Details
Mission and objectives
The UN Development Programme is the lead UN agency fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in more than 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.
In the Pacific, UNDP provides regional and country support to ten countries (Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) and regional support to five countries (Cook Islands, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tokelau), together with a total population of 2.4 million.
UNDP is guided by a Sub-regional Programme Document for the Pacific Island Countries and Territories 2018-2022, which in turn contributes to the achievement of an overarching UN system-wide Pacific Strategy. The Programme is shaped to assist countries to advance the global 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda tailored to each country's priorities, through focus on data, policy prioritization, participatory planning, and budgeting and monitoring - and with accelerated action to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UNDP seeks to target the most vulnerable i.e. people experiencing hardship, the marginalized living in remote rural areas, those who are vulnerable to climate and disaster risks, as well as women and youth excluded from socio-political and economic participation. UNDP adheres to an inclusive, pro-poor and human rights-based approaches that leverage cross-practice, multi-disciplinary expertise of UNDP.
In the Pacific, UNDP provides regional and country support to ten countries (Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) and regional support to five countries (Cook Islands, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tokelau), together with a total population of 2.4 million.
UNDP is guided by a Sub-regional Programme Document for the Pacific Island Countries and Territories 2018-2022, which in turn contributes to the achievement of an overarching UN system-wide Pacific Strategy. The Programme is shaped to assist countries to advance the global 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda tailored to each country's priorities, through focus on data, policy prioritization, participatory planning, and budgeting and monitoring - and with accelerated action to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UNDP seeks to target the most vulnerable i.e. people experiencing hardship, the marginalized living in remote rural areas, those who are vulnerable to climate and disaster risks, as well as women and youth excluded from socio-political and economic participation. UNDP adheres to an inclusive, pro-poor and human rights-based approaches that leverage cross-practice, multi-disciplinary expertise of UNDP.
Context
The UNDP Pacific Office (PO) in Fiji, as part of its Effective Governance programme delivered across the region, supports the institutional building of 14 national legislative assemblies and a number of sub-national legislatures to fulfil their constitutional mandate of law making, oversight and representation. This role supports the parliamentary portfolio implementing support to strengthening democratic participation, representation, inclusion and accountability. Three parliamentary development projects are currently implemented:
i. The Pacific Parliamentary Effectiveness Initiatives Project – Phase 3, 2024-2029
ii. Strengthening Legislatures’ Capacity in Pacific Island Countries Project –Phase 2, 2023-2026
iii. Fiji Parliament Support Project - Phase 3, 2022-2026
Through these projects, UNDP provides direct support to the Legislatures of Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu. Robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system is in place across these programmes, including reporting dashboards, and periodic data collection tools aligned with results frameworks. While these systems effectively capture activity-level outputs and selected outcome indicators, there is a need to analyse qualitative, intersectional, and digital dimensions of political participation, particularly across countries and over time.
There is underlying and often invisible dynamics shaping political participation, particularly for women, youth, persons with disabilities, other marginalised groups and those traditionally excluded from public decision making. These dynamics include gendered barriers, digital exclusion, harmful narratives, misinformation, hate speech, and online violence, which influence both formal and informal participation in democratic processes. Therefore, this assignment will focus on developing analytical frameworks and data collection tools that capture these complex dynamics across both offline and digital spaces. This includes identifying patterns of who participates, how they participate, whose voices are amplified or suppressed, and how digital ecosystems shape inclusion and exclusion. It will also assess how parliaments engage with citizens, including the accessibility, inclusiveness, and effectiveness of both formal and digital engagement channels. The role will contribute to generating evidence on intersectional inequalities, risks to inclusive participation, and emerging trends in online political discourse, supporting UNDP Parliament programming to promote safe, inclusive, and representative democratic spaces.
i. The Pacific Parliamentary Effectiveness Initiatives Project – Phase 3, 2024-2029
ii. Strengthening Legislatures’ Capacity in Pacific Island Countries Project –Phase 2, 2023-2026
iii. Fiji Parliament Support Project - Phase 3, 2022-2026
Through these projects, UNDP provides direct support to the Legislatures of Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu. Robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system is in place across these programmes, including reporting dashboards, and periodic data collection tools aligned with results frameworks. While these systems effectively capture activity-level outputs and selected outcome indicators, there is a need to analyse qualitative, intersectional, and digital dimensions of political participation, particularly across countries and over time.
There is underlying and often invisible dynamics shaping political participation, particularly for women, youth, persons with disabilities, other marginalised groups and those traditionally excluded from public decision making. These dynamics include gendered barriers, digital exclusion, harmful narratives, misinformation, hate speech, and online violence, which influence both formal and informal participation in democratic processes. Therefore, this assignment will focus on developing analytical frameworks and data collection tools that capture these complex dynamics across both offline and digital spaces. This includes identifying patterns of who participates, how they participate, whose voices are amplified or suppressed, and how digital ecosystems shape inclusion and exclusion. It will also assess how parliaments engage with citizens, including the accessibility, inclusiveness, and effectiveness of both formal and digital engagement channels. The role will contribute to generating evidence on intersectional inequalities, risks to inclusive participation, and emerging trends in online political discourse, supporting UNDP Parliament programming to promote safe, inclusive, and representative democratic spaces.
Task description
• Develop analytical frameworks to identify hidden barriers to political participation, including gender norms, social exclusion, and digital divides
• Analyse digital participation ecosystems and conduct intersectional analysis of participation (gender, age, disability, geography)
• Perform social media analytics and digital listening to analyse:
o Gender-based online violence (GBV-O)
o Misinformation and disinformation
o Hate speech and harmful narratives
o Political polarization and exclusionary discourse
• Assess parliamentary engagement with citizens, including the accessibility, inclusiveness, and effectiveness of formal and digital channels (e.g., consultations, outreach, online platforms)
• Produce analytical outputs and insights explaining patterns, risks, and drivers of inclusion and exclusion to inform programming
• Conduct data validation and triangulation, including fact-checking of publicly available information
• Contribute to PACWIP by developing data-driven insights on women’s political participation, including trends, barriers, online discourse, and translating findings into accessible knowledge products
• Analyse digital participation ecosystems and conduct intersectional analysis of participation (gender, age, disability, geography)
• Perform social media analytics and digital listening to analyse:
o Gender-based online violence (GBV-O)
o Misinformation and disinformation
o Hate speech and harmful narratives
o Political polarization and exclusionary discourse
• Assess parliamentary engagement with citizens, including the accessibility, inclusiveness, and effectiveness of formal and digital channels (e.g., consultations, outreach, online platforms)
• Produce analytical outputs and insights explaining patterns, risks, and drivers of inclusion and exclusion to inform programming
• Conduct data validation and triangulation, including fact-checking of publicly available information
• Contribute to PACWIP by developing data-driven insights on women’s political participation, including trends, barriers, online discourse, and translating findings into accessible knowledge products
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