Application Deadline: Unspecified
Applications are now open for the 2025 United Nations African Policy Innovation Fellowship. The programme aims to equip a new generation of African policymakers with the tools to craft technically sound, context-sensitive, and fiscally grounded policies. Administered by the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), in collaboration with the UN Development Coordination Office (DCO) Regional Office for Africa and host UN entities, the Fellowship aligns with the UN Secretary-General’s UN 2.0 Strategy and Six Transitions, reinforcing the shift toward evidence-based, implementationready policymaking.
Through a structured, multi-phase model, the fellowship enables junior and mid-level government
officials to develop and implement data-driven, contextually grounded policy solutions aligned
with national priorities. By embedding fellows within both global and domestic policy processes,
from UN Headquarters to their home institutions, the programme is structured around a practical,
immersive approach that builds national capacity while embedding fellows in global and regional
policy ecosystems. Specifically, the Fellowship is designed to enhance policymaking skills in
alignment with the Six Transitions, which include:
- Food systems
- Energy access and affordability
- Digital connectivity
- Education
- Jobs and social protection
- Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution
Fellowship Structure
The fellowship employs a structured, six-month, three-phase program that combines conceptual
training, policy design, and applied implementation support. It aims to equip junior to mid-level
African policymakers with the analytical and operational capacities to design data-driven, fiscally
grounded, and context-responsive policy interventions aligned with national development
priorities and institutional mandates:
- Virtual Phase (1 Month – Conceptualization)
Fellows begin the programme with a virtual learning phase that focuses on conceptual clarity,
diagnostic analysis, and policy design fundamentals:
- Fellows refine their project proposals into actionable policy frameworks grounded in
national data systems and institutional realities. - Interactive sessions are delivered by UN policy experts, development economists, and
data specialists, with an emphasis on using administrative data and national statistics for
decision-making. - Fellows receive tailored mentorship on aligning their proposals with national planning
frameworks and sectoral strategies.
- In-Person Phase (3 Months – Policy Development at UN HQ, New York)
- During this residency, fellows are embedded in relevant UN Secretariat departments to
deepen their understanding of how international norms, financing instruments, and
cooperation frameworks interface with domestic policymaking: - Fellows are placed within a host UN entity aligned with their proposed policy area (linked
to one of the UN Secretary-General’s Six Transitions). - They participate in intergovernmental and interagency policy dialogues, contributing
African perspectives to global conversations while refining their interventions in real time. - Fellows receive technical support to strengthen the fiscal and institutional feasibility of
their projects, including methodologies for integrating DRM strategies and climate finance
or leveraging SDG-aligned budgeting.
- Home Country Phase (2 Months – Preparation for the programmatic implementation with UN
RCO Support)
- Upon return, fellows enter a phase focused on preparing implementation within their
national institutions: - With support from the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO), fellows will engage with
relevant ministries and stakeholders to assess institutional fit, political feasibility, and
financing pathways. - They will refine implementation plans and conduct preliminary risk and stakeholder
analyses. - Fellows formally present their policy frameworks to national authorities for feedback and
alignment with ongoing national development plans and UN Sustainable Development
Cooperation Frameworks.
- Implementation
Following the six-month core fellowship:
- Fellows reintegrate into their public sector institutions with the objective to pursue
implementation of their project. - OSAA, in collaboration with the UN Country Team, will maintain structured follow-ups and
technical support, facilitating access to UN system capacities and catalytic partnerships. - Formal monitoring will be conducted annually to assess progress, capture lessons learned,
and feed into policy dialogue at national and regional levels.
The programme will operate on a biannual cycle, with two cohorts per year (January–June and
July–December).
Application and eligibility requirements:
Prospective fellows must submit a project proposal addressing a national-level policy challenge
related to one of the six transitions. The proposal should:
- Incorporate a data inventory outlining available sources and data gaps.
- Demonstrate how national data will be leveraged to develop an actionable policy
framework. - Include a strong financing component linked to domestic resource mobilization fiscal
policy coherence, or innovative financing mechanisms (e.g., carbon markets, remittances,
SDG-aligned bonds).
Eligibility Requirements: - Junior to mid-level government officials from African countries.
- Maximum age limit of 40 years.
- Supervisor’s endorsement letter confirming support and releasing the fellow for the threemonth in-person phase in New York.
Documents
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the United Nations African Policy Innovation Fellowship
