Programme and Thematic Coordination Associate

Programme and Thematic Coordination Associate

Host entity: UNRCO

Advertisement end date: 2026-11-02T00:00:00

General

Description of assignment title: Programme and Thematic Coordination Associate

Assignment country: Tunisia

Work location: On UN premises

Expected start date: 2026-11-23T00:00:00

Expected end date: 2027-11-23T00:00:00

Duration: 365 days (with possibility of extension)

Sustainable Development Goal: 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

Modality: Onsite

Type: National

Volunteer category: National Associate Premise Fulltime LongTerm

Work schedule: -

For how many hours per week will the volunteer be required?: -

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives

Update

Context

The United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office (RCO) supports the Resident Coordinator and the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in ensuring coherent, integrated and effective United Nations support to Tunisia's national development priorities and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The RCO supports the UNCT across the core coordination functions of strategic planning; development economics; partnerships and financing for development; data, results management and accountability; and communications and advocacy.

The Office facilitates the design, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and supports the functioning of inter-agency coordination mechanisms, including Results Groups, thematic groups and other joint mechanisms established by the UNCT.

In line with the UN 2.0 vision, the RCO seeks to strengthen its use of data, digital solutions, innovation, strategic foresight and behavioural science to improve coordination, decision-making, knowledge management and the impact of the UN system's collective work.

The Programme and Thematic Coordination Associate will provide flexible support across these areas, combining programme coordination, analysis, results management, information management, communication and digital competencies.

This position is funded by the Embassy of Switzerland in Tunisia as part of an initiative implemented in partnership with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme to strengthen the inclusion of young people and persons with disabilities for the period 2024–2026.

Task type

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Resident Coordinator's Office, and working closely with relevant RCO colleagues, UN agencies and inter-agency mechanisms, the National UN Volunteer will undertake the following functions:

1. Programme and inter-agency coordination

• Support the effective functioning of UNCT programme coordination mechanisms, including Results Groups, thematic groups, working groups and other inter-agency mechanisms.
• Organize and support meetings, consultations, retreats and workshops, including preparation of agendas, background documentation, presentations, minutes, decision records and follow-up matrices.
• Track decisions, commitments and action points and follow up with responsible UN entities and focal points.
• Facilitate information exchange and collaboration between Results Groups, thematic groups and relevant agency focal points.
• Support preparation and monitoring of annual or multi-year joint workplans.
• Support coordination of joint UN initiatives, programmes and activities involving several UN entities.
• Identify opportunities for enhanced collaboration, complementarity and joint programming across UN entities.
• Contribute to strengthening linkages between programme coordination mechanisms and broader UNCT strategic priorities.

2. Cooperation Framework implementation, results and reporting

• Support implementation, monitoring and reporting of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework.
• Assist in collecting, consolidating and analysing inputs from UN entities on Cooperation Framework results.
• Support preparation of UNCT annual results reports and other corporate reporting products.
• Contribute to quality assurance of results frameworks, indicators, baselines, targets and reporting information.
• Support monitoring of joint programmes, joint initiatives and UNCT strategic priorities.
• Assist in maintaining tracking tools for UNCT commitments, priorities and key deliverables.
• Contribute to UN INFO data collection, validation and quality assurance, in coordination with agency focal points.
• Produce analytical summaries and visual presentations of UNCT results for decision-making and communication.

3. Support to thematic coordination

• Provide substantive and organizational support, as required, to selected UNCT thematic mechanisms, including areas such as gender equality, youth, disability inclusion, human rights and Leave No One Behind, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, sustainable development, social inclusion and other emerging UNCT priorities.
• Support workplans and annual priorities; organize consultations and meetings; maintain action trackers; consolidate agency inputs; conduct desk research; monitor implementation of relevant UN scorecards or accountability frameworks; produce synthesis notes and analytical products; and document lessons learned and good practices.

