About

• Background
• Despite the landmark passage of the Indigenous Peoples’ 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 ‘affirming 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 domains’.
• I-LEAD's Theory of Change posits that ‘if 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-responsive—inclusive-- 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 realities’.

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 project’s overarching goal: ‘ICCs/IPs in the Philippines are economically empowered and resilient, enjoying decent and sustainable livelihoods that support their cultural integrity and enhanced intergenerational well-being’. Implemented over four years (2026–2030), 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.
• 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 Obo Monuvu Indigenous Cultural Community in Brgy. Manobo (Tico), Magpet, Cotabato. S/he will ensure inclusive participation, cultural sensitivity, and timely reporting of community-level activities.

Specific Functions

• 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
• 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.
• Community Relations and Support
• 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.
• 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: ​​LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline​
• Think Innovatively: ​​LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements ​
• Learn Continuously: ​​LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback​
• Adapt with Agility: ​​LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/ uncertainty, is flexible ​
• Act with Determination: ​LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in the face of adversity, confident​
• Engage and Partner: ​​LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships​
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: ​​LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination ​
• Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies
• Business Management
• Project management
• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• Communication
• 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 audience
• Working with evidence and data
• Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to 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
• Business Direction & Strategy
• Business acumen
• Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions with such frameworks
• Partnership Management
• Relationship management
• Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding
• Administration & Operations
• Events management (including retreats, trainings, and meetings)
• Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.
• Required Skills and Experience

Education

• Secondary education is required, OR
• A university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Project Management, Economics or equivalent will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.

Experience

• Minimum three years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience working with Indigenous Cultural Communities or grassroots organizations. No work experience is required for candidates with bachelor's degree.
• Experience in community mobilization, participatory planning, and organizing consultations or assemblies;
• Familiarity with the culture and customary governance systems of the Obo Monuvu ICC in Brgy. Manobo (Tico), Magpet, Cotabato;
• Ability to facilitate meetings, communicate effectively, and build rapport with diverse community member;
• Ability to prepare basic reports, documentation, and attendance records;
• Proficiency in MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Desired Skills

• Basic understanding of IPRA and FPIC process;
• 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;
• Patience, adaptability, and commitment to inclusive participation;
• Willingness to travel and stay in field/project areas as required;
• Preferably a member of the Obo Monuvu ICC.

Required Languages

• Fluency in English and Filipino is required;
• Fluency in the Obo Monuvu ICC language is an advantage;
• Working knowledge of Visayan is desired.
• Equal 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.
• 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.
• Right to select multiple candidates
• UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. 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.