Dragons make the short trip to Cardiff Arms Park to face local rivals Cardiff Blues in the Guinness PRO14 on Friday evening (kick-off 7.35pm).
And Jones – in charge of the region until the New Year - believes Dragons go in good heart after an encouraging display against French giants Clermont in Europe and a positive training week.
“I’ve been asked to step up and run the ship until the New Year while they (the Board) search for the best candidate,” said Jones.
“You’ve got to step it up and the response from the players has been excellent.
“I thought the players bought a lot of energy with the performance against Clermont and we are now fully focused on the festive games.
“We took a lot from the Clermont game, with regards to our physicality, our line speed and I thought we expressed ourselves.
“We played some good rugby and to score three tries against quality opposition is something we can take huge heart from and we can take into these next three games.
“We desperately want to get that derby win,” he added. “The group have reacted well over the last week and I certainly hope they will give the best performance they can for the people of Gwent.
“The situation off the field is what it is. All I can do is the best possible job and that, for me, means preparing this group as best as possible for the derby games.
“I’ve spoken to the players and if we can cut out the unforced errors and build on the progress we’ve made, in terms of energy levels, physicality and our willingness to play, then there is no reason why we can’t come away from the Welsh derbies with a positive result."
CLICK HERE to secure your tickets for the festive fixture against the Ospreys at Rodney Parade on 30 December with Early Bird tickets on sale until Christmas Eve.
