UNFPA Volunteer, Advocacy and Coordination Support

Title: UNFPA Volunteer, Advocacy and Coordination Support
Location: UNFPA Lao Country Office, Vientiane
Full/Part-time: Full-time 
Remote/In person: In person/remote
Duration: Maximum 24 weeks, dependent on needs

Candidates who are not nationals of the country where they will volunteer must have appropriate residence or immigration status in the country of assignment. In the case of a volunteer assignment outside the volunteer’s country of residence, the volunteer will be responsible for making their own visa and travel arrangements.

About UNFPA and How You Can Make a Difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations, and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on womens’ and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results. We need UNFPA Volunteers who are exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results. 

In Lao PDR, UNFPA supports the Ministry of Health and national partners to strengthen Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (RMNCH). As part of its engagement in the RMNCH Steering Committee, UNFPA will host a booth to showcase its contributions and initiatives.

Scope of Work and Responsibilities:

Under the overall supervision of the Communications and Partnership Expert, and in close collaboration with the communication team and the program units, the UNFPA Volunteer will provide programme, advocacy, and operational support to ensure effective coordination, communication, and delivery of results. Specific areas of work include:

Advocacy, Coordination and Communication Support:

• Support preparation, coordination, and follow-up of advocacy and policy dialogue meetings.
• Assist in drafting meeting notes, correspondence, briefing materials, talking points, and presentations for missions, workshops, and official engagements.
• Provide substantive support for programme activities, consultations, and high-level visits.
• Assist in preparing background information, fact sheets, and documentation for meetings, conferences, and donor engagements.
• Collect and compile reference materials, statistics, and reports to support programme planning and implementation.
• Maintain updated contact and mailing lists to ensure smooth information flow.
• Provide support to incoming missions and delegations.
• Support visibility, outreach, and advocacy initiatives, including preparation of communication materials.

Administration:

• Assist in scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, and managing documentation.
• Ensure all official documents are properly filed and accessible.
• Provide support for workshops, trainings, and community engagement activities.
• Support event logistics as required.
• Draft and edit routine correspondence, reports, and other documents with accuracy and quality.
• Support the procurement of communication materials, ensuring tracking of deliverables and payments for vendors in coordination with finance teams. 

Knowledge Management:

• Assist in organizing knowledge-sharing events and trainings for staff and partners.
• Contribute to updating programme files, resource libraries, and digital knowledge platforms.
• Support monitoring of programme activities, data collection, and preparation of progress reports.
• Support knowledge-sharing and documentation of best practices across programme and operations teams.

A work-plan with achievements for the duration of the volunteer assignment will be agreed upon. Periodic progress meetings will lead to a beneficial environment for the UNFPA Volunteer, enhancing her/his skills and capacity in areas related to UNFPA’s mandate.

Qualifying Criteria for a Volunteer Assignment:

All UNFPA Volunteers must meet the following eligibility requirements:

a. Applicants from all over the world may express an interest in volunteering. Applicants must be over the age of 18. There is no upper age restriction as long as the person is fit for the required work.
b. Candidates who are not nationals of the country where they will volunteer must have appropriate residence or immigration status in the country of assignment. 
c. Volunteers may include professionals, technicians, and retirees. 
d. Spouses and family members of current UNFPA personnel may volunteer as long as there is no conflict of interest. 
i. Family relationships must be disclosed to the Ethics Office and Head of Unit prior to engaging a spouse or family member as a volunteer. 
ii. Volunteers should not be in the same reporting line as spouses or family members and, where feasible, should be in different organizational units. 
e. A Bachelor's degree in relevant field is required.
f. Fluency in English is required.
g. Demonstrate interest in the field of development.
h. Demonstrate ability to adapt to new environments and to establish and maintain good working relations with individuals of different cultural backgrounds.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in communication/management/partnership or other related fields.
• Some experience in programme support, advocacy, communication, or administration.
• Self-starter, proactive, passion for issues relevant to UNFPA mandate.
• Strong drafting and writing skills with attention to detail.
• Good organizational, coordination, and time-management skills.
• Experience working with UN agencies, government, NGOs, or youth/civil society groups is an advantage.
• Computer literacy and proficiency in Microsoft Office and digital collaboration tools is mandatory.

Language:

Knowledge of Lao or other UN languages is an advantage.

A work-plan with achievements for the duration of the volunteer assignment will be agreed upon. Periodic progress meetings will lead to a beneficial environment for the UNFPA Volunteer, enhancing her/his skills and capacity in areas related to UNFPA’s mandate.

Learning Elements:

Upon completion of the assignment, the UNFPA Volunteer will gain the following knowledge assets:

• Increased understanding of the UNFPA and the Programme Division within UNFPA
• Understand the UNFPA mandate and policies  
• Understand UNFPA programme design and delivery mechanisms
• Understand the dynamics of operational and programme support and communications to the field
• Learn UN technical language, working procedures, and coordination mechanisms 
• Write and formulate documents
• Network with UN colleagues 
• Work experience as a team member in a multicultural setting

Financial Aspects:

UNFPA Volunteers do not receive a salary or any other form of remuneration from UNFPA. The costs associated with a UNFPA Volunteer's participation in the programme must be assumed by the UNFPA Volunteer themselves, who will have to meet living expenses as well as make their own arrangements for accommodation, travel and other requirements. 

In addition, applicants must have medical insurance for the duration of the volunteer assignment. Proof of adequate medical insurance, a medical certificate of good health, proof of any required vaccinations for the duty station will need to be submitted before the volunteer assignment begins. UNFPA does not provide medical insurance for UNFPA volunteers.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.

How to Apply:

Please email your applications to laos.office@unfpa.org with a clear subject line specifying the title of the role.

The deadline for applications is 9 October 2025. Due to the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.