Learning Support Associate, Islamabad

Description of assignment (DoA) details

General

Description of assignment title

Learning Support Associate

Assignment country

Pakistan

Duty stations

Islamabad

Work location

On UN premises

Expected start date

11/02/2026

Duration

12 months
(with possibility of extension)

Sustainable Development Goal

4. Quality education

Host entity

UNICEF

Modality

Onsite

Type

National

Volunteer category

Associate UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule

Full-time

Number of Assignments

1

Details

Mission and objectives

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges. UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan to accelerate progress for children, work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help children realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children. This will be made through, among others things, strong partnerships with provincial authorities, teachers and health professionals, frontline workers and social mobilisers, communities and families, and of course the children and adolescents themselves. In particular, UNICEF will work so that: Every child survives and thrives -- being in good health, immunised, protected from polio and accessing nutritious food. Every child learns. Every child is protected from violence and exploitation, and registered at birth. Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

Context

This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment is part of UNICEF Pakistan's education programme, which supports the Government of Pakistan in achieving equitable, inclusive and quality education for all children. UNICEF, established in 1946, has a global mandate to promote and protect the rights and wellbeing of every child, with education as a central pillar of its work. The assignment is based in the team delivering Output 2 of the education programme, which focuses on foundational learning (FL) and early childhood education (ECE). The assignment also supports Output 3, which covers accelerated learning programmes (ALPs) for out-of-school children (OOSC). The team works with federal and provincial education departments to move FL policy into coherent, costed and measurable implementation. This includes a common core package for FL programmes across provinces (a daily Foundational Learning Hour, graded reading materials, phonics training, assessment-led instruction and mentoring), a national FL Hub in the Pakistan Institute of Education (PIE) working alongside provincial FL hubs, and support for provincial FL and ECE delivery in Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. Key stakeholders include the Government of Pakistan (federal and provincial), the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the European Union, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Royal Norwegian Embassy. Expected results include improved access and retention, and enhanced quality of pre-primary and primary education, with measurable improvement in children's foundational learning. More information on UNICEF's education work in Pakistan can be found here: https://www.unicef.org/pakistan/education

Task description

1. Programme support (Output 2: FL and ECE; Output 3: ALPs for OOSC)
   • Assist in monitoring the implementation progress of Output 2 and Output 3, supported by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the European Union and other donors, in the provinces by consolidating relevant field updates.
   • Help compile updates on action points agreed in the Output 2 and Output 3 Technical Working Groups across provinces.
   • Support the Education Specialist in research for policy briefs and discussion papers on FL, ECE and ALPs for out-of-school children.
   • Help collect and organise information on ECE and FL programmes, including teacher training, mentoring and classroom activities, to support regular progress updates.
   • Support teams working on ALPs for out-of-school children under Output 3 by helping gather information, follow up on activities and track the progress of children returning to learning.
   • Support the review and refinement of professional development (PD) processes and frameworks, ensuring alignment with programme objectives and quality standards.
   • Assist in coordinating and consolidating quarterly progress updates from provincial and field offices.
2. Documentation and reporting
   • Draft meeting notes, briefs and summary reports from technical discussions and Technical Working Group meetings.
   • Maintain a tracker of commitments, deadlines and deliverables for Outputs 2 and 3 (government, UNICEF and partners).
   • Compile partner inputs and prepare first drafts of situation updates, fact sheets and donor progress reports.
3. Knowledge and data management, including FL Hub support
   • Support the national FL Hub in PIE and the provincial FL hubs by helping build and maintain a curated repository of national and provincial FL and ECE resources, such as levelled readers, big books, high-frequency word books, teacher training guides and Knowledge Management Support Associate (UNV, Output 2 FL, ECE and ALP) - revised description of assignment digital resources, with agreed quality criteria, permissions and licensing records.
   • Maintain a tracker of provincial roll-out of the common core package (daily Foundational Learning Hour, reading materials, phonics training and mentoring) against the common results framework, and consolidate inputs for the monthly FL implementation review.
   • Support the Federal-Provincial FL Forum by preparing background packs and agendas and recording decisions and follow-up actions.
   • Compile the latest education data from Pakistan Education Statistics (PES) and provincial education data into infographics for the provinces and nationally.
   • Maintain databases of studies, evaluations and evidence on FL, ECE, ALPs and out-of-school children for easy reference.
   • Support the preparation of presentations, background notes and briefing packs for meetings with government and partners, including checking for the latest data.
4. Administrative and logistical support
   • Support the organisation of workshops, FL Forum and review meetings (venue booking, invitations and materials).
   • Maintain calendars for key Output 2 and Output 3 events, such as Technical Working Group meetings, FL Forum meetings, donor reviews and provincial planning cycles.
   • Ensure documentation is systematically prepared and shared across team members.
5. Communication and visibility
   • Draft internal communication notes and partner updates on progress or upcoming activities.
   • Support the development of infographics, briefs and short updates for advocacy and knowledge sharing on FL, ECE and ALPs.
   • Track media, research and partner publications relevant to foundational learning, ECE and accelerated learning.

Eligibility criteria

Age

18 - 80

Required experience

1 month

Nationality

Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience

1 month

Languages

English, Level: Working knowledge, Required

Urdu, Level: Native language, Required

Required education level

Bachelor's degree in Education (for example Education Policy, Curriculum Studies, Educational Planning and Management), Social Sciences (for example Sociology, Development Studies, International Relations, Public Policy), Economics (particularly Development Economics or Education Economics), Public Administration, Public Policy, Development Studies or International Development.

Competencies and values

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management

Skills and experience

• Experience in education, social sciences, development studies, public policy, economics, or other relevant programmes; experience with education sector planning, coordination, or monitoring is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other international development organization;
• Experience supporting programme coordination, stakeholder engagement, and project follow-up, preferably in education or development-related contexts;
• Excellent oral and written skills; strong drafting, formulation, and reporting abilities;
• Accuracy and professionalism in document production, editing, and record-keeping;
• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including government officials, development partners, and community stakeholders;
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; capacity to operate effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel;
• Solid computer literacy, including proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), email, and internet; familiarity with data management systems is an asset;
• Self-motivated, with ability to work under minimum supervision and meet tight deadlines;
• Sound organizational skills with attention to detail;
• Have affinity with or interest in education, child rights, volunteerism as a mechanism for development, and the UN system.

Area(s) of expertise

Project management, programme development, strategy

Driving license

Other information

Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.

Living conditions and remarks

As this is a national UNV assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. UNV Field Unit will help you open a Pak rupee bank account with Standard Chartered Bank or any other local bank at your duty station. Assignment remarks: This is a national UNV assignment, and a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) of PKR 106,569 is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents), as well as final repatriation (if applicable) and resettlement allowance for satisfactory service.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Reasonable accommodation

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

In addition to duty station-specific vaccine requirements, appointments are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their contracts.

Scam warning

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

• • Facilitate coordination on cross-cutting priorities, including PSEA, gender equality and child safeguarding, within Output 2 and Output 3 interventions.

• Facilitate coordination on cross-cutting priorities, including PSEA, gender equality and child safeguarding, within Output 2 and Output 3 interventions.