Education Programmes Technical Associate

UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty while protecting the planet. We help countries develop strong policies, skills, partnerships and institutions so they can sustain their progress. UNDP plays a pivotal role in international development as a knowledge broker, capacity builder, innovator, and facilitator of exchanges in the global development debate. We identify, disseminate and apply lessons from past projects, strengthen knowledge exchange and networking, as well as fostering openness and public engagement. The vision of UNDP’s Global Policy Network is to instantly connect countries to the knowledge, resources and networks to achieve development breakthroughs. Responding in an integrated and coherent manner, we are determined to end poverty and hunger, protect the planet from degradation, ensure that all citizens have prosperous lives, with growth that occurs in harmony with nature, and to foster peaceful and inclusive societies. We are determined to mobilize the means to implement the 2030 Agenda through a revitalized Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, based on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity.

The School as a Center of Development initiative, promoted by the Government of the Dominican Republic, seeks to strengthen the role of public schools as key hubs for community development, social inclusion, and the provision of public services at the territorial level. This vision positions schools not only as spaces for learning, but as comprehensive platforms for well-being, social cohesion, and local progress nationwide. Within this framework, the Dominican State promotes inter-institutional coordination to integrate educational, social, and health services into schools, as well as training, prevention and community participation initiatives, with special attention to vulnerable communities. As part of this strategy, programmes are implemented to strengthen schools as spaces for comprehensive development, notably the School Health Programme, coordinated by the Ministry of the Presidency in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Health, the National Health Service (SNS) and INABIE. This programme incorporates preventive health services directly into public schools, including general medical check-ups, visual, auditory and oral health services, guidance on healthy habits, and timely referrals to the public health network, contributing to improved student well-being and academic performance. The School as a Center of Development strategy aims to strengthen public institutions’ capacity to implement intersectoral policies that promote the comprehensive development of students and their communities, integrating education, health, social protection and citizen participation. In this context, schools are consolidated as safe, inclusive and dynamic spaces, open to the community and aligned with national priorities for sustainable human development. In support of this vision, the assignment seeks to incorporate a technical profile that contributes to accompanying public institutions responsible for implementing the School as a Center of Development approach. This profile will support planning processes, inter-institutional coordination and monitoring of educational and social initiatives, including the School Health component, ensuring high standards of management, quality and impact. It will also contribute to the identification and adaptation of good practices, strengthening of institutional capacities, and promotion of innovative and inclusive approaches that consolidate schools as engines of community development and the Ministry of Public Health as a key guarantor.

Under the direct supervision of the Education Portfolio Coordinator, who leads the implementation of six initiatives with public institutions in the education sector, the United Nations Volunteer will carry out the following tasks: - Support the Education Portfolio in monitoring and follow-up of programmes and projects. - Contribute to the integration of gender, inclusion and human rights approaches across all ongoing programmes and projects. - Support the Portfolio in establishing a strong level of cooperation with all stakeholders involved in the development of projects and initiatives (civil society, government and international agencies). - Participate in activities and initiatives of the education sector, including those led by educational institutions, the United Nations System, civil society and the private sector, coordinated through UNDP. - Support the Portfolio in the design and implementation of strategic partnership strategies that strengthen collaboration, promoting the integration of complementary approaches such as care and social protection policies, health education, prevention and comprehensive well-being in the school environment. - Contribute to the generation of knowledge products related to school health and educational development, including technical notes, systematizations, analytical inputs and documentation of good practices that support decision-making, institutional learning and programme scalability. During the first month of the assignment, the UN Volunteer will work closely with his/her direct supervisor to finalize an agreed-upon work plan. The work plan should outline key objectives and activities and include regular check ins with the supervisor to review progress and receive performance