Volunteerism Integration in Lusophone UN Frameworks

Host entity: UNDP Equatorial Guinea

Areas of expertise: Partnerships, resource mobilisation, Volunteer management and advocacy, Communication, advocacy, public information

Application deadline: 02/11/2026

Mission and objectives

As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. UNDP help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The organisation’s work is concentrated in three focus areas: sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience.
UNDP’s mandate is to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions. We advocate for change, and connect countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life.
UNDP has been in Equatorial Guinea since 1976. The Country Office (CO) is currently implementing the Country Programme Document (CPD) 2019-2023. The current CPD is focused on 2 pillars: (i) inclusive and sustainable development, and (ii) strengthen effective, accountable, and inclusive governance.

Assignment context

Volunteerism is a cross-cutting mechanism that helps strengthen community participation, local ownership, social cohesion, and the achievement of sustainable development outcomes. As the UN advances implementation of the 2030 Agenda and country-level programming frameworks, there is an opportunity to better position volunteerism as an enabler of development results. This assignment will contribute to generating evidence and recommendations that can support advocacy efforts and strengthen the integration of volunteerism across UN priorities and programmes in Lusophone countries.

Task description

UNV is seeking one Online Volunteer to conduct desk research and provide analytical support on opportunities to mainstream volunteerism within UN planning frameworks in Lusophone countries, including Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Equatorial Guinea.

Under the guidance of the Regional Office, the Online Volunteer will:

Review existing UNSDCFs, CPDs, and other relevant UN strategic documents.
Identify references to community engagement, civic participation, youth engagement, localization, social cohesion, and volunteerism.
Analyze how volunteerism can contribute to achieving UN development priorities and Sustainable Development Goals.
Research examples and good practices of volunteerism integration from UN agencies and development partners.
Identify opportunities for mobilizing onsite and online volunteers to support priority areas such as health, youth empowerment, gender equality, climate action, and community resilience.
Develop recommendations for strengthening the inclusion of volunteerism in future planning and programming frameworks.
Prepare a concise summary of findings, including practical recommendations and priority entry points for engagement.

By the end of the assignment, the Online Volunteer will submit:

A mapping of references to volunteerism and community engagement across reviewed documents.
A short research brief summarizing findings and good practices.
Recommendations for strengthening the integration of volunteerism into UNSDCFs, CPDs, and related UN planning frameworks.
A matrix highlighting potential volunteer engagement opportunities aligned with UN priorities in Lusophone countrie

Skills and experience

Required Skills and Experience
Strong desk research and analytical skills.
Ability to review and synthesize policy and strategic documents.
Excellent writing and reporting skills.
Interest in sustainable development, volunteerism, and UN programming.
Experience in international development, public policy, social sciences, or related fields is desirable.
Familiarity with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is an asset.
Ability to work independently and deliver quality outputs within agreed timelines.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.