Mission and objectivesAs the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience.
ContextOrganizational context The Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH) serves as UNDP's primary knowledge and advisory hub for Europe and CIS (RBEC) region. The Hub connects the region to a global network of development experts, builds knowledge and capacity, and forges partnerships to address the development challenges of a complex and diverse region. The Regional Programme (2022-2025) focuses on three key directions of change: structural transformation (including green, inclusive and digital transitions); leaving no one behind; and building resilience. The UNDP Innovation Team in Europe and Central Asia is pioneering a transformative approach to sustainable development through strategic innovation, portfolio and systems-thinking methods. At the core of this work is the portfolio approach, which organizes initiatives around cohesive outcomes, enabling UNDP to address complex challenges through systems thinking and adaptive management. With over 15 active portfolios across 12 Country Offices, this systemic approach is reshaping development strategies in areas such as urban transformation, digital innovation, and crisis response. Looking ahead, the team is exploring how emerging technologies can be harnessed for development. The innovation team is also focusing on digital transformation, recognizing that most innovation in the region is rooted in this space, with the goal of leveraging emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and digital financing solutions to drive systemic change and ensure transparent, efficient public sector and while seeking to create new opportunities at the intersection of digital and green technologies to drive sustainable development and systemic change in the region. The team is also pioneering new financing approaches, such as developing a portfolio financing framework that aligns funding with systemic change efforts. Partnerships with blockchain platforms like Algorand and Cardano are opening new avenues for transparent and efficient development financing. Through regular reflections and a commitment to continuous learning, the innovation team ensures its work remains relevant and impactful. This adaptive approach allows UNDP to stay at the forefront of development innovation, constantly evolving its strategies to meet the complex challenges of our time. The UNDP Innovation Team is not just about projects and innovation methods; it's also a dynamic and supportive environment for professional growth. New team members are welcomed with mentorship and regular feedback, ensuring they're well-equipped to contribute to and learn from our innovative work. We are walking the talk - applying the same principles of adaptation, learning, and collaboration to our team dynamics that we advocate in our development approaches. This creates a space where individuals can grow, take on new challenges, and make meaningful contributions to our mission of reimagining development for the 21st century.
Task DescriptionWe are looking for 2 Online Volunteer/s who under the guidance of UNDP IRH and in close collaboration with the communications team support us in Generative AI Foresight activities. Tasks will include: Scenario Research & Prompt Crafting โ scan recent reports on development finance, climate risk and SDG gaps; draft and refine AI prompts that generate diverse, policyโrelevant future scenarios. Multimedia Experimentation โ use textโtoโimage, textโtoโvideo and largeโlanguageโmodel tools (e.g., Midjourney, DALLโE, Pika, GPTโ4o) to create storyboards, short clips, synthetic news articles and stakeholder personas that bring each scenario to life. Rapid Prototyping & Testing โ iterate on outputs with UNDP facilitators, documenting what works (or doesnโt) and adjusting prompts, model settings and ethical safeguards accordingly. Asset Curation โ organize final AIโgenerated images, videos, scripts and journey maps in a shared repository (e.g., Miro or SharePoint) with clear captions and metadata for easy use during the training and in future briefings. Insights & Ethics Log โ keep a lightweight journal of lessons learned, bias checks and recommended guardrails for responsible GenAI use in foresight. The Online Volunteer/s will have the opportunity to build connections with the IRH Innovation team.
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