Support Bahrain’s National Human Development Report 2026 - Phase 2

Mission and objectives

The UNDP has been a partner and friend of the Kingdom of Bahrain and its people since 1971 when it supported the independence of Bahrain. Since the opening of its offices and the signing of the Basic Agreement Document between the government and UNDP in 1978, UNDP has promoted and implemented sustainable human development strategies and programmes based on national priorities in line with the Kingdom’s reform agenda, the Economic Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy (2015-2018). The Kingdom of Bahrain is a Net Contributor Country (NCC), and as such bears the cost of UNDP’s presence and work in the country. UNDP recognises that the Government of Bahrain is primarily responsible for the national development agenda. The current Country Programme Document (2017-2020), and Project Documents were designed in partnership with state institutions, responding to deliver on key priority areas. Bahrain demonstrates a strong commitment to human development and is signatory to a number of UN conventions, demonstrating the Kingdom’s commitment to international norms and UN principles. Through comprehensive consultations and dialogue with government institutions, development needs are identified and strong partnerships are built to address those needs and meet SDG targets. Whether through developing human capacities at these institutions, or partnering to resolve a challenge, national ownership and leadership in all efforts is a key principle. UNDP also provides individual and institutional capacity development where needed, positioning national institutions to be in the leadership role.

Context

UNDP Bahrain, together with the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International, and Energy Studies (Derasat), is preparing Bahrain’s third National Human Development Report, a high-profile national report that informs policy decisions and long-term development planning. As an Online Volunteer, you will: Contribute to a real UN publication with national and regional impact. Build practical experience in policy research, digital development, and SDG reporting. Strengthen your research, analysis, and writing skills while working with a UN country office. Expand your professional portfolio with tangible outputs and receive an official UNV certificate recognizing your contribution. Work flexibly from anywhere, alongside an experienced UNDP team.

Task Description

The Online Volunteer will support the UNDP Bahrain team in digital transformation and human development, including support to the Digital Readiness Assessment (DRA), the AI Landscape Assessment (AILA), and the Sustainable Finance for Development Ecosystem (SFDE) initiative, toward the development of Bahrain’s National Human Development Report (NHDR) 2026 on Digital Transformation. The volunteer will: - Contribute to the finalisation of DRA, AILA, SFDE, and NHDR processes, and provide comments or inputs as needed. - Contribute to the review and finalisation of the 2027 NHDR - Identify and compile relevant international examples, reference materials, and publicly available resources related to digital transformation and sustainable development. - Support the launch of the 2027 NHDR - preparation of agenda, identifying speakers and development of communication material - Assist in organizing reference materials, resources, and supporting documentation related to the NHDR process. The selected volunteer is expected to support drafting of two project progress reports.

Competencies and values

Living conditions and remarks