They fail somewhere between the decision and the practice it was meant to change. Approvals pile up, the people delivering it are already stretched, and those a programme is meant to help are rarely asked before it is built. Closing that gap is the work.
For twenty years — from the Philippine Congress to UN platforms across the system — Paulyn has worked on why well-funded, well-designed sustainable-development programmes stall on the way to results, and built the interventions that close the distance. Learning and knowledge are the instruments. Results are the point.
UN DCO · Resident Coordinators · system-wide
Socializing the UN's most senior country leaders around the 2030 Agenda
The problem Resident Coordinators lead the UN's country teams and coordinate its support to the 2030 Agenda. DCO had just published a Foundational Primer on the Agenda — and needed a way to socialize the RCs around it.
The move Built an online journey on that Primer: a short assessment, a 700-word essay answering an RC-specific question, peer comments on two colleagues' essays, and a one-minute video on their own country context. Delivered on un.org and handed to DCO to run.
60%+ of all Resident Coordinators completed it
UN Thailand · bilingual EN/TH · replicated across agencies
Turning a UN Country Team into a producer of learning
The problem National SDG awareness in Thailand was low, and Country Teams were treated as recipients of global learning rather than authors of their own.
The move Co-designed a culturally grounded bilingual micro-primer with UN Thailand and launched it at the Sustainability Expo in Bangkok — a model other UN agencies then replicated.
12,700+ learners · national SDG awareness up from 17% to 25% (2023–2025)
Africa Sustainable Development Academy · 20 countries · RC-nominated
Proving capacity building changed what institutions do
The problem Capacity programmes almost never show whether anything changed once participants go home — the evidence stops at the completion certificate.
The move Led the inaugural Academy across 20 African countries, with AI-supported audio for a participant who is blind and mobile-first design for low connectivity — and built four-month and one-year follow-ups in from the start.
99% recommendation · participants reforming processes and shifting policy a year on
01 · Diagnose
Construct the problem before the solution
The work starts by unpacking a vague sense of failure into a specific performance gap someone can actually act on — not by reaching for a platform or a curriculum. Surface the workflows: who decides, who delivers, who is accountable to whom. Most programme failure stays invisible until it is mapped that way, and only then does the distance between a decision on paper and a change in practice come into view.
02 · Build
Build the instrument that closes the gap
A diagnosis changes nothing until it reaches people. Learning programmes delivered across 100+ countries; certification designed for the UN's most senior country representatives; formats built for limited connectivity and for participants using assistive technology — carrying real delivery and donor accountability, not just design.
03 · Prove
Measure past the certificate
What matters is what changed months later, not how many people finished. Four-month and one-year follow-ups show whether a process was reformed or a national policy conversation shifted. Evidence sits across the full capability chain — from reach, to application, to institutional and societal change.
01
Learning platform · UN system · 68 partners
UN SDG:Learn initiative
Coordinator of the UN's flagship SDG learning platform, partnering with 68 organizations. Grew from 4,000 users in 2019 to 1.1 million cumulative users and 5 million pageviews by 2025. Drove 6.7 million LinkedIn impressions in 2023 through the "Free Courses" campaign.
1.1M+ users5M+ pageviews50,200+ registered learners (2026)68 UN partners
02
Podcast · Knowledge dissemination
SDG Learncast podcast
Conceptualized, hosted, and produced across five seasons featuring Jeffrey Sachs, Benjamin Piper (Gates Foundation), Yasmine Sherif (ECW), and global leaders. Reached 100,000+ plays. Top 15% globally on Spotify in Education.
100K+ playsTop 15% Spotify Education59K LinkedIn followers
03
Capacity development · Africa
Africa Sustainable Development Academy
Secured USD 400,000 in donor funding and positioned the Africa Sustainable Development Academy as a UNSSC flagship. Led the inaugural academy for participants across 20 African countries, each nominated by the UN Resident Coordinator in their country. Delivered AI-supported audio formats for a participant who is blind and a mobile-first design thinking workshop for those joining on limited connectivity. Participant evaluation returned a 99 per cent recommendation rate.
USD 400K secured99% recommendation rate20 countries
04
Immersive learning · VR · 2020 & 2025
Inside Sustainable Development
Led UNSSC's first virtual reality film in 2020, built on the Know, Feel, Do framework. A 360-degree experience that places participants inside a city undergoing transformation. The 2025 revamp introduced stronger storytelling and two viewing modes: a linear full-length film, and a five-minute segmented pathway designed for modular workshops, conference booths and pavilions. Deployed at the UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm El-Sheikh and the Global Changemaker Academy for Parliamentarians, where it enabled a participant who uses a wheelchair to fully join a site visit. Also delivered as an online watch party for the UN Summer Academy from 2021 to 2023.
UN Climate Change Conference30 VR headsetsLinear and segmented modes
05
Microlearning · Digital
Thai SDG Micro-Primer
Co-designed with UN Thailand using a culturally grounded bilingual curriculum. Launched at the Sustainability Expo in Bangkok. Reached over 12,700 learners across English and Thai versions, contributing to a rise in national SDG awareness in Thailand from 17 per cent in 2023 to 25 per cent in 2025.
12,700+ learnersNational awareness 17% to 25%Bilingual EN/TH
In development
06
Knowledge architecture · UNSSC-wide
Sustainable Development Knowledge Bank
Originated the concept for a UNSSC-wide knowledge bank and co-developed it with a 22-volunteer working group from across the organization. Prototyped multi-format microlearning and knowledge summaries, and supported early prototyping of a learning game. Ran user research to test stakeholder assumptions and understand how people handle knowledge challenges within the UN. Currently in early development.
22-person working groupMulti-format prototypingEarly stage
07
Certification · Resident Coordinators · UN DCO
SDG certification for resident coordinators
Designed and delivered the SDG Certification platform in collaboration with UN DCO, targeting the UN's most senior country-level representatives. Over 60% of all Resident Coordinators completed the certification. Featured in the 2020 Report of the Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group.
60%+ RC completionUN DCO partnershipCited in UNSDG 2020 report
In development
08
AI · Virtual reality · Learning innovation
AI-VR learning project on climate, land and biodiversity
Building immersive experiences that help leaders rehearse complex decisions. Develops the storyboard, scenarios and decision points, drawing on Common Country Analyses and evaluation reports to construct worlds grounded in real conditions. Also supported funding through the Programme Innovation Fund and drafted procurement instruments, including the Request for Information, Request for Proposal and terms of reference. In early development.
Storyboard and scenario designDecision-making under complexityClimate · Land · Biodiversity
09
Digital platform · Knowledge management · 2014–2016
Post-2015 Learning Hub
Designed the platform architecture and managed content for the Post-2015 Learning Hub — a curated digital learning resource for UN staff during the pivotal transition to the 2030 Agenda. Drafted the Director's speech for the platform launch alongside Amina Mohammed. Managed "SD Talks," a video library featuring senior UN officials explaining key sustainable development concepts.
Launched with Amina MohammedSD Talks video library2030 Agenda transition
