Research Associate

UNDP works with the Government and people of Pakistan to develop local solutions to development challenges. In an evolving development context, we support Pakistan’s efforts to build a more equitable, prosperous, peaceful and resilient society, and to achieve its SDGs and COP25 targets. UNDP promotes transformational change by fostering strategic partnerships with national counterparts in the federal, provincial and regional governments, civil society, the private sector and the local and international community. UNDP supports transformational change by providing technical assistance focusing on developing capacity within national and local authorities, providing solutions with strong monitoring and evaluation tools, and delivering programmes with maximum efficiency, transparency and accountability.

UNDP’s ultimate goal is to improve the lives of the people of Pakistan through keeping people out of poverty; governance for peaceful, just and inclusive societies; crisis prevention and increased resilience; nature-based solutions for development; clean affordable energy; and women's empowerment and gender equality.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been supporting the Government of Pakistan in advancing key reform initiatives for nearly a decade through its Reforms and Innovation in Government for High Performance Project. The project is grounded in improving state performance, strengthening evidence-based policy planning, and building institutional capacity. It is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), UNDP’s Strategic Plan signature solution on governance, and the UNDP Pakistan Country Programme Document’s focus on fostering open, accountable, and future-ready institutions.

Within this framework, the National Governance Programme (NGP) represents a flagship technical assistance initiative funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Running from 2023 to 2028, NGP is a 4.5-year Programme designed to strengthen state capability and institutional resilience by improving coordination across tiers of government. The Programme works at the intersection of federal and provincial governance to promote policy coherence, accountability, and collaborative delivery on national priorities.
NGP works across four reform sectors—climate change, pension reform, power, and petroleum—and engages through four institutional channels: Parliament, the Prime Minister’s Office, federal ministries, and provincial departments. The Programme provides technical assistance, facilitates horizontal and vertical coordination between institutions, and designs governance instruments to support policy delivery and address critical gaps.
NGP seeks to enable whole-of-government responses to be pressing reform issues and strengthen mechanisms for anticipatory governance. In doing so, the Programme contributes to building institutions that are more responsive, capable of delivering cross-sectoral reforms, and equipped to meet Pakistan’s long-term sustainable development objectives.
The Research Assistant will support the research work with the Senior Economist and Public Finance and Budget Specialist on providing technical assistance to the Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue.

This will be done in accordance with UNDP rules, policies, and procedures.

The research assistant must comply with the following responsibilities:

Research and Analysis:

• Provide research support in the establishment and day-to-day functioning of the Analytical Cell under the Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue.
• Conduct background research, literature reviews, and data analysis to inform committee deliberations and policy recommendations.
• Collect, verify, and analyze data required for financial impact assessments of enacted laws and fiscal measures.
• Contribute to the preparation of analytical reports on major government initiatives (e.g., energy subsidies, climate finance, or tax expenditures) to demonstrate the unit’s practical value.
• Draft briefing notes, summaries, and data visualizations for use by parliamentarians during budget sessions.

Coordination and Institutional Support:

• Assist in developing and maintaining data-sharing protocols with the Finance Division, FBR, and other relevant entities.
• Support the Senior Economist and Public Finance and Budget Specialist in coordinating inputs and technical assistance for the Committee’s analytical work.
• Maintain organized records of datasets, reports, and correspondence related to the analytical unit’s work.
• Assist in tracking progress toward formalizing the analytical unit through changes in Rules of Procedure or official notifications.

Capacity Building and Stakeholder Engagement

• Support the design and delivery of capacity-building sessions for parliamentarians and committee staff on budget analysis, fiscal policy, and budget oversight.
• Provide logistical and coordination support for workshops, consultations, and stakeholder meetings related to the analytical unit’s activities.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to:

• Strengthen their knowledge of the SDGs and the United Nations Development System;
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take an active part in UNV activities (for instance, in events that mark International Volunteer Day)
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNDP and UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.