Sabaidee from The Lao Peoples Democratic Republic! My name is Sierra Van Tent and I just completed 6 months in Vientiane as a Junior Professional Consultant with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). At UNDP, I work in research and data analysis for the Inclusive Growth Unit (IGU) and Economist Team. These teams work in tandem toward a shared goal of ensuring that all people in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic can participate in, and benefit from, an economic transformation pathway that is inclusive, green, innovative, and resilient.
This work is particularly important for two reasons. First, previous growth pathways in the country have not always been sustainable or inclusive. Although the economy has expanded, growth has often been resource-intensive, particularly concentrated in mining and hydropower. It has also generated relatively few jobs and relied heavily on debt financing. As a result, poverty reduction has progressed slowly, and the most vulnerable groups have often been left behind. Second, Lao PDR is set to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status at the end of this year. While graduation reflects important economic progress, it will also bring significant policy and institutional changes. The country will gradually lose preferential market access, concessional financing, and special trade benefits. This transition creates a need to rethink how national development planning and financing are structured and implemented.
To support this transition, the Inclusive Growth Unit and Economist team focuses on three areas. First, strengthening national development planning and financing mechanisms that help set focused national policy direction and mobilize development financing. Second, work to expand equitable access to labour market opportunities. This includes supporting future-ready skills development, value chain development, access to technology, and safer land use through the clearance of unexploded ordinance (UXO). Finally, we work to ensure that hard-won progress in economic development is protected against intersecting shocks by strengthening social protection systems.
My specific role within the team is to provide technical expertise and assist with project implementation for the National Planning and Financing for Inclusive Development (NPFID) Project. This project focuses on strengthening national development planning and financing mechanisms that help set clear policy direction and mobilize development funding. To do this, NPFID works closely with the Government of Lao PDR ministries, including the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deliver capacity building initiatives. Much of this capacity building uses a training-of-trainers (ToT) approach. For example, the UNDP team will work closely with a small group from the Ministry of Finance to train them on how to calculate and assess tax expenditures in the country. Once this group develops expertise, they return to their departments and train their colleagues. Over time, this allows knowledge and technical skills to spread more widely across government institutions while encouraging national ownership.
The experience I gained during my time as a Junior Professional Consultant has been truly invaluable. From the moment I started with UNDP, I was given far more responsibility and hands-on experience than I expected, which made the learning curve steep but also very rewarding. My team was consistently supportive and encouraging by allowing me the flexibility to explore different aspects of the work. Rather than being confined to a single role, I had the opportunity to try my hand at a wide range of tasks across the project.
Over the six months, I was able to contribute to monitoring and evaluation, support project implementation activities, assist with donor reporting, and draft communications materials. I also had the chance to participate in consultations with government counterparts, which allowed me to see how development partners and national institutions work together in practice. Being trusted to contribute in these areas helped me build practical skills while also gaining a deeper understanding of how development programmes operate from multiple angles. At times the pace was chaotic and there were many moving pieces, but that was also part of what made the experience so meaningful.