4. Data, dashboards and information management

• Design, develop and maintain user-friendly dashboards and digital monitoring tools for UNCT and RCO workstreams.
• Support the transformation of administrative and programme data into useful management information and decision-support products.
• Collect, structure, clean and analyse data from different UN and external sources.
• Produce data visualizations, infographics, interactive charts, scorecards and analytical summaries.
• Support the use of Excel, Power BI or equivalent tools for monitoring Cooperation Framework implementation and UNCT priorities.
• Maintain structured databases, document repositories, mailing lists and knowledge management systems.
• Support improvements in interoperability and consistency between different coordination, monitoring and reporting tools.
• Explore opportunities for responsible use of artificial intelligence and automation to improve routine data processing, information retrieval, reporting and knowledge management.

5. Analysis, research and strategic foresight

• Undertake desk research and rapid analysis on socioeconomic, institutional, development and emerging issues relevant to UNCT priorities.
• Contribute to updates of the Common Country Analysis and other analytical products.
• Compile and synthesize information from UN entities, Government institutions, international partners and other credible sources.
• Support horizon scanning and identification of emerging risks, trends, opportunities and weak signals.
• Contribute to scenario development and strategic foresight exercises.
• Develop concise analytical briefs, background notes, issue papers and presentations for the Resident Coordinator, Head of Office and UNCT.
• Apply systems thinking where relevant to identify connections across sectors, population groups and development challenges.

6. Communication, knowledge and digital products

• Translate substantive programme information into accessible and visually compelling communication products.
• Prepare presentations, briefing packs, factsheets, infographics, visual summaries and digital content.
• Support preparation of content for websites, newsletters, social media and internal communication platforms, in close coordination with communications colleagues.
• Develop visual and interactive representations of UNCT results, priorities and joint initiatives.
• Support documentation of good practices, results stories and lessons learned.
• Assist in maintaining digital knowledge repositories and collaborative platforms such as Teams, SharePoint or equivalent solutions.
• Support preparation of communication and visibility material for UN events, workshops, retreats and high-level meetings.

7. UN 2.0 and innovation

• Data: use data systematically to strengthen analysis, monitoring and evidence-based decision-making, and improve data visualization and accessibility.
• Digital: identify digital solutions that simplify coordination, reporting, information sharing and collaborative work, and support digital workflow improvements and responsible use of emerging technologies.
• Innovation: propose practical improvements to existing coordination processes; test new approaches, prototypes or tools on a small scale and document lessons learned.
• Strategic foresight: contribute to horizon scanning, trends analysis, scenario development and identification of emerging issues.
• Behavioural science: apply user-centred thinking when designing surveys, consultations, communication products and coordination tools; consider behavioural factors affecting participation, collaboration and uptake of UN initiatives.

8. Other functions

• Support major RCO and UNCT events, missions, retreats and consultations as required.
• Provide surge support to priority workstreams during peak periods.
• Undertake other coordination, analytical, digital, communication or knowledge-management tasks consistent with the assignment and requested by the supervisor.

4. Expected Results

The assignment is expected to contribute to:

• more effective and timely functioning of UNCT programme and thematic coordination mechanisms;
• improved monitoring of Cooperation Framework implementation;
• strengthened quality and accessibility of UNCT data;
• more systematic follow-up of inter-agency decisions and commitments;
• improved use of dashboards and digital tools for management and decision-making;
• higher-quality analytical, communication and knowledge products;
• stronger integration of UN 2.0 capabilities into the work of the RCO and UNCT;
• greater collaboration and information sharing across UN entities.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 - 80

Required experience: 1 month

Nationality: Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Duration limit: Maximum years of service as a national UN Volunteer is 4 years.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience: 1 month

Languages: English, Level: Fluent, Desirable; French, Level: Fluent, Required; Arabic, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level: Bachelor's degree international relations, development studies, economics, public policy, political science, public administration, social sciences, statistics or data analysis, information management, communication, project or programme management, or another relevant field. A postgraduate qualification is an asset but is not required.

