Inclusive Growth Support Associate

The Timbuktoo initiative, launched in January 2024, is UNDP’s flagship programme to catalyse innovation-driven entrepreneurship in Africa. It aims to mobilize USD 1 billion in blended finance, establish 10 thematic UniPods across the continent, positively impact 100 million livelihoods, and create 10 million dignified jobs. The Timbuktoo Digital Hub is the pan-African digital backbone of the initiative. It connects startups, investors, corporates, universities, hubs, and governments through a data-rich, AI-enabled platform. High-quality, real-time data and knowledge products are critical to drive investment decisions, measure impact, showcase success stories, and enable evidence-based policymaking across the ecosystem.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Rwanda is implementing its Country Programme Document (CPD) 2025–2029, which advances inclusive growth, decent work, social protection, and equitable economic opportunities. These priorities are led by the Structural Transformation and Inclusive Growth Unit (STRING) and delivered through UNDP’s portfolio approach, which promotes cross-unit, multidisciplinary collaboration with government institutions, development partners, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), the private sector, and foundations. The UN Volunteer (Inclusive Growth Support Associate) will support resource mobilization, partnership development, programme implementation, and coordination, including UNDP’s collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM). The assignment will contribute to donor intelligence, proposal development, partnership tracking, research on innovative financing, programme monitoring, knowledge management, and communications, while supporting alignment across UNDP portfolios and integrating gender equality and Leaving No One Behind (LNOB) principles to ensure coherent and results-oriented delivery of inclusive growth initiatives.

Under the direct supervision of the Program Analyst/STRING, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

1. Support resource mobilization and partnership development
• Assist in the development and regular updating of the donor intelligence matrix covering development partners, international financial institutions, private sector partners, and foundations aligned with inclusive growth priorities.

• Support the preparation of concept notes, funding proposals, briefing notes, and partnership profiles
• Support the preparation of background materials and presentations for high-level meet-ings with government institutions, international financial institutions, and development partners.
• Assist in the documentation of strategic engagements and the follow-up on agreed ac-tions and outcomes
• Contribute to the maintenance of a pipeline tracker for funding opportunities and partner-ship engagements
• Assist in drafting inputs for resource mobilization meetings, presentations, and follow-up correspondence
• Support research on blended finance approaches, investment instruments, and innovative financing opportunities.

2. Support collaboration with MINICOM
• Assist in compiling background research on trade, industrial policy, micro, small and medium enterprise development, and value chains.
• Support the preparation of technical briefs, meeting summaries, and presentations related to cooperation between the United Nations Development Programme and the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Rwanda
• Contribute to the analysis of programmes supporting entrepreneurship, industrialization, and private-sector competitiveness.
• Assist in organizing consultations, workshops, and stakeholder meetings involving the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Rwanda and relevant partners.

3. Support programme implementation and coordination
• Contribute to portfolio coherence by identifying linkages between inclusive growth initiatives, governance reforms, and youth employment programmes
• Assist in tracking the progress of inclusive growth initiatives and partnership-related ac-tivities
• Support the preparation of donor reports, internal progress updates, and knowledge products.
• Contribute to the documentation of lessons learned, case studies, and success stories.
Assist in coordinating inputs across UNDP teams and partners during the preparation of programme documents
• Support the integration of gender equality and Leaving No One Behind (LNOB) principles in partnership and funding proposals development.
• Support coordination across programme units to ensure alignment of inclusive growth initiatives with governance and environmental portfolios.

4. Support knowledge management and communications
• Assist in organizing programme files, data, and partnership documentation.
• Support the preparation of communication materials highlighting inclusive growth results and partnership achievements.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing within UNDP and across partner networks.