Data Integration & Diagnostics Support for UNDP

Asia and the Pacific is a diverse and rapidly changing region where economic transformation, climate vulnerability, demographic shifts, and digitalization are reshaping the relationship between citizens and institutions. Many countries are simultaneously facing governance challenges such as declining public trust, shrinking civic space, information integrity risks, persistent corruption, and uneven institutional capacity. These dynamics highlight the growing need for governance systems that are more open, inclusive, accountable, and capable of responding to complex and overlapping crises.

An open and inclusive public sphere is a critical foundation for people-centred governance and for achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It refers to the spaces—both online and offline—where people can access information, express views, engage in public dialogue, and participate meaningfully in decision-making processes. When these spaces are inclusive, safe, and trusted, they strengthen social cohesion, improve policy effectiveness, and ensure that the voices of women, young people, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, and other marginalized groups are reflected in public decisions.

The Online Volunteer will support UNDP’s Open and Inclusive Public Sphere (OIPS) agenda in Asia and the Pacific through data integration, analysis, and the development of an evidence-based diagnostic tool.

Under the supervision of the Programme Specialist, Civil Society and Youth, the volunteer will support the development of a regional OIPS diagnostic framework by bringing together relevant quantitative and qualitative datasets and identifying how different sources can be combined to assess key dimensions of the OIPS agenda across countries in the region. Specific tasks include:
- Identify, compile, and organize relevant quantitative and qualitative datasets (approx. 25-30 datasets) responding to key dimensions of the OIPS agenda.
- Assess the scope, methodology, coverage, strengths, limitations, and relevance of available datasets and indicators.
- Analyse and synthesize information across sources to identify relationships, complementarities, overlaps, and gaps.
- Support the development of diagnostic indicators and analytical dimensions for assessing OIPS conditions across the region and within countries, enabling both snapshot and longitudinal analysis.
- Develop and maintain a structured record keeping framework/tool that brings together relevant information and facilitates interpretation and future use.
- Prepare concise analytical outputs and visualizations highlighting key findings and insights.