Area(s) of expertise: Project management, programme development, strategy, Knowledge management, research, reporting, Communication, advocacy, public information

Driving license: -

Competencies and values

• Professionalism
• Integrity
• Accountability
• Respect for diversity
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Client orientation
• Planning and organizing
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Communication
• Creativity and innovation
• Knowledge sharing
• Commitment to continuous learning
• Technological awareness
• Data literacy
• Digital mindset
• Analytical thinking
• Systems thinking
• Self-management

The incumbent should demonstrate a UN 2.0 mindset, characterized by curiosity, agility, collaboration, experimentation, continuous learning and willingness to use data and technology to improve results.

Skills and experience

• Minimum one year of relevant professional experience in one or more of the following areas: programme or project coordination; development cooperation; monitoring and evaluation; inter-agency or multi-stakeholder coordination; research and policy analysis; information or knowledge management; data analysis and visualization; communication or digital content development.
• Experience with the United Nations, international organizations, public institutions, development partners or civil society organizations is an asset.
• Strong organizational and coordination skills.
• Ability to manage several workstreams and priorities simultaneously.
• Strong analytical and synthesis skills.
• Excellent drafting, editing and presentation skills.
• Ability to transform complex information into concise and accessible products.
• Good quantitative and qualitative data skills.
• Familiarity with Power BI, Tableau or comparable data visualization tools is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Teams, SharePoint or comparable collaboration platforms.
• Ability to create visually attractive presentations, infographics or digital content using tools such as Canva, Adobe tools or equivalents.
• Familiarity with artificial intelligence and productivity tools, including responsible use of generative AI, is an asset.
• Interest in innovation, digital transformation and new ways of working.
• Ability to conduct research and rapidly synthesize information from multiple sources.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to interact effectively with colleagues from different professional and institutional backgrounds.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a multidisciplinary team.
• High degree of accuracy, discretion and professional judgement.
• Curiosity, adaptability and willingness to acquire new skills.

Living conditions and remarks

1. Living Conditions

Living conditions in Tunisia are highly appreciated and comparable to those of countries on the northern shore of the Mediterranean. The country enjoys a Mediterranean climate in almost all regions, with the exception of the south, which has a more arid climate.

In addition to its mild climate and diverse landscapes, Tunisia has a rich cultural heritage, making it one of the most visited countries in the world. It is also renowned for its gastronomy and culinary traditions, shaped by a history spanning thousands of years.

The country has a well-established healthcare system and a quality education system. It also has the infrastructure and amenities necessary to ensure a satisfactory standard of living.

The capital, Tunis, is relatively easy to navigate. Public transportation is available and affordable, and crime rates remain relatively low.

As this is a National United Nations Volunteer assignment, the volunteer is responsible for arranging their own accommodation and covering their essential living expenses.

2. Conditions of Service for National United Nations Volunteers

The contract is issued for the specified period, and there is no guarantee that the assignment will be extended.

Travel to the duty station, where applicable, and a settling-in grant are provided when the duty station is outside commuting distance of the place of recruitment. A monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) is provided to cover accommodation, utilities, and basic living expenses.

Life, health, and disability insurance are included, with health insurance coverage for up to three eligible dependants. A final repatriation grant, where applicable, and a resettlement allowance for satisfactory service are also provided.

3. Allowances and Benefits

3.1. Before Taking Up the Assignment

Entry lump sum: USD 350.

Relocation allowance: USD 175 at the beginning and end of the assignment, provided the duty station is outside commuting distance, as determined by UNV.

3.2. During the Assignment

Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA): TND 1,879.74.

Training and learning: Access to UNV career development and learning resources.

Annual leave: 2.5 days per month.

Insurance: Comprehensive health, life, and malicious acts insurance coverage for the volunteer, as well as health insurance for up to three eligible dependants. Please refer to the Conditions of Service for detailed eligibility criteria.

3.3. At the End of the Assignment

• End-of-assignment allowance: USD 120 per month of service, payable upon satisfactory completion of the contract.

Additional eligibility criteria