Civic Engagement Officer

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. Since 1972, UNDP and its partners have helped Bangladesh make critical advances in the areas of governance, poverty reduction, climate change and disaster resilience.

UNDP is looking for young talent with passion to contribute to Bangladesh at this exciting and transitional time when the country is becoming a middle income and prosperous society; and being recognized as champion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the same time, the incumbent talent will have the opportunity to contribute to strengthening youth civic engagement and building enabled young people to participate in and positively influence decision making, political processes and governance institutions, which is one of the core missions of the regional youth empowerment project of UNDP in the Asia-Pacific. Overall goal of this Portfolio is to contribute to UNDP Strategic Plan to accelerate the SDG targets and providing a platform for RBAP COs to develop national youth empowerment portfolios. The ‘Model Youth Parliament’ is a new initiative by UNDP centred around the concept of youth inclusion in governance. They key goal of the Model Youth Parliament is to be an effective channel of cooperation and information exchange between young people, parliaments, national governments, local councils and other decision-making bodies. It also aims to also support the attainment of national goals by transforming youth into active, SMART citizens.

This is an excellent opportunity for young people to contribute to the UNDP’s work on governance and youth engagement and learn from the diverse team to grow as professionals within the development sector.

The incumbent position will work under the supervision of the Youth Coordinator of UNDP Bangladesh and work closely with the youth team of Bangkok Regional Hub to perform the following activities.

a) Research and Knowledge Management • Assist in conducting secondary research on Youth Parliaments and Youth Councils across the world, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. • Support the development of a service offer by conducting stock-taking exercis-es to map best practices by development organizations and youth-led organiza-tions for engaging youth in political processes and institutions in the region. • Contribute to knowledge management by preparing briefing notes, meeting documentation, talking points, proposals and presentations to help advance the initiative in Asia and the Pacific. • Assist in documenting initiative information.

b) Network Management and Coordination • Support in exploring opportunities for networking and collaboration with the youth organizations, CSOs, relevant government and development partners. • Support in maintaining communication and coordination with internal and ex-ternal stakeholders.

c) Project Implementation • Assist in implementing the activities in relation to project management • Prepare Action Plans, session plan and concept note required for the imple-mentation of planned activities in pilot countries. • Support in organizing events including learning sessions, group discussions, dialogues, and the Model Youth Parliament conference. • Assist in monitoring the progress of the initiative

d) Communications and Report Development • Support in developing and implementing communications strategy. • Support in developing outreach content • Assist in developing the project report, result oriented report

In addition to the specified tasks, the incumbent position would perform other need-based tasks assigned by the supervisor .

• Accountability • Adaptability and Flexibility • Building Trust • Client Orientation • Commitment and Motivation • Commitment to Continuous Learning • Communication • Ethics and Values • Integrity • Planning and Organizing • Professionalism • Respect for Diversity • Working in Teams

related to youth engagement, democratic governance, project management and implementation.

Skills and experience: • Strong organizational skills • Experience of working with digital platforms, including engagement platforms, is an as-set. • Experience of working with government and/or civil society groups is an asset. • Experience of social mobilization is an asset.

Dhaka is located in central Bangladesh. Not only is it the capital city, but it is also the largest in the country. It is the centre of political, cultural, and economic life in Bangladesh. The official language is Bengali, while English is the working language of UN Agencies. In recent decades, Dhaka has seen the modernization of services, communications, and public works. The city is attracting large foreign investments and greater volumes of commerce and trade. It is also experiencing an increasing influx of people from across the nation; this has reportedly made Dhaka one of the fastest-growing cities in the world. Good English-speaking medical, dental services, and educational centres are available for internationals. Dhaka is connected to other cities by rail, road, and by air and internationals can move easily from one city to another. Dhaka has venerable green spaces, including many gardens and parks, historical places, and nice restaurants. The weather is tropical - hot and very humid during the summer monsoon season (April-September) and drier and cooler in the winter (October-March). Historically, Bangladesh has been a safe country for internationals so far. While Dhaka is not categorized as a hardship station, the volunteer should be prepared for limitations in freedom of movement on foot, by public transport, and to certain locations.