Desk Based Research and Analysis for UNDP

Asia and the Pacific has a large and diverse youth population, but young people continue to face significant barriers to accessing decent work and sustainable livelihoods. Globally, around 1.2 billion young people are expected to enter the workforce over the next decade, while only around 400 million jobs are projected to be created, highlighting the scale and urgency of the challenge.

At the same time, the region presents significant opportunities to advance more inclusive and productive employment. UNDP supports these efforts through partnerships and innovation ecosystems such as Youth Co:Lab and Skill Our Future, as well as country-level collaborations, including initiatives supporting informal workers. Against this backdrop, research and evidence can help identify and document relevant policies, programmes, partnerships, and approaches to youth employment and economic empowerment.

The Online Volunteer will support UNDP’s youth employment and economic empowerment agenda in Asia and the Pacific through targeted research, data collection, and analysis.

Under the supervision of the Programme Specialist, Civil Society and Youth, the Online Volunteers will support the development of a research repository and analytical overview of the youth employment and economic empowerment landscape across the region. Specific tasks include:
- Conduct desk-based research on relevant reference materials, case studies, practitioners, organizations, trainings, and events (approx. 50-70 relevant resources) in Asia and the Pacific.
- Collect, clean, and organize information using the provided guidance and Excel template, including categorizing, tagging, interpreting, and contextualizing findings.
- Analyse the information gathered to identify key trends, gaps, relevant actors, and potential entry points for UNDP engagement at the country and regional levels.
- Prepare a concise 2–3-page summary report, including relevant visualizations, to present key findings and insights.