Mission and objectives

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a global organization that is part of the broader United Nations System, dedicated to promoting sustainable development. Established in 1965, UNDP plays a pivotal role in supporting nations in their efforts to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality, and advance socio-economic development. With a focus on inclusive and equitable growth, UNDP provides technical expertise, mobilizes financial resources, and delivers policy and other services to support the formulation and implementation of effective development strategies and solutions that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP operates in over 170 countries and territories, collaborating with local partners, governments, and other stakeholders to build resilient communities and foster sustainable development. UNDP's initiatives span a wide range of areas, including climate change, gender equality, governance, and crisis response, embodying its commitment to creating a better and more sustainable future for people across the globe. The Office of Human Resources (OHR) is part of the UNDP Bureau for Management Services (BMS). It is the anchor of the global HR function for UNDP, providing strategy and policy setting, guidance, and oversight. In addition, BMS/OHR provides a broad range of HR advisory and talent management services enabling UNDP to deliver fully integrated development solutions to enable its workforce to deliver more and better results. BMS/OHR aims to be at the leading edge of HR in the international development sector by developing high quality and innovative human resources solutions and driving transformation across UNDP.

Context

The Talent Development Unit (TDU) at the Office of Human Resources (OHR) enables and fosters a culture of continuous learning and develops talent at all levels across UNDP. TDU designs and implements programmes, processes, experiences, and tools to develop learning ecosystems, stimulate learning, catalyze innovation, and create knowledge to improve individual and team performance. The vision is to contribute to UNDP’s mission by embedding learning as a core aspect of the 2 organization’s operations. Through our work, we are implementing the People Development Strategy 2026-2029, aligned with UNDP’s Strategic plan and the People for 2030 strategy, and which positions UNDP as a learning organization where professional growth is an integral part of how we work. To facilitate the coordination of strengthening UNDP as a learning organization and associated partnerships of the OHR’s TDU, we are seeking an online volunteer to support the work of the unit. The selected volunteer(s) will work under the supervision of a Partnerships Analyst, People and Career Development.

Task Description

To provide research support through desk-based analysis of emerging trends, innovative approaches, and good practices in skills development, organizational learning, adult and lifelong learning, and digital learning, including the application of Artificial Intelligence to support trends research, with relevance to UNDP’s learning and development agenda. Final products: 1) Research Summary Document (Minimum 5 pages) A structured document presenting: - An overview of 10 industry leaders in learning and development and their demonstrated good practices. - Key insights and lessons relevant to UNDP learning and talent development priorities. - References and source links supporting the analysis and findings. 2) Summary Document on AI Application in Trends Research (Minimum 2 pages) - A concise document outlining one illustrative example of how an AI-based tool (e.g. an AI agent) can be used to identify and map relevant learning and development innovations. - The example should demonstrate how the tool can support trend identification across the following areas: a) Learning tools and platforms; b) Global or regional events and communities of practice; c) Emerging learning methodologies and delivery models. The candidate is expected to provide weekly updates and contribute 6-10 hours of research support per week.

Competencies and values

Living conditions and remarks