gender Responsive, and Culturally Appropriate Policy Development and Knowledge Management.Together, these components will deliver nine (9) key outputs that contribute to three long-term outcomes: (i) Resilient, Responsive, and Relevant indigenous women and girls, and ICCs/IPs; (ii) Economically empowered indigenous women and girls; and (iii) Improved access to basic services by indigenous women and girls. Collectively, these advance the projectโs overarching goal: โICCs/IPs in the Philippines are economically empowered and resilient, enjoying decent and sustainable livelihoods that support their cultural integrity and enhanced intergenerational well-beingโ. Implemented over four years (2026โ2030), I-LEAD adopts an integrated, rights-based, gender-transformative, and systems-strengthening approach, convening ICCs/IPs, local government units, national government agencies, and civil society to co-create solutions anchored in indigenous rights, cultural identity, human rights, and gender equality. The project emphasizes evidence-based planning, participatory decision-making, capacity development, digital connection, and scalable women and youth-led enterprise models to advance inclusive development.ย
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the I-LEAD Project Manager and with guidance from the NCIP Provincial Office, the Project Field Clerk will provide community mobilization and implementation support for I-LEAD activities within the Ata Indigenous Cultural Community in Paquibato District, Davao City. S/he will ensure inclusive participation, cultural sensitivity, and timely reporting of community-level activities.
Specific Functions:
Support Community Engagement and Mobilization Act as the primary liaison between the project team, NCIP, and the partner indigenous community. Facilitate and support community consultations, meetings, and assemblies, ensuring meaningful participation of all community members including elders, women and youth. Support the community in identifying needs, priorities, and available resources. Promote awareness of project objectives and processes within the community. Project Implementation Support Assist the community in planning and coordinating project activities, including preparation of simple proposals and schedules. Ensure activities are culturally appropriate and aligned with CRMDP/ADSDPP and community development plans. Coordinate closely with the Regional Project Coordinator and NCIP units to ensure smooth implementation. Monitor project progress at the community level, gather feedback, and promptly report issues or challenges. Capacity Building Support Support the organization and facilitation of community trainings, workshops, and awareness sessions on project-related topics. Assist community leaders and organizations in strengthening basic management and leadership skills. Documentation and Reporting Support Prepare and submit activity reports, attendance sheets, photo documentation, and summaries of community consultations. Maintain clear and organized records of meetings, agreements, and FPIC-related documentation. Support on Community Relations ย Ensure project activities respect cultural protocols and traditional governance systems. Help resolve communication gaps or misunderstandings among stakeholders. Foster trust and mutual understanding between the project team and the community. Support knowledge building and knowledge sharing Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Competencies
Core Competencies:
Achieve Results: โโLEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadlineโ ย Think Innovatively: โโLEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements โ ย Learn Continuously: โโLEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedbackโ ย Adapt with Agility: โโLEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/ uncertainty, is flexible โ ย Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in the face of adversity, confidentโ ย Engage and Partner: โโLEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationshipsโ ย Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination โ ยCross-Functional & Technical Competencies:
Business Managementย Project management Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goalsย Communicationย ย Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience Ability to relate and ensure sensibilities of communication taking into consideration the cultural context of the audienceย Working with evidence and dataย Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-makingย Monitoring and evaluationย Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a viewto make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results. Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns. Business Direction & Strategyย Business acumenย ย Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome Ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organizationย Partnership Managementย Relationship managementย Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding Administration & Operationsย ย Events management (including retreats, trainings, and meetings)ย Ability to manage events, including Venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.ยRequired Skills and Experience
Education:
Secondary education is required.Experience:
Minimum of three (3) years (with secondary education) of relevant experience working with Indigenous Cultural Communities or grassroots organizations is required. ย Experience in IPRA โ (Indigenous Peoplesโ Rights Act) and Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes Experience in community mobilization, participatory planning, and organizing consultations or assemblies. Familiarity with the culture and customary governance systems of the Ata ICC in Paquibato District, Davao City Demonstrated ability to facilitate meetings, communicate effectively, and build rapport with diverse community members. Demonstrated ability to prepare basic reports, documentation, and attendance records. Proficiency in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).ยDesirable Skills
Experience in supporting the implementation of development projects with Indigenous Peoples or rural communities. Demonstrated ability to resolve communication gaps and promote trust among stakeholders. Being member of the Ata Indigenous Cultural Community (ICC) is an advantage.Required Languages
Fluency in English and Filipino is required. ย Fluency in the Ata ICC language is an advantage. Working knowledge of Visayan is desired. ยEqual opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.ย
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.ย
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.ย We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Scam alert
UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.
ย