Digital Public Infrastructure Safeguards Project Specialist (Home-based)

Background
  Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
  UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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 published the Universal Safeguards for DPI initiative in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology in September 2024. 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. 

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, technical support to UNDP colleagues and partners in countries. 

• 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.

• Work 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. 

• Update a knowledge repository of safe and inclusive DPI practices including case studies from in-country implementations through collaborating with knowledge partners and implementors.

• Synthesize lessons learn from ongoing DPI implementations in countries and work with communications colleagues for global visibility. 

• Provide advisory support technical implementations in countries, for instance leading a team of consultants and colleagues conducting a DPI Safeguards related national consultation, workshop or assessment. 

• Monitor and report on progress in implementing project activities and achieving the targets set. 

• Ensure project reports capture results, lessons learned and good practices for possible wider application.

• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization

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 Project Specialist is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies  Thematic Area Name Definition Digital Data privacy and digital ethics Knowledge of ethical usage of digital technology (e.g. AI, robotics, automation) and data. Ability to assess ethical implications when using, combining or sharing data, when building or implementing AI systems, and when advising on robotisation and automation etc. Ability to design privacy protocols to ensure data is protected and used for legitimate purposes without unnecessary privacy risks. Digital Digital ecosystems Knowledge of how they work, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society Digital Digital inclusion Knowledge of digital inclusion works, opportunities and challenges for governments and society Digital Digital public goods Knowledge of how it works, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society Digital E-governance Knowledge of how it works, understanding of the opportunities and challenges for governments and society Partnership Management Emerging partnerships Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships Business Direction and Strategy System Thinking

Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.