Mission and objectives

The World Health Organization leads and champions global efforts to achieve better health for all. By connecting countries, people and partners, we strive to give everyone, everywhere an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. From emerging epidemics such as COVID-19 and Zika to the persistent threat of communicable diseases including HIV, malaria and tuberculosis and chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, we bring together 194 countries and work on the frontlines in 150+ locations to confront the biggest health challenges of our time and measurably advance the well-being of the world’s people.

Context

The UN Volunteer Specialist will support the Registrar General’s Department in accelerating the digital modernization of civil registration systems and strengthening the implementation of the OneRegistry initiative in collaboration with WHO and UNDP. This assignment contributes to national efforts to improve service delivery, enhance data quality, and promote interoperable digital systems that support evidence-based planning and citizen-centred services. The UN Volunteer Specialist will work closely with government officials, technical teams, WHO and UNDP staff, and other partners to ensure effective coordination, timely implementation, and accurate reporting of programme activities.

Task Description

Under the overall supervision of the Team Lead for Health Systems at WHO Sri Lanka and the Registrar General, Registrar General’s Department the UN Volunteer Specialist will support the Registrar General’s Department in coordinating and implementing activities related to the modernization of civil registration systems and the OneRegistry initiative. Responsibilities include organizing meetings, preparing documentation, monitoring progress, and facilitating communication in collaboration with WHO, UNDP, government counterparts, technical partners, and other stakeholders. Scope of work: The UN Volunteer Specialist will support the following functions: Implementation and Operational Coordination • Assist in the day-to-day coordination of programme activities related to the modernization of civil registration systems between WHO, UNDP, and the Registrar General’s Department. • Support follow-up on activity plans, timelines, and deliverables to ensure timely implementation. • Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate operational processes and address implementation challenges. Support to Digitalization and Modernization Processes • Contribute to administrative and technical tasks related to the digital transformation of civil registration processes. • Support documentation, tracking, and consolidation of technical inputs related to system development, workflow redesign, and process improvements. • Assist in coordinating consultations, technical meetings, demonstrations, and capacity-building sessions related to digitalization. Coordination and Monitoring of OneRegistry Project Activities • Support the planning, coordination, and monitoring of activities under the OneRegistry initiative. • Facilitate communication with stakeholders, including ministries, development partners, and technical agencies. • Assist in preparing progress updates, monitoring matrices, and briefing materials. Documentation, Reporting, and Knowledge Management • Support the preparation of technical notes, meeting minutes, reports, and knowledge products. • Assist in documenting lessons learned, best practices, and capacity-building outcomes. • Contribute inputs to donor reports, programme updates, and presentations as required.

Competencies and values

• Technical expertise • Overall attitude at work • Teamwork • Communication • Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

Living conditions and remarks

Colombo is situated on the Western Province of Sri Lanka and is the commercial capital of the country. Colombo is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to the administrative capital, Sri Jayawardenepura, Kotte. The climate is fairly temperate all throughout the year, but humidity is usually high. From March to April the temperature averages around 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit). The only major change in the Colombo weather occurs during the monsoon seasons from May to August and October to January when heavy rainfalls occur. Sri Lanka became a member of the United Nations on 14 December 1955. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. https://www.unv.org/ You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos