Research, Mapping and Analysis Associatenew

The UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and Office for UN Coordination in Asia and the Pacific (UNESCO Bangkok) is exploring opportunities to strengthen understanding of local financing ecosystems and financing models that support sustainable local development, quality education, and the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This assignment will contribute to UNESCO's work on education financing, evidence generation, policy dialogue, and local development by mapping and analyzing financing mechanisms available to local governments and other local stakeholders in Thailand. Particular attention will be given to financing approaches that can enhance equitable access to quality education, lifelong learning opportunities, and the local implementation of SDG 4, while also contributing to broader sustainable development objectives.

The findings will inform UNESCO's programmes, partnerships, research, and advocacy efforts related to education financing, local governance, sustainable development, and financing for development. The resulting analysis will provide an evidence base for identifying opportunities, challenges, and innovative practices in local financing, including mechanisms that can strengthen education outcomes at the local level, particularly through UNESCO Learning Cities and Creative Cities initiatives.

Through this assignment, the UN Volunteer will support UNESCO's efforts to foster inclusive, resilient, and sustainable communities by promoting evidence-based policymaking, strengthening local capacities, and encouraging greater investment in education and local development.

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Education Section, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks :

- Support a desk review of relevant literature, policy documents, reports, and databases related to local finance, education financing, and subnational financing in Thailand.
- Contribute to mapping of key financing models, mechanisms, and instruments used by local governments, including public finance, fiscal transfers, local revenue generation, borrowing mechanisms, public-private partnerships, philanthropy, and innovative financing approaches.
- Support in identification and compilation of relevant quantitative and qualitative data from publicly available sources.
- Assist in developing a structured inventory or database of financing mechanisms, including their characteristics, eligibility criteria, scale, and potential applications for local development and education initiatives.
- Support in assessing the extent to which identified financing mechanisms and local financing models can support education development priorities, including equitable access to quality education, lifelong learning opportunities, skills development, and local implementation of SDG 4.
- Contribute to analysis of trends, opportunities, gaps, and challenges in Thailand’s local financing landscape.
- Support in identification of examples of promising practices and innovative approaches that could support localized development, improved education outcomes, and SDG financing, including through UNESCO Learning Cities and Creative Cities initiatives.
- Contributing to preparation of a concise analytical report summarizing findings, key trends, and recommendations for further exploration.

The UN Volunteer will be expected to provide regular progress updates and participate in periodic meetings with the Education team.