Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Safeguards Project Specialist

UNDP is the United Nations’ global development organization on a mission to end poverty, reduce inequality, and build inclusive institutions around the world. Since 2019, UNDP has embarked on an ambitious transformation journey to harness the potential of digital technology for development. The Digital Strategy 2022-2025 lays out UNDP’s vision to create a world in which digital is an empowering force for people and the planet. This work is led and implemented by the Chief Digital Office (CDO), a global team of innovators, digital strategists, and changemakers working to build global and local digital ecosystems that reaches and works for everyone. 

Among others, Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has emerged as an approach to digital transformation that has the potential to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unlike other digital technologies, DPI can be implemented at population scale and could amplify risks that individuals are exposed to such as data security, surveillance, and exclusion of marginalized groups. 

UNDP launched the Universal Safeguards for DPI initiative in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology in September 2023. Through a global, collaborative mechanism, the initiative aims to establish safe and inclusive DPI principles, empowering governments to harness DPI’s development potential while mitigating its risks to people. 

The Universal Safeguards for DPI initiative includes the following action areas: bringing diverse stakeholders across sectors together to generate insights through convenings; developing a DPI safeguards framework and ongoing knowledge curation; and facilitating the adoption of the safeguards framework in countries. These will be housed within a platform, the DPI Safeguards Action Hub, which manages a community of stakeholders that are actively shaping the initiative. It is envisioned that the framework will be available for consideration by Member States and key societal actors through the Global Digital Compact at the Summit of the Future in September 2024. 

Scope of Work

UNDP is looking for a DPI Safeguards Project Specialist to lead this effort, working closely with CDO colleagues, the Tech Envoy’s Office (OSET), Governance Team, and knowledge partners. Key areas of responsibilities include project planning and execution, convenings and community engagement, knowledge curation and management, and country implementations. 

·       Lead the co-design of project activities and milestones with OSET, ensuring the achievement of initiative outcomes on an ambitious timeline through liaising with Programme Team, Advisory Board, and stakeholders and regularly reporting to the Steering Committee

·       Collaborate with OSET to organize multi-stakeholder convenings, including identifying target stakeholders, designing sessions and coordinating working groups, and efforts to place initiative before Member States through Global Digital Compact

·       Set up and maintain Safeguards Action Hub website and a community of stakeholders actively shaping the Safeguards Initiative 

·       Create and maintain a knowledge repository of safe and inclusive DPI practices including case studies from in-country implementations through collaborating with knowledge partners, including establishing processes on its contribution, governance and evolution

·       Synthesize lessons learn from ongoing DPI implementations in countries including feedback from the Digital ID Governance Framework as inputs for framework development. Test hypotheses with Country Offices throughout the framework development and iteration process. 

·       Identify suitable country candidates and execute framework lighthouse implementations to build reference cases  

·       Design training assets and deliver capacity building programmes targeting country stakeholders  

Institutional Arrangement

The DPI Safeguards Project Specialist will report to the DPI Manager, Country Digital Transformation Delivery, in the Chief Digital Office (Executive Office). 

Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the Specialist is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones.

Competencies

Core 

Achieve Results: 

LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work

Think Innovatively: 

LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking

Learn Continuously: 

LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning

Adapt with Agility: 

LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process

Act with Determination:  

LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner: 

LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: 

LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Data privacy and digital ethics: Knowledge of ethical usage of digital technology and data. Ability to assess ethical implications when using, combining, or sharing data, when building or implementing AI systems. Ability to design privacy protocols to ensure data is protected and used for legitimate purposes without unnecessary privacy risks. 

Digital ecosystems: Knowledge of how they work, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society  

Digital inclusion: Knowledge of digital inclusion works, opportunities and challenges for governments and society

Digital public goods: Knowledge of how it works, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society 

User-centric design, research & testing: Knowledge of user-centered design methodologies and ability to apply them practically

Partnerships Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

Business Development: Ability to bringing together diverse groups of people, data, information or ideas, and technology to design services and solutions. 

Minimum Qualifications

Min. Education requirements

·       Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in political science, development studies, international relations, or a related field

·       A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree

Min. years of relevant work experience 

·       A minimum of 5 years of experience in driving digital transformation projects in a public, nonprofit, or development setting

·       Experience interacting with and steering stakeholders across sectors towards a common objective

·       Experience providing technical assistance or implementing strategies in developing countries   

·       Knowledge and experience related to digital rights is strongly desired

Required skills 

·       Strong understanding of digital technologies and digital rights

·       Ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including governments, multilateral organizations, civil society organizations, private sector companies, academia, and donors. 

·       Ability to capture and synthesize information on an ongoing basis to produce analysis and recommendations

·       Excellent project management and execution skills to drive complex and ambiguous topics

·       Excellent communication and interpersonal skills 

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

·       Experience designing co-creation workshops or knowledge generating sessions

·       Self-motivated, can work autonomously with little supervision 

·       High attention to detail

Required Language(s) 

·       Excellent written and spoken English is required.  

·       Working knowledge of another official UN language is advantageous. 

Professional Certificates

NA

7.       The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

a)     Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

b)     A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

c)     Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as  reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Please apply here: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/15785