Organization Mission

The Resident Coordinator´s Office is an agile hub that provides strategic leadership on the UN agenda and cultivates partnerships to foster co-created solutions for SDG delivery in alignment with national and regional priorities.

The overarching objective of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean is to enable the UN family to deliver policies and programmes in support of national efforts to realize the ambition of the 2030 Agenda and to promote well-being and dignity of people and planet. This involves bringing together the expertise and resources across agencies, funds and programmes, while also convening the full spectrum of partners and facilitating collaboration to maximize the impact of the UN offer.

On behalf of the UN Secretary General, and operating on the mandate of UN member states, the RCO acts as the backbone of the UN system in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, supporting the UN family and partners to coordinate and maximize the impact of development actions, and co-create development pathways in line with the 2030 Agenda across the 10 countries served by the MCO. With partner engagement and leadership of the Resident Coordinator, the RCO guides the collective UN strategy for SDG action in the Eastern Caribbean; the Caribbean Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (MSDCF) and connects the dots on complex, multidimensional issues, founded on data and evidence of what works. The RCO serves the UNST and ensures that the 7 resident and the 12 non-resident Agencies, Funds and Programmes deliver in a coordinated and coherent manner in line with national and regional priorities. The RCO builds on the mandates and comparative advantages of UN entities to provide synergies and ensure increased efficiency of the UN system, leveraging economies of scale where possible, to better address complex and interlinked challenges with a joined-up and multi-agency response anchored in human rights.

In this regard, guided by the RC and UNST, the RCO works to avoid duplication, reveal new multi-agency opportunities, create cost-efficiencies through joint operations, and ensures space and visibility for UN agencies and to facilitate increased access to resources on behalf of the UN system. The RCO convenes stakeholders and facilitates knowledge management and learning across sectors and pillars of the United Nations’ work to facilitate solutions to advance the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) and the Multi-Country Office (MCO) Review in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.

Context

Antigua and Barbuda play a pivotal role as custodians of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States (ABAS), a landmark framework adopted during the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in 2024. As custodians, Antigua and Barbuda are entrusted with championing the implementation of the ABAS, which is a renewed declaration for resilient prosperity. This includes advocating for climate resilience, economic diversification, and sustainable development across SIDS. Antigua and Barbuda’s strategic positioning to lead the international advocacy for SIDS, ensures that their unique vulnerabilities—such as climate change, economic isolation, and limited resources—are addressed through global partnerships and support mechanisms.

The ABAS calls for the establishment of a SIDS Centre of Excellence (COE) in Antigua and Barbuda. This Centre will include:

-A SIDS Data Hub

-A Technology and Innovation Mechanism

-An Island Investment Forum

The Programme Coordination Associate (PCA) based in the RCO in Antigua and Barbuda will provide critical support to the RCO and COE. The PCA will be a highly skilled and motivated entry level professional to lead and support initiatives related to climate policy, particularly the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and supporting SDG 13 acceleration activities, the development and implementation of Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) frameworks to support implementation of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS). The Programme Coordination Associate will also contribute to the creation of a Center of Excellence (CoE) User Guide and provide strategic project management support across climate-related programs and other key thematic areas, including food security and gender.

Key Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Country Coordination Officer (CCO) within the RCO (responsible for coordinating all programming work of the RCO for Antigua and Barbuda), the UN Volunteers, as already agreed with the government of Antigua and Barbuda, will work with the CCO and the SIDS Centre of Excellence to support development and implementation of critical knowledge products to inform the climate adaptation and mitigation priorities of SIDS globally but with a primary focus on the Eastern Caribbean.

The UN Volunteer will further support the SIDS Centre of Excellence in developing and implementing monitoring and evaluation tasks related to the climate priorities outlined in the draft ABAS M&E framework.

The UN Volunteer will have an exceptional opportunity to learn more about the SIDS context, support a fledgling international centre to promote SIDS-SIDS, North-South and Triangular collaboration and produce several high priority deliverables while benefitting from the tutelage of highly skilled development practitioners from both the government of Antigua and Barbuda, and international development partners, including the UN and the private sector.

The UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

1. Climate Policy and NDCs

-Working with climate change specialists, assists in the preparation of policy briefs for SIDS on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

-Support the process of developing, reviewing, and implementing of NDCs in alignment with the Paris Agreement.

-Contributes to policy analysis and contributes to the organisation of national and regional climate policy dialogues.

-As part of the team, the Programme Coordination Associate will liaise with government agencies, international organizations, and stakeholders to align climate actions with national priorities.

2. Monitoring & Evaluation Framework

-Contributes to the design and refinement of M&E frameworks for climate-related programs under the ABAS framework.
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Support development of indicators, data collection tools, and reporting templates for SIDS.

-Support training and capacity-building on M&E methodologies.

-Support the capacity development process to ensure the alignment of M&E systems with international standards and donor requirements.

3. Center of Excellence (CoE) User Guide

-Support the development of a comprehensive and user-friendly guide for the CoE on climate M&E.

-Collaborate with technical teams to document best practices, tools, and case studies.

-Ensure the guide is accessible, practical, and adaptable for various stakeholders.

4. Programme Coordination

-Support the coordination efforts of the RCO, UN Development System, and the SIDS CoE to develop climate resilience project pipelines.

-Develop work plans, budgets, and risk management strategies.

-Participates with cross-functional teams to ensure timely delivery of project outputs.

-Assist with the preparation of progress reports, presentations, and donor communications.

Required Skills and Experience

Demonstrated interest and/or experience in Programme Management, Climate Action, International Development

Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture (i.e. studies, volunteer work, internship) would be highly regarded;

Experience and exposure to international climate negotiations, such as NDC processes and international climate frameworks. Familiarity with climate finance mechanisms (e.g., GCF, GEF).

Strong understanding of M&E tools, logical frameworks, and results-based management.

Excellent writing, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills. Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, or GIS).

Experience working with governments, UN agencies, or international NGOs is an asset.

Professional experience or interest in climate action, disaster risk reduction, M&E, and project management would be as asset.

Core Competencies

​​​Accountability
​​Adaptability and Flexibility
​Building Trust
​​​Client Orientation
​​Commitment and Motivation
​Commitment to Continuous Learning
​​​Communication
​​​Creativity
​​Ethics and Values
​​​Integrity
​​​Judgement and Decision-making
​​Knowledge Sharing
​​​Planning and Organizing
​​​Professionalism
​​Respect for Diversity
​​Self-Management
​​​Technological Awareness
​​​Vision
​​​Working in Teams

Living Conditions

Living conditions in Antigua and Barbuda in 2025 offer a blend of tropical charm, modern amenities, and some cost-related challenges, especially due to the island nation”s reliance on imports. The islands offer a high quality of life with beautiful beaches, a warm climate, and a relaxed pace. The cost of living is higher than many other Caribbean nations, but the environment is safe, clean, and community-oriented.

You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator.
The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos