Asian, European parliamentarians meet in Vientiane - Vientiane Times

Vientiane Times
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Short-term Consultant for Lao Agroforestry Project
Vientiane, Lao PDR
Thursday October 4, 2012 Feature 17
Feature
Hor Phra Keo, home to 1,000-year-old Buddha images
Xayxana Leukai
Attracting about 500
visitors a day, Hor
Phra Keo - one of
Vientiane’s oldest
temples - has become one of
the most visited landmarks in
Laos.
Both Lao people and
overseas visitors flock to the
ornate building on Setthathirath
Road to learn about its history
and admire the collection of
Buddha images, some of which
date back over 1,000 years.
Built in 1565 by King
Xaysetthathirath, the temple
was formerly the royal chapel
of the Lao Monarchy, but more
importantly it was built to house
the Emerald Buddha.
After it was destroyed by
foreign invaders in 1778, Hor
Phra Keo’s Emerald Buddha
was taken to Thailand.
Today, Hor Phra Keo houses
relics from the original building,
including a gilded throne,
Buddhist stelae, bronze frog
drums, wooden carvings and
palm-leaf manuscripts.
The oldest of the Buddha
images were made as far back
as the 6th century, but there
are also images that date back
to the 10th, 13th, 16th, 17th
and 18th centuries.
On a recent visit there, I
noticed women queuing up
at a stall to hire a traditional
Lao skirt (sinh) to wear inside
the temple. This is asked of
tourists as a mark of respect
Visitors may photograph only the Buddha statues outside the temple.
Shrubs and statues beautify the temple grounds.
for the sacred Buddha images.
Visitors are also asked to take
off their shoes before entering
and to refrain from taking
photos inside.
Although the present day
architecture is relatively new
compared to the original
structure, it still gives the
impression that it is steeped in
history. It hasn’t been painted
and decorated in bright
colours and the walls and
carvings look old and worn - a
perfect way to portray its past.
Mr Dan Holzman from
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. We help developing countries achieve sustainable
growth by financing investment, mobilizing capital in international financial markets, and providing advisory services to businesses and governments. In FY12, our investments
reached an all-time high of more than $20 billion, leveraging the power of the private sector to create jobs, spark innovation, and tackle the world’s most pressing development
challenges. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.
In Lao PDR, IFC Advisory Services are delivered in partnership with Canada, Finland, Japan, Ireland, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
About the Lao Agroforestry Project
Lao PDR participates in the Forest Investment Program (FIP), a multi-donor trust fund under the umbrella of the World Bank-administered Climate Investment Funds. The main
purpose of the program is to support developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and promote sustainable forest management, which will
lead to reduction of CO2 emissions and the protection of carbon reservoirs.
As part of the Forest Investment Program, IFC has developed the Lao Agroforestry Project. The goal of the project is to increase the area of land under sustainable management
in Lao PDR, by reducing the costs and risks associated with transforming degraded and underutilized land to productive agriculture and forestry.
IFC wishes to employ the services of a Lao national consultant to help the team with daily tasks and to develop a project implementation plan as well as a project proposal.
Duties and Accountabilities
• Work with private sector partners and other stakeholders to develop a project
implementation plan and a joint action plan, considering benefits, risks, and mitigation
measures;
• Contribute to the development of the project implementation plan, particularly by
collecting, writing, synthesizing, analyzing, and comparing literature and data;
• Assess and record impacts, which can be attributed to IFC-supported activities under
FIP, and develop plans to mitigate negative impacts and enhance positive impacts;
• Develop a monitoring plan, a methodology, and reporting template, which will
support evaluation and monitoring of the effectiveness of the IFC investment
consistent with FIP and GoL criteria, particularly the monitoring, reporting and
verification (MRV) needs for carbon markets;
• Ensure that all IFC-supported activities are consistent with IFC’s Performance
Standards and the legislative and regulatory systems in Lao PDR;
• Engage key stakeholders to secure efficient coordination and complementarities of
existing programs, as well as clear messaging;
• Represent IFC externally in interactions with private sector companies and internally
in relevant initiatives.
Hor Phra Keo, which displays a collection of ancient Buddha images, is located on Setthathirath Road
in central Vientiane.
Israel, who was visiting Hor
Pra Keo for the first time,
said the history of the temple
was sad, but the collection
of Buddha images and
other artefacts left a lasting
impression on him, as they
reflected the splendour of
times past.
“In addition to the friendly
Lao people, the culture,
handicraft and ancient relics
of Laos will stay in my mind
after I return home,” he said.
If you want to visit Hor
Phra Keo, just walk east along
Setthathirath Road and you’ll
find it next to the Presidential
Palace opposite Vat Sisaket.
It is open from Monday to
Sunday from 8am to 12 noon
and from 1pm to 4pm. The
entry fee is 2,000 kip for
Lao visitors and 5,000 for
foreigners.
The Director of That
Luang, Hor Phra Keo
and Sisaket Museum, Mr
Khochone Keomanyvong,
said 2012 has been a very
special year for Laos as it was
designated ‘Visit Laos Year’.
In addition, Laos is
hosting the 7th Asia-Europe
Parliamentary Partnership
Meeting on October 3-4, the
9th Asia-Europe Meeting
Summit next month, and the
Asean University Games in
December.
Hor Phra Keo has been
decorated with shrubs and
coloured lights for these
occasions, as have other
tourist attractions in Vientiane
such as the That Luang stupa,
Patuxay and Chao Anouvong
Park.
Qualifications
• Seven or more years of experience, preferably from the private sector, advancing
issues of sustainable forestry management, carbon emission management, and
sustainable development. Experience in plantation forestry and agroforestry a plus;
• Educational background in forestry, natural resource management, or a related
discipline, ideally at Master’s degree level or beyond;
• Demonstrated experience in project management, including strategy and planning,
budget and team management, supervision, monitoring and evaluation, and building
organizational support;
• Strong client- and results-orientation, as proven by a track record of achievements;
• Strong network with private sector, government, development agencies, and NGOs
in the areas of forestry and natural resource management in Lao PDR;
• Excellent communications and presentation skills, in both Lao and English. Ability
to adjust communication style to different audiences -- including local communities
and ethnic groups -- and establish credibility through technical competence and
excellent interpersonal skills;
• Prior experience of living and working in Lao PDR.
Terms and Conditions
The position is based in Lao PDR’s capital Vientiane and is initially an appointment on a consultancy basis for 80 days. Interested candidates may review the complete job description
and apply on-line at https://wbgeconsult2.worldbank.org/wbgec/index.html and access the Business Opportunities, Selection # 1086033. The closing date is October 15,
2012. All applications will be treated with strict confidentiality. Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